When using Amazon Ads for your Merch by Amazon products, it's important to understand the difference between Auto and Manual campaigns. Both have their pros and cons, and the choice largely depends on your current understanding of the niche and how much control you want over the process.
Auto Campaigns
Auto campaigns are ideal for beginners or those looking to test the waters without getting too detailed about targeting. Amazon automatically handles the targeting for you by using its algorithm to find relevant keywords based on your product.
Pros:
- Easy to Set Up: Amazon handles most of the targeting for you, making it a low-effort, low-risk option.
- Keyword Discovery: Auto campaigns can help discover keywords that perform well, which you can then use in future manual campaigns.
- Less Time-Consuming: Since you’re not manually selecting keywords, you save time on campaign setup and management.
Cons:
- Less Control: You have no control over the specific keywords or the audience being targeted.
- Potential for Broad Targeting: The algorithm may sometimes target irrelevant or very competitive keywords, leading to lower conversions or higher costs.
- Higher Costs: Because you’re not targeting the most relevant keywords initially, you might pay higher CPC (cost-per-click) for irrelevant clicks.
Best For:
- Testing New Designs: Use Auto campaigns when you have a new product or design you want to test and you’re unsure about what keywords or audiences will work best.
- Learning the System: If you’re new to Amazon Ads, Auto campaigns can help you get familiar with the process and the platform.
Manual Campaigns
Manual campaigns give you full control over the keywords you want to target, which can help increase relevance and potentially lower your CPC.
Pros:
- Greater Control: You select the exact keywords and targeting you want, which allows you to be more strategic and precise.
- Better Keyword Targeting: Since you choose the keywords, you can focus on those that are most likely to convert based on your research (using tools like MerchantWords, KeywordTool.io, or Helium 10).
- More Efficient Budget Use: Because you can focus on the best-performing keywords, you can allocate your budget more efficiently.
- Lower CPC: With precise keyword targeting, you may experience a lower CPC compared to auto campaigns.
Cons:
- More Time-Consuming: It requires more time to research and select the best keywords and monitor performance.
- Risk of Overcomplicating: If you target too many broad or overly competitive keywords, your costs could rise, and it could take longer to find a profitable combination.
- Learning Curve: You’ll need to understand keyword targeting, bidding strategies, and how to optimize campaigns effectively.
Best For:
- Optimizing After Auto Campaigns: Once you’ve identified which keywords perform well through Auto campaigns, switch to Manual campaigns to fine-tune your targeting.
- Established Products: If you already have a few designs that are selling well, Manual campaigns are ideal for scaling and improving performance.
- Experienced Advertisers: If you have a solid understanding of how ads work and want to maximize ROI, Manual campaigns give you more control over the process.
Bidding Strategies
Once you decide between Auto or Manual campaigns, you also need to think about your bidding strategy.
Dynamic Bidding – Up and Down: Amazon will automatically increase your bid when it believes your ad is likely to convert and lower it when the chances of conversion are lower.
- Best for: Most situations, as it adjusts bids based on real-time performance.
- Recommended for: Auto campaigns, and even for Manual campaigns once you’ve optimized your keywords and want Amazon to handle the bid adjustments.
Dynamic Bidding – Down Only: Amazon will lower your bids but never raise them, allowing you to control your budget better.
- Best for: Keeping costs down when you're experimenting with keywords or products.
- Recommended for: New campaigns with small budgets or when you're more concerned about keeping CPC low.
Fixed Bidding: You set a fixed bid, and Amazon doesn’t adjust it.
- Best for: When you know exactly what you want to pay for a click and prefer consistency.
- Recommended for: Manual campaigns with a well-researched set of keywords that you want to target specifically.
How to Start
- Start with Auto Campaigns: Use Auto campaigns to gather data on what keywords and products Amazon targets for your designs. This will give you valuable insights into customer behavior and help you discover high-performing keywords.
- Switch to Manual Campaigns: Once you have enough data (e.g., 7–14 days), switch to Manual campaigns for greater control. Add the high-performing keywords from the Auto campaign, and use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant or low-performing terms.
- Adjust Bids: Set your bids based on the performance of keywords. Start with a moderate bid and adjust according to performance data.
- Optimize and Monitor: Continuously monitor your campaigns to see which keywords and ads are performing the best, and make adjustments. You can pause or adjust bids for underperforming keywords, and focus more budget on high-converting ones.
Final Tips:
- Split Testing: Always A/B test different designs, titles, and targeting options. Test different bidding strategies to see what works best for your products.
- Refine with Analytics: Use the analytics and reporting features in Amazon Ads to see which ads, keywords, and campaigns are driving the best results and adjust accordingly.
By starting with Auto campaigns for data collection and moving toward Manual campaigns for greater control, you can progressively scale your ads and optimize your Merch by Amazon business effectively.
If you want your T-shirt to replace another one on Amazon’s first page, whether it’s through organic search or ads, the goal is to ensure your design ranks high in search results for specific keywords. Here’s a detailed approach that combines organic strategies and Amazon Ads to help you get there:
1. Organic Strategies
Optimize Your Listing for SEO
Optimizing your listing’s title, description, and backend keywords is crucial to ranking higher and potentially replacing an existing listing on the first page.
Title Optimization:
- Include your most important keywords naturally in the title.
