Editor’s Note: Originally published on Apr. 23, 2019, updated on June 15, 2023.
Does advertising on Amazon sound complicated? There are several ways to boost awareness for your brand or product. Let’s have a look at A+ Content (fmly. Enhanced Brand Content or EBC) and how it can improve your image on Amazon and drive traffic.
Last week, we talked about Amazon ads, focusing primarily on PPC campaigns. While we’re on the topic of boosting sales by advertising on Amazon, let’s take a look at how sellers can make products stand out with A+ Content.
The ABCs of A+ Content
A+ Content, formerly known as Enhanced Brand Content or EBC, is an Amazon tool initially available only to vendors. But it was gradually extended to sellers who signed up for Brand Registry, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Exclusives, and other selling programs.
Enhanced content on Amazon is a way to give your products an edge and increase your brand footprint. It can also maximize the number of buyers you can engage with on the 12 Amazon marketplaces that currently support A+ content display. Here are the features of the A+ tool:
- Very detailed product descriptions with customized text placement and layout;
- Rich imagery thanks to enhanced, unique, and detailed photos and other visuals;
- Product comparison charts with bulleted and numbered feature lists.
As the YouTube tutorial above explains, there are 3 types of A+ Content: Brand Story, Basic, and Premium. All 3 tools are on the A+ Content Manager page in Seller Central, under Advertising. They are all free, but may only be suitable or available to specific brands.
The Premium option comes with larger images, interactive hover hotspots, and an image carousel with navigation buttons, as seen below. To qualify for Premium A+ Content, you must publish A+ product details for every ASIN in your catalog, and have submitted at least 15 A+ projects.
The Advantages of Amazon A+ Content
Whichever type of A+ Content you opt for, you do it primarily to boost sales. But it’s also meant to lower customer hesitation, inform their shopping decisions, reduce return rates, and boost brand loyalty. Here’s why and how you can use it to your advantage:
Engage With Buyers for Free
Most buyers associate a product with Amazon, even if it’s bought from a third party. That’s partly because Amazon handles most of the customer-facing aspects of order fulfillment. But also because all brand advertising other than Sponsored Brands is against the rules.
So, conventional branding on Amazon is virtually nonexistent. A+ Content is, for all intents and purposes, the only way to boost your brand awareness, build your image, and promote loyalty on Amazon for free.
Promote Your Product Range
One of the greatest things about Amazon is that buyers can compare items back-to-back thanks to the “Compare with similar items” section. It displays basic features and video thumbnails, building rapport with the buyer. But it can also steer buyers away from your product.
To avoid losing buyers to competing products, A+ content users can make their own comparison chart. But this time, it would only feature their own products. The chart can showcase a bigger line-up, with more practical details and relevant information about accessories and add-ons.
Re-Engage With Scrollers
Conventional wisdom says your product needs to always be above the fold. So, to maximize the likelihood of a sale, you need to make sure that users click “Add to Cart” as soon as they check the images on your page. But having the best offer on the search results page isn’t everything.
Once users start scrolling down, you risk losing them if you don’t re-engage. This is where A+ Content comes in, with more images and videos just below the fold. This is prime real-estate on Amazon. You get large and exciting “hero images” and videos right below “Frequently bought together”.
Enhance Product Descriptions
Once users see your hero images and banners, they may decide they need more information. So, they’ll probably scroll back up to the top of the page. This is your last chance to impress your buyer, so spare no effort in producing appealing and impactful bullet points.
A+ content sometimes includes taglines, quotes, buzzwords, and nuggets of wisdom from the creator or a popular public figure. If you want all your hard work to pay off, you’ll also mention some of these features throughout your product page:
- Uniqueness – waterproof, heat-resistant, stain-resistant, eco-friendly.
- Functionality – how they solve obvious issues and address buyer concerns and questions.
- Ease of use – plug-and-play, self-folding, easy-tear.
- Versatility – universal, two-in-one, multiple (ports).
- Indirect cost benefit – hardwearing, reusable, rechargeable.
- Age and gender groups – for ages ‘x’ and over, unisex, unrestricted.
- Desirability – ADA-friendly, curriculum compliant, ‘X’-range compatible.
- Awards and nominations – FDA approved, Stevie award winner, Origins nominee.
- Relatability – designed by child, invented by engineer, produced by beekeeper.
Bullet points aren’t part of the A+ Content tool. But it’s important to make them consistent with your enhanced content on Amazon. So, summarize your product attributes and reinforce the features described below the fold, in case buyers don’t read the text that came with your hero images.
Scale It Up
A+ Content is scalable. You can reuse your content across your entire product portfolio and on all of the 12 Amazon marketplaces that currently support A+ Content. Any change you make will be reflected on the product details pages of all the ASINs you enrolled.
Advertising on Amazon With A+ Content
If you choose to use the A+ tool, you can set up your enhanced content page within minutes after reading the A+ Content Guidelines and following the steps in this Seller University tutorial. But bear in mind that it can take 1-2 weeks for the content to go live.
In the meantime, you can start thinking about ways to combine your A+ efforts with other types of advertising on Amazon. As the video above explains, there are paid ad campaigns that can bring potential buyers to your A+ page.
- Sponsored Brands campaign to link customers searching the Store to the A+ content.
- Sponsored Display campaign to link app users to your A+ content.
But there are various other tools that you can use to re-engage with buyers. For instance, you can help enhance your product pages and promote your products by urging buyers to upload video reviews in the designated section under your A+ content.
Then there’s also the “Inspiration” section. Clinking on the reel shown above brings the scrolling Amazon page viewer to your Store and your recent posts. If, instead of liking or sharing an interesting post, the shopper decides to check out the product, you’re back in business.
Luckily, you’ll have plenty of recommendations on the A+ Content Manager page to make the most of every inch of advertising real-estate on Amazon. But don’t rely on content alone to maximize your conversions. You still need the Buy Box to take business away from competitors.
To learn more about boosting and maintaining sales levels, please follow our blog. You’ll find countless tips here on how to increase the Buy Box percentage, take advantage of Amazon EBC, invest in campaigns, and improve your performance on Amazon.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed.