What does grocery retail, same-day drone deliveries and Social Commerce have in common?
Two words: Jeff Bezos.
And he’s hell-bent on becoming the leading authority across all three verticals. Read on to get the lowdown about Amazon Spark; Bezos’ new shoppable (Instagram) feed-like #Social network recently launched out of the Amazon camp.
Oh, and we’ve tossed in 3 quick thought starters on why your brand should consider testing the waters of Amazon’s social product discovery beast.
Is Amazon Spark the dark horse?
When you consider Facebook’s 2 Billion users with Amazon’s (current) 80 Million members, you might think that Spark is a meaningless entry into to an already saturated social media space. We’re here to tell you that viewpoint would be a mistake.
If you’re a brand that spends ad dollars on Facebook and Google, you should expect to make room for Amazon Spark in your 2018 media planning. Why? Where Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat started out as ‘social-first’ products, Amazon started as a ‘retail-first’ product…which they’ve mastered, making behemoths like Wal-Mart rethink their business model.
Spark is Facebook and Google’s worst nightmare because at the end of the day, Advertising is meant to sell stuff. And that’s exactly what Amazon does. Sell stuff.
The psychology behind it all is much more complex than meets the eye.
User Behavior studies show people typically visit a “relationship oriented” Social channel (Facebook) to consume feelgood content, funny animal videos and to keep in touch with friends across the globe. Although brand content consistently appears in the FB environment, people are not in the mindset to shop, they are there to socialize and discover.
Simply, from a platform perspective, Facebook users express Lower User Intent while spending time in the channel, than a user accessing a direct selling medium like Amazon or Zappos.com.
On the flip, any person using Amazon Spark inherently brings with them Higher User (& Purchase) Intent.
Why? It’s simple.
Amazon users associate Amazon (and its vast product suite) with tangible products—not likes and shares. Users are in the mindset of shopping and buying. Whether quickly comparing a product’s price in-store vs on Amazon, or cracking open their Amazon Mobile App ready to punch in a specific product SKU…the platform rings the cash register…an amount that surpassed $128 Billion in 2016. Consider that 55% of all product searches begin on Amazon…28% for Google. Do we have your attention?
The catch? Amazon is not allowing Businesses to access this new feature. Don’t be disappointed. Be relieved.
Most brands need time to sort out how Spark works. We’re guessing this includes you too. So consider this your invitation to the beta version. It’s time to go explore Spark, get comfortable with it, and begin logging how you’d like to use it. That way when Spark launches for brands, you won’t be surprised by it but ready to utilize it.
Here are three practical tips to consider while we wait on Spark to open to brands:
Social Customer Service on Amazon
If your brand currently has an Amazon Company Page, your customers are reading and writing reviews on your product. Make sure you are actively monitoring and responding to these users. It will make or break future sales on Spark.
Influencer Product Promotion
This feature is already live in Spark. When a user taps an Influencer’s post where your brand is tagged in the photo, they’re immediately driven to the Amazon product page to purchase. Begin considering how you might use influencers relevant to your brand and products to drive awareness and clicks to your Amazon profile.
Advertising Is A-Go
Get comfortable now with advertising on Amazon because when Spark launches for brands, the interface and functionality will likely be similar. Currently, Amazon offers a variety of advertising products for users to discover and buy products. Many brands, of all sizes, are utilizing Amazon advertising now. Don’t get left behind.
If your brand is struggling to understand and utilize Amazon, The Armory is here to help you. Reach out to us here and let us put you on a path to new revenue by utilizing opportunities like Amazon Spark.
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