Amazon Advertising Tactics

Amazon dropped one of the biggest Sponsored Products updates we’ve seen in a long time (and personally was waiting for): ->audience targeting inside SP and the ability to create custom ones with AMC. Most advertisers are going to butcher this. They’ll pile audience bid boosts on top of existing ranking structures, placement modifiers, legacy bids — and then wonder why their campaigns nosedive. That’s how you torch your signals and bleed efficiency. Here’s the approach — the same structure we’re running across multiple brands: 1. Build your audiences inside AMC. This is the only place you’ll get truly clean data. Do not be lazy and use the ones you have available by default, they are mid to upper funnel audiences (which might work if that is what you wanna go after). But now you have access to AMC, so no excuse not to customize the audience based on your target. How to: Go to your ad console -> measurement and reports ->AMC → Use Cases → Audiences → pick the behaviour (ATC, PDP views, click-no-purchase, etc.) → create to Audience Hub. 2. Do not slap audience modifiers onto existing campaigns. If a campaign has a purpose — ranking, defence, etc — stacking audiences on top of it just corrupts the whole bidding logic. And if you’re already using placement modifiers, mixing them with audience modifiers is a guaranteed mess. 3. Create a separate SP campaign built only for the audience. Low base bid - start with half of the lowest suggested. Attach the AMC audience. Modifier applies only to that audience (at least 100% and increase this as needed). This isolates the traffic, preserves signal quality, and gives you a clean testing lane. The outcome across every brand using this structure has been identical: higher conversion rate, lower CPC, better margin. Same budget — just higher-quality traffic. The rule is straightforward: pick the audience that aligns with your objective. Don’t target everything. Fix the biggest gap in your funnel first. I’ve mapped out every audience, organized them by funnel stage, and included recommended starting points. Comment ME and share this post, and I’ll send you the file. #amazonad #amazonadvertising

Amazon quietly rolled out this update a few weeks ago but it’s making a loud impact on ACoS. 🎯 🆕 Sponsored Products now lets you adjust bids based on distinguished target audiences. So, you’re not bidding on just keywords anymore. You’re adjusting bids for people who : = are ‘New to Brand Shoppers’ = have ‘Purchased Brand’s Products’ = have ‘Clicked or Added brand’s products to cart’ And that means one thing. It enables a more intelligent full-funnel approach where you’re not just catching attention at the awareness stage, but actively guiding high-intent shoppers from consideration all the way to the purchase point. Here’s how we’re building strategy around it: (1) New to Brand shoppers: Target them in those campaigns with low ASP products. They will have higher chances of buying your product and once they do convert, you’ve moved them down the funnel. (2) Returning brand engagers: Think cross-selling. Example - if they’ve bought leggings, then adding them to the gym t-shirt campaign would help stay top of their mind. The idea is to show your brand on their searches ‘always’, capturing their attention and becoming their ‘default’ choice. The entire update is more of a ‘subconscious play’ to efficiently re-wire your audience’s brain into choosing ‘you.’ Shoppers don’t realise they’re being remarketed to but they do start recognising your brand more often. While the Sponsored Display inventory is limited, with this new capability within Sponsored Products, you can retarget by blending more seamlessly into the shoppers experience and get wider reach without being aggressive. We’ve been experimenting with this since launch and the results are already showing: = ACoS dropped by 3% in just the first month. = Order volumes increased by 17%, largely from returning buyers If you’ve tested this feature yet, drop what you’ve observed in the comments. 

If Amazon's suggested bid range says $1.50 to $2.80, most advertisers just pick something in the middle. Which is basically just guessing. Amazon's bid suggestions come from recent auction data. They tell you what the auction is paying, not what YOU can afford to pay. They don't know: → Your margin → Your conversion rate → Your AOV → Your target ACoS Those are the only things that determine what a click is actually worth TO YOU. Here's the math I keep coming back to: Target CPC = RPC × Target ACoS RPC = AOV × Conversion Rate If your product sells at $35 with a 10% conversion rate, your RPC is $3.50. If your target ACoS is 25%, your max CPC is $0.88. Amazon's range said $1.50 to $2.80. Your actual ceiling is $0.88. That doesn't mean you can't compete but it does mean you might want to take a look at your SKU economics more closely. Amazon's suggested bids are useful to help understand the "going market rate" of a click on a certain KW but shouldn't be the final factor in your bid strategy. How do you use Amazon's suggested bids?

