by Jessica Dahlquist, Director of Operations | Accelerators, Coaching, Motivation Monday
A Quick Note From TurnKey:
As of October 10, 2019, Amazon Giveaways is no longer a feature hosted by Amazon. We loved this strategy so much and are sad to see it go. That being said, the principles that made the giveaway effective still apply:
- Leverage social media, email lists, etc. in order to send people over to a landing page to collect even more customer email addresses.
- Use squeeze pages to share more information and connect with customers. Video is a fantastic medium to include on the landing page because it gives you the unique opportunity to talk to your customers and pitch to them as if you were in the same room.
- Offer a discount code to people who watch the video.
So don’t worry just because Amazon isn’t offering this feature anymore. You can still find ways to incorporate the aspects of this strategy in order to impress your customers and increase sales! If you need more support, we have lots of other strategies to help you grow your sales, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
On a scale of 1-10, how nervous do you get when it comes to staying compliant while trying to get reviews? I know…it can literally leave you feeling helpless as your niche is getting more and more saturated and you don’t want to overstep with any shady strategies that will get you slapped on the wrist. The rules surrounding customer reviews and giving away products have definitely changed in the Amazon world over the years, so how do you know what’s okay and what is not?
While there’s a whole list of terms you must adhere to on Amazon’s website, at TurnKey we try to focus on what you CAN do to get results, and not just what you can’t do. One of our favorite strategies is utilizing Amazon Giveaways. The giveaway is literally hosted BY AMAZON, and as long as you follow their rules, you are good to go. Our clients have seen huge returns by running Amazon Giveaways. We are talking $1k in product for $10k in trackable revenue from a Giveaway.
So what’s the secret? Well, it’s important to first know HOW to set up an Amazon Giveaway. We walk you step-by-step through how to do that on Episode 2 of our Playbook for Amazon Podcast. Then once you understand the process, how do you actually make it result in massive returns?
Our #1 tip for running a successful Amazon Giveaway is to include a promotion for customers that don’t win the giveaway. By giving them a discount for entering, you’re much more likely to have an immediate customer or a customer down the road.
And if you want a bonus tip… we love adding educational videos to the squeeze page for the Giveaway. This is your chance to connect with your customers, appeal to their emotions, and get them to buy into the “why” behind your product. Make sure your video focuses on the benefits of the product and how they will feel after they use it. That’s exactly how we 10x’d our investment for the client I mentioned above.
If you haven’t already given Amazon Giveaway a try, we HIGHLY recommend this tool for getting more sales and in turn more reviews. If you want more information on Growth Strategies, we have a course designed specifically for the seller who is looking to GROW!
Need a bit more help generating the reviews you need to gain sales? Check out our Review Generation Accelerator for step-by-step strategies to increase your review numbers!
by Jessica Dahlquist, Director of Operations | Accelerators, Coaching, Full-Service, Motivation Monday
We hear from Amazon sellers every day who are intimidated and overwhelmed by their competition on Amazon. They feel like there’s no way that they can compete against the big brands who already have a following when they are just getting started. This type of thinking is something we like to call a scarcity mentality. It’s the idea that you have to either win everything or you get nothing.
Let me tell you a little secret about SCARCITY MENTALITY…it will not make you money! While you are spending so much energy worrying about someone else, you could use that energy to focus on improving your listings and growing your traffic. So promise me you’ll switch your energy to something that is worth your time, right now! Got it?
I guarantee your competitor is not doing everything right on Amazon and there’s plenty of room for opportunity for YOU to shine. Don’t worry about what they are doing, but instead let them educate you on what’s working and not working for customers, and take that information to improve your listing.
Here’s how to put this motivation into action: go to the listing of a competitor who intimidates you. Then, you’re going to make an old-fashioned list of pros and cons. First, write down all the things that you love about their page, their product, and their engagement. Do they have great images? Are they really personal when responding to questions? Are their bullet points engaging?
Next, put on your customer hat and write down all the things that you’d feel their listing is lacking if you were looking to purchase their product. Are there too many keywords stuffed into their description? Is their product missing any key components that your product offers? Are their images sterile? What are customers saying in the reviews about where this product fails to deliver?
Now take a look at your product. I guarantee that your product has a UVP or unique value proposition. What makes your product stand out? What problem does your product solve that your competitors’ product doesn’t?
