Hey everyone, we're super excited to announce the launch of our slack community for D two C pod. This is a space exclusively for D two C founders and operators to connect, share ideas, ask questions and support each other. You'll be able to engage with the best minds and operators and consumer and currently we're on a waitlist and it will open up the community once we reach 150 members. So apply using the link in the description and we hope to see you on slack. So before we kick off today's recording, I've got one more for you. Keeping up your momentum this year starts with the right selling tools. And if you're looking to increase revenue, grow faster, build more pipeline, and close more deals, check out the all new sales hub from HubSpot. You'll be able to manage your whole sales process.
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DTC POD
#332 - Amazon Growth Tips from a Multi 7-Figure Seller: How to Increase Traffic, Clicks, and Conversions
Speaker
Blaine Bolus
Speaker
Mina Elias
00:00 Excited about value, experience in expanding brands. 05:54 Running successful paid advertising campaigns for products.
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“Keeping up your momentum this year starts with the right selling tools. And if you're looking to increase revenue, grow faster, build more pipeline, and close more deals, check out the all new sales hub from HubSpot. You'll be able to manage your whole sales process.”
“And there's seven factors that affect that, which we'll cover. And then uh, you know, a certain number of those people that make it to your listing turn into a customer." "Importance of Customer Lifetime Value: A better LTV means they'll come and, you know, buy again and again." "The Role of Average Order Value: Obviously, you know, a larger AOV means people will spend more money with you.”
“If you just do that consistently, you're inevitably going to grow on Amazon.”
“Apologies, I can only provide one quote extraction based on the given text. Could you please provide another piece of text for me to extract another quote from?”
“You know, you're going to convert on everything. So what you would do is simply you would identify every single keyword that a customer would potentially search for this product with and then create a campaign and show up on the top of the first page. And that will result in you showing everywhere, getting the maximum number of impressions and converting on all of them because you have 500,000 reviews, which is more than anyone else.”
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Plus my favorite part, the reporting. It's super intuitive, powerful and customizable. Plus the whole thing is powered by AI, so your teams can spend less time on tedious, time consuming stuff and more time on developing relationships. Also, no one likes a clunky platform that takes months to onboard onto, but getting set up on saleshub is really quick and easy. It's free to get started. The pricing will scale with your business, and with more than 1300 integrations and add ons, you can tune it to your exact needs. Visit HubSpot.com sales to start selling with sales Hub welcome to today's episode of d two c pod. And we are back with Mina Elias, who has been on the show before.
But when it comes time to talking anything, Amazon, that's who we go to. So, um, Mina, I'll let you kick us off for maybe our new listeners who, who aren't familiar with your background. Let's just run through it really quick so everyone knows kind of a little bit about you, what you do, and then let's dive directly into today's, uh, conversation, what we're going to be covering.
Yeah, I'm hyped because, uh, you know, I'm bringing a lot of value in this one. The last episode we did together was great and it was like a, an intro, if you're a DTC brand that wanted to expand to Amazon, uh, but, you know, don't quite know how to do it or validate the product if it's going to be a good fit for Amazon or not. So check out that episode. I think that was really cool. But, um, yeah, my background is, I started on Amazon back in 2018. I was a full time engineer, uh, you know, working in, you know, project management decided to start a supplement brand out of a passion for supplements and because I was an MMA fighter, uh, but I couldn't sell it in stores, like, you know, retail, that kind of stuff. So I figured like, let me get it on Amazon. So, you know, went full obsessed on Amazon, figured out how to sell on Amazon.
Groove scaled that brand in the course of a year to about a million. It was doing like ninety four k a month in revenue in about, you know, year 1112, 1314 months. Then Covid hit. And so when Covid hit, I was like, okay, I want to get on podcasts and start sharing everything that I knew kind of knowledge. So, you know, start sharing everything. Became a name in the industry. An aggregator hit me up to run one of their brands under the guise of consulting. And I realized that I was way better than a lot of other agencies.
And so early 2021, I decided to start an Amazon agency out of like a very large demand for it. And, you know, the personal brand was helping. And then fast forward, what, three years later. Now we grew from one employee to about 85, 86, 185 brands under management, largely CPG brands. Um, big mix of people who are starting on Amazon because they want like, uh, you know, to make money on Amazon and a lot of big, direct to consumer brands that uh, you know, realized after Covid that being on Amazon is super important, uh, and that they needed to expand. And so, and those are honestly our ideal clients are, you know, people who are building a real brand, good products, and that, you know, people want to consume and we help them grow and scale on Amazon.
Awesome. And today we're going to be talking about some of the core pillars of like, what it takes to grow on Amazon. So like you said last time we talked about, okay, if you want to launch on Amazon, how do you do that? But now we're going to be talking about, you know, how do you grow on Amazon and what you need to do, especially as, you know, competition goes up, there's more brands going after similar products. It's, you gotta, you gotta get yourself right. So why don't we, why don't we walk through first, what are the core pillars we're gonna be talking about today? And then we can kind of jump into each and run through them.