Managing an account with multiple hundreds of child ASINs going into peak season? It’s important to go deeper than parent-level data - especially when even 1 parent ASIN might contain 50+ variations with stylistic differences. We’re using this exact strategy right now with a client who sells Christmas ornaments. Hundreds of SKUs, big seasonality, with changing trends in customer preferences every year. And lots of mixed product campaigns! You should be continually reviewing the data and looking for: 🔶 Emerging child ASINs that are starting to gain traction (look for low ACOS, low TACOS and high margins) - prioritize these ASINs in new campaign rollouts 🔶 Poor performing child ASINs - reduce spend by turning these ASINs off in mixed product campaigns The best child ASINs should have their own dedicated campaigns so you can get more control over the spend. Why this matters: If you only look at parent-level data, you might be overspending on child ASINs that aren’t converting well, while new seasonal ASINs are picking up traction and not getting enough budget. That kills efficiency AND growth. Parent-level performance can mask these shifts. You need to spot emerging winners early and back them with spend, whilst reducing spend on under-performers. If you turn this into a recurring audit throughout peak season, you dramatically increase your chances of delivering a strong Q4 for your client.

Amazon’s “Suggested bids” are going to drain a lot of accounts. I’ve spent the last 12 months inside Amazon PPC accounts where one thing keeps happening: Sellers treat Amazon’s suggestions like instructions. They take the recommended keywords. They match the suggested bids. They wonder why CPC climbs and margin disappears. I’ve read the bid ranges. I’ve reviewed the Recommendations tab. Here’s what Amazon is actually telling you: “Suggested bid” is a competitiveness estimate.   It is not a profit estimate. It can be right about what it takes to win traffic and still be wrong for your unit economics. In your campaigns, your bid is a max CPC ceiling. You still decide what a click is allowed to cost. The shift that changes decisions fast: Stop optimizing for “Suggested bid.” Start optimizing for “Allowable CPC.” Here’s how to calculate it: Revenue per click (RPC) = Conversion Rate × Average Order Value Max CPC = RPC × your target ACoS Example: AOV = $10 CVR = 10% RPC = $1.00 Target ACoS = 30% Max CPC = $0.30 So when Amazon suggests $3.00, that number may reflect the auction, not your margins. It means: - High suggestions point to competition, not profitability. - If the suggestion is far above your Max CPC, the keyword is priced for a different offer. Before you accept any suggested keyword or bid, run two filters: Relevance filter: the search matches your exact product. Economics filter: the CPC can still return orders at your target ACoS. Treat suggestions as inputs. Let your numbers set the ceiling.

Scaling Amazon Ads without blowing up TACoS isn’t about “spending more.” It’s about spending smarter. Here’s the 8-Point Predictive Budget Model I use to scale profitably while protecting margin: 1️⃣ ASIN-Level Spend Normalization Not all SKUs are equal. Segment hero, halo, and seasonal ASINs. Build SKU-level ROAS benchmarks so budget allocation reflects product role, not guesswork. 2️⃣ CVR Forecasting by Funnel Stage Segment SP, SB, and DSP by conversion stage. Push more budget toward high-probability converters and control upper-funnel waste. 3️⃣ Bid Elasticity Profiling Map ROAS vs. bid levels. Identify diminishing returns. Set caps before efficiency drops. Scaling ≠ overbidding. 4️⃣ 90-Day Spend Forecasting Blend seasonality + CPC trends + growth periods. Predictive pacing prevents reactive overspending. 5️⃣ Adaptive TACoS Targets Set TACoS by SKU margin and LTV shifts. Rebalance weekly. Profit-first scaling wins long term. 6️⃣ Inventory-Synced Pacing Connect ads to FBA inventory. Pause low-stock ASINs. Double down on in-stock winners. No wasted spend on OOS products. 7️⃣ Promo Event Budget Ladders Pre-map Base / Boost / Aggressive tiers for major events. Structured promo scaling > emotional scaling. 8️⃣ Real-Time Optimization Loop Daily data feeds. Auto-adjust bids. Flag underperformance early. Budgets should learn and react. The result?  • Controlled growth.  • Margin protection.  • Smarter allocation across your catalog. Scaling Amazon Ads without breaking TACoS requires systems, not hacks. If you’re managing multi-ASIN portfolios, which of these 8 levers are you currently using? #AmazonAds #PPC #EcommerceGrowth #TACoS #PerformanceMarketing #RetailMedia #AmazonSeller #DigitalMarketing

