“Amazon Ads Decoded: The No-Nonsense Guide to Skyrocket Your Brand—Even If You Don’t Sell on Amazon”
Article Overview: Key Takeaways
Why Amazon Ads?: Are Amazon Ads a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes and can it help your brand grow, even if you're not selling on Amazon?
Economic Impact of Amazon Ads: Understand how the current economic conditions.
Amazon Ad Types Explained: Discover the differences between Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads, and how each type can serve different business needs.
Advertising Without Amazon Products: Learn how to use Amazon Ads to advertise your brand and drive traffic to your own website, even if you don’t sell on Amazon.
Refine Strategy for Better Amazon Ads Results: Insights from business owner and contributor Susan B. Merry, Owner, Inner Joy Activewear
Using Amazon Ads for Your Website: Find out how to leverage Amazon Ads if you sell digital or physical products on your own website.
Maximize ROI With Amazon Ads: with contributor Ilker Dalgic, Business Owner, Edi Gourmet Spice
Converting Amazon Traffic to Your Website: Practical strategies for turning Amazon's massive customer base into traffic for your own site.
Best Strategy for Starting Amazon Ads: Step-by-step guide for setting up your first Amazon Ads campaign based on your budget.
Transform Your Strategy With Amazon Ads: Not a win or lose, but how you utilize finding what works and what doesn’t with contributor Dimitri Zobnin, Managing Director, House of Enki
Using Amazon Without Relying Solely on It: How to use Amazon Ads as part of a larger marketing strategy to grow your brand independently.
Leverage Amazon Ads for Business Growth: First-hand strategy with contributor Faizan Khan, Public Relations and Content Marketing Specialist, Ubuy Australia
Expanded FAQ: Detailed answers to common questions about using Amazon Ads effectively, even for businesses that aren’t on Amazon.
Amazon Ads is a powerful tool that can help businesses of all sizes gain visibility and increase sales. But what if your business doesn't sell on Amazon? Or, how can you leverage Amazon's platform while ensuring your brand grows independently of it? Let’s explore Amazon Ads and how you can use it strategically for digital marketing—whether you sell on Amazon or have your own website.
Why Amazon Ads?
Amazon Ads offers access to over 300 million active users, many of whom are ready to buy. The platform excels in targeting consumers who are actively searching for products and have high purchasing intent. Amazon’s rich data on customer behavior provides businesses with an invaluable edge in creating highly targeted advertising campaigns. But Amazon isn't just for businesses selling on its platform—you can use its ads even if your primary business exists elsewhere.
Economic Impact of Amazon Ads
As we teeter between inflation and recession businesses are tightening their belts due to inflation and market fluctuations, Amazon Ads offers a cost-effective and efficient way to reach customers who are in the mindset of purchasing. As competition increases online, Amazon provides a unique way to directly access buyers, making it a crucial tool in your digital marketing strategy. By using Amazon Ads wisely, you can navigate tough economic times and come out ahead of competitors.
Key Amazon Ad Types (And What They Mean)
To get the most out of Amazon Ads, it’s important to understand the different types of ads available and how each one works:
Sponsored Products: These ads promote individual products and appear within Amazon’s search results or on product detail pages. They are keyword-targeted, which means you can choose specific words or phrases that match your products and bid on them. Sponsored Products work well for driving traffic to specific products on Amazon.
Sponsored Brands: This type of ad allows you to promote a collection of products or your overall brand. You’ll see these ads at the top of Amazon search results, usually with your logo, a custom headline, and several featured products. This is a great option for businesses that want to build brand awareness.
Sponsored Display: Sponsored Display ads are unique in that they show your ads not only on Amazon but also on other websites and apps. These ads use audience targeting based on browsing behavior, allowing you to reach potential customers who may not have even visited Amazon yet.