Amazing. Yeah. So the three core pillars that I, we, I call it the trivium trinity. Right? Because like, the three things that our team needs to focus on at all times is traffic. So growing traffic, uh, you know, click through rate, getting a better click through rate and conversion rate, and the, and the reason is Amazon is a, is a simple funnel, right? It's like any funnel. At the top there's impressions, so there's people seeing you, uh, in search results and on product pages. And a certain number of those impressions turn into clicks. And that's going to be based on your click through rate.
And there's seven factors that affect that, which we'll cover. And then uh, you know, a certain number of those people that make it to your listing turn into a customer. And that's based on the conversion rate. And there's also a certain number of factors that affect that. And so if you just have this focus of, okay, how do I grow my impressions, you know, through paid ads, through organic, how do I increase my cookthrough rate through the seven, you know, pulling the levers of the seven factors and how do I increase my conversion rate? If you just do that consistently, you're inevitably going to grow on Amazon. And there's a couple other things we can touch on, like lifetime value and average order value. Obviously, you know, a larger AOV means people will spend more money with you. A better LTV means they'll come and, you know, buy again and again.
But if you just focus on those core pillars, you will ultimately scale. Right. And so Amazon can really, I know it can be very complicated, but can be simplified into just focusing on those three things.
Yeah, and I think that's super important as well because a lot of times there's, if you look at even an Amazon listing, there's like a million different things you have to do. But like, just thinking about it a simple way, um, I think is really helpful when it comes to growth. So let's talk about, let's start out with traffic, like under that umbrella, like, what do you think about when it comes to traffic? And, um, you know, how do you grow and scale your traffic?
Great. Yeah, great question. So, you know, traffic can come from two ways, paid and organic. So let's start with paid. Um, and when I talk about traffic, I'm essentially talking about just increasing the number of impressions, so increasing the amount of people, uh, the number of times that people are seeing you.
Right.
Because I can't influence someone to click on me. But, you know, as, you know, like when you're running. And I learned all of this by the way, by looking at what people on d two c were doing, like Facebook and stuff like that. Because what they were doing is they were, you know, running ads and they were getting a certain number of views and a certain CPM and a certain click through and all that kind of stuff. So essentially, you know, with paid, the goal is how do I show my product to the most amount of people? But in a way that makes sense, right? In a way that converts. So, you know, idea, let's say that you add a product with 500,000 reviews, right? You know, you're going to convert on everything. So what you would do is simply you would identify every single keyword that a customer would potentially search for this product with and then create a campaign and show up on the top of the first page. And that will result in you showing everywhere, getting the maximum number of impressions and converting on all of them because you have 500,000 reviews, which is more than anyone else.
But all of us are limited by our click through and conversion rate. We don't have that many reviews. We have maybe 1500, 200. And so it's still the exact same playbook. You're identifying every single keyword that you can potentially convert on, but then you're starting to make educated guesses and testing them. And so, you know, let's say my budget is $500 a day, right? So I'm, I know that I can go, you know, and target all thousand keywords. Let me just target, you know, 50 or 100 of those keywords. And so I'm taking those keywords, launching them in campaigns, targeting them, and, you know, based on my bid is how high or how low I'm going to show and I'll talk about the nuances in a second.
But sure enough, the broad concept is I want to target all of these keywords. I want to get the data. So I want the keywords to get ad spend and there's a certain threshold. So in my opinion, at least 50% of your product price needs to be spent on a keyword. So if you have a $30 product, at least spend $15 on a keyword, then you can make an accurate decision on is this keyword converting or not converting. Now the nuances is the bids, right. The higher you show up in the search, the more clicks you're going to get for sure, right, which means more traffic. However, if your click through, if your conversion rate isn't good enough, then you start bleeding because you're getting way too many clicks and not enough sales.
And so based on whatever your conversion rate is, you start optimizing your bids, you start lowering your bids and instead of showing up on position one, you show up on 5815 16. The thought behind it is the lower you show up in the search results. If someone makes it all the way down the page and then clicks on you. There's a higher buyer intent. You know, for a keyword like electrolyte powder or just whey protein, right? Like someone's looking for whey protein. If I show up on top of the search first page, I'm gonna get all these people that don't even know what kind of whey protein they want, right? They're whey protein. They're like, um, maybe I need whey isolate, maybe I need a plant based protein. So it's like you don't want to catch someone in the beginning of their search, but if you show up a little bit lower in the, in the search results or on longer tail keywords, it means that that person has a way higher buyer intent.
That's super interesting because I think about Amazon in a lot of ways very similar to how you might approach SEO. But when you think about SEO, a lot of times if you have something that ranks a little bit further down, that means it's a shitty result for the keyword that you've been searched for. And Google is like, that's not that good of a result. It's almost like the further you go down Amazon, the less likely you are to get good conversion and get intent. Because like Amazon saying, or Google saying this isn't good. But that's a very interesting viewpoint in terms of Amazon, that actually it's, you know, being number ten in a search query isn't necessarily a bad thing for the right buyer and the right keyword.
