In a recent Digital Marketing Performance Research Panel, experts from Tinuiti, Jungle Scout, eComEngine, South Bay Boards Co., and Great Deal Furniture shared their thoughts on the big 2019 updates to , Amazon , and predictions for 2020 .
Big Amazon Advertising Updates
1, Product Attribution Targeting Ads, and New Features
One of the big updates to Amazon Advertising in 2019 is the ability to use Product Attribution Targeting Ads (PAT ads). This ad placement did not exist before 2019; sellers and brands could only access Product Display Ads (PDA).
With PAT ads, brands can position both offensively and defensively on product detail pages. With defensive targeting, you can make sure no competitor steals your conversions before buyers add your products to their shopping carts. With offensive targeting, you can target competitors with similar products.
With product targeting, buyers can more easily reach them by browsing detail pages and filtering search results for specific products that are similar to yours. According to Amazon, PAT’s granular capabilities should help advertisers expand their ad reach and target ads in more granular ways. Sellers can find targeting products as a targeting option in manually targeted Sponsored Products campaigns.
Tinuiti marketers say the purpose of this is to provide advertisers with the ability to target both Prime and non-Prime products. An interesting feature to note is how this works in Seller Central vs. Ads Console: Advertisers in Seller Central can use both keyword and product targeting in the same ad, but not in the same ad group use. Advertisers using Ads Console can only use one goal type per ad.
With the changes on Amazon, it’s more important than ever to ensure you have a consistent brand message across all channels and platforms. Buyers want to see the same brand across every channel, including:
● Paid advertising
● E-commerce website
● Amazon product pages
● Amazon store
● Email marketing
Make sure your advertising strategy is cohesive and consistent sexual. No matter where buyers find you, tell the same brand story.
2, Amazon Vine review plans to open to all sellers
Amazon pays more attention to the source of reviews and whether they are authentic. This means it’s harder than ever to get reviews on Amazon, but when you get organic reviews, they’re more likely to be genuine.
Considering this change, how do you get fast, compliant product reviews?
You can still request reviews from buyers, as long as you follow Amazon's Terms of Service. Here are some strategies to encourage buyers to leave reviews:
● Make sure your listings and product images are clear to avoid buyers having wrong expectations about the product;
● Joining the Amazon Early Reviewer Program can get you 5 reviews quickly;
●Join the Amazon Vine program.
In the past, the Amazon Vine program only helped vendors increase sales and advertising of new products.
Now, the project is open to sellers who meet the following conditions:
● Complete brand registration in the Amazon Brand Registry;
● The number of product detail page reviews is less than 30;
● The product is FBA and in brand new condition;
● Non-adult products;
● Published upon registration;
● Inventory available;
● Product pictures and descriptions available.
3. Utilize Inventory Tools in 2020
In 2020, make sure to continue to be predictive with your inventory management. Use inventory management tools to track inventory levels and set reminders for yourself to reorder inventory. Inventory management tools can also keep you more organized than a bunch of spreadsheets, especially during peak sales seasons.
If your product has not been sold for more than a year, it is difficult to predict sales.If you don’t have historical sales data, here are two ways to predict sales:
1) Historical search volume: You can use a tool like Jungle Scout to view Amazon’s historical search volume for a keyword.
2) Historical sales of competing products: This will give you a better idea of the seasonality of your product (or similar products).
Amazon tracks each seller’s Inventory Performance Index, or IPI. IPI is a single number calculated based on slow-moving inventory, spot rate, dead stock and sell-out rate. Amazon changes the target IPI based on the quarter or month.
According to a recent update, the current IPI may affect sales in the next quarter: if you fall below the target IPI, you will lose unlimited storage space in the FBA warehouse, which will affect your ability to sell. Ensure excess inventory is processed daily, hot-selling products are kept in stock, and inventory levels are checked daily.
4. Use Sponsored Brands Ads to Acquire New Customers
With competition on Amazon getting more intense every year, what strategies should you adopt to acquire new customers?
If you aren't using Sponsored Brands advertising yet, now is the time to start. There are different ways to implement Sponsored Brands advertising to acquire new customers. With Sponsored Brands ads, you can display 3 different products, which makes it easy for you to show potential customers what you offer and link to your store.
With a recent update, you can now separate Sponsored Brands ads into branded and non-branded ads. You can also track net sales of new purchases through these ads. Make sure your Amazon store tells your brand story and showcases all your products. You can run different ad groups to drive traffic to your store from different channels.
Make sure you know your ideal buyer. Take a look at your product reviews to learn more about what buyers want, how to improve the product, and how to bundle products. Pay attention to what people are saying about your brand.
To make your product stand out from the competition, you can try the following strategies:
● Product videos should go into depth about the product’s benefits and value, not just how it looks and how to use it;
● Amazon buyers are comparison buyers. Include comparisons with competing products in your product images to visually demonstrate why your product is better;
● Maximize the use of space on product detail pages with images, bullet points, and enhanced brand content;
● Pay attention to competing products review. You can use competitive product reviews to improve your own products or similar products to exceed buyers' expectations.
5. Amazon DSP can improve customer retention and loyalty
After acquiring new customers, how do you retain them? Today, customers have higher expectations, such as free shipping, longer and deeper discounts, and excellent customer service. How do you meet these expectations?
uses DSP to target buyers who have purchased products from you in the past and let them know that you have a new offer, especially if their original purchase was a consumable item that they may need to purchase again.
Listening is the number one way to build customer loyalty and retain customers, such as reading reviews, listening to feedback, and paying attention to keyword searches and search volume. What are people looking for? How do you meet their needs? Respond to both positive and negative product reviews. This shows that you are listening to your potential customers. Humanize yourself and your brand, and your customer service should be consistent across every channel, including Amazon.
Amazon 2020 Predictions
As we start the new year, here are some expert predictions for Amazon in 2020 from the Tinuiti team:
● Amazon will continue to grow its influencer program;
● Sponsored video ads are now available on sellers Center and AMS access. Telling your brand story through video will help you stand out from the crowd;
● Logistics changes: Amazon will launch its own logistics settings and systems;
● Many new test projects for brands and third-party sellers are coming soon.Learn about and take advantage of Amazon’s beta programs and updates early so you can stay ahead of your competitors;
● Many 1P seller tools and features will be extended to 3P sellers;
● Amazon will introduce more features for brands through the Brand Registry , including enhanced brand reporting functions;
● Product review prospects suitable for 3P sellers will become better and better.
(Source: Amazon Advertising Player)
The above content is the personal opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Hugo.com! This article is exclusively authorized by the original author, and reprinting requires the authorization of Hugo.com.
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