How to Advertise Your Brand on Amazon (Even If You Don’t Sell on Amazon)
You may think Amazon Ads only work for products sold directly on Amazon, but that’s not the case. If your business sells digital or physical products on your own website, you can still use Amazon Ads to drive traffic to your site. Ensure your business is also ready to handle any form of customer support that is needed. Here's how to work with Amazon Ads:
Sponsored Display Ads: Use Sponsored Display ads to promote your business or product off Amazon. By targeting customers based on their interests and behavior, you can direct them to your own website. This strategy is especially useful for businesses that sell digital products or services, such as online courses or software, which aren’t necessarily listed on Amazon.
Brand Awareness with Sponsored Brands: Sponsored Brands ads can also promote your overall brand, even if you don’t have a presence on Amazon. Think of this as a way to introduce potential customers to your brand, leading them to your own site for more information or to purchase.
Multi-Lingual Customers: A great way for ROI is being able to pivot your company to also support other languages like Spanish which can significantly boost your results. If offering courses try software like LearnWorlds which can convert your course creation into any language. Also use a program like Laxis, which allows you to have meetings like Zoom, but translates automatically for you, while using an AI note taker so you can focus on your new customers and clients.
Set Your Budget: Whether you’re working with a small, medium, or large budget, Amazon Ads can be tailored to your needs.
Small Budget ($50-$500): Start with Sponsored Products. Keep your targeting focused. Pick long-tail keywords that are less competitive but highly relevant to your product. Set daily budgets that don’t strain your finances, and test different ad variations to see what works.
Medium Budget ($500-$5,000): Expand into Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display. Create campaigns with a mix of automatic targeting (where Amazon selects relevant keywords) and manual targeting (where you choose the keywords yourself).
Large Budget ($5,000+): Maximize your exposure through multi-layered campaigns. Combine Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display. Consider using Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) for even broader reach across websites and apps.
Refine Strategy for Better Amazon Ads Results
When I first ventured into Amazon Ads for my small business, it felt like stepping into a whole new world of marketing possibilities. I had heard about the potential reach and targeted advertising that Amazon offers, so I decided to give it a shot. The initial setup was relatively straightforward. I signed up for an Amazon Seller account, navigated to the advertising section, and was greeted with a user-friendly interface that guided me through the process of creating my first campaign.
The learning curve was steep, though. Understanding keywords, bidding strategies, and how to effectively target my audience took some time. I spent countless hours reading guides, watching tutorials, and experimenting with different approaches. Initially, the results were modest. My ads were getting impressions, but the click-through rates and conversions were not as high as I had hoped. It was a bit disheartening, but I knew that patience and persistence were key.
Over the next few months, I refined my strategy. I started with automatic campaigns to gather data on which keywords were performing well and then shifted to manual campaigns to have more control. I also took advantage of Amazon’s reporting tools to track performance and make data-driven decisions. Slowly but surely, I began to see an improvement. Sales started to pick up, and my return on ad spend (ROAS) became more favorable. It was gratifying to see my efforts pay off.
Susan B. Merry, Owner, Inner Joy Activewear
Using Amazon Ads with Your Own Website and Products
If you sell both digital and physical products on your own website, you can leverage Amazon Ads to increase your visibility and sales. Here’s how:
Driving Traffic to Your Website: Use Sponsored Display ads to send potential customers to your website. Whether you're selling downloadable content, physical products, or services, this type of ad can target users who may have an interest in your offerings based on their behavior. You don’t need to sell on Amazon to use these ads.
Retargeting Ads: Sponsored Display allows you to retarget visitors who have previously viewed your products on Amazon but didn’t purchase. This works exceptionally well for higher-priced items or products that typically require more consideration before buying.
Promote Both Amazon and Non-Amazon Products: If you sell on both Amazon and your own site, you can run Sponsored product ads for your Amazon listings while also using Sponsored Displays to drive traffic to your website. This gives you the flexibility to use Amazon’s traffic while growing your own site’s sales.
Maximize ROI With Amazon Ads
Joining Amazon Ads for my business has been an impactful journey, offering the highest ROI among paid search channels due to the platform's strong purchase intent. As a new business, it was challenging to achieve high organic rankings, but Amazon Ads provided a crucial boost by increasing our product visibility.