- Start with the most relevant terms, then add secondary keywords. For example:
- Example for dog-themed shirt: “Funny Dog Lover T-Shirt | Best Dog Mom Shirt | Gifts for Dog Owners | Cute Dog Shirt for Women”
- Use both short-tail (e.g., “dog lover shirt”) and long-tail (e.g., “best gifts for dog moms T-shirt”) keywords.
- Make sure the title is clear and compelling to drive click-throughs.
Description Optimization:
- The description should describe the T-shirt's unique selling points while including your keywords (but don’t overstuff them).
- Explain who the design is for, when it’s ideal for wearing (e.g., holidays, gifts), and other details that can encourage customers to buy.
- For example:
- “This funny dog lover shirt is the perfect gift for dog owners who want to show off their love for their furry friends. Whether you're a dog mom, dad, or simply a dog enthusiast, this T-shirt is a great way to express your passion.”
Backend Keywords:
- Use Amazon's backend search terms to target additional keywords that didn’t fit in the title or description.
- Include related keywords and synonyms like "dog t-shirt," "pet lover shirt," or "funny dog shirt."
- Make sure you use all available space for these keywords without repeating any.
Building Reviews and Sales Velocity
Sales Volume: Amazon ranks listings in part based on sales velocity. To improve this, you need to ensure you are driving consistent sales. This can be achieved organically by offering high-quality designs in a high-demand niche.
Customer Reviews: Listings with more positive reviews typically rank higher. Encourage reviews by:
- Delivering quality designs that customers love.
- Follow-up emails (if allowed) asking for feedback on the design. Offer excellent customer service to build positive relationships.
Competitive Pricing: Pricing your T-shirt competitively can help drive sales. You don’t necessarily need to be the cheapest, but offering a fair price can improve your conversion rate and, therefore, your ranking.
Sales History: A well-established sales history with high conversions will contribute significantly to ranking. Focus on sustained performance over time.
Keyword Research
- Use tools like Helium 10, MerchantWords, and KeywordTool.io to discover the most relevant keywords in your niche.
- Look at competitors: Analyze the keywords used by competitors who are ranking on the first page. Use these as a benchmark for your own keyword strategy.
- Long-tail keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords as they are less competitive and can help you target specific search intent (e.g., “cute dog lover T-shirt” or “dog mom T-shirt funny gift”).
Content and Social Proof
- External Traffic: Send external traffic to your Amazon listing. Use social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest) to share your designs. This can help drive traffic, increase sales, and improve your organic ranking.
- Build a Following: Build a brand and audience around your designs on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. The more people recognize your designs, the more likely they are to search for them directly.
2. Using Amazon Ads
Launching Ads for Initial Boost
Amazon ads can give your T-shirt a boost and help it compete with top-performing listings for relevant keywords. Start by using both auto and manual campaigns to collect data and target the right audience.
Auto Campaigns (for data collection):
- Start with an auto campaign to allow Amazon to identify potential keywords that are working for your T-shirt.
- This will help you gather performance data on which search terms lead to clicks and sales.
- Use the search term report after a week or two to identify high-performing keywords for further optimization.
Manual Campaigns (for precision targeting):
- After collecting data from the auto campaign, create a manual campaign to target high-converting keywords that were identified in the search term report.
- Focus on long-tail keywords that have lower competition but high conversion potential.
- Create different ad groups for different types of keywords (e.g., broad, phrase, exact).
Bid Strategy:
- Dynamic Bidding – Up and Down is a good option to let Amazon increase your bids when conversion is likely and lower them when it’s less likely.
- Start with a moderate bid and adjust based on performance. If a keyword is bringing in good sales, increase the bid to get more visibility.
Negative Keywords:
- Use negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches, which helps to reduce waste and improve the cost-effectiveness of your ads.
- If you're bidding on a broad keyword like "dog shirt," you can exclude irrelevant keywords such as "dog accessories" or "dog toys."
Sponsored Brand Ads (if eligible):
- If you have a brand registered with Amazon, you can use Sponsored Brand ads to show a collection of your designs at the top of the search results.
- This helps increase visibility for your brand and push your T-shirt listings to the first page.
Performance Metrics to Focus On
- ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale): Monitor the ACoS to ensure your ad spend is leading to profitable sales. A lower ACoS is typically better.
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): A higher CTR means your ad is relevant and appealing. Optimize your images, titles, and keywords to improve CTR.
- Conversion Rate: Ensure that when people click on your ad, they actually buy the T-shirt. The higher the conversion rate, the better your ad performance will be.
3. Bringing Everything Together
To replace another listing on the first page of Amazon search results:
- Optimize Your Listings: Use the best keywords, provide clear descriptions, and have great images.
- Drive External Traffic: Use social media to build recognition and send traffic directly to your Amazon listing.
- Leverage Amazon Ads: Start with Auto campaigns for data, then fine-tune with Manual campaigns targeting high-performing keywords.
- Monitor and Adjust: Continuously optimize your campaigns, remove irrelevant keywords, and adjust bids for better-performing ones.
- Encourage Sales and Reviews: Focus on increasing sales and getting positive reviews, which will naturally boost your organic rank over time.
By combining strong organic optimization with effective paid campaigns, you can increase your chances of getting your T-shirt onto the first page of Amazon search results, eventually outranking your competitors.