Finally, go back to your listing and look at it from the perspective of a brand new customer. Do they fully understand the VALUE and BENEFITS of your products? Do they know how their life will change when they buy it? Are your bullet points highlighting not just the features, but the benefits? Once you ask yourself those honest questions, make the changes that create a clearer reflection of your brand. Once you do that, you can feel confident that you came to compete no matter who you are up against.
If you want more information about what you can learn from your competitors, check out a recent episode of our podcast, Playbook for Amazon. In Episode 9, we cover “How to Study Your Competitors to Beat Them”.
by Jessica Dahlquist, Director of Operations | Accelerators
Think back to when you got your first bad review… takes you right back to that cringey feeling, doesn’t it? Bad reviews happen to everyone and even the best products out there have their critics. As much as people love the iPhone, there are still things about it that seriously bug! Like why the heck did they get rid of the universal headphone jack??? So annoying! But did it stop me from upgrading my phone? No! Because there’s still plenty about it that I love.
While you may not have the brand recognition and credibility of Apple, you are definitely don’t need to stress over a bad review. The important thing is that you are listening to your customers, providing excellent customer service, and righting any wrongs that have occurred. While positive reviews are always the goal, let’s talk about what to do if you get a bad review.
- Don’t PANIC! Take a deep breath and look at bad reviews as an opportunity. Look at what the review is telling you. Does the review bring a product defect to your attention? Does the review complain about the certain product features or lack thereof? Or is the review a personal opinion that is limited to their life experience and desire to troll and engage via the internet? Start by categorizing the review as helpful/relevant and make note of the ways these types of product experiences can be avoided in the future, or if it’s a personal issue that is more reflective of the reviewer than the product, you have my permission to let it roll off your back!
- Once you categorize the nature of the review here’s our advice in either case:
- Make sure to comment publicly back to the customer. Make sure whoever responds to reviews has excellent grammar and responds tactfully in every situation.
- Provide sufficient customer service information for the customer so they know that there’s a way to solve their problem since Amazon does not allow you to give external contact information we suggest you keep it vague and let them know to reach out to you. Once they reach out, make sure your customer service is on point, depending on the severity of the issue provide them with a new product, a refund, or more education to help solve their problem.
- Read back the customer service answer you provided as if you were a new customer. Would it seem friendly and helpful? Does it seem like a company that is willing to serve their customers well and go above and beyond for them? There will be potential customers reading these review comments, and this aspect of customer service can make or break whether a purchase is made. You are writing these responses not just for the person who wrote the review, but for any potential customer deciding to buy your product.
Even if a customer is not completely satisfied with their initial experience, great customer service can go a long way and can even result in a positive review in the end. So, make sure you have systems in place to monitor reviews, address negative (and positive for that matter) reviews, and provide solutions for the issues these reviews raise. When you have a plan in place, these types of hiccups won’t throw you off your game. You’ll view it as an opportunity to serve your customers and demonstrate a little humanity behind your brand.
by Jessica Dahlquist, Director of Operations | Accelerators
There’s no BEST autoresponder software out there. They all have their pros and cons. Depending upon your individual needs, different softwares are “best” for different people. That being said, we want to make sure the abyss of autoresponder options doesn’t suck you in and leave you unable to commit. Autoresponder sequences are a pivotal aspect when it comes to getting customer reviews and so we want you to take full advantage of this strategy.
So, here’s what you need to do:
- Read this article about our two favorite autoresponder software. But if you’re short on time, the main things that will help you hone in on the best fit would be:
- Price based on the volume of emails you anticipate sending
- Level of specificity based on the number of products and sequences you want to set up
- A/B testing and how much you want to monitor the results of certain sequences
- The metrics they measure like open rate, reviews received, and feedback received.
- If you also want additional tools beyond just the autoresponder
- Pick one software based upon your needs. Our two favorites:
- Write an engaging and compelling autoresponder sequence.
- Make that sequence live!
- Manage By Stats
- Feedback Genius
I know, you’re thinking, “But I don’t know how to write an engaging and compelling autoresponder sequence that leads to action. No worries! We are releasing a brand new course that not only will teach you how to write autoresponders that lead to action and reviews but also a ton of other review strategies that we have used to get tens of thousands of reviews for our clients.
