Amazon touts its customer-centric approach almost constantly, but they don’t always advertise how they try to help the operations of its selling partners. And while they make the basic listing of products to sell straight forward, Amazon also provides tools and programs to help those items sell and make a profit. Many may think that these always cost money, but there are a select group of tools that are completely free.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon’s free tools can promote your brand and products on the detail pages, in category browsing, Store pages, and more
- Some free tools include Amazon Posts, A+ pages, Amazon Store Versions, A/B testing, videos, and lifestyle images.
- Implementing these tools takes some work that businesses don’t always have the time or resources to invest on their own.
Lifestyle Images
What are lifestyle images?
Lifestyle images are those pictures of the product that show it in action. They usually portray a person using the product in its intended manner.
Where can you use them?
You can place lifestyle images virtually anywhere images can be used on Amazon. The main exception is the primary image for a product, as this has its own unique requirements.
How does it help?
Lifestyle images can also be used to educate shoppers on the proper use or show potential benefits the customer can have from the product. They often build an emotional reaction in viewers that can lead to a more likely sale.
Who can use it?
Anyone who can post images on product listings can use this technique.
Amazon Posts
What are Amazon Posts?
Amazon posts are simple messages, images, and branding to promote your brand and products, much like social media posts.
Where do they appear?
Posts appear on the Amazon mobile shopping app (iOS and Android) and on mobile web as shoppers browse your products.
How does it help?
Shoppers can click through Posts to explore your brand’s feed and discover product pages. These posts can be used to share inspiring brand imagery, story, and values, educate shoppers on how to use the products with lifestyle imagery, and even encourage them to visit your brand store.
Who can use it?
Amazon Posts is currently in beta only for vendors and Brand Registered sellers in the US.
Amazon provides much or more Posts info, including policies, FAQs, and guidance on how to create your own.
A+ Pages
What are A+ Pages?
A+ pages, otherwise known as Enhanced Content, is a place where more customized images and brand information can be displayed.
Where do they appear?
This information appears on the detail pages of products, below the main content of bullets and descriptions.
How does it help?
With all the education and marketing freedom allowed in A+ pages, businesses can increase conversion, tell their brand story, encourage repeat purchases or cross selling other products, address questions shoppers have raised in the past, and even improve traffic with additional content applicable to searches.
Who can use it?
A+ pages are available to all Amazon sellers and vendors with a brand listed in Brand Registry
Amazon provides more guidance on details, restrictions, and step-by-step process of making A+ content here.
Amazon Store Versions
What are Amazon Store Versions?
These versions are alternate Store pages that can be used when brands wish to showcase their products in different ways.
Where do they appear?
Different versions of Brand Stores replace the original, so they become the current storefront as long as the brand wishes them to stay.
How does it help?
Using versions of Brand Stores is a way to customize your brand for holidays or other events much easier than changing the original store back and forth. Using these versions through seasonal catalogs can emphasize products when they will bring the most revenue. This tool can even be used to test different versions of your store that might perform better than others.
Who can use it?
Anyone who can create a Brand Store can use this versions tool.
For more on Stores, Amazon provides guidance and FAQs on their advertising page.
A/B Testing (A+ pages and Titles)
What can be A/B-tested on Amazon?
A/B testing can currently be used on A+ content and on product titles.
How does it help?
Using A/B testing on titles can help identify the most effective keywords and wording that improves search placement and conversion of shoppers. When experimenting with A+ content, you can test layout, feature callouts, images, types of branding and more. With either, we recommend testing large changes and move to smaller ones as you hone the content to be the most effective.
Who can use it?
Vendors and sellers can conduct A/B experiments with titles, and anyone who can create A+ content can test them as well.
Video – with images, store pages
Where can videos be posted for free?
While it costs money to place videos in several places on Amazon, whether they be ads or informative, there are key locations that have no cost.
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- With the images on detail pages
- Brand Stores
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How does it help?
Videos are one of the easiest ways to portray information, because it takes much less effort on the audience’s part. These videos can be used to educate the customer on the proper use of products, show them in action, share your brand vision, and more. The most effective videos will try to generate some emotional response to connect the audience to you or your products.
Who can use it?
Both vendors and brand registered sellers can put videos with the images on detail pages. Those who can make brand stores can include videos there as well.
For more information on listing videos, Amazon has compiled some frequent questions that can help guide their creation and use.
Amazon Live
What is Amazon Live?
Amazon live is a tool that vendors and sellers can use to showcase their products in real time. Producing and streaming these videos is free for qualifying business. But if you want Amazon to feature your products in their own streaming videos, it does cost money.
Where can it be viewed?
These streaming videos appear and then stay on the Amazon Live page, where shoppers can also scan through archived videos in various categories. Streaming more often can help brands gain levels in Amazon Live use, which can unlock other features, such as displaying your live videos on the Amazon home page.
How does it help?
These videos help build brand awareness and loyalty while potentially creating a following. You can alert followers of when you are streaming so they can come see you new products. It is an excellent tool to educate and connect with shoppers in real time, which leads to more purchases and greater profits.
Who can use it?
This tool is currently only available in the US market to vendors that have a Brand Store and brand registered sellers.
See some of Amazon’s FAQs on Live here and discover more on how it can help your business grow.
Even on a limited budget, Amazon has provided a hefty tool belt of ways that sellers and vendors can enhance their catalogue, reaching shoppers and converting them to sales. Some of these programs and tools are straight forward and simple to use, while others require a more experienced hand. Navazon and its experts are here to help you use these tools and many others to optimize your Amazon business. Contact a representative to day to find out how we can help your account succeed.