Exactly. And it differs from keyword to keyword. And so that's why when, you know, we take all these keywords and we test them because we're number one, testing will they convert at all? And number two is it, will they convert and at which position? Right? Because let's say you're buying a food scale. So if you say, like, you want a food scale, like 250 grams, whatever, like, let's say it's a very specific keyword, you're most likely buying whatever is on the top of the search because you're very, like, you're looking for something specific. So what is at the top? What has good reviews and a good price? I'm buying that, right? As opposed to if you just type in food scale, it's like, whoa, you know, there's a lot of different types, there's a lot of different shapes, there's a lot of different specs, so you might browse way more. So. And the keyword also matters. Like you can have broad keywords where being positioned 10, 15, 20, you know, is fine and you can have a long tail keywords where no position being position 1520, no one even makes it that far.
Right. Because at that point, they're very specific.
There's only a couple results for it.
Yeah, exactly.
So one thing that I actually wanted to address before, like, we get any further here is how do you think about. Because I think one of the challenges for, uh, I, for brands who are selling online, right? Like you've got Amazon, that's its own strategy. You've got meta or Facebook, that's like its own strategy. Like, how do you think, and you were, you were talking about budget and different rule of thumbs, but how do you think about, how should a brand, like, think about how much they're allocating to spend on Amazon if they're going in on that strategy? Like, how do you compare the two? Do you. And then I now, I now know a lot of people are thinking also about TikTok shop and like running that strategy up. So, like, I, where does it, where do you see Amazon fitting in with your brands? Is it like the sole strategy or like, you know, just, just talk to me about the mix, I guess.
Yeah. With Amazon, it's usually a core. Like, I mean, you know, most of the big DTC brands come to us and very quickly, Amazon becomes close to 50% of the revenue, right? And if they're like, performing really well on meta or whatever, TikTok shop is new, right? So TikTok shop, you have to. And I, we can, I can do a whole other, but, but TikTok shop, you're kind of more experimental. Amazon is core, right? And it's catching people who have, like buyer intent. They're ready to buy and, you know, you know, if they're on Amazon, there's a very high chance that they're converting. And so the way that I look at the budget is, I always say, what are you, okay, you know, losing, for example, and we run the numbers, I say, okay, if I spend $300 a day and like, worst case we do a one x roas, what does that play out to? Well, 300 a day, one x roas, that's like losing $4,000 a month. And I'm like, can you handle that? And it's like, actually, we can handle losing ten for the scale of growing.
Because initially you're doing all this discovering of the keywords, which ones will convert, which ones won't convert, and then you start being a little bit more mature and I'll explain how the budget changes. But you start by saying, okay, I'm okay losing $4,000 a month. So 300 a day is fine. And then the initial dollar, 300 a day in budget, that is fully experimental. So you're testing, let's say 100 different keywords. You know, let's say $50 of that budget converts profitably. The other 250 doesn't. You now take the 250, recycle it.
Yeah.
Try another set of keywords. Now you have 100 converting profitably, 200 not. And you keep recycling that until you get to a point where 300 are converting profitably. And then the more that you improve your cookthoring conversion rate, the faster everything, everything converts profitably. And then you're like, okay, now I'm at $300 a day at max profitability. The only way you can improve is either to improve cookthirty conversion rate or to spend more money. So then you add more budget, you're like, okay, now at 300 at Mac, at the maximum profitability I can achieve, I'm making $2,000 a month or 3000 profit.
Exactly.
And then you recycle.
And it's just a simple equation. And then just one more follow on question. Then I want to get back to, um, what we're talking about is so for like, for a brand that's like, you know, launching and starting to grow Amazon, how long do you think it gen, like, how long does it generally take you guys or typical brands to like, figure out that strategy? Like what keywords work? What's our budget? Like, how long does it take them to ramp?
Yeah, I mean, generally, like, rule of thumb, right? If you're spending a decent amount of money, let's say three to $500 a day, you're looking at about six months to break even. And the reason is not because you can't find the profitable keywords, is because you want to keep growing and increasing that revenue. So you're not trying to become breakeven because I can get you break even in two months. But then you're break even at, you know, $5,000 a month in revenue.
Exactly.
You know, so a lot of it is, this is how I think about it. I'm willing to lose 4000. So I'm like, okay, in the first, you know, five, four months, let's say I'm willing to lose 4000. And then in month five and six, I'm willing to lose 2000. And then seven, I want to break even. So let's say in the first month that occurs at ten k and then in second month, at ten k I'm already at breakeven. No, I'm going to go to, now I'm losing 4000. And then in the third month that occur, you know, I'm already a break even.
No, let's go to, you know, 40, 50k. So I'll keep reinvesting and spending more money and growing that revenue until it's like, okay, I've now, you know, done with my, my investment and I want to break even. Then I want to turn profitable because.
Just from a business perspective, like, if you're putting in the time, like, you want to be breaking even at 50 grand a month instead of like two grand a month, right? So.
Exactly.
Okay, cool. Let's get back to what we're talking. So we started with, um, paid traffic. Now let's talk a little bit about organic. How did, and how did the two relate to each other?