The key to success was meticulously monitoring ROI for each keyword and optimizing campaigns around the highest-performing ones. This data-driven approach allowed us to maximize our advertising spend and reach a highly targeted audience.
For small businesses, Amazon Ads is a valuable tool for driving sales and building brand presence, especially in the early stages.
Ilker Dalgic, Business Owner, Edi Gourmet Spice
Converting Amazon Traffic to Your Own Website
One key challenge for businesses is how to use Amazon’s platform without becoming overly dependent on it. Here's how to use Amazon’s customer base to build traffic to your own site:
Incentivize Off-Amazon Sales: Offer exclusive promotions, discounts, or bundles on your website that aren’t available on Amazon. Use your ads to direct traffic to those offers. This creates a sense of exclusivity and can entice Amazon shoppers to explore your own website.
Leverage Customer Data: Amazon Ads provides detailed insights into customer behavior. Use this data to understand your audience better and create more personalized campaigns that direct them to your site. Remember, the goal is not just to make sales on Amazon, but to bring customers back to your own platform.
Grow Your Email List: Encourage visitors from your Amazon ads to sign up for your email list on your website. Offering a free download, exclusive tips, or special deals can incentivize them to share their contact information, allowing you to follow up and build a relationship outside of Amazon.
Insider Tips Many Don’t Know
Utilize Amazon’s A+ Content: If you’re registered with Amazon Brand Registry, you have access to A+ Content. This feature allows you to enhance your product listings with more visuals and detailed descriptions. Well-designed A+ content can boost conversion rates by up to 10%.
Leverage Retargeting: Sponsored Display ads allow you to retarget customers who have previously viewed your products but didn’t buy. Retargeting can dramatically increase your sales, especially for higher-priced items.
Look Beyond Keywords: Amazon’s advertising platform allows you to target customers by interests and behaviors. Targeting by interest can be an excellent strategy if your product serves a niche market or seasonal demand.
Optimize for Mobile: Most Amazon users browse and shop via mobile. Ensure your product images and descriptions look great on smaller screens. Even your ad copy should be short and to the point.
The most useful Strategy for Starting with Amazon Ads
Regardless of your budget, the best strategy is to start small and grow based on data. Begin by testing with Sponsored Products or Sponsored Display ads, adjusting your bids and targeting as you learn what works. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Set Up Your Amazon Ads Account: If you already have an Amazon Seller account, great! Otherwise, sign up for an Amazon Ads account through the Amazon advertising portal.
Start with Sponsored Products (if you sell on Amazon): This ad type is perfect for beginners because it promotes specific products in search results and product pages.
Experiment with Sponsored Display (for off-Amazon traffic): If you don’t sell on Amazon, start with Sponsored Display to target potential customers based on their browsing habits and drive them to your website.
Monitor and Optimize: Watch your ad performance closely using Amazon’s robust analytics. As you gather data on which keywords and ad types work best, adjust your bids, targeting, and budget to maximize returns.
Pro Tip: Use negative keywords to avoid spending money on clicks that won’t convert to sales. For example, if you sell premium products, you may want to exclude keywords like “cheap” or “budget.”
Transform Your Strategy With Amazon Ads
Joining Amazon Ads was a transformative journey for us. Initially, we were apprehensive but determined to make it work. We started with sponsored product ads and learned through Amazon’s tutorials. Keywords were crucial, and automated targeting helped us discover new ones, enhancing our campaigns.
We saw a modest traffic increase initially, but significant gains came with constant tweaking and budgeting adjustments. Positive reviews boosted our ad rankings, and engaging with customers built trust and improved our reputation. The process required continuous learning and adaptation. Staying updated with Amazon’s features and experimenting with different ad types kept our strategy effective.
For other small businesses, I recommend starting small, being patient, and using customer feedback to refine your approach. Amazon Ads opened new opportunities for us and became a key part of our growth strategy.
Dimitri Zobnin, Managing Director, House of Enki
Amazon Without Relying on It
While Amazon Ads can provide an incredible boost to your business, it’s important not to rely solely on the platform. Instead, use it as one part of a larger strategy to grow your own brand:
Build Brand Recognition: Use Amazon Ads to introduce customers to your brand, but always aim to bring them back to your own website where you have full control of the customer experience.
