As we get closer to our next vital sales event on Amazon (Black Friday and Cyber Monday, also known as BFCM), you might be looking for an easy checklist of BFCM Amazon Advertising strategies to consider through the end of the year. Keep on reading! If you have a good handle on your Amazon Advertising strategy, check out our blog focused on ensuring your products are retail-ready for Q4.
We all know the importance of winning in Q4; for many, it’s the end of the fiscal year, and businesses want to sell down inventory and close with strong sales. Others use Q4 as a jumping point for the New Year, New You for health and wellness brands. These quick tips are grouped into three phases and are not limited to just Black Friday and Cyber Monday Amazon Advertising strategies. This method can be applied to any major sales event.
Lead-up
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Focus on telling your brand story. Using Sponsored Brand ads, you can drive customers to your storefront, which gives them a chance to see product-use cases and to connect with your brand. Use video as much as possible here, whether as the ad itself or in the brand store. Focus on targeting product category phrases and competitor products or brands.
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Utilize broader category audiences to reach your product’s parent category with Sponsored Display.
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During this period, your goal is to drive impressions, clicks, and build your store traffic.
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As for an ad format spend mix, consider having a high investment in Sponsored Brands and Display with a low investment in Sponsored Products.
Shopping Event
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Now is the time to convert customers. Consider increasing daily budgets a few days leading up to the event and during. Amazon offers themed bidding to provide recommended bids specific to BFCM and budget rules to increase budgets automatically.
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Increase budgets around Sponsored Products, and shift your advertising strategy from upper to mid and bottom of the funnel through competitor/conquest and brand targeting.
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Let’s not lose out on all that traffic driven during the lead-up phase. Activate views remarketing a few days before the main event using Sponsored Display. Ensure your lookback windows cover October and November.
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Your ad format mix should shift away by this time from Sponsored Brands to a high investment in Sponsored Products. You can also increase Sponsored Display during this time based on how large your remarketing audiences are.
Lead-out
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It’s important not to pause your advertising just because BFCM has passed. 31% of customers from that survey mentioned they rely on ads to remind them to purchase after the shopping event.
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During this time, utilize Sponsored Display with purchase remarketing to re-engage customers from the event. Help build greater product loyalty by introducing your other products using Sponsored Display.
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Continue your brand targeting to ensure a robust defensive strategy with Sponsored Products and Brands.
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With our smaller sales events still happening in December, we recommend keeping a high allocation of ad spending to Sponsored Products, ensuring you are focused on converting customers as they rush to complete their holiday shopping.
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Tip – Did you run out of stock during BFCM? If you are worried about losing those repeat customers, don’t fret. Last year, Amazon shared that nearly 40% of customers would consider trying a brand again if the product was out of stock because of an ad. Ramp up support on those products ASAP!
In addition to the advertising strategies outlined above, we have other helpful Q4 guides you should consider checking out. If you’re looking to manage your Amazon shipment strategy, we have a guide that can help you ensure your products get to your customers on time. And if you’re trying to decipher which Amazon promotions to consider, we have a guide to help you navigate the various options available.
But our resources don’t stop there. After the sales event is done, it’s important to look back and evaluate your performance so you can learn how to improve next time. Our search and consumer dashboard insights post can help you do just that. With this guide, you can gain a better understanding of what worked well and what didn’t during the Q4 peak, allowing you to make more informed decisions for your future sales events. We want to ensure you have all the tools and resources you need to succeed this holiday season.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by Amazon Advertising this Q4, you’re not alone. With so many moving parts, it can be challenging to know if you’re making the most of your Amazon Advertising budget. But what if you didn’t have to navigate this alone? What if you could have a team of experts audit your account and ensure you get the most bang for your buck? Look no further than Hinge Commerce, a Verified Amazon Ads Partner. We have the experience and expertise to help you make the most out of your Amazon Advertising campaigns this Q4. Don’t let stress get the best of you – contact us today and let us help you reach your sales goals.
