Amazon Sponsored Products vs Amazon Sponsored Brands

Amazon Sponsored Brands, previously known as Headline Search Ads, are customized ads for sellers who wish to promote their entire brand. They appear at the top of search results or product detail pages. When clicked, customers are directed to your brand store. According to Jungle Scout, 38% of third-party sellers use these ads, including 66% who have achieved $1 million in lifetime sales.

The main elements are the brand logo, a custom headline of your choice, and up to 3 featured products or a product video. While these ads are effective, it’s important to keep in mind that they generally have a higher CPC compared to Sponsored Product Ads.

The way they work is simple. These are PPC ads that target specific keyword searches. When a customer enters a targeted keyword into the search bar, your ad shows up in the results. You pay Amazon when someone clicks on your ad.

Types of Sponsored Brand Ads

With Sponsored Brands Ads, you can choose from 3 different types of ad formats:

1) Product Collection

The Product Collection ad lets you pick three products from your brand and direct customers to a landing page of your choice. This could be a dedicated landing page highlighting the advertised products or your branded Amazon storefront. It’s a great option for increasing visibility and sales for specific products you want to promote.

2) Store Spotlight

The Store Spotlight feature lets you display three different product categories in one ad instead of three different products. When you click on any of these categories, it takes you to the corresponding subcategory page on your Amazon store. It’s a great choice if you sell different products across different categories.

3) Videos

Research shows that video ads have six times more engagement than regular image ads which makes Sponsored Brand video ads more effective for reaching your audience. When shoppers click on the video, they’re directed to your product detail page to learn more and make a purchase.

Since videos are a bit different from the standard ad format, Amazon gives a list of guidelines to follow. Keep these in mind:

– Keep the video length between 15 – 30 seconds.

– Sponsored brand video ads autoplay without sound, so make sure to use captions and text to explain.

– Avoid unnecessary introductions; show your product right from the start.

Why Use Sponsored Brands Ad?

Here are 3 reasons why you should consider using Amazon Sponsored Brand Ads:

1) Amazon Sponsored Ads lets you feature a range of products in the form of image or video ads. It’s a great option if you want to highlight what your brand has to offer in a single ad.

2) They usually generate a better ROAS since customers are directed straight to a custom landing page or your brand’s store where only your products are highlighted, not the competitors.

3) These ads are featured at the top of search results and product pages. This makes people notice your brand.

Eligibility Criteria for Amazon Sponsored Brands

To access the benefits of Sponsored Brands, you must meet the following criteria:

1) You must be a registered member of the Brand Registry Program.

2) You must be able to ship to all US addresses.

3) Your product must belong to one or more of the eligible categories:

– Automotive

– Arts, Crafts, and Sewing

– Baby Products

– Beauty

– Computers and Electronics

– Consumer Packaged Goods

– Clothing and Accessories

– Collectibles

– Fine Art and Furniture

– Grocery and Gourmet Food

– Health and Personal Care Products

– Home and Kitchen

– Industrial and Scientific

– Luggage

– Mobile and Accessories

– Movies and TV

– Music and Musical Instruments

– Office Products

– Patio, Lawn, Home, and Garden

– Pet Supplies

– Shoes

– Sports and Collectibles

– Software

– Tools and Home Improvement

– Toys and Games

– Video Games

– Watches

Best Practices for Using Amazon Sponsored Brands

Sponsored Brands are an effective way to spotlight your brand and your products on search results and the product detail page. However, to ensure the most bang for your advertising buck, it’s essential to know the best practices:

1) Don’t Forget to Include Keywords: Make sure to include at least 25 keywords in your campaigns. You can use Amazon’s Sponsored Brands search term report to identify the keywords customers use to find your products.

2) Feature the Right Products Make sure you’re promoting products that are popular, have good reviews, and are in stock. Also, let your keyword strategy determine which products to promote. For instance, if you’re targeting the keyword “massage balls,” include different types in your campaign like spiky, peanut, and lacrosse balls.

3) Combine Engaging Headlines with Clear Calls to Action: Sponsored brand ads allow you to include a headline. Make sure this headline is attention-grabbing, benefit-focused, and concise. Combine it with a CTA like “learn more” to encourage clicks and conversions.

4) Use the Right Logo: Make sure you’re using your brand’s registered logo and not the logo of the brand you’re promoting unless you have permission. Your brand logo must follow the Sponsored Brands creative guidelines. If it doesn’t, it will be paused.

5) Check Your Grammar and Style: Make sure that your copy is accurate by double-checking for incorrect punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. Amazon will flag ads with such mistakes.

6) Keep an Eye on Promotions and Holidays: Align your ads with promotions, deals, or seasonal events. You can attract more customers and boost sales by highlighting special offers during these peak shopping times.

7) Analyze and Adjust: Monitor your campaign’s performance regularly through your Seller Account. Adjust as needed based on data to improve results over time.

Latest Update: AI for Sponsored Brands

On October 25, 2023, Amazon introduced “AI Image Generation” for Sponsored Brands in the U.S. as a beta launch. This is great news if you’re tired of using plain product images on white backgrounds. With this new tool, you can create lifestyle images with captivating backgrounds in a matter of minutes that can increase click-through rates by up to 40%. 

It works just like any other image generator tool: you provide a prompt, and the AI generates multiple image options for you to choose from. This not only saves time but also reduces costs significantly.