To say that I am a fan of Amazon is probably an understatement. I search for products on Amazon at least once a day if not more, especially in the midst of wedding planning. As a consumer, I find it easy, efficient, and the possibilities are endless.
Below is a diagram of the way [I believe] a purchase happens on Amazon.
In my world, by searching for one product, I typically realize that I need 20 other additional items and forget to purchase the one thing that prompted my search.
With that being said, Amazon should be a key player for any e-commerce business. It’s a guaranteed way to get your product in front of your target audience and amongst your competitors. Below are 4 tips on how to effectively use Amazon Products Ads via Amazon Seller Central.
1. Know Your Targeting Type
When you create a campaign, you will have two options in terms of targeting; automatic or manual. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Below is a summary of how each are used.
When using automatic targeting, one advantage is that you ensure that you are covering a wide variety of search terms that you may not have thought of when generating your own keywords. It will also save you time by not having to manually generate keywords, as Amazon will do the work for you. The one disadvantage is that as a marketer, you won’t have control over bids.
When using manual targeting, one advantage is that you have control over the search terms you show for. You will also have the ability to set bids at the ad group or keyword level, which allows you to optimize based on performance. The one disadvantage is that there is the possibility of missing out on search terms that don’t match to any of your keywords.
Some advertisers may decide to run one campaign type or the other. However, one tip is to use them to benefit each other. Create keyword campaigns with manual targeting like you would in Google, Bing, etc. From that point, optimize the bids accordingly based on performance. Then create an automatic targeting campaign as a “catch all”. Set the bids lower and use the campaign as keyword research. Then when a search term begins to perform well, introduce that as a keyword in the manual targeting campaigns.
2. Don’t Neglect Keyword Bids
This is a simple reminder to not neglect keyword bids. Even though you are amidst the Amazon platform, bids are similar to those in any other search platform. When optimized based on performance, they can really affect the efficiency of a campaign or ad group. Checking on bids on a regular basis will ensure easy wins.
3. Frequently Filter Through Search Terms
This is another simple reminder to filter through all search terms that your keyword is matching to. From that point, make sure to include irrelevant/underperforming search terms as negative keywords. By doing this, you can avoid spending ad dollars on search terms that won’t generate profit.
The reason this is listed as a tip is that finding the search terms isn’t the most intuitive at the moment. If you are under Amazon Product Ads in Amazon Seller Central, you won’t find the search terms. Instead, you have to go to reports > search term. From that point, you will select the time period.
4. Be Patient
They say that patience is a virtue and that holds true here. After launching a campaign, I recommend allowing the campaign to run three to four weeks before determining if the campaign is profitable or not. That allows for the Amazon algorithm to adjust and allows you as the advertiser time to make optimizations to the campaign and steady performance. The campaigns aren’t the type where you can set-it and forget-it. They need to be monitored and optimized on a regular basis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Amazon is the place to be for e-commerce businesses. It’s an effective way to get your products in front of the consumer and in the same space as your competitors. By using the above tips, you are sure to develop a solid marketing strategy to utilize Amazon Product Ads.
For more information on Amazon, check out the following resources:
- A Step-by-Step Introduction to Amazon Product Ads by Kirk Williams
- Get The Lowdown On Amazon Vendor and Seller Central PPC Advertising by Tanner Schroeder
- Reasons to Invest in Amazon Marketing Services by Kelly Pollock
- Amazon Advertising Strategy by Hanapin Marketing
