In 2022, Amazon advertisers were introduced to a wide variety of new features and had more tools and reports at their disposal than ever before. Code3 Search Strategists are sharing some of the most important updates that should be considered when implementing a 2023 Amazon Search strategy.
A few changes occurred within the Sponsored Display option, including unlocking video capabilities for another campaign type in their ecosystem. Additionally, Amazon removed all legacy Sponsored Display campaigns (formerly Product Display campaigns) and their associated metrics from the ad console.
The introduction of Amazon Marketing Stream through the API offered advertisers more tools to help determine their strategy. This product allows advertisers to see campaign information in near real time, with performance metrics provided by the hour. The data allows advertisers to lean on dayparting more often and more accurately, due to the hourly data. Additionally, the Campaign Forecasting Tool was introduced, providing advertisers with an estimate of the potential performance based upon campaigns with similar ASINs, targeting and bids.
Advertisers can lean on Amazon more with two new features, Suggested Headline and Suggested Product. Amazon can recommend headlines that are relevant to the product(s) being showcased in Sponsored Brand and Sponsored Display campaigns, allowing advertisers to avoid the confusion and frustration of having a custom headline rejected by Amazon Support. The Suggested Product feature identifies products from a catalog that have a high likelihood of being clicked on if advertised. Additionally, through the Sponsored Products Eligibility tool, advertisers can view ASIN-level eligibility status through a bulk sheets export, offering understanding into why a product may be ineligible to deliver.
Video continues to be a focus across all aspects of Amazon, and its capabilities for advertisers within Sponsored Brand Video campaigns continue to advance. Previously, an SBV campaign was only able to be connected to the advertised product, but it is now able to connect to a Brand Store. By linking a Sponsored Brand Video campaign to an Amazon Brand Store, this helps unlock campaign delivery to the coveted top-of-search placement for that particular Sponsored Brand Video campaign.
Furthermore, with the introduction of the Sponsored Brand Creative Builder, advertisers can create template videos to utilize for Sponsored Brand Video and Sponsored Display Video campaigns. Code3 Search Strategists note that this is a valuable tool that should be taken advantage of in 2023 for brands who struggle with the creation of creative assets.
Consumers are seeing more video during their shopping journey, with the Sponsored Brands Video Streaming TV beta, a program that allows advertisers to run Sponsored Brand video campaigns on streaming TV devices. These non-skippable ads were seen within streaming TV shows and movies on programs like FireTV, FreeVee, and more. Sponsored Display delivery placements were also expanded to the Twitch platform, where the ads can be visible during livestreams and on the browse tab.
And finally, Amazon offered advertisers more metrics and reports than ever before. A number of new metrics are available in the advertising console, including view-attributed sales and various video metrics such as Video Completions. Contextual targeting is now available as a targeting tactic for Sponsored Display, and many new reports were also rolled out. Most notably, the Attributed Purchases and Matched Target reports, which offer advertisers a clearer understanding of what product was actually purchased when an ad was clicked or viewed. The data provided by these reports allows advertisers to boost campaign performance, specifically within Sponsored Display campaigns, by using the information provided to make quicker, more impactful optimizations.
Not sure how to leverage these new features into your Amazon Advertising strategy? Contact us today.
Looking to learn more about Amazon updates? Check out the other blogs in this 3-part series, Amazon Updates to Use for 2023 Strategy: Catalog, PDP & SERP and Amazon Updates to Use for 2023 Strategy: Amazon DSP and Amazon Marketing Cloud.