With Sponsored Brands Campaigns constantly evolving, it is challenging to stay up to speed on all the levers you can pull to maximize efficiency on Amazon. Here are 5 strategies we have found effective in increasing conversions on your sponsored brand campaigns.

1. Incorporate top converting keywords in the headline

Utilizing top performing keywords in your Amazon Sponsored Brand headline will encourage customers searching for those terms to click the ad that is most relevant to their needs. This concept is similar to using SEO terms for your detail pages, the more relevant the pages are to the customer’s needs the more likely they are to click and buy the featured product. Consider running an A/B test featuring top branded keywords vs. top non-branded keywords to see which campaign gets a better conversion rate.

2. Feature the right products

Amazon recommends featuring products that are “Retail Ready”. This checklist ensures the customer is having the best detail page experience possible. See your Retail Readiness Checklist below:

Product images

• Because customers are not physically able to touch your products, it is important to deliver a quality shopping experience through[ quality product images][1]. Providing multiple views of the products, Key Features, and how to use the products will help increase the likelihood of conversion. You are also able to feature video content in the product images giving your brand and product an opportunity to shine. Including video content in the image stacks will also increase the product’s organic rank!

Customer ratings and reviews

• 95% of shoppers are reading online reviews before making a purchase, according to the Spiegel Research Center
• With that in mind it is vital to feature products that have high ratings and reviews to provide credibility and trust with your brand’s products on Amazon.

Product description

• Keep your description clean and precise. Provide customers with an easy-to-read description and bullet points that provide key features (Size, color, & quantity)
• Your description should also be specific about what sets it apart from similar products. What makes your product stand out from the rest?

Product title

• The product title should be clear and concise so customers know exactly what they are searching for.
• Avoid using really long product titles that cannot be fully displayed in the search results.

Featured Offer or "Buy Box"

• Choose products that are [100% Buy Box][2]. Amazon sponsored Brand campaigns will still allow your ad to serve even if you aren’t winning the Buy Box. Meaning, you’re potentially advertising for other sellers if they’re winning the Buy Box when the customer clicks the ad and makes a purchase.

Inventory

• Make sure the products you choose to feature have adequate inventory to support the increased purchases from your campaign. Amazon will not serve a Sponsored Brands ad if there is no inventory for 2 of the 3 products being featured.

A+ Content

• [Enhanced content][3] is a customizable section that customers can scroll through to get more detailed information about the brand and product details. This section gives you a chance to create an engaging experience for shoppers.

Pricing

• Products being featured should be priced competitively to win against competitors but still make a profit.

3. Try a Featured Store Campaign

Amazon now provides you with an option to feature your brand’s store. This is a great opportunity to build brand loyalty. As well as tell your brand’s story. Another great benefit is that you are likely to get more conversions if the customer is in the market for complementary products that you offer. “Brand discovery is important to customers.

In 2020, we’ve seen an uptick in customers exploring, trying, and shopping for new brands. On Amazon, for example, we’ve found a 22% increase in new-to-brand customers for ad campaigns run since March 1 compared to the previous six months. Shoppers have an appetite to uncover their new favorite brand or product, and this presents an exciting opportunity for brands to create their next fans,” reports [Amazon][4]. See how the results stacked up when we ran an A/B test for Thorne Research:

Hypothesis: By using a featured store campaign, we can run it all year without having to build new campaigns to feature top sellers. It will also help customers discover the rest of Thorne’s product line.

‍Strategy: Use the same non-branded search terms & headlines to focus on growing Brand Awareness.

‍Goal: Determine the best long term strategy for Sponsored Brands to build brand awareness.

‍Results:

• On average, we saw a 10% higher conversion rate for the Featured Store Campaign.
• We also saw 21% more impressions and 15% fewer clicks. Meaning our campaign is reaching a larger audience while paying for fewer clicks.

Conclusion: Using a Featured Store Campaign for our evergreen strategy is the most efficient way to increase conversions.

4. Take advantage of the new image feature

Amazon is constantly offering new opportunities to deliver engaging advertising experiences for customers. With the new featured image option, you can include a background that will display above your featured products and headline. Here is an example of a Seasonal Brand Awareness Campaign we launched for Thymes.

Results when compared to a seasonal campaign without a featured image:

• Click Through Rate was 20% higher
• We saw 2.5 million more Impressions
• Ad Sales were 63% higher

5. Have an “Always On” budget to ensure maximum exposure

A key factor to maximizing conversion is [ensuring that your ad is always serving][7]. Amazon’s prime shopping hours are between 2:00pm and 8:00pm. You want to make sure your sponsored brand campaign does not run out of budget before or during the period when customers are actively searching for your product and most likely to convert.

As Amazon continues to expand its capabilities for Sponsored Brands it is important to stay relevant and take advantage of new opportunities. We have found that many of the new features can help increase conversion rates. The best way to find what works for your brand is testing. Whether it is how you design your ad copy and creative or what type of campaign you use to feature your brand. Testing your ideas is the best way to learn what works for your category. Each brand has its own recipe for success, what do you think yours is?