I'm a former Amazon marketplace leader and current 8-figure seller. I write about advanced strategies and tactics for Amazon brands, that you won't read about anywhere else. Not for beginners.
How to Make Sure Your Customers Actually Receive Your Marketing Messages
This Issue's TLDR...
β π Did someone forward you this newsletter? First of all, give them a crisp high five when you see them. Second, head over here to subscribe and read past issues. β Quick Programming Note: There will be no issue of Best@Amazon next week, as I'll be busy with the Virtual Billion Dollar Sellers Summit. See you all in two weeks! BEST from MeI share a lot of new, cutting-edge Amazon strategies and tactics in this newsletter. But, sometimes, to move forward, you have to look to the past. The distant past. Old ideas that have survived for decades, have survived for a reason (see: Lindy Effect). And in this world we live in today, where there is constant temptation to chase the latest "thing", you can often find an edge by simply looking backward and remembering things that others have forgotten, or moved past. Remember: History doesn't repeat; but it often rhymes. Why am I waxing philosophical today? Because today's topic has its roots all the way back in 1966. The Problem that Eugene Schwartz Solved 50+ Years AgoYour customers are at different places in their journey. Some of them see your product, and immediately "get it." Others need some education. We've all dealt with this. We've all lost potential sales because our marketing and sales messaging isn't meeting customers where they're at. Back in the 1960s, Eugene Schwartz realized this, and determined that the best way to make advertising "work" at scale was to group customers into different awareness stages based on how much they know about your brand and your products. He realized that, if you're not thinking about what stage of awareness your customers are in, your marketing is likely getting ignored because you're talking to everyone the same way. Schwartz determined that there are 5 Stages of Awareness:
In short: Your marketing messages should map to the awareness stage of your customers in a given setting. The 5 Stages of Awareness - Tactical GuidanceIn case you don't have $400 lying around to spend on a used copy of Eugene Schwartz's book, Breakthrough Advertising, I've summarized the 5 Stages of Awareness below. Unaware This is the most difficult group of customers to penetrate. Put simply, Unaware customers don't realize they have a problem. Because these customers aren't aware they have a problem, your marketing needs to convince them they have a problem and teach them why it's so important it needs to be fixed. The best way to "speak" to these customers (these days) is short-form "infotainment" content on social media. Or, potentially via email, if you have their contact information. These customers are VERY top of funnel and will have a long sales cycle. Problem Aware In this stage, your customers know that they have a problem, but they don't know that there's a solution. Of course, you have the solution that they need, but you don't want to come at them too strong. The approach for these customers is to highlight the pain points (through, e.g., 101-level blog posts), and subtly introduce your product or service as a potential solution. Solution Aware Solution aware customers know the solution they want, they just don't know that your product exists. These people are in the information gathering stage, so this is your chance to educate them. The key is joining the conversation in their head and matching how they feel. Help them make their decision. DO NOT hard sell. Instead: Differentiate your product from other solutions, focusing on unique benefits. Product Aware Product aware customers know what you sell, but they aren't sure it's right for them. Here, they're comparing you to other products and need to be convinced that your product is the best option. To win these customers, build trust by showing other customer testimonials and/or feature case studies to build credibility. Most Aware These are your biggest fans. These customers know you, they trust you, they're inclined to buy your products. But, sometimes they need just a little...push. With these customers, create a sense of urgency through limited time offers and give them an "inside track" to new products or secret discounts. * Here's TLDR chart of the above, for easy reference:
BEST from Everyone ElseBest from XStrap in, kiddos, your FBA fees are about to get gnarly. The new Inventory Placement Fees go into effect on March 1. No one really knows what this entails, but sellers are rightfully nervous. Of course, you and I and everyone else can look at the fee table and model the potential impact. But, until any of sees where Amazon starts to split and route our shipments too, we're flying blind. My good friend Larry Lubarsky (founder of inventory software, 2D Workflow) published a great thread on Twitter/X explaining the new fee, and also speculating on a potential loophole...
Again, this is going to suck. And probably be costly. They say humor is a great way to endure challenging situations. In light of that, here's one more Twitter/X thread on the new inventory placement fees, from my favorite virgin and anti-guru, Michael Patron. (Don't let his online persona fool you; my boy Mike is super smart. He's also refreshingly honest about what is involved in running an 8-figure Amazon business.)
β Best from LinkedInLet me just say...I love when people go to the source for their information, and to form their opinions. It's lazy -- and depressingly common -- for people to read an opinion from someone else, and regurgitate it as their own (I'm sometimes guilty of this). That's why it was great to see Mark Lathrum investigate Temu as a customer and form a view on the competitive threat that Temu poses to Amazon. Bravo, Mark. Updates to the Amazon Private Label PathwayNo updates to the Amazon Private Label Pathway this week. But, I'm working on something. Which reminds me...If you, or someone you know, has been impacted by the "Frequently Returned Item" badge on one of your ASINs, reply to this message. I've been able to get it removed in two cases so far, but that's hardly a large enough sample to conclude that I've figured it out. If you share your ASIN, I'll not only work on your case for FREE, but I'll also share the SOP with you once I've figured this out. * Back Story on the Amazon Private Label Pathway, ICYMI... A few months back, I had a small group of coaching clients that were at the same point in their Amazon seller journeys. I found myself answering the same questions, and pointing them to the same resources, so, in true Amazon fashion, I asked myself "What's the 1-to-Many solution here?" and built a Notion page of helpful resources, which I've called "Amazon Private Label Pathway." You can get access to it here: https://auxo.gumroad.com/l/amazonpathway (it's free; but if you want to buy me a beer, I won't object)β β |
Best @ Amazon
The Newsletter for the Top 1% of Amazon Sellers
I'm a former Amazon marketplace leader and current 8-figure seller. I write about advanced strategies and tactics for Amazon brands, that you won't read about anywhere else. Not for beginners.
This Issue's TLDR... The one non-obvious thing that is hurting your sales. How well do you know your Amazon back-end attributes? An image hack that will immediately give you an advantage over 99.9% of other sellers. π Did someone forward you this newsletter? First of all, give them a crisp high five when you see them. Second, head over here to subscribe and read past issues. SPONSOR Seller Sessions In case you didn't know...I'm going to be speaking at Seller Sessions in London in 9 days. And...
This Issue's TLDR... The Returns Processing Fee is coming. Are you ready? How to figure out if your Return Rate sucks. Does your Return Rate impact your product's ranking? π Did someone forward you this newsletter? First of all, give them a crisp high five when you see them. Second, head over here to subscribe and read past issues. SPONSOR Seller Velocity Conference What are you doing on May 1-2? Me? I'll be in New York at Seller Velocity Conference. If you want to hang out with me there, or...
This Issue's TLDR... Are you paying for sales when you would otherwise earn those sales organically? I dive deep into the topic of PPC cannibalization. A big announcement from two members of the B@A community. How to figure out if your Click-Through Rate sucks. π Did someone forward you this newsletter? First of all, give them a crisp high five when you see them. Second, head over here to subscribe and read past issues. SPONSOR Seller Velocity Conference What are you doing on May 1-2? Me?...