Amazon has fierce competition. As a result of the pandemic, CPCs (Cost-Per-Click) have skyrocketed. With organic marketing tactics, it is almost impossible to stand out, and paid advertising is more costly.
It is possible for brands to boost their growth in a competitive market by combining internal paid and organic traffic driving efforts with external traffic driving activities.
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Here are some reasons why you should drive external traffic to your listing
#1: Amazon wants it
It’s not surprising that Amazon wants sellers to drive traffic from other sources. Amazon is giving even more reasons to increase your external traffic in 2021 with the launch of the new Brand Referral Program. In this program, brands can earn a 10% bonus on qualifying sales. To earn a bonus, you must track sales that come from off-Amazon sources with Amazon Attribution tags.
Brand Referral Bonus – Monetize Off-Amazon Marketing Efforts
#2 Expand your customer base outside of Amazon
About 74% of US customers begin their product searches on Amazon, according to JungleScout. It’s important to note, however, that about 26% of searches still occur outside of Amazon.
You can influence the 74% of Amazon shoppers by using internal paid and organic optimization techniques, but off-Amazon marketing can help you reach a big chunk of potential customers.
#3: You can close a sale before the noise starts
You can increase sales potential and brand presence on Amazon by optimizing your listing for visibility and conversion, creating A+ content, building a store, and running paid advertising campaigns. However, almost every seller on Amazon does it as well.
You need to be able to see your product on its own for it to be memorable. You can influence the shopper before your competitors steal your thunder by driving off Amazon traffic.
#4: You can market your product in your way
Amazon restricts everything – how you describe your product, how you photograph your product, and how you present your product. The use of common words like “eco-friendly,” “all-natural,” and “germs” in your listing can get you into trouble.
You can be creative when advertising outside of Amazon. Your ads can create a lasting impression on shoppers if you craft an exclusive brand voice.
#5: You can create your own identity through it
If you make a sale on Amazon, you haven’t gained a customer; Amazon has. You create a more sustainable business model by driving external traffic.
Rather than relying solely on Amazon for sales, you are taking control of your brand’s success. You can both maximize sales and secure your brand’s future by incorporating off-Amazon strategies into your marketing plan.
#6: You gain an edge over your competition
There has never been a more challenging time to be found on Amazon. PPC is an extremely effective way to drive qualified traffic to your listings, but your products may sometimes need an extra push to be successful. Off-Amazon traffic can give you the edge you need to gain traction and rank organically.
How much does it cost to drive external traffic?
When you’re just getting started, running off-Amazon campaigns isn’t exactly cheap since most non-Amazon traffic sources are paid. Driving external traffic involves running paid ad campaigns, creating creatives that compel distracted shoppers on social media and Google SERPs to stop scrolling and visit your detail page, and offering a discount to entice shoppers to make a purchase.
Costs incurred in external traffic generation campaigns can eat up your profit without ensuring sales.
Brands should invest in external traffic generation activities and run campaigns for Amazon products that are already thriving. Obtain qualified external shoppers who are more likely to convert to maximize profitability. To do this, brands need to choose the right channel based on their target audience.
One good strategy, if you’re too skeptical about trying out new channels, is to try one at a time. Start a few campaigns with a specific goal in mind (increasing sales, building brand awareness, collecting emails, etc.). Test the campaigns for at least 10 days. Double down on the channel if the campaign was successful. Try another if that doesn’t work.
The best ways to drive external traffic to your listing
External traffic can be driven by any platform other than Amazon. You might be tempted to include all of them in your off-Amazon marketing strategy, but we’ll focus on proven sources.
#1: Take advantage of sponsored displays
You can target customers off Amazon on sites like Twitch with Sponsored Display, which was launched in 2019. Advertisers can target shoppers who have already seen the listing or shown interest in the category to make these ads stand out.
About 25% of Amazon sellers are already using Sponsored Display. In addition to having no minimum bidding or daily budget restrictions, Sponsored Display ads are perfect for brands with a tight budget.
#2: Establish a strong social media presence
Social media has evolved over the years. It’s not just a place to communicate and share. Amazon has been using it to drive brand awareness and sales.
To reach a wider audience on Amazon, almost every successful brand uses social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
Brands choose popular social media channels to drive external traffic
- With Facebook ads, you can target specific groups of people based on their interests, activities, and location. Facebook is the best platform for video ads.
- Using clever visuals and short reels, Instagram is ideal for creative marketing through its image-based nature.
- YouTube videos appear in Google searches, making them highly visible. YouTube helps shoppers create a lasting impression with influencer-sponsored content, reviews, and unboxing videos. Keep in mind that 73% of shoppers watch a video before purchasing if this isn’t enough to convince you.
- With over 800 million users, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform and the most downloaded app on Google Play and the App Store. People binge on TikTok videos that look like their friends made them. Influencers can be hired or brands can film themselves.
