What you need to know about Amazon Video Ads

 
This guide isn’t about Amazon Prime Video and the latest season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, despite what you might think. Instead, it’s a detailed look at how brands can maximise Amazon Video Ads to reach audiences and, ultimately, boost revenue. But what are Amazon Video Ads specifically, and how do they work? That’s the purpose of this article, which has everything you need to know about advertising with Amazon Video Ads.

What are Amazon Video Ads?

Again, they’re nothing to do with Amazon Prime Video, and you won’t see them before the latest episode of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. They are Amazon Sponsored Brand Video Ads appearing in the same place as traditional sponsored products, roughly halfway down the Amazon website search page.

Amazon has decided to get in on video advertising, realising its potential and seeing the power of video. In fact, video ads are 7.5x more likely to get clicks than digital ads, with the moving image more engaging than a still shot.

Video ads on Amazon differ from standard promotional product ads because brands can share their story and craft a visual piece of content. You can use the ad space to provide more information about your products.

Who are Amazon Video Ads for?

If you’re a business either selling or thinking about selling products on Amazon, then Videos Ads are for you. And because Amazon essentially sells anything and everything, a range of businesses can take advantage of Amazon Video Ads.

You will need to be an active seller on Amazon and first join the Amazon Brand Registry. But other than that, anyone can create Amazon Video Ads and increase the reach of their products on Amazon.

How can you implement Amazon Video Ads?

There are numerous ways that you can use Amazon Video Ads, including hosting product videos explaining how everything works on your actual Amazon sales page. Technology company Garmin does this effectively, using a video ad on the images reel for the product page.

Customers can even post their own video reviews to the review section on the site. Even though you don’t control these specific reviews, positive ones can only help your brand and add to any customer testimonial video you include in your Amazon Video Ad.

Other types of videos include:

• Product highlight videos

• Lifestyle videos

• Unboxing and explainer videos

• Comparison videos

Ultimately, there are a range of ways you can use Amazon Video Ads on the website, which is why we’ve written in more detail about it here.

Amazon Video Ads: the basics

How much do they cost?

Costs vary depending on how many times potential shoppers click on your advert, but the average amount is $0.81 per click. This works out at about £0.60p in sterling.

Amazon Video Guidelines

Video asset requirements

>> Read our bitesize guide to Amazon Video Ads

Why use Amazon Video Ads for your brand?

Helps build trust

Watching videos about products and brands helps build trust. This is particularly important on Amazon, where there are so many products for shoppers to choose from – it’s estimated that there are more than 12 million items for sale on Amazon.

That’s an awful lot of competition. Even though many of those products feature in varying categories, there’s no doubting that Amazon is an oversaturated market at times. But using videos to promote your items can feel more transparent than a piece of written content or marketing collateral, as it gives them more visual insight into a brand.

Explains the features of your product

Video helps to explain the features of your product in a way written guidelines can’t. Features need to be short and snappy to catch shoppers’ attention with clear and concise content. These can be more popular than written guidelines, where there’s more room for misinterpretation.

If, however, you’re using a video to provide information about your product, you can be confident in striking a chord with the viewer. From detailing the features to showing a live demonstration of how an item works, anyone watching gets a look into the world of a product and can see it live in action.

Offers validation

Products on Amazon are known for their user reviews – there are millions of them. Each one is a happy (or dissatisfied) customer writing a review of their experience. Only, some of the user reviews on Amazon are fake, which makes it harder to trust them.

Electronic brands, in particular, suffer: a 2018 report found that a whopping 61% of reviews for electronic products were fake. With a video, however, you can reduce the noise and give people more clarity. Using video reviews showing real people talking about their experience with your product helps with authenticity. A video allows you to be more visually engaging.

Stand out from the crowd

Customers are more likely to watch a video than spend time interacting with a static digital ad. Opting for a video ad over other types of promotional content can help you stand out from the crowd and get one up over competitors.

Customers will see your content quicker, and they’ll be more open to watching a short video advert. Plus, you can inform them about the products you sell more engagingly, increasing the chances of more sales and a boost in revenue.

Final thoughts: Amazon Video Ads

Amazon Video Ads are a welcome addition to merchants selling on Amazon. Sure, they’re not reinventing the wheel, nor do they offer something we haven’t seen before. Yet, that doesn’t really matter. And, yes, one day, you might have grand ideas to promote your products on the side of a spaceship piloted by Jeff Bezos. But for now, Amazon Video Ads are a great and dynamic way to advertise products and increase the reach of your brand.

Small Films is a video production company in London. We have a team of expert videographers, editors and animators who can bring your product to life. Check out our product video services