Amazon Video Advertisements Guide
This is an Amazon video ads guide to help navigate the complexities within AMZ
Do Amazon Video Ads really work? Creating video ads can be costly, is it worth the investment? The short answer is Yes, we've seen them working really well consistently adding profit to the seller's bottom line.
It’s no surprise that we found buyers are impatient. Buyers want you to explain why your product stands out and what’s unique about it so they can quickly assess if your product will be the answer they are looking for. So if you can present this well-thought-out, short video, you can guarantee a higher conversion rate after the video has been watched. Concluding that good product videos significantly influence the buyer's decision-making process.
Here are six reasons to use video in your Amazon advertising campaign.
- AMZ video ads disrupt the buyer's attention. Eyecatching videos catch the buyers' eyes and give you those extra seconds to assess if you are the solution they are looking for.
- They quickly educate the audience on why your product is different, better, faster, easier to use or more reliable… than the competitors.
- It is an easy way to highlight your brand's values and what you stand for as a seller.
- Build trust and loyalty faster between the buyer and the brand.
- Video ads have a lower cost per click and higher conversion rates, resulting in a higher return on ad spend.
- Buyers are three times more likely to convert through a video ad than from a Sponsored Product Ad or Display Ad. link to source
When did AMZ Sponsored Display ads start in Amazon?
AMZ Sponsored Display ads were only launched in 2022, and only a few brands have taken advantage of this new advertising opportunity. The brands that have adopted this new form of advertising quickly realised its importance in the buyer's decision-making process and the positive effect it had on converting listing visitors into repeat customers.
What is an Amazon video ads?
An Amazon Video ad is a form of digital advertising that leverages the power of moving visuals and sound to promote a product or a brand. It's well known that people watch over an hour of short-form content on social media services every day, and buyers have learnt they can consume more information quickly by watching product ads.
What is the difference between Sponsored Brand and Sponsored Display advertising in AMZ?
In Amazon UK, video ads are found under AMZ sponsored brand ads and AMZ sponsored display ads. AMZ Sponsored Display ads were recently launched in 2022.
As a brand-registered Amazon Seller, you can run Sponsored Brand Ads and showcase your brand's presence. You can run ads to showcase the brand values, or you can run product-specific campaigns to promote a particular product to improve product awareness. Sponsored video Ads are becoming the most popular for promoting products and raising awareness.
Sponsored Brand ad appears on the buyers' search results page of Amazon. These video ads should be product-focused and show the advertised product within the first second. The goal of an Amazon video ad is to help products stand out and catch the buyer's attention. This type of advertising is very popular and enables the brand to demonstrate why prospective buyers should buy your product quickly.
Different ways of using video ads
- To demonstrate how to build, install, use or apply your product in real-world situations.
- Real-life social media style short-form content that promotes your product.
- Demonstrate your brand and company story.
- Add multiple videos together and create a training or troubleshooting guide.
- Videos from your customers, influencers or brand ambassadors.
Video ads allow you to add depth and substance to your product and the meaning behind the brand.
Amazon video ads guidelines
Your first task is to check if you have Amazon Brand Registration. To qualify for this exclusive program, you must fulfil the following criteria:
- You must possess an active textual trademark registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Or You must have a pending trademark in your country of operation. Plus the trademark needs to be in one of the following countries.
- Additionally, having an active Amazon Seller Account and obtaining approval before submitting your videos is essential. The approval process typically takes 72 hours. Further details regarding the requirements are outlined in the subsequent section below.
- Your video must pertain to the product categories you have listed in the Brand Registry. If you wish to submit a video for products outside your registered list, you must first seek approval for the new category.
It's worth noting that Amazon strictly prohibits video submission for brands not under your ownership. For instance, if you are a wholesaler selling products from other brands, you cannot submit a video for those particular products.
Amazon video ads specs for the Sponsored Brand Video ads
Amazon video ads must include the following...
Note: Video files are transcoded to optimise their size and appearance in Amazon’s ad placements.
It is important to make sure your video does not include call-to-action elements that encourage clicking (e.g., a button shape that says “learn more”). Clicking on the video player will play or restart the video with sound enabled.
In addition to these requirements, we recommend...
- Using a short video clip, we recommend that the core of the message be delivered within the first 5 seconds.
- Ensure your ad can be understood and is engaging without sound. For example, show products in use instead of a person describing the product. Use text headlines in your video to get the point across without narration.
