Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the United States, with an estimated 37.6% share of the country’s eCommerce market in 2023. That means you’re going head-to-head with over one million sellers in the U.S. alone, so it’s imperative to stand out and differentiate your brand and your products in that market. You need an Amazon brand strategy that tells customers why they should choose your offering over the millions of other sellers vying for their attention.
Amazon also emphasizes the importance of branding: Programs like Brand Registry highlight the marketplace’s commitment to taking on sellers who run quality, ethical brands with a clear mission and stellar customer service. Plus, investing in your brand on Amazon will build customer loyalty so you can potentially move off the platform in the future.
Your brand image cultivates buyer trust, communicates your message, and tells shoppers why they should purchase from you. Amazon’s well-established credibility reduces the threshold for an initial customer purchase. However, it’s easier to retarget an existing customer than to convert a new lead, and that’s when strong branding comes into play. If you fail to make your name stick with buyers, they’ll have less reason to return for another purchase — and on Amazon, they have a wealth of other options. When you connect with consumers though, you foster brand loyalty and encourage return customers. That, in turn, will lead to more sales, improved customer lifetime value, higher returns on advertising dollars, and developing a follower base you can later leverage to move off Amazon.
Your brand is your presentation to potential customers. It’s what people see when they skim your product on a search results page and how they feel about your brand, presentation, and attitude on reviews, customer service, product delivery, fulfillment, etc. Tactics like owning your aisle help you tell your brand’s story and make your product stand out and dominate in their search results pages. As such, a well-crafted strategy should focus on:
Your image carries little weight without high-quality products that meet customers’ needs. So, invest in audience research to ensure you target the right people and problems and deliver the best product possible.
Every stage of the customer life cycle should leave people satisfied. That means you need a point of contact, such as a social media channel or customer service email, where shoppers can ask questions before making a purchase (and you should respond to all inquiries promptly as well); consider developing an outreach program for influencers; and, crucially, invest in fast and reliable fulfillment and help resources.
Even after customers make a purchase, you must continue to support them. As stated in the previous point, respond to any questions or complaints quickly. You’ll also want to ensure that whoever answers those tickets can make decisions and take steps to keep customers happy, like offering returns or free replacements. Good support is also subtle, taking the form of return slips with free shipping, easily accessible support, and product guides or other resources that offer the help customers need.
Customers are more and more concerned with social and environmental issues, and they reflect those new values in their shopping behaviors. Adopt sustainability practices to improve your brand image and better connect with your target market segment. For example, you could cut packaging waste or switch to eco-friendly packaging options, highlight the sustainability of your product manufacturing, or offset carbon emissions with green delivery options.
Setting up an Amazon brand starts with building infrastructure, then crafting quality product pages with images, video, and informational text. As your consumer base grows, you should collect reviews and invest in influencer content off Amazon to increase your credibility and expand your audience reach. The following tactics will help you cultivate a strong online presence:
Translate your business goals and message into your product detail pages and images. If you want to focus on sustainability, for instance, the product images and text you use would greatly differ compared to those employed for a luxury product. Defining your brand story allows you to craft a narrative around your product content that aligns with your overarching ambitions.
Brand awareness can greatly affect sales, and it often starts with simple exposure, such as through sponsored products. You should also invest in influencer partnerships. Resources like the Amazon Influencer Program can help you get in touch with influencers and ensure your offerings to them abide by Amazon’s guidelines. This approach will also help you drive other types of sales, as customers increasingly research products on TikTok and other social media channels when they’re further down the funnel.
Your brand fills a hole in your niche, but so do your competitors. When shoppers research products online, they receive an overwhelming number of responses to their search query, so you need to stand out from the crowd. That means being honest and clearly explaining what your brand brings to the table. That applies even if you’re a reseller, because you can offer perks like free returns, guaranteed two-day shipping, and better customer service.
It’s important to survey and talk to your customers to figure out what they care about and struggle with so you can appeal to their desires. If you’re a budget brand, for example, you may find you’re wasting money on pushing sustainability when your customers like you because they want the best quality for their money. Learn what drives your customers to choose your brand and double-down on those strengths.
Once you build your brand strategy, it’s important to set and measure goals. That entails choosing key performance indicators that show how successful your efforts are. Metrics like clicks from search results pages, views on influencer posts, and product ranking in Amazon search are all important for your strategy’s efficacy. Then, make small adjustments to your brand over time to stay on course with that data.
No matter what your goals are, you should invest in quality content, robust customer service, top-notch product images and videos, and influencer partnerships. These elements will help you create and solidify your brand image. From there, you can bring your packaging, customer service, delivery and fulfillment, product manufacturing, and other branded elements into alignment for a uniform experience that delights customers every time.
A well-honed Amazon brand will help you stand out on search results pages, drive consistent repeat business, and eventually give you the opportunity to make sales off of the marketplace as well. Your strategies should focus on both ranking your products higher on results pages and ensuring customers have a good experience, leave positive reviews, and potentially subscribe to recurring product shipments. Whatever your long-term goals, good customer service, a strong narrative, and a robust infrastructure that can back your promises are the pillars of a thriving brand.
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