Every new Amazon seller grapples with one core question: When launching a new product, how do you scale quickly without wasting your budget?
Most people get off on the wrong foot right away, assuming “promotion = throwing money at ads.” But I recently came across a practical industry insight that hits the nail on the head: All promotional tactics are just supplements. Ads only drive exposure – the real factors that make or break a product launch are two internal elements:
First, the product itself. It needs solid materials, reliable performance, and great quality – that’s the foundation of conversions.
Second, the quality of your listing optimization. This directly impacts your conversion rate and all ad metrics. If these two aren’t handled, even a fortune in ad spend will go down the drain.
Let’s start with listing optimization – this is the “foundation” that needs to be rock solid. The insight shares 5 actionable steps:
- Don’t cut corners on keyword research
Randomly picking keywords won’t work. You need to do ASIN reverse lookups on competitors, analyze their copy, and study brand data. Compile all collected keywords into a spreadsheet and focus on 5 key metrics: the keyword itself, monthly search volume, competition level, ratio, and relevance . This way, you’ll end up with precise keywords that drive qualified traffic, not useless clicks.
- Prioritize your key selling points
List all product benefits in Excel by importance, then narrow it down to just 5 core selling points. Why 5? Buyers don’t have the patience to read lengthy listings – you need to hit the highlights to 打动 them fast. Your product images should also revolve around these 5 points – don’t try to cram everything in.
- Strategically place keywords
New products with no reviews shouldn’t put high-traffic keywords at the start of the title. Prioritize “high-search, low-competition, highly relevant” terms instead . Save high-traffic keywords for later in the title or other copy sections. Using overly competitive terms too early will hurt your ranking since you can’t compete effectively without conversions.
- Avoid copycat pricing
First, research the prices of 20 competitors, then set a unique price point. Amazon’s algorithm doesn’t reward the lowest price – it shows products across different price ranges to buyers. A unique price point will actually get you more exposure . Many sellers mistakenly undercut competitors, but that’s unnecessary.
- Optimize first, advertise later
Never reverse this order. Your ad strategy has two phases: automatic first, then manual.
Phase 1: Setting Up Automatic Ads
There are 3 critical settings:
- Bidding strategy: New sellers unfamiliar with category bid ranges should choose “Dynamic Bidding – Up and Down.” If you know the market well, Fixed Bids are more stable .
- Bid amount: Follow the system’s recommendation or set it slightly below the minimum suggested bid. Adjust later based on data – don’t overbid upfront.
- Matching type: For new products, only use “Exact Match” – turn off Broad, Substitute, and Complement matches temporarily. Exact Match generates the most relevant keywords for your product, making it easier to select terms for manual ads later. Other match types tend to drift off-topic and waste budget .
It’s crucial to clarify the purpose of automatic ads – they’re not about driving massive sales. Their three core functions are:
- Testing your listing: If unrelated keywords appear, your keyword placement is wrong – fix your listing immediately.
- Keyword discovery: Identify high-converting terms to use in manual ads later .
- Secondary sales: Sales are a bonus, not the main goal – don’t mix up priorities.
After running automatic ads for 1-2 weeks, download the reports and focus on three metrics: impressions, clicks, and conversions. Note any term that performs well in even one metric – you don’t need to wait for conversions. Then search for that term on Amazon’s frontend: if you find your product, the keyword has gained organic weight; if not, wait longer before moving to manual ads .
Phase 2: Running Manual Ads
The goal here is to push your core keywords to the first page of organic results . Key strategies include:
- Focus on 3-5 core keywords: Don’t spread yourself too thin. Keep automatic ads running to build cumulative ranking .
- Handle head terms carefully: Never use Exact Match for high-traffic head terms with a new product. Use Phrase or Broad Match instead, and add the head term as a negative keyword to target long-tail variations. Long-tail keywords have lower traffic but higher conversion rates . As they drive sales and build weight, your head term’s organic ranking will naturally improve – this “leverage long-tail to boost head terms” method is far cheaper than bidding directly on head terms.
- Proactively target long-tail keywords: Use tools or Amazon’s search bar suggestions to find 5-10 long-tail terms and target them directly – this also boosts your head term ranking .
Once one head term reaches the first page organically, your product will have stable orders and ranking weight – then you can move on to the next head term. A quick tip: If a highly relevant term never hits the first page, Amazon likely doesn’t see a strong connection between it and your product. Don’t fixate on it – switch to another term to save time.
Final Takeaway
The core logic for launching new Amazon products is simple: First, solidify your foundations (product + listing), then follow the “automatic ads for testing, manual ads for core keywords” rhythm. Avoid overreaching or rushing – steady progress wins the race. Many sellers struggle with launches because they skip these basics and jump straight to ads, wasting money with little to show for it.
Hope these actionable tips help those of you launching new products! If you have other launch hacks, feel free to share them – let’s learn from each other.