Stay tuned to see what we have in the pipeline for you!
by Jessica Dahlquist, Director of Operations | Accelerators
Every single day Amazon sellers reach out to us for help with their Amazon business, and of all of the major issues they are concerned with, unauthorized resellers are at the top of the list. We hear about the frustration that comes with overseas manufacturers knocking off their proprietary designs left and right, and difficult it is to compete with these underpriced reproductions of their life’s work. TurnKey feels their pain and, luckily, we have a solution to this widespread problem…Brand Registry!
The advice that we give all of our clients and that we are now passing on to you is simple, but effective and will save you a world of trouble: If you have a Trademark, you need to be Brand Registered on Amazon. Brand Registry is one way Amazon is offering sellers on their platform protection from counterfeit products and shady business practices, all while providing them with a host of tools to help improve their selling experience. Some of the great features available to Brand Registered seller include:
- Accurate brand representation
- Powerful search and reporting tools
- Additional proactive brand protections
- Brand Registry support
- And more!
Over the last 12 years spent managing the listings of our full-service clients, some of our favorite elements of Brand Registry are the ones that add extra optimization to a listing and result in increased sales! Two that are absolute must-haves for every Amazon seller are:
- A+ Content (formerly known as Enhanced Brand Content or EBC): If you’ve ever wondered why some Amazon sellers can add pictures and other formatting to their description, while you’re stuck with a text-only description, then you’ve discovered the power of A+ Content. A product loses major credibility with buyers when it is not backed by a professional aesthetic. We highly recommend adding A+ Content to every listing and using that space to tell the brand’s story and the why behind the product.
- Video: We’re sure that telling someone about your product has you bubbling over with enthusiasm about all the reasons why your product is superior to other similar products on the market and why they need to buy yours! It’s also a safe bet that expressing that same enthusiasm with images and bullet points is an uphill battle. That’s why adding video to your listings is extremely valuable. Whether you can choose to do a video shoot featuring the products and explaining its features and what makes it special, or simply compile a slideshow using images and infographics with a compelling voiceover, a video speaks volumes about your brand than static images and black and white test ever will.
While these two perks happen to be our favorite, the list of Brand Registry benefits goes on and on. So we’re sure you’re wondering who can become Brand Registered. As we mentioned before your product must have a registered trademark (pending trademarks do not qualify you for this service, so wait until it’s official to apply). You’ll also need an Amazon Account.
Start by creating an Amazon Brand Registry account using your Seller or Vendor Central credentials. You’ll then be walked through the step to enroll your brand. Next, Amazon will review your application and verify the information you’ve provided. It generally takes about two weeks, but once it’s approved you’ll have access to all of the amazing features Brand Registry has to offer!
So if you’ve gone through all of the trouble to trademark your product, don’t just file it away, use it! As always, TurnKey is here to help if you need support in that process. Feel free to reach out to us at any time!
by Lauren Amos, Operational Facilitator | Accelerators, Coaching
In any business, there are tasks which must be performed on a regular basis. Generally, these tasks are assigned to a member of the team who has been trained to perform them. But what happens when that team member is unavailable, or it is necessary to train additional employees on how to perform the task? Creating and maintaining standard operating procedures or SOPs are a great way to ensure that tasks can be performed and understood by any of your team members.
At TurnKey, we follow a simple six-step process when creating SOPs:
- Record a video of you completing the process (a screen share) explaining it as you go.
- Once you’ve recorded the video, write step-by-step directions based on the video.
- When the SOP has been created, have a separate team member proofread the SOP. It is helpful to have them walk through the SOP step-by-step to ensure you’ve captured all of the necessary points.
- Send the SOP to a designer to polish it up and make it look professional.
- After the designer has formatted it, have your team double-check the SOP to ensure the designer didn’t make any mistakes.
- Create a task checklist in a project management system for your
team to follow based on the SOP that was created.
Creating SOPs may seem like an unnecessary step in your business process, but having clear step-by-step instructions for all of the processes and tasks within your company will save time in the long run. It is the first step in ensuring that your business becomes as streamlined and automated as possible!
Want more in-depth instructions on creating SOPs and other topics that will help your business to function well and your sales to skyrocket? Apply now and find out what services you qualify for that can help you systematize your business!
