Amazon Brand Story Guide: What You Need to Know
Staying on top of the latest marketing trends and tools is essential for growth, which is especially the case with Amazon’s latest feature: Amazon Brand Story. However, what is this brand-new addition all about? How does it help influence purchasing decisions, and more importantly, how can you make the most of this new Amazon Brand Story feature?
All of these questions – and more – are answered below!
What is Amazon Brand Story?
Amazon Brand Story is an optional addition to product listings on Amazon. As the name suggests, this feature makes it possible for a brand’s story to be told in an engaging, visual manner. The result: it helps to grab the attention of shoppers and drive home those all-important sales.
The content section of the Brand Story is presented in a scrollable carousel. With this carousel, you can utilize a mixture of content – text, graphics, and videos – to take viewers on a brand-centric journey. You can highlight your brand’s values, goals, overall message, other related products, and more. When used correctly, it builds your brand’s recognition and trust and ultimately establishes stronger emotional relationships with customers.
Brand Story content sits above the standard A+ content in a product listing. Because of this, this new feature isn’t necessarily a home run for your Amazon marketing strategy. Why? Well, if your A+ content is already hitting the mark and generating results, it being pushed down the page might not be the wisest decision. However, a product page that can seamlessly combine the two is one that will maximize results.
Keep in mind that this feature isn’t available to every seller on Amazon; it is only an option for registered brands that possess an active registered trademark on the platform. For those not approved yet, they will have to enroll through Amazon Brand Registry.
How Does Amazon Brand Story Drive Sales?
It doesn’t feel that long ago when all you’d find on an Amazon product listing was one or two images and a few basic lines of text. Yet the world of online shopping has shifted to a more immersive, elaborate experience – and the largest retailer on the planet wasn’t going to be left behind in that regard.
As the customer experience becomes increasingly important in converting viewers into sales, branded content has become a primary focus for businesses that sell directly on Amazon. Storyboard images and A+ content have been able to transform those faceless Amazon listings, and now, the Brand Story expands on these elements to enhance product detail pages.
By being able to sell your brand and products further in this way, the Brand Story is beneficial in building emotional connections between you and your customers. Without this connection, prospective shoppers are likely to keep searching Amazon or other online retailers before they find what they’re seeking. With this connection, however, you gain a powerful driver that pushes customers into clicking that ‘Buy Now’ button.
Naturally, the Brand Story is also advantageous in building brand awareness. As an Amazon seller, it can be difficult to stand out from the many competitors using the platform – but with this new feature, you can further promote your business and alert customers to other goods you have for sale.
How Do You Create a Brand Story?
An Amazon Brand Story will fail to deliver the results you seek if you don’t know how to create one effectively. However, the good news is that getting everything up and running doesn’t take much effort.
First of all, you will want to enter the Seller Central section of your Amazon seller account. Then, it’s a case of going into the A+ Content Manager section – found under the Advertising tab – where, if eligible, you are given the option to ‘Create a Brand Story.’
From here, you have to add the following elements:
- Background image and image keywords for each brand carousel
- Headline text (30 characters max)
- Body text (135 characters max)
- Extra images and text for each content module
You also have to decide on the content modules to add to your Brand Story. Generally, it is advised to incorporate three-to-five content modules in total. The following choices or templates are available when you click ‘Add Module:’
Brand ASINs & Store Showcase
Effectively a product ‘highlight reel’ where you can add four ASINs (Amazon Standard Identification Number) images that point to their respective listings.
Brand Focus Image
Along with being able to visually display your brand and product line, you can add a headline and body of text to further add context.
Brand Logo & Description
To boost brand awareness, this module presents the chance to add an image and body of text (450 characters max). This could be everything from your company’s vision to an FAQ about a product.
After you’ve finished working on your Brand Story, press the ‘Next: Review & Submit’ button. Note that it can take up to 24 hours before it is approved and added to your product listing.
How Do You Create a Brand Story?
When you start creating A+ content, it’s important to go all-out with your listings – and that’s applicable to the Brand Story element. Here are a few tips to get the most out of this feature:
Put the Spotlight on Your Value Proposition
You want to promote your products unique characteristics – that’s obvious. With the Brand Story, ensure your images and descriptions hit all of the key selling points.
Stick to the Products
It’s true you can promote your business with the Brand Story, which is advised – to an extent. Still, the main focus should be on your products. Advertising your most popular products on each listing boosts the chances of additional purchases from customers.
Use Your Logo
The products are the focus, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t showcase your brand. One simple yet effective way to do this is by including your logo as part of the Brand Story.
With the right Brand Story strategy, it’s possible to push your Amazon product listings to the next level – so use this guide as a reference when getting started with this new feature to boost your business’s results on the platform.
Ryan Flannagan is the Founder & CEO of Nuanced Media, an international eCommerce marketing agency specializing in Amazon. Nuanced has sold $100s of Millions online and Ryan has built a client base representing a total revenue of over 1.5 billion dollars. Ryan is a published author and has been quoted by a number of media sources such as BuzzFeed, CNBC, and Modern Retail.