While Amazon can be a very lucrative selling platform, it is also very competitive. So as an Amazon seller, you want all the advantages you can get over other sellers and companies. In 2016, Amazon Enhanced Brand Content was introduced to help sellers showcase their products via the positioning of their brand. However, not many Amazon sellers are using this feature to their advantage. Let’s talk about what this feature is, how you can use it, and how to maximize its effectiveness.
Table of Contents
- What Is Amazon Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) or also known as A+ Content?
- What Does the Process Involve?
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Use Amazon A+ Enhanced Brand Content
- What Should You Put in Your EBC Description?
- 3 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Enhanced Brand Content
- Conclusion
What Is Amazon Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) or also known as A+ Content?
Amazon EBC recently called A+ Content, is a feature that allows brand registered sellers to add rich content to their product descriptions. You can add enhanced images, graphical text, and videos in your product descriptions. This allows you to get creative with your product listing, allowing you to create engaging product descriptions, tell your brand story, differentiate your products, and even demonstrate how your product works.
By going beyond basic product information and using A+ Content, you can see increased sales and conversions. However, this feature is only for branded ASINs. It cannot be used for products that are not under your brand. This feature won’t be of much use to you if you’re solely a third party seller on Amazon.
To get started, you will want to register your brand on the Amazon Brand Registry page.
What Does the Process Involve?
Start by following the instructions on the registry page. You can use an existing Seller Central account for the process. After the application process is finished and you are approved, you’ll be able to set up A+ Content for products under the registered brand. Go to the Advertising menu in your account, and you’ll find the A+ Content Manager link in the drop-down menu.
The process of creating an EBC for your product is very similar to many modern web design tools. There are specific modules where you can place certain elements like text, images, and videos. Before even thinking about submitting the content you want for your EBC product description, make sure you read the rules and guidelines.
Some of the things you’ll need to abide by include uploading images within Amazon’s suggestions, not including warranties/guarantees, using copyrighted content, using third party quotes, using hyperbole, mentioning competitors, the standard Amazon rules, and more. Again, go through the entire list so that you can increase your chances of approval. If you are rejected, you’ll be given a reason why but the approval process still takes 7 to 10 days.
Creating new descriptions, making sure that your description is compliant, and waiting for approval can be time-consuming. But if you have your own brand, here’s why you should still put in the effort.
5 Reasons Why You Should Use Amazon A+ Enhanced Brand Content
Reason #1: It Helps You Differentiate Yourself from the Competition
Again, competition is fierce on Amazon. It’s difficult to help convey why your product is different. EBC helps you do this for both your products and your brand. You want to start using EBC to stay competitive.
Reason #2: It Helps Capture Attention and Creates Engagement
Consumers on Amazon are always window shopping and comparing. You want to do whatever you can to capture their attention and make them focus on your product listing. Make your listing count with a well designed EBC.
Reason #3: It Can Make Your Ads More Profitable
Many Amazon sellers are already using Sponsored Product Ads and Product Display Ads to drive traffic to their product pages. It makes sense to put in the extra work to increase conversions for their branded products and increase profitability for their ad campaigns.
Reason #4: More Sales Translates to Higher Rankings
If you’re able to increase conversions using A+ Content, it will mean more sales and more positive reviews. This will increase your product’s rank for various search terms. This will create a profitable feedback loop where you also start receiving more organic Amazon traffic.
Reason #5: Small Conversions Lifts Produce
Even a one percent lift in conversion rates can be significant if you’re looking at the number of sales that will be generated for the whole year. Don’t underestimate the impact that small improvements can produce.
What Should You Put in Your EBC Description?
There is no magic formula for what makes for a winning EBC description. However, there are several things that will help you create descriptions that produce higher conversation rates than regular descriptions that only use text. Here are some ideas you can implement:
- Try to position your presentation so that your product is perceived as high quality. The whole point of A+ Content is to differentiate your product and position yourself above competitors.
- Make your images and text count. Don’t use abstract images. Get straight to the point and showcase the unique features and benefits of your products.
- Ensure that your text placement is in small blocks. Make it punchy and easy to read so that it’s easy for the consumer to get the main points even while they’re scanning.
- Make your bullets points count. Add images that add context, relevance, and visualizations to your bullet points so that it makes a bigger impact with consumers.
- Use visual demonstrations of how your product works if it is technical. You may also want to address common questions and issues consumers have for products of your nature.
- Add credibility elements. Is your product organic? Was it manufactured according to the highest standards? Make sure these elements are real and add to the value of your product.
- Position the product on your brand to help give it a unique identity. At the same time, don’t get too carried away about your brand because the focal point should still be for the product.
3 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Enhanced Brand Content
Tip #1: Follow a Logical Progression
Think about how you’re going to organize the content. You want to start by engaging the consumer, then addressing the average consumer’s situation. Then introduce your product and its selling points. You can then back up claims in a logical manner and add credibility elements. You want some have some kind of flow to lead the consumer into purchasing the product.
Tip #2: Test Different Approaches
It can be hard to test individual elements with an EBC description. Instead, test different approaches and observe the conversion rates for each one. For example, a supplement may have both digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits.
One A+ Content can focus more on digestive benefits and the other on the anti-inflammatory benefits to see which is more appealing to your target customer. You may even try to experiment with a sales page on your site and implement what you’ve learned on your EBC description.
Tip #3: Use Video to Add That X Factor
One of the best ways to showcase the qualities of your product and show how it works is through video. Video is also far more engaging than text and images. You’re also able to engage with voice and tell a short story which is very powerful. That’s why you want to try to add a video to your EBC at all costs. It will give you that extra edge to help you stand out from competitors.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that Amazon A+ Content is a must-use feature if you sell products under your own brand. When used properly, it can help you see big lifts in conversions. And since sales and reviews also help with your product’s rank, you’ll see increased traffic to your product listing as well.
As a final note, see the difference that Amazon EBC produces in terms of profits. While EBC is a free feature, there’s no guarantee that Amazon will keep it that way forever. If Amazon does start charging for it, you can see and get an idea of how EBC is affecting your profits for your products. This will give you the ability to choose which products to use EBC for and which ones aren’t worth it.
Also published on Medium.