Examples of AMZ Sponsored Product Ads
We see well-optimised product video ads giving a ROAS between £7 to £12 and occasionally more.
Amazon video ads are the future
A survey conducted by Statista in 2021, states “In 2021, the most widely used video types in global marketing communication were live videos and brand videos. product demos and social video were also a popular choice for B2B video marketing campaigns. Training videos were used by 45 percent of global marketers, and customer testimonials were used by 39 percent of respondents.”
One of the primary reasons video marketing holds such importance is its popularity among audiences. According to research, two-thirds of consumers prefer watching videos to acquire information about products or services rather than reading about them. Furthermore, in the first half of 2021, video accounted for the largest proportion of Internet traffic worldwide, standing at 53.7%, with social media trailing at a distant second with 12.7%. For marketers, it is crucial to disseminate their messages through video, ensuring they reach consumers where and how they are most likely to engage.
Here are some benefits of video ads
- Broaden your reach to a wider audience
- Engage and captivate the perspective buyers' attention
- Develop compelling content for effective marketing
- Highlight your brand and products effectively
Amazon Ads can be an enormous help to e-commerce businesses that want to
- Build brand awareness
- Drive traffic
- Get more clicks to their listings
- Increase sales
Amazon video ads is an effective way to grab prospective buyers' attention as they combine movement and sound. This makes them an efficient way to convey your message and increase engagement. You can use video ads to promote your products or services on Amazon at a low cost. To ensure that users can easily find your video ads, it is important to use relevant keywords in the tags of your video ads.
Dos and Don’ts of Amazon video ads
Amazon has established specific guidelines and acceptance policies for creating videos through their platform. Furthermore, they provide a comprehensive section with seven key points on the Amazon Advertising Platform. In the following discussion explores some frequently overlooked requirements:
Amazon video ads - Don'ts
- Don't reference a physical address, location, or website URL in the video.
- Don't give warranty or guarantee claims.
- Avoid using statements or language that could harm or discredit a competitor.
- Don't use excessive animation or distracting elements.
- Don't include a price savings claim.
- There should be no reference to generic terms like “Leading Brand”, or “Best Quality” statements.
- Don't use customer reviews from third-party sources.
- Don't use slang words in your campaign.
- Don’t use language that exerts pressure or creates a false sense of urgency.
- Don't use a Call To Action in the video like SHOP NOW, BUY NOW.
Amazon video ads - Do's
- Showcase your product/brand effectively.
- The video should be attention-grabbing. The first 5 seconds are important.
- Your brand logo should be visible.
- Video ads should be able to convey the message, whether it is to highlight the product or the brand. Make sure the video is recorded in a clean and professional environment. If you use a third-party library as a video resource, make sure it is copyright-free.
Follow the Amazon ads guidelines below for Amazon video ads spec
The process to upload Amazon Video Ads
Below are instructions on how to create Sponsored Brands Video Ads:
Step 1 - Go to the Campaign Manager Homepage and click on 'Create Campaign'.
Step 2 - After clicking on Create Campaign, we will be directed to this screen. Select 'Sponsored Brands'.
Step 3 - Follow the prompts
- Provide the campaign name,
- Choose a portfolio,
- Set the budget,
- Choose Automated Bidding to save in Ad Spend since it will allow flexible bid placement over time.
- Choose a suitable Ad Group name
- Select Video under Ad Format
In the 'Landing Page' option, we can either choose
- Store on Amazon (including sub-pages) or
- Product detail page
Based on this, we can develop a brand-centric video that showcases the brand's essence or a product-oriented video that focuses on highlighting the USPs of the product.
We recommended running one store video and 5 to 10 product videos. Each is on a different campaign so that budget can be controlled for each product. We can also measure the individual video performances of the products.
Step 4 - Select the Product
Step 5 - Select the Targeting
If you have ever run an Auto Campaign, you know you need good search term data to harvest the most relevant keywords.
The Search Term report also gives us the ASIN data for which our product ads were shown, and if those ASINs have accounted for any orders, then the ASINs can be used for 'product targeting.'
As an agency, we run Auto Amazon ads Campaigns alone for 15-30 days to generate enough data to then set up an Amazon ads Manual Campaign. If there is an urgency to set up a manual campaign/video campaign, we use various keyword research tools like Helium 10 , Jungle Scout, SellerTools.
When your set of keywords is ready, upload them here.
In the Keyword Targeting tab, click 'Enter List' and upload your keywords. You may choose all the 3 match types, i.e. broad, phrase and exact.
The Suggested Tab also provides good keyword suggestions, which can be worth experimenting with.
Step 6 - Create an Amazon ad
Name your Amazon Ad, for simplicity, we use a nomenclature which follows every ad and apply the same nomenclature for Ad Groups and Campaigns.
After naming the Amazon ad, Upload the Video which meets the Amazon video ads specs.
Step 7 - Submit the brand video ad for review
Before submitting your video for review, carefully review and double-check all the steps and data you have filled in for the ad. It is important to ensure that your video fully complies with Amazon's policies. Once you have verified everything, confidently click the 'Submit for Review' button.
Once you submit your campaign, Amazon may take 15 minutes to 72 hours to approve it. Approval is subject to meeting all of Amazon's requirements.
Designing a perfect video ad
- Define your objective: Identify the purpose of your video ad. Is it to raise brand awareness, drive sales, or inform viewers about a product/service? Having a clear objective helps guide the design process.
- Know your target audience: Understand your target audience's preferences, interests, and demographics. Tailor your video ad to resonate with them and address their needs or desires.
- Keep it concise: Attention spans are limited, so aim for a short and impactful video ad. Ideally, it should be under 30 seconds to maintain viewer engagement throughout.
- Start strong: Capture the viewer's attention from the beginning. Begin with a compelling hook, an intriguing question, or an eye-catching visual to pique their interest immediately.
- Tell a story: Weave a narrative or storyline within your video ad. Storytelling can create an emotional connection, enhance engagement, and make your ad more memorable.
- Showcase your unique selling points: Highlight the key benefits or features of your product/service. Communicate why your product stands out and why viewers should choose it over alternatives.
- Note: Avoid mentioning competitors' names, taglines, or other means indirectly highlighting competitors.
- Use visuals strategically: Visual elements play a crucial role in video ads. Utilize high-quality images or videos that are visually appealing, relevant, and aligned with your brand's aesthetics.
- Incorporate compelling audio: Though music is not mandatory in Amazon, sound effects, music, and voice-overs can enhance the impact of your video ad. Choose audio to complement the visuals and create the desired atmosphere or emotional response. Bear in mind that your video ad should be comprehensible even without the presence of music.
- Include clear call to action: Direct viewers on what they should do after watching the ad. Whether visiting the brand storefront or purchasing a product, provide a clear and concise CTA (call to action).
- Test and refine: Continuously monitor the performance of your video ad and gather feedback. Analyze metrics such as engagement rates, conversion rates, and view duration to identify areas for improvement and refine your future video ad campaigns.
Remember, creating a perfect video ad requires a mix of creativity, understanding your audience, and data-driven optimization.
Measuring Amazon video ads performance
Besides General Metrics, Amazon has recently launched the following Metrics specific to Video Ads.
- New-to-brand (NTB) orders
- % of orders new-to-brand (NTB)
- New-to-brand (NTB) sales
- % of sales new-to-brand (NTB)
- Viewable impressions
- Cost per 1,000 viewable impressions (VCPM)
- Detail page views (DPV)
- New FeatureNew
- Video first quartile
- Video midpoint
- Video third quartile
- Video complete
- Video unmute
Conclusion
Sponsored video ads on Amazon can be a game-changer for sellers, especially when targeting the UK customer base. The rising popularity of video content consumption in the UK and the effectiveness of video ads in influencing purchase decisions make video advertising a powerful tool for Amazon sellers. By creating compelling video content, choosing the right ad formats, and optimizing their ad campaigns, sellers can harness the power of video ads to increase visibility, enhance product discoverability, and drive higher conversion rates. By taking advantage of Amazon's robust advertising platform and incorporating video ads into their marketing strategy, sellers can position themselves for success in the highly competitive Amazon marketplace.
Kangaroo UK stands out as a leading full-service Amazon agency for listing management, product photography, PPC Advertising and SEO. We deliver exceptional results for sellers with a proven track record of success, we have demonstrated our expertise in effectively running Amazon PPC campaigns, achieving an impressive overall return on ad spending (ROAS) of over £7. Additionally, we excel in creating and executing highly successful Amazon video ad campaigns, leveraging the power of engaging video content to drive brand visibility, boost conversions, and maximize sales on the Amazon platform. You can trust Kangaroo UK to grow your Amazon business and unlock its full potential. Contact Us to discuss what we can do for your brand.
