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If you’re a retailer of any kind, odds are extremely in favor of the following reality:

You sell on Amazon.

That would be a safe bet in Vegas or anywhere.  Whether you sell on Amazon exclusively or not, you most likely do sell on Amazon, and are aware of the various idiosyncrasies of that platform. When it comes to contacting your Amazon audience you want to keep a few things in mind, while also sticking to the things that make up any successful and effective email marketing campaign. Think of it as an additional layer of polish more than a different way of doing things.

All email contact starts with the basics.

Spam Spam Spam.  No One Wants Spam.

You yearn to sell.  You yearn for your customers to buy.  Desperation leads nowhere fast, and so one of the first things to avoid — and one of the easiest traps to slip into — is becoming the Spam King.

Don’t become the Spam King.

We’ve said this before, but the key to effective email contact lies in building trust, and that only happens by laying effective groundwork — which itself requires time, sincerity and patience.  It’s all about adding value, and that starts with the mindset of putting the customer first.  Think of their needs before your own.  Give them tips, give them valuable info, give them content they can use, ask them for  nothing, make no sales pitch — become someone they look forward to hearing from.  Flip roles and become the customer for a moment.  Imagine their point of view.  You yourself know what constitutes Spam.  You know the things you open and read, the things you delete.  You know a spammy email when you see it.  Write your emails the way you’d like to receive them and be honest about it.  Don’t send your customers anything you yourself would (be honest) consider Spam.

Worse than failed results, Spam can get you in trouble.  It can get accounts shut down, it can get you on blacklists; being a Spammer can, in short, ruin you.  Spamming leads to zero customer engagement, leads to escalation of Spamtastic tactics on your part, leads to still greater failure …

Spam is a dark and lonely road to nowhere.  Don’t Spam.  Stay classy.  Stay relevant in your customer’s eyes.  Be a Marketer of Value.

In the words of Tony Little, You can do it!

The Amazon Edge

With your Amazon customers you have an edge.  Amazon is a trusted platform, and as such people are predisposed not only to expect communication from Amazon, but to give it higher consideration.  Therefore a good practice when sending emails to your Amazon customers is to include the word “Amazon” somewhere in the Subject.  This alone can drive higher Open rates.  Examples like:

  • “Amazon – Some additional info on your product”
  • “A Recipe Book For Your Amazon Kitchen Tool”
  • “More customer service options for your Amazon purchase”

Those are also some ideas for content.  From those subject lines you can craft an email your customer will want, is likely to open, and that is likely to establish trust — the real goal.

Establishing Trust

Building an effective email audience requires trust.  If people open, read and find value in what you send them, they’re likely to do so again.  In that way you establish trust, and build your list.  You begin not just to have a larger and larger number of people to send to, but a larger number of people who are actually engaged.  Meaningful marketing is all about playing the long game.  You’re building a brand, you’re making loyal customers — all things that lead to a business life-cycle of increasing sales.

As an Amazon seller you already have a degree of trust in the customer’s eyes.  It’s built in.  They know Amazon’s commitment to customer satisfaction, and initially that perception is extended to you.  As an Amazon seller you’re already off on the right foot.  Deliver value, strengthen that perception — parlay that built-in trust into a relationship that expands your audience.

The Most Important Thing

Let’s close by stressing the importance of using proven methods and not falling into the trap of becoming a Spammer.  It’s too easy to just send offers, coupons, requests for sales.  Contrary to what might be your initial impulse … you lose customers this way, you don’t gain them.  The idea is to first establish the trust, then slip in the sales — usually in the form of an offer, a giveaway, etc. — and then always wrapped in a message with other, useful information.

Note, for all of the above we’re talking about your existing customers; people who bought from you and who you now want to engage.  Marketing broadly, reaching new customers, that’s a different game.

To Your Success

Use the fact that you’re an Amazon seller to your advantage.  With that as a springboard you can establish trust.  From there, with a little caring, a little patience and a little strategy you can ensure your email campaigns reach your customers, and that your message reaches them as well.

Here’s to your success.

 

All the best,

The ManageByStats Team