Are you silently burning 30-40% of your PPC budget? It’s not your product. It’s the wrong bidding strategy. Sellers often trust Amazon’s Dynamic Bidding (Up & Down) because it sounds smart.... but here’s the reality: ⚠️ Up & Down = Risky Overbidding. ➔ Raises your bids too aggressively, even when conversions aren't guaranteed. ➔ Result? You outbid yourself and lose money on irrelevant clicks. So, what should you focus on instead? ➔ Down Only & Fixed Bids. ✅ Smart Bid Optimization Steps: 🟣 Segment by Campaign Type: ➔ Exact Match: Higher bids for hyper-targeted keywords. ➔ Phrase Match: Mid-range bids for broader but relevant terms. ➔ Broad Match: Lower bids to avoid wasted clicks on vague searches. 🟣 Use Dynamic Bidding Carefully: ➔ Down Only: Lowers your bids when conversion chances drop. Safe & controlled. ➔ Fixed Bids: Keeps your bids steady, ideal for stable campaigns. 🚫 Up & Down? Avoid unless you’re in launch mode or testing aggressive ranking. 🟣 Bid By Placement: ➔ Top of Search: Boost bids here for high visibility and prime positions. ➔ Product Pages: Lower bids as these clicks are often browsing-focused. 🟣 Focus on Negative Keywords: ➔ Stop wasting money on low-intent searches. ➔ Add terms like “cheap,” “free,” and unrelated queries. 💡 Pro Tip: If your goal is profitability, prioritize: ➔ Down Only Bidding ➔ Manual targeting ➔ Data-driven bid adjustments Bidding isn’t just about winning clicks. It’s about winning profitably. P.S. What’s your preferred bidding strategy? Share below!

Amazon gives you a suggested bid. And most sellers just... use it. Let me bust this myth right now: Amazon's suggested bid is not a strategy. It's a starting point. Here's what Amazon is actually doing when it gives you that number: It's telling you what other advertisers in your space are paying. That's it. It has zero idea what your margins are. Zero idea what your conversion rate is. Zero idea what TACoS target makes your business profitable. So when you just plug in the suggested bid and walk away.. you're letting Amazon optimize for Amazon. Not for you. Here's what we do instead: If we're launching aggressively: We go above suggested. We want data fast. We'll pay for it. If we're being conservative: We start below suggested. We increase bids by 3 cents every single day. We wait until impressions start flowing. Then we optimize from there. The difference between these two approaches? One burns budget fast to get answers quickly. One takes longer but protects profitability from day one. Neither is wrong. But blindly plugging in Amazon's number without a plan? That's wrong. Know your goal before you set your bid.

Two Amazon sellers have an identical 42% ACOS. 👀 One is thriving. One is dying. They're selling different types of products, so an equivalent ACOS isn't equivalent performance. Seller 1️⃣: Tactical Equipment People buy this once, and maybe never again. It needs to be profitable on the first transaction. That 42% ACOS needs to drop to 30%. Seller 2️⃣: Pet Food People buy this every month, and they Subsribve & Save to automatically re-order. First sale is a loss leader. 70%+ ACoS can be acceptable because LTV is $500+. The issue Amazon Sellers face is that most PPC specialists follow the same playbook. They execute SOPs, and don't ask: "What's the lifetime value of this customer?" Here are a few questions to ask yourself when setting the strategy on an Ad Account, either for yourself, for a client, or for your PPC Specialist: 1️⃣ Is this consumable or non-consumable? - Consumable = repeat purchases, higher LTV tolerance - Non-consumable = one-time sale, must be immediately profitable 2️⃣ What's the realistic LTV? - If LTV is $20, run 15% ACOS - If LTV is $200, run 40% ACOS - If LTV is $2000, run 100% ACOS 3️⃣: Are we optimizing for this sale or the next five? - First-sale profit = lower ACOS targets - Customer lifetime value = higher ACOS acceptable If you can answer those three questions first, you'll actually execute strategy within an account. #Amazon #ecommerce #digitalmarketing #digitaladvertising #PPC

500% ACOS. 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: "𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘕𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘕 𝘉𝘌𝘛𝘛𝘌𝘙." Here's the thing: Understanding LTV can make "bad" ACOS completely irrelevant if you understand your category, your customer, and what you're actually selling. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲? SIM cards $1 each 500% ACOS Every metric in the ads console screaming disaster 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: the SIM was just the door Behind that door was a recurring subscription. Every customer acquired through that "$5 spend for a $1 sale" was actually worth multiples of that in monthly recurring revenue. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆 "𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲" — 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁. 🔹Supplements = repeat orders every 30 days 🔹Pet food = never stops 🔹GPS devices = subscription attached 🔹Life alert systems = literally that business model Any category with repeat purchase or subscription behavior should be calculating LTV before setting ACOS targets. Full stop. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: The ads console can't show you this. It has a 7-day attribution window for Sponsored Products. Last-touch only. Zero subscription data. AMC can. Specifically: CAC/LTV by product. It shows you acquisition cost versus lifetime value per ASIN. That's the real number you're managing against. More on this in Episode #123 of That Amazon Ads Podcast, out today on YouTube! We cover the 5 key category traits that will dictate your entire advertising strategy. Check it! #amazonppc #amazonseller #amcanalytics #amazonmarketing #ecommerce