Amazon poses a unique opportunity for retailers - access to a mass audience who are ready to buy. But it’s a competitive space and being seen can be a challenge.

Next week - Thursday 28th May - we’re hosting a free webinar featuring two specialists with in-depth knowledge of Amazon’s Organic and Paid Search offerings. But more than that, the webinar will go beyond the individual strengths and best practices of each approach, and demonstrate how, when working together, they can deliver your business the exposure it needs to thrive.

If you'd like to attend the webinar, you can find out more and register to attend here >>>

Ahead of the day we spoke to webinar panelist, Harriet Barter (SearchStar’s own), about why it’s essential for retailers to be advertising on Amazon, how to get started if you haven’t already, and how a holistic approach across Organic and Paid Search on the platform will yield better results and more sales.

1. In not too many words, please tell us what you do…

I am a Senior Account Manager at SearchStar. My role consists of the strategy, planning and execution of media buying for our clients. This spans a range of channels and platforms, and encompasses a variety of industries, such as ecommerce, travel, and publishing.

2. Give me the Amazon Advertising elevator pitch. Why should I be spending?

I think the question at this point in time isn’t “are you on Amazon?” but, rather, ‘how well are you executing it?’. With 74% of consumers going straight to Amazon when they are ready to buy a specific product, and 94% of shoppers who start their purchase journey on Amazon making their final purchase within the platform, having a presence on Amazon is essential. Add to that Amazon’s status as the third largest ad business in the world, and you’re on to a winner.

Stats aside, you can also take it to a personal level; how frequently do you visit Amazon? How much do you spend on Amazon? How much does Amazon know about you purely from your order history?

Multiply that by the 86% of the UK consumer population who use Amazon (a figure that is likely to have increased following the lockdown), and you reach the same answer. Neglect Amazon and you’ll soon find yourself left behind.

3. I’d prefer to test the water first. What’s the best way to get started on Amazon?

The best way to get up and running with Amazon is first to focus on your organic listings. Amazon’s organic and paid activity have a very symbiotic relationship, more so than other channels you may be used to, so it’s essential that your product listings and product pages are in the best shape possible before you start promoting your products.

Once you’re in a position to start driving sales through paid media, I’d recommend testing the waters with a handful of your top products through the sponsored ads platform, and building from there.

4. “I don’t run an eCommerce business. Can I still advertise on Amazon?”

You absolutely can, and many people don’t realise this. In addition to the sponsored ads platform, Amazon has its own demand side platform (DSP), which enables advertisers to programmatically buy display and video ads, targeting users based on Amazon browsing and purchasing behaviour.

This means advertisers can enjoy the benefits of Amazon’s rich audience data while sending traffic off to their own site, thus negating the need to actually be selling anything through the Amazon platform.

5. What three tips would you give to businesses looking to grow their brand on Amazon Advertising?

1. Don’t neglect your organic listings. Optimised organic content will significantly enhance your paid performance. Perhaps more importantly, neglecting your organic content and product detail pages will have a detrimental effect on your paid media performance.

2. Stop looking for growth at the bottom of the funnel. Sponsored product advertising is perfect for capturing high intent shoppers when they’re at the point of searching, but there is always going to be a ceiling. True growth comes from creating the demand yourself, so make use of the full Amazon Advertising offering and enjoy the benefits of tapping into Amazon’s wealth of audience data.

3. Don’t launch and leave. This one isn’t exclusive to Amazon Advertising, but applicable to all paid media channels. It’s true that data analysis can sometimes be tricky due to Amazon’s attribution windows - 7 days for sellers and 14 days for vendors - but keep on top of your campaigns and make sure you’re constantly optimising towards your main KPIs. Setting and forgetting will not drive efficiency or growth.