Yeah, so, so paid traffic. Before I wrap it up, um, one quick thing is campaign structure. So just, just as a, you know, another kind of detail is campaign structure is usually one campaign, one ad group. Uh, because multiple ad groups result in uneven splitting of the budget, we don't want that. We want to focus our budget onto like one ad group where we can control how much money goes to the keywords. And then usually no more than five keywords. Um, single match type. The reason is when I see, you know, 1015 keywords, usually the top five get all the budget.
The other ones don't start with $100 a day daily budget. It won't spend that. It's not like Facebook, where if you do 100, it'll spend 100. Sure it'll spend based on the bid. So if you put 20 cent bids, you're on position 80 and no one's clicking on you. So just, just, you know, keep that in mind. Now, how do we get organic? So obviously, paid traffic is great. Another paid traffic, by the way, is programmatic DSP, which is utilizes audiences on Amazon and you can target those audiences on different placements on Amazon on different devices like desktop, mobile, web, mobile app, and, you know, with different creators.
But usually what I do. So I'll build the funnel. Pretty simple, right? Bottom of the funnel is loyalty. So people who purchased for me in the past, but have not repurchased or purchased my competitors, above that is cross selling. So people purchased one product, haven't purchased another one. Above that is retargeting. So they viewed my product, but haven't purchased it or purchased my competitors. And then above that is competitor targeting.
So people who viewed my competitors but haven't purchased them and they haven't viewed me at all. So this fresh audience, then complementary products, similar, you know, thought process and then contextual is almost like an auto campaign. And with, you know, DSP I can basically target these audiences very like in a very granular way. And then on Amazon, so I usually stick to just doing Amazon. I change the frequency up so sometimes higher frequency if I see that I'm converting well. And then I use responsive e commerce for the graphics. So instead of custom creatives, I'll just have it pull from the Amazon listing so it looks a little bit more natural. So that's the other way of driving paid traffic.
Organic is simple. Organic is fully influenced by how many times you convert for a keyword. So there was this thing called search, find, buy back in the day. Now it's against terms of service, but you could get people to search a keyword like electrolyte powder, scroll, find my product, click and buy it. And then that triggers on, Amazon says this product converted for that keyword. If I get, let's say 15 conversions a day for that keyword, Amazon says, wow, this person is converting so well for that keyword, increase their organic rank because it means when we do, they're going to convert even more. And Amazon wants more sales, right. They make more money.
So we figured that out. But they banned that, so you can't do that anymore. But hypothetically, if you had a good product and you used ads, even, even at a loss, right? So I'll take a keyword, for example, electrolyte powder. Do a single keyword campaign. So campaign, one ad group, one keyword, and then, you know, big bids and big budgets show up high and convert a lot for that keyword. It's going to result in my organic rank going up. So that's one way of getting organic rank higher, which then it's nice, right, because you're spending a day making, let's say, you know, whatever, a thousand in PPC sales. But now that same hundred dollars a day is making another thousand in organic sales.
So your overall roas goes from ten to like 18 or 20, whatever. Not realistic. I'm just giving numbers examples.
Yeah, of course.
But the other thing that also affects click through rate. Sorry. The other thing that affects organic rank is click through rate. So the better your click through rate is and conversion rate, but more click through rate. Amazon also increases your organic rank because it sees that you are providing a good customer experience. So when they say someone typed in electrolyte powder, they scrolled, saw your product, clicked on it. It means that this is a desirable product. Now, obviously conversion rate has to be decent.
If it's completely trash, then, you know.
No one's buying it, they're not going to do it, but they want to see that it's something that's visually appealing that people click on and spend time on the page. Yeah, that sort of stuff.
And if you think about it, every position on Amazon's page is an investment by them because that is, they're investing in you to make a sale. So let's say that it's between me and you. I have 10,000 reviews, you have 20. If they give you position five and people are like, I'm not going to buy this. You know, then they're losing money versus if they give me position five, then they're making money.
Exactly.
So for them it's a very calculated equation of who am I going to show up in that position that has the highest likelihood of converting into a sale?
And so that leads me into another question. I think that's a really good, good way to think about how do you break in as a new brand, right? Because a new brand isn't like, yeah, maybe I do have 20 reviews and maybe getting those 1st 20 reviews are hard compared to an incumbent in a space that has, you know, thousands of reviews. How do you, like, are there ways to accelerate that process through paid or through this exploratory process?
Like, yeah, I mean, inevitably when you launch your conversion rate is going to be low and you're going to need to invest in a lot of paid. But ways that you can get around this like, you know, as best as possible is number one, product differentiation and showcasing that differentiation in the main image. So I see so many brands. Like I think I was talking to HVMN recently and I'm like, you guys have an incredible product. You show the box in the main image but I don't see any selling points on the box. You know what I mean? It was the same with another z biotics, right? A conversation with them, fact. It was like, I'm like, okay, great. But like where, where's the selling points in the main image? You guys have a box, like take advantage of that.
