If you’re like most direct response marketers, you likely don’t stray far from the well-worn path.

That means sticking to a few channels: Google Ads, Facebook, email, and the lot.

But as times change, so do the channels you can benefit from. And while some hot platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram may not be the right fit for your business, that doesn’t mean you should shy away from testing your marketing success elsewhere.

That brings us to Amazon Advertising.

Amazon Advertising: Is It Worth It?

If you’re reading right now, you’ve probably already heard of Amazon Advertising. But is it worth your time to put your hard-won marketing budget toward it?

Just like any new platform, we believe mileage may vary. Amazon Advertising will only take you as far as you take it; forgetting the marketing basics or neglecting to tune your strategy will only result in wasted money and disappointing numbers.

So, how can you take advantage of the hundreds of millions of Amazon users, including the over 100 million Amazon Prime members?

We’ve got you covered with a few tips to maximizing your Amazon Advertising spend and ensuring it’s a strong addition to your direct response marketing efforts.

1. Remember Your Google Training

For most businesses, one of the first online homes you’ll choose for your marketing efforts is Google Ads. Catching a user who is actively searching for a product or service just like yours is obviously attractive, which is why search engine marketing is such a prominent piece of most marketing budgets. After all, the eyes are already there; Google and Bing users perform millions upon millions of searches each and every day.

At its core, Amazon’s ad delivery functions similarly to Google Ads. Simply put, an Amazon user will be served your ad if their search lines up with your targeted keywords. A search for “warm quilt” won’t pull in an ad for bike shoes, just like a Google search for “auto mechanic near me” wouldn’t yield a result for bike shoes.

While the platforms are ultimately different, remember that you’re working within a paid search framework. The lessons you’ve already learned marketing on Google and Bing will give you a leg up when getting started on Amazon.

2. Amazon Serves Retailers—Not Everybody

Amazon is not for everyone. Full stop.

We won’t belabor the point here, but Amazon is probably irrelevant to you if you’re not selling a tangible product. Retailers can gain huge benefits advertising through Amazon, because you’re paying for better positioning for your products and an extra second or two of attention from potential buyers. But the less tangible your offering is, the less you should even consider Amazon Advertising.

If you’re not already selling on Amazon, it’s best to stay away.

3. Different Ad Types Require Different Strategies

Not every Amazon advertisement is created equally.

Your ads shouldn’t be created equally, either. You’ll need to tune your ads and designs to match the three types of ads you can run on Amazon, including headline search ads, product display ads, and sponsored product ads.

A headline search ad displays above the result listing as a banner ad, and it will take an Amazon user to a specified page (whatever that may be). Product display ads are not keyword targeted, but targeted instead based on product or interest. Finally, sponsored product ads show up along with other search results and take searchers to that product page.

Even from these short descriptions, you probably can already see why each ad type might benefit from a different strategy. If you aren’t willing to finely tune your ads to match their final destination, you risk wasting (some) of your budget!

4. Copy and Keywords Always Matter

This might be an obvious point, but it bears repeating. Your copy and your keywords will absolutely make or break your success—regardless of whether you’re on Amazon, Google, Facebook, Instagram, or sending out mailers.

Thoughtful keyword strategy will ensure you maximize your dollar while reaching the right kind of Amazon searchers. But once the ad is served, your copy will make or break your CTR and determine the success and failure of a specific campaign.

There’s really no substitution for compelling writing. Plain and simple.

Become an Amazon Advertising Star

Not sure if you should try Amazon Advertising? You don’t have to go all-in to start. Try advertising one of your most popular items and A/B testing a couple of ads. You may just find that extra sales boost is worth your time! And if not, you can leave your experiment knowing you tried.

Amazon provides such a unique opportunity for direct response marketing, but it’s not for everyone. However, nail down these key strategies and you may just find yourself in quite the prime position.