- Create a Pinterest profile that reflects your brand. Create boards once your profile is up and running. Don’t go overboard with your product promotion; instead, be creative with the images and copy you upload. You should link each image to your Amazon listing and add your brand logo to your creative so shoppers know who you are.
Social media advertising best practices
- Determine who your target audience is. Young girls and women, in general, are your target audience if you sell beauty products.
- Make sure your video ads are succinct. The video should not last longer than 20 seconds (except on YouTube).
- Each ad should link to your Amazon storefront and product detail page.
- Make your ads more impactful by working with influencers.
- To target relevant audiences, use hashtags such as #AmazonFinds #OnlineShopping #AmazonHacks.
#3: Engage influencers
Influencers are more trusted than traditional forms of advertising. With no signs of slowing down, what was a $1.7 billion industry in 2016 has grown to $13.8 billion in 2021. 66% of consumers aged 18-29 trust an influencer over a traditional commercial, according to Bobsled. The ROI from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than that from other marketing channels, according to 89% of marketers.
Influencer marketing campaigns can drive raving sales when done correctly. The campaign is sure to succeed since influencers have followers who trust their word and shoppers are arriving at a dependable website like Amazon.
#4: Create an email list
An easy way to build an email list is to include a packaging insert that asks customers for their email addresses and offers them an incentive – a gift, a discount code, etc. If you include any information regarding reviews in the insert, Amazon might suspend your listings or take away your selling rights.
Using an email list, brands can announce new product launches, offer exclusive discounts, cross-sell or up-sell, and educate customers about their products.
#5: Use Google Ad words to advertise
While most product searches begin on Amazon, most searches begin on Google. About 25% of Amazon sellers use Google Ads to promote their products. Similar to Sponsored Ads, Google Ads text and keyword-based ads are easy to set up and likely to provide a positive return on investment. Plan and build Google Ads campaigns with your ecommerce SEO consultant to divert qualified traffic to your listings.
#6: Engage affiliate bloggers
Several niche sites are run by Amazon Associates Program bloggers. They can write about your product and include an affiliate link to your detail page. When a visitor clicks on the link and buys the product, bloggers earn a commission and brands can get external traffic diverted to their listings.
You can find affiliate bloggers by running a quick Google search related to your product/niche. Search for “best foot insoles” on Google and you’ll find blogs and articles comparing various products if you sell “foot insoles.” Ask the blogger to include your product.
#7: Use the deals website to reach ready-to-buy audiences
Shoppers can give reviews and discuss new products on websites like DealNews and Slickdeals. Advertise on these websites to target ready-to-buy audiences and increase off-Amazon traffic on your listing. Since you are advertising in front of shoppers with purchase intent, your ads are more likely to convert.
How NOT to drive external traffic to your listing?
#1: Follow the rules
Amazon’s guidelines and terms of service must be followed at all costs. The general idea behind Amazon’s guidelines is to avoid driving traffic away from the site or seeking ways to artificially obtain positive reviews.
#2: Don’t direct traffic to your listings
It is also important to note that external traffic should never be routed directly to a product listing. Amazon shoppers have purchase intent, but the external traffic you are bringing might not. Amazon has an average conversion rate of 9.87%. As a comparison, the average conversion rate for landing pages is just 2.35 percent.
Your organic rank is heavily influenced by your sales velocity and conversion rates. The increase in listing bounce rate caused by external traffic can negatively affect your ranking.
Instead, create a landing page that filters shoppers before redirecting them to your listing. The goal of a landing page is not only to weed out low-interest visitors but also to build an email list of shoppers who are indeed interested in your product.
#3: Make sure your Amazon listings are optimized
Before directing any traffic to your detail page, you must thoroughly optimize the listing. You might as well not bring any traffic to your listing if your photos aren’t high quality if your copy doesn’t provide all the information a customer needs to buy if your Product Description doesn’t have A+ content.
Make sure your listing has these features before driving any external traffic to it – or any traffic for that matter:
- There are nine high-quality images, including an Amazon-compliant hero image, infographic images, and images of the product in use
- An informative copy with five bullets and a description
- A+ Content (Enhanced Brand Content) on Amazon
- A minimum of 20 reviews with a rating of at least 4 stars
- Eligibility for buying boxes
- The availability of stock
Hiring an Amazon creative agency is the best way to optimize your listing thoroughly.
#4: Avoid advertising newly launched products
Off-Amazon shoppers do not have a purchase intent. Probably scrolling through the feed and catching up with friends, not necessarily intending to purchase anything.
Advertise products that are already successful on Amazon or that have the best seller badge to attract shoppers.
Off Amazon, you’ll find a world of opportunities
Amazon’s traffic alone can leave a huge chunk of potential shoppers untapped. Expand your reach with off-Amazon marketing efforts, regardless of whether you’re trying to thrive in a highly competitive category, building demand for a new product, or your Amazon sales are great.
Off-Amazon marketing campaigns have a certain degree of risk, but having a proper strategy is key to success.
Partner with Universal Commercee if you’re pressed for time to create a strategy, find the right channel, and optimize campaigns for Amazon.