So I think number one is having a differentiated product, right? Because it is like a shelf in a store and you're looking at these different things. And so like when I go to buy like a barbecue sauce, I'm like, okay, barbecue, barbecue. Oh, sugar free, organic, you know, whatever, grass fed, like whatever. I'm like, okay, like that catches my eyes. So you just have to think the same way. How can I create a main image that showcases that my product is a better solution than everyone else and is also like visually attractive. That is honestly the best way. Prices also, you know, you can also always start with a much lower price.
Not much lower, but like lower market. So like if the market is 19 to 30, maybe start at 1920. More attractive price is more likely to get people to at least give you a shot while you build up the reviews. But make sure that you have a review strategy, an Evergreen review strategy. And if you want my strategy, I can share it. Yeah, but yeah, just make sure you have a review strategy. So you are getting reviews. But you know, having that foundation of a really good, differentiated product with a really good differentiated main image that will affect click through rate from the beginning.
Amazing. Let's get back to CTR. Like, you know, what, what else do we need to know?
Perfect. So, you know, back to the funnel, right. We're increasing impressions through paid and organic. Next step is if we increase the click through rate now we're exponentially increasing the number of people making it into our listing. So the seven factors that affect that are going to be the main image, the price, the reviews and the star ratings, the title discounts on coupons, shipping speed. So if you're FBA versus FBM and badges. So I'll break them one at a time. So main image, right.
Main image needs to fill the white space. It needs to be attractive. It needs to have selling points on it. So it also needs to make you differentiated from everyone else. So not only is it going to be sharp, I prefer like 3d renders because they're way sharper than, you know, like just using like a photograph. But I also like to include like a box or some packaging. And sometimes I actually manipulate the label. So if you look at my product, MMA nutrition, the, the lid says zero carbs, zero sugar, zero calories.
Actually the lid doesn't have that right, but, and I also have like another badge. And I've also changed like the middle of my bottle to say hydration in a much bigger font. Because when someone types in, you know, electrolyte powder, I want to make sure that they immediately see that mine is sugar free and is like more hydration. So that's one thing you can do with the main image. Always adding some eye candy, like, you know, blueberries on the side. Or if it's like, you know, let's say it's a keyboard, let's say like you're adding, you know, the box and like an ergonomic, you know, like some sort of like eye candy where everyone looks the same and you look slightly different.
Yeah. And I think that's important because basically what you're saying is the main image isn't just about your label, it's about how do you create an attractive image that conveys to the Amazon buyer what, like, you know, maybe someone in the store would see your label can interpret.
Right, exactly. And just think about it. If you were running an ad on Facebook, but it wasn't, the way that was going to show up is you were going to have six ads from six different competitors all show up and you could only use the product image to do the ad and you couldn't put any text on it, you know, besides what was on the label or the box. How would you create the best ad that has the highest chance of someone clicking on you? And so once I think d two c brands start thinking that way, they're like, oh, okay, so I have limitations. I have to only use the, the, you know, the product, right. The product box, bottle, whatever you want to call it. Um, I can only add a few different elements. I can't add text except if it's on the product, you know, quote unquote on the product.
How do I stand out from, you know, other people? And then it's like, okay, now, now we're thinking, um, so that's the main image. Price is self explanatory.
Yep.
I understand a lot of people have map pricing, so maybe it's a lot harder to play with. Um, you know, we talked quickly about how should you price your product versus, you know, your shopify or, you know, your DTC sites. I like to keep everything even. There are some strategies, for example, like we'll launch a product only on d two c first you get the traction there so you can collect as many emails as possible. Once you start seeing it plateau, you're probably starting to lose money because there's a lot of people that would buy it on Amazon. So then you would launch it on Amazon and get traffic there once you've collected as many emails as possible, things like that. So prices is always going to be self explanatory. Start with or the lower your prices, the more likely it is going to be to get a better click through rate.
However, always experiment with increasing your price. Now, if you have d two c, sometimes it won't make sense. Like sometimes it would make sense, like if, you know, you're dollar 40 on d to see, you can go up to 43 on Amazon and they're like, I'm okay because it's still free shipping, less hassle. You know, it'll have to deal with a website. But a certain point, you know, it becomes like, okay, I'm just going to go buy it from the d to c side. So always experiment. That's, that's the honestly the best way to put it because there is no rule of thumb.
And I think this takes us into reviews.
Right? Reviews and star rating.
But my, my question about reviews and stars as it pertains to prices, I feel like as a consumer, um, when I look for a product, like you were saying, everything's kind of priced in the same general range. And it's almost like as the price goes up on Amazon, the reviews and stars kind of start to come down. Cause like price seems to be also a pretty big driver. So a lot of times when I'm looking at products, um, you'll, I'll start, I'll basically see. And I know there's like a broad generalization, but like some of those branded products that like people love in like the D to C world, they don't quite do as well on Amazon because they're priced like, you know, 30% more than everything else. And that kind of gets reflected in some of the star ratings sometimes, so.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. And part of that is probably because they're selling way less. So they're getting way less reviews. And a lot of DSC brands, they do not have a review strategy. And so they end up just putting it on Amazon and like hoping for the best. But you, you do need a strategy. But, you know, with the reviews and star rating, it is a direct correlation. If you want to guarantee success on Amazon, you just need to get 10, 20, 30,000 reviews.
Right. It's been like this since the dawn of time. They did a survey and I think the top two things that affect conversion rate on Amazon or like the purchase decision on Amazon is price and reviews.
Yep.
Which makes sense, right? Amazon, like, everyone goes to Amazon to find the best price, the best deal, and then the user reviews as a, like, is it worth buying? Like, do a lot of people say it's good or not? Now, the beautiful thing is as your reviews go up, not only are you going to make more sales, but you're, you can also charge more.
Yeah.
Right. And I think you'll notice that like the top brands, you know, a lot of times the ones with the most number of reviews are able to be priced slightly. A little bit higher because, you know, you. Okay, you're 28 and I'm 33, but you have a thousand reviews and I have 20,000 reviews exactly like, okay, I.
Mean, who you're gonna trust, right?
Yeah, I'm gonna go with the one that 20,000 people have trusted and left five star review sport, as opposed to the one with less.
So is that something you see where you're. You can actually play with the pricing strategy as, like, the reviews go up. So maybe kind of the mistake that we're seeing before is if you're a new entrant, you enter with a really high price, you get low stars because people are like, hey, this stuff's too expensive. It's more expensive than everything else, and you're almost shooting yourself in the foot. So maybe the strategy is as you're rolling out, you know, come in with a market agreeable sort of price on Amazon, build up the reviews, and then when you have the trust, now you have the leverage to price however you want, right?
Absolutely. That's exactly how I would do it. That's it? That's. Honestly, I couldn't have said it better myself.
Amazing. Okay, so moving on from reviews and stars, let's talk about discount, discounts and coupons.
Yeah. So discounts and coupons is another one where you have to split test. So rule of thumb, what I found is if you do, like, $5 off on Amazon, it actually translates into, like, two and a half dollars off because 50% of the people that end up clicking on the coupon actually clip it. And so that's nice. But the whole purpose of discounts and coupons is, for one thing, is it's going to show a little green badge in the search results. So with everything being the same, one of the search results is going to be a little bit differentiated with a discount or a coupon. With that being said, I like to constantly track click through rate, conversion rate and bottom line profit. And, you know, let's say two weeks ago I made, you know, $1,000 in profit.
Last week I made $1,000 in profit. This week I put a 5% discount or coupon, whatever. What happened to my bottom line profit? If that number doesn't go up, then it's not worth doing the discount. And a lot of times, you just have to test. You have to test, you know, a 5% off, a 10% off, a 20% off. Discounts and coupons and promotions really start playing a crucial role when it comes to major holidays, prime day, Black Friday, cyber Monday. That's when you can start applying for deals. There's Prime Day deals and Black Friday cyber Monday deals.
And if you're lucky, you can get a seven day deal or deal of the day. Seven day deals and deals of day absolutely crush. Amazon has special placements for that, and they will show you to like ten times more people if you have those deals. And they're very hard to get with Prime Day deals and Black Friday cyber Monday deals, anyone can apply to them. And generally we've seen that you will sell more. But the question always remains, was it worth selling more? Did I make more bottom line profit or did I have to discount 20%? After all is said and done, I didn't make that much more money.
We are really excited to announce that DTC pod is officially part of the HubSpot podcast network. The HubSpot podcast network is the audio destination for business professionals, and we're really excited about being part of the network because we're going to be able to keep growing the show, bringing you guys amazing guests, and obviously helping you guys learn from the best founders, marketers, and builders of the most successful consumer brands. So anyway, keep listening to DTC pod and more shows like us on the HubSpot podcast network@HubSpot.com. podcastnetwork. Yeah, I think that's a really great way to think of it, too, because, and that's something that I think is universally true. It's like, okay, I can reduce my price by half, but, you know, that means I have to sell twice as much. And so understanding, like, is it worth it? And maybe. Maybe part of the strategy, maybe it is worth it, right? If you're going after either a specific keyword or you have intention and you want to get more reviews and you're like, I need volume to do this to build trust or whatever, then, you know, then it makes sense.
If you're. You're selling more to break even, but if not, or you're losing money on it, then you can, like, reevaluate. Cool. So did you have anything else on discounts or coupons or you want to get into?
Yeah, you bet. You mentioned something really good. You said, you know, start with a discount to build that sales velocity just for everyone. My personal experience with all the brands we worked with, lowering the price, like lowering the actual price, always performs better than having a higher price with a discount. So a lot of, I know a lot of clients are like, you know, we're priced at the 40. Can we just do, you know, 10% off I'm like, I would rather you just go down to, you know, 35, 99 because that will perform better in the search results than 40 with a 10% off.
Oh, that's okay. That's super interesting, too. Yeah. Because people are seeing that number. And I know sometimes some retail strategy is like, especially in direct, it's like, you know this $100, but you can get it for 60 and it's like a slash through price. But you're saying, just go through, go, go with the lower price. Okay, cool. Let's talk a little bit about titles.
