In 2024, small businesses are looking for innovative ways to expand their reach and grow their customer base. Amazon Ads, with its new Sponsored Display (beta) offering, is a powerful tool in this endeavor.
When your small business advertises with Amazon via Sponsored Display (beta), you can reach new audiences across the Amazon store plus thousands of apps and websites. Businesses that register for sponsored ads by March 31 can get $500 in ad credit to help reach these customers. [Click here to get started.]
Here are the top three ways small businesses can use Amazon Ads to achieve significant growth in the new year and beyond.
[Read More: How Businesses Like Yours Are Using Sponsored Display Ads to Attract New Customers]
3 benefits of advertising with Amazon
According to Q4 2022 data from GWI, over 40% of Amazon shoppers say they’re influenced by ads they’ve seen on websites or streaming services[1]. Here’s what your business can do to get started on advertising with Amazon.
Reach more customers
Sponsored Display offers an opportunity for small businesses to reach a broader audience. Previously, Amazon Ads was exclusive to vendors, sellers, and authors selling in the Amazon store. However, businesses across various verticals — including travel, hospitality, media, and entertainment, among others — can now advertise their products and services with Amazon.
Through Sponsored Display, small businesses can now tap into Amazon's exclusive customer insights and shopping signals. Businesses can engage audiences such as “yoga enthusiasts” or “foodies” that are similar to how they might describe their core customers. Sponsored Display ads also show up across Amazon, Twitch, and IMDb.com, as well as thousands of third-party websites and apps. This visibility is helpful for businesses looking to reach new customers in today's highly digital and competitive marketplace.
Build brand awareness
Brand awareness is crucial for small businesses striving to carve out a space in crowded markets. Sponsored Display can help small businesses build a presence in the digital landscape by meeting customers where they stream, shop, browse, or game. This visibility not only helps to attract new customers but can also establish a company as a recognized brand within its industry.
Increase website traffic
Increasing traffic to a business's website is another significant advantage of using Amazon Ads. Sponsored Display allows companies to create compelling ads with an easy-to-use interface. These ads can drive visibility and direct traffic to the business’s website, enhancing its online presence and potentially increasing sales.
With options like cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-thousand viewable impressions (vCPM), as well as no minimum spend requirement, small businesses have the flexibility to choose the advertising model that best suits their budget and objectives. Plus, users can update and optimize ads as the business evolves, ensuring campaigns remain effective and aligned with the business’s growth trajectory.
According to Q4 2022 data from GWI, over 40% of Amazon shoppers say they’re influenced by ads they’ve seen on websites or streaming services.
Frequently asked questions about Amazon Ads for small businesses
Want to learn more about how advertising with Amazon can help your small business? Read on for answers to frequently asked questions about Amazon Ads and Sponsored Display.
Who is eligible to register for Amazon Ads/Sponsored Display?
Sponsored Display is now available to all businesses, even those that sell products or services that cannot be bought directly in the Amazon store. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the following verticals can sign up today:
- Consumer services, including salons, wellness centers, and dry cleaning services.
- Home and building services, including general contractors, electricians, and HVAC services.
- Travel and hospitality, including restaurants, hotels, and food delivery services.
- Media and entertainment, including museums, performing arts companies, and music and sports events.
- Automotive, including repair/maintenance services and motor vehicle dealers.
- Education, including colleges/universities, technical/trade schools, and educational support services.
Can I advertise with Amazon even if I don’t sell my products or services there?
Yes. Eligible businesses can self-register for an Amazon Ads account and use Sponsored Display to create customizable display ads. Sponsored Display ads can appear in the Amazon store and beyond—on Amazon owned-and-operated sites such as Amazon.com, Twitch, IMDb, and thousands of third-party publisher websites and apps—giving you more opportunities to drive visibility to your business.
How can Amazon Ads help me reach the right audience for my business?
Amazon Ads can help small businesses get the right visibility and reach prospective customers through thousands of pre-built audience segments. These audience segments are built using Amazon’s proprietary shopping, streaming, and entertainment signals, including those from Amazon.com, Twitch, and IMDb, and can be set up for certain geographic locations. For example, a hotel chain could reach customers who've previously viewed travel guides, luggage, or other travel-related items on Amazon.
How do I build an advertising campaign with Amazon Ads?
Launching an advertising campaign with Amazon Ads is quick and simple. Upload a lifestyle image, a headline, and a logo to get started; Sponsored Display does the heavy lifting for you and builds ads optimized for a variety of placements, sizes, and devices. You can easily adjust your creatives as needed, even mid-campaign. If you do not have existing creative, you can use Shutterstock’s library directly in the console to easily set up your display ads.
You’ll also have full and flexible control over your campaign budget. There’s no minimum spend requirement, and you can easily update your budget as your business grows and evolves. Sponsored Display allows you to optimize for reach, which charges you on a vCPM basis, or optimize for page visits, which charges you on a CPC basis.
How can I determine the success of my Sponsored Display ad campaign?
Amazon Ads allows users to evaluate campaign performance in real-time, with access to key metrics like viewable impressions, clicks, and click-through rate (CTR), along with vCPM and CPC. If your campaign goal is audience awareness, track impressions and vCPM. If your goal is driving visits to your website, track clicks, CTR, and CPC.
Boost your 2024 growth with Amazon Ads
Sponsored Display is an easy-to-use tool for small businesses in 2024. By offering the ability to reach more customers, build brand awareness, and increase traffic, it can help with growth and expansion in the digital arena. As businesses continue to navigate the ever-changing market landscape, Amazon Ads serves as a valuable tool in their journey toward success and growth. Learn more about how your small business can benefit from Amazon Ads here.
[1] Amazon GWI, Q4 2022, US
* Terms and Conditions of the Sponsored Display (beta) promotional credit can be found here.
