Sponsored ads and A+ Content support iSOUL’s product launches

The UK-based mobile accessory brand iSOUL has been an active seller on Amazon since 2011. iSOUL began using sponsored ads on Amazon in 2019, when an Amazon Advertising account executive introduced the self-service sponsored ads solutions to them.

For a brand selling in highly competitive categories with short-lifecycle products, iSOUL has found value in giving their new product launches a boost through the cost-per-click ads.

We were very reluctant to start mainly because of the cost involved. We started with a low budget and had great results. Then we quickly realized that launching a new product with sponsored ads is the way forward and helps to get customer attention and feedback on our product.– Aqeel, Manager - Online Sales, iSOUL

Running the full range of sponsored ads and optimizing product listings with A+ Content quickly proved to be an effective marketing strategy. The following solutions have helped increase visibility of their new products within shopping results and product pages:

• Sponsored Products with automatic and manual targeting helps target similar brands and put products in front of relevant shoppers.
• Sponsored Brands can be used in combination with Sponsored Products campaigns.
• Sponsored Display helps promote the brand. They find that promoting the brand helps encourage shoppers to visit their Store to see the full selection, and often end up making additional purchases.
• Stores linked from Sponsored Brands ads supports their brand awareness.
• A+ Content on most of the brand’s product detail pages helps maximize conversion rate, differentiate the brand, and provide the right information to shoppers.

• Keep ACOS (advertising cost of sales) under 20% to run campaigns indefinitely.
• Run two campaigns with identical copy to target competitive keywords—one with a higher bid and another with a lower bid—to ensure they secure impressions but maintain lower ACOS.
• Adjust keywords 3x a week at the start, and then check weekly afterward.
• Use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) to help drive more sales and ROAS (return on ad spend).

Can you share a story of how you used sponsored ads for the last product you launched on Amazon?
We have recently launched a completely new product line, aside from our main business. We started running automatic targeted ads on Amazon, and within a week we knew we had to fine-tune our listings—the search term report suggested there were shopping queries that customers were using, but we weren’t using them in our product listings.

What did you do exactly?
We made adjustments on our product title, bullet points, and description to include more relevant keywords that customers are using to look for our products.
Our products are offered in multiple sizes, but the images we had weren’t reflecting the actual size for the ASIN, which resulted in customers buying products in the wrong sizes. We immediately changed the main images for all variations, added the size at the start of product title, and added a note about the size in product description. This mitigated returns.

Anything else you would do the next time you launch a new product?
We’re now planning to use the VINE program to get more reviews initially and then launch our campaigns.

What are the three recommendations you’d give to help achieve good results?

1. Launch campaigns with auto targeting.
2. Make sure to update your product detail pages within the first week of product launch.
3. Enroll in the VINE program to get Amazon-verified reviews.

What are the things you recommend when advertising for products like yours?

1. Advertising can help your new products gain visibility and may help you earn your first review.
2. Start with a higher budget so you don’t run out of it before getting to know which keywords are contributing to your campaigns.
3. Don’t be afraid to go beyond Amazon’s recommended bid range.