Develop a Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy: Incorporate Amazon Ads alongside other marketing efforts like Google Ads, social media, and email marketing. This creates a well-rounded strategy that isn’t dependent on any single platform.
Focus on Customer Loyalty: Once you’ve attracted customers through Amazon Ads, nurture those relationships through personalized email campaigns, customer service, and exclusive offers available only through your website.
Amazon Ads offers a powerful platform for businesses, whether you’re selling products on Amazon or driving traffic to your own site. From understanding the different ad types—Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display—to knowing how to leverage them strategically, you now have the tools to create campaigns that fit your budget and goals.
Leverage Amazon Ads for Business Growth
My experience when I joined Amazon Ads as a small business was eye-opening. First, I introduced myself confidently and started learning about Amazon's advertising model, which is the cost-per-click (CPC) model. This knowledge helped me create effective advertising campaigns that increased the visibility of small businesses and their products on the platform.
I used contextual product-category targeting and referred to various sources to understand the customer journey better. I also focused on creating A+ content and sponsored ads and paid attention to metrics like ACoS to ensure our ad campaigns were efficient and cost-effective for our small-business clients.
Additionally, I kept up with updates in the digital marketing industry to make smart decisions and predict future trends for our small-business clients. The experience has transformed the small businesses I work with, increasing their visibility and driving growth.
Faizan Khan, Public Relations and Content Marketing Specialist, Ubuy Australia
Here’s a quick recap of actionable steps to get started:
Set Up Your Amazon Ads Account: Whether you sell on Amazon or not, sign up for an account and choose the right ad type based on your goals.
Start Small and Scale Fast: Begin with a limited budget, test your campaigns, and optimize them as you gather data. Focus on Sponsored Products for direct sales or Sponsored Display to drive traffic to your site.
Leverage Amazon’s Customer Base: Even if you don’t sell on Amazon, use their vast customer network to build brand awareness and drive conversions to your own site.
Diversify Your Strategy: Don’t rely solely on Amazon Ads—integrate it into a broader marketing plan that includes other channels like social media, email, and Google Ads.
Measure and Optimize: Continuously monitor your performance and adjust your campaigns for maximum return on investment.
As you take these steps, remember that every great business starts with a vision and faith in its purpose. Don’t let worries about budgets, competition, or economic uncertainty cloud your path. Instead, focus on your mission and trust that you’re building something meaningful. Amazon Ads is a tool that can support your growth, but it’s your dedication to your business’s purpose that will drive your success in the long term.
Stay persistent, keep refining your strategies, and know that every challenge you face is an opportunity to learn and improve. The road may not always be easy, but it is purposeful, and with faith in your business vision, the rewards will come. Believe in the value you bring to your customers, and trust that your efforts, guided by wisdom and strategy, will bear fruit in time.
Keep pushing forward—your business has the potential to achieve great things, and Amazon Ads is just one step in your journey toward lasting success. Since such platforms are not owned by you, be ready to pivot on a dime when it no longer serves your company mission, purpose, or customer base. Remember, if it is not your own platform, it can change at anytime without notice.
Expanded FAQ
Q: How do I get started with Amazon Ads if I’ve never advertised before?
A: Start by signing up for an Amazon Ads account through their advertising portal. If you sell on Amazon, your seller account is already connected. Choose a simple ad format like Sponsored Products, set a small budget, and monitor performance closely. For non-Amazon sellers, use Sponsored Display ads to drive traffic to your website. Start small, analyze data regularly, and optimize your campaigns based on what works.
Q: What’s the difference between Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads?
A:
Sponsored Products: These ads promote individual products, targeting specific keywords to appear in Amazon’s search results and product pages. They are perfect for direct sales.
Sponsored Brands: Promote your brand and a collection of products. These ads appear at the top of Amazon search results, often with your logo and several products listed. Ideal for businesses looking to build brand awareness.
Sponsored Display: Target users based on their interests and behavior, displaying ads both on and off Amazon. These are excellent for businesses driving traffic to their own websites or increasing awareness.
Q: Can I use Amazon Ads even if I don’t sell products on Amazon?
A: Absolutely! Sponsored Display ads allow you to target Amazon users based on their behavior and interests, even if you don’t sell on Amazon. You can direct them to your own website where you sell products or services.
Q: How do I drive traffic from Amazon to my own website?
A: Sponsored Display ads can direct potential customers to your website. You can also offer exclusive promotions or content on your site that Amazon users won’t find on Amazon, encouraging them to visit your site directly. Using retargeting strategies helps bring back visitors who’ve shown interest in your product or service.
Q: I have both digital and physical products on my own website—can I still use Amazon Ads?
A: Yes, you can use Amazon Ads to promote both digital and physical products even if they are hosted on your own site. Sponsored Display ads are great for driving potential customers to your website where they can purchase these items. You can customize ads based on the type of product you're promoting, whether it’s a digital course or a physical item.
Q: How can I convert Amazon traffic to my own platform?
A: To convert traffic from Amazon to your own site:
Use Incentives: Offer exclusive deals, promotions, or content on your website that customers can’t get on Amazon.
Create a Seamless Experience: Ensure your website is user-friendly and optimized for mobile since many Amazon users browse via mobile devices.
Leverage Retargeting: Sponsored Display ads allow you to retarget users who viewed your products on Amazon but didn’t purchase, nudging them to complete the sale on your website.
Q: How can I advertise my brand if I don’t sell on Amazon but want to use their platform?
A: You can use Sponsored Display and Sponsored Brands to advertise your business without selling on Amazon. Sponsored Display ads can target specific customer segments and lead them directly to your own website. Sponsored Brands, on the other hand, are a great way to build overall brand awareness by showcasing your company logo, headline, and multiple products.
Q: What are the best practices for targeting the right audience on Amazon?
A:
Use manual targeting for precise control over which keywords or audiences see your ads.
Utilize Amazon’s automatic targeting to allow the platform’s AI to identify relevant customer searches you might not have considered.
Implement negative keywords to exclude terms that don’t result in conversions, helping you avoid wasting your budget on non-relevant clicks.
Q: How can I measure the success of my Amazon Ads campaign?
A: Amazon provides detailed analytics that allow you to track performance through metrics like impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and conversions. Use this data to adjust your bids, keywords, and targeting strategies. You can also calculate your Advertising Cost of Sales (ACoS)—this measures the effectiveness of your ad spend in relation to your sales.
Q: Should I rely solely on Amazon Ads for my business growth?
A: No, Amazon Ads should be one part of a broader marketing strategy. While it’s a powerful tool for reaching potential buyers, diversifying your advertising across platforms (like Google Ads, Facebook, or email marketing) can help ensure your business is resilient and not reliant on one source of traffic.
Q: How do I set my Amazon Ads budget for maximum impact?
A:
For small budgets ($50-$500), start with Sponsored Products to promote individual items. Use manual targeting to keep costs low while focusing on high-intent keywords.
With a medium budget ($500-$5,000), diversify into Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display, testing automatic and manual targeting.
Large budgets ($5,000+) should maximize exposure with a combination of all ad types, including Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) for broader reach beyond Amazon itself.
Q: How can I use Amazon Ads data to improve my overall marketing strategy?
A: Amazon Ads offers deep insights into customer behaviors and preferences. Use this data to:
Refine your targeting strategies on other platforms like Facebook or Google Ads.
Identify high-converting keywords or audience segments that could perform well on your own site.
Improve product listings or offerings on your website based on what performs well on Amazon.
Q: What’s a "negative keyword" and how does it help my Amazon campaign?
A: Negative keywords are search terms you exclude from your campaigns to prevent your ads from showing up in irrelevant searches. For example, if you sell premium goods, you might exclude keywords like “cheap” or “discount” to avoid attracting customers who aren’t your target audience. This helps reduce wasted ad spend and improves the effectiveness of your budget.