Yeah. So titles. This one is simple. We don't need to touch too much on it because the title just needs to be SEO optimized. That is, the core driver of your SEO is the title. So I use a tool called data dive where you can literally look at your competitors titles and then keep chain. Like, you get an exact SEO value for each title, including yours, and then tweak your title until you have the highest SEO value. So the title just needs to have the main keywords right at the beginning and then the rest of it needs to be somewhat readable.
Like, so it's, you're basically, how can you hit the limit of keyword stuffing.
But still readable and still make sense?
Exactly. Right.
Yeah, because it's, it's this dance where you could just say, like, the name of your product, but if you don't say what's in your product, then people searching for other stuff, they're not going to search you and you're only going to rank for branded terms. So it's about being able to put in keywords but have it make sense and not be too overwhelming. So I think that's a great way to think about it. And now let's talk about shipping speed.
Yeah. So this is FBA versus FBM, you know, shipping speed. Essentially, we're all spoiled on Amazon if it's not arriving tomorrow, day after or day after, like. Exactly. I don't want, it's too long. I'm just gonna go buy another thing. Right. And honestly, that's how I feel a lot of times.
Like, I look at products, I'm like, I'll just buy this other whey protein because this one's going to take too long. And so for that, I see a lot of d two c brands saying, hey, can I test out doing fbm where we'll fulfill, we already have a three pl or a warehouse, let me fulfill from there. And then if it works, and I'm like, it's not going to work because you're FBM. It will only work because if all of your competitors have the prime badge and they're two day shipping and you're the only one that is like five, six day shipping, even if you have like fast shipping, it's still, you're going to be inferior. And my theory is that Amazon will, will show you lower in the search results because you don't have the prime badge. So the rule of thumb is unless you are a multiple product or a furniture product or something, you know, that.
Is, you literally can't do it.
Exactly. You should 100% always go for FBA, which honestly is not. And the numbers always play out to be more favorable to just do FBA versus FBM.
Awesome. Okay. And badges.
Okay, badges. You know, there's Amazon's choice badge and that depends on, you know, who is converting the most for a certain keyword. Again, there's not too much you can do to influence that besides just do your best to sell the best seller badge, though. If you get the best seller badge, I've seen literally sales double overnight from getting that badge. And the way to get that badge is to go and look at all of the subcategories that exist on Amazon that could be remotely related to your product and see which one has the, you know, the best seller has the closest amount of revenue to you. And then, you know, let's say like, for example, key nutrients did this. They basically are an electrolyte powder, but they found that chromium supplements had like the top seller had the least amount of revenue. So they went and they adjusted their formula to add chromium and then they categorized themselves as a chromium supplement.
Then they went and they blasted money on ad spend, grew the revenue, got the best seller badge, and all of a sudden their sales skyrocketed. And now they were incredibly profitable, even though they were kind of like losing money just trying to get there. So that is the only strategy to utilize badges.
Badges. Okay. Gotcha. All right, so that's, we covered everything on CTR. So just to recap, the seven factors that affect click through rate are going to be main image, price, reviews and stars, discounts and coupons, your title and getting the SEO stuff right there, shipping speed and badges. So, okay, we crush it on that. Now, moving on to CVR conversion rate. What do we do to boost conversion rate and how does that affect growth?
So conversion rate. Yeah, has another set of factors. Right. We have the rest of the images. So there's like five other images and five six other images on the listing. There's videos on the listing that show up under the main images. Then you have bullet points. You have virtual bundles.
You have brand story and premium a plus content. You have ugc content uploaded by creators. You have Amazon posts, which is kind of like the Instagram version of Amazon. And then you have images and videos in the reviews. So these are all things, again, you got to think of it as a landing page. You have one landing page and you're stuck with that format. It's not like in DTC where I can bring up testimonials or I can add a video. You're just stuck with what you can get and you just have to maximize what you can do out of it.
So with, let's start with the most important, right, the rest of the images. Yep. People on Amazon literally buy by swiping through the images. I'm sure you've done it. I do it. I open up a product and I just swipe through the images and does it tell me that this is the product that I need? Yes or no? Does it convince me? Because I already know the price and the reviews. The price and the reviews were agreeable enough for me to click on it. So now can I be sold? Like, does it satisfy all of my questions? Yeah.
And so every single image should sell. The product should explain why this product is better than everyone else, should explain why this product is a better solution than any other solution. And you know, how it's going to make your day better or, you know, solve your problems, whatever it may be. And so just think of it as infographics, very image heavy, like not a lot of text, big call outs. So it's very simple and easy and like your brain registers it quick and it's like selling you, selling you, selling you, selling you, and you're like, okay, I have, yeah, I'm sold. I have no more doubts. And so that's how the main image, the rest of the images work.
Yeah. And I think what's so interesting about that is just like putting yourself in the buyer's shoe as you go through that journey. Like what you just said, I think is so important. When someone goes to buy on Amazon, they type in something. Then they look at a bunch of pictures and titles, reviews and price. Whatever has like the best combination they click on. Then again, you're going and you're looking on the images, even if sure, like you have to get the description right and all the other information. But like what shopper is going and reading the fine text before looking at the images? No, you're looking at that and then you're probably going down and cruising and like, you know, looking at the stars, reviews, images in the review, like all this other stuff.
So I think this is like, right on. And super important not to, like, get lost in. It's like, understand that buyer's journey and then go build for that. Okay, so once you've done the, like, now talk to me about videos, right? Because we've got images and some products have videos, some don't. But like, yeah, how do you think about videos? Why do you need them? How do you build them?
And I love that you mentioned the buyer's journey. There's a company that we used called Rankbell. And then what they do is actually they can, they go to people and they help you understand that buyer journey. So they get them to, like, record the screen and fill out all these surveys, basically browsing the search results. So check them out. Right. Like, that's cool because it is very important to understand how people, you know, what the buyer journey is. But I'm, I always understand what it is because it's like, this is what I'm going through.
You know, you can always do focus groups and stuff like that. But, yeah, let's jump into the videos. So videos, you can, you know, upload four, five, six videos. I, you know, would recommend to take as much advantage as possible of those videos. But also you pretty simply, you can go find a creator, tell him, listen, I want you to do an unboxing video. I want you to talk about the benefits of the product and why you liked using it. It doesn't have to be anything, you know, crazy. And people will, you know, click, watch that video and then make sure that it's designed for no audio.
So there's captions on the screen, all that kind of stuff. Because a lot of people watch with no audio. And its goal is just another thing that can sell the product. For me. I was sold many times on products, but when I watched the video and it's like someone using it, like when it's a utility product, like a mic or whatever, and I'm like, okay, wow. Like, that sold me. Like, I know now know that my audio is going to be better and so I end up buying that product. So think of it from that lens as how can you showcase someone using the product in a way that is going to convince someone else that this is the right product for them.
Sweet. Um, and I think that's a really important part. Like you just said, understand that it's not just a video for the sake of video. Like, it's not just like make sure it helps them get through their buyer journey of like wanting to see that and be like, oh, now I need to buy this. Not just like a fun, random, entertaining video because you happen to have collateral or like some random UGC that like ended up being a crappy piece of UGC. You want the right video that's going to help with conversion and, and satisfying those buyer, um, questions. So, okay, after video, um, what about the bullet points?
Yeah, bullet points is another, uh, like SEO kind of goldmine, right? This is where you want to also SEO optimize because title bullet points are the top two places where Amazon decides what your SEO value is. Right. And you can rank way higher by having more optimized SEO. The way that I like to structure the bullet points is the first sentence is going to be a very quick short, like selling point, right? So like, you know, maximum hydration, maximum affordable hydration, something like that, whatever, you know, and then it will be like dash and then a sentence that talks about, you know, hydrate your body with good ingredients like sodium, potassium, magnesium, blah, blah. And all of that is just a nice sentence that is SEO optimized. Right. But the, the people, what people are going to read is just the first call out. Now, if you, if your product has specs, that is also an amazing place to include specs because that's where, you know, if you can include specs in the image, amazing.
But if it becomes like a little bit where you need like more text to include specs, that's a perfect place to also include. So, you know, compatible for the following models, you know, iPhone 1312, galaxy s, blah, blah. Like let's say it's a mic that's compatible for a bunch of stuff. So that is the way to think about bullet points is SEO value, quick selling points and then specs.
Awesome. Okay, so we've hit bullet points. Let's talk about what are virtual bundles.
Yeah, so virtual bundles is a new cool thing that Amazon came up with where you could basically take any two of your products and create a virtual bundle where if someone buys that bundle, it will just take two of your individual products, wrap them up and send them to the customer. So it's kind of like buying two products at the same time. It's a great way to upsell your product. But the beautiful thing about it is virtual bundles show up in a place where usually you'd have sponsored products related to this item. Show up. So instead of it being your product and then above the fold, seeing your competitors ads and then maybe, you know, it's my product, and then Liquid IV with 100,000 reviews shows up and steals some of my customers. Now I push those people down below the fold. So it's, you know, why does it help conversion? Just because right off the bat it pushes people below the fold so they can't see competitors right away.
Yeah. Okay. That's super cool. And how have you seen that? You know, how does it work? Do you see a lot of people buying those virtual bundles or like what have you seen at the side?
So, I mean, some people will buy it, right. It's nothing groundbreaking. It doesn't, it's not anything huge, but I have seen an improvement in the conversion rate just because of the fact that they're seeing less of my competitors.
So that's super interesting. Basically, one of the main reasons you want virtual bundles isn't just for the fact of like upselling your own products, but for the fact that it's taking the view other similar products or other shoppers like these and like, you know, effectively pushing them, pushing that part down so people aren't bouncing off your page, they're spending more time and they're buying your product.
Exactly.
Really cool insight there. Okay, let's talk about brand story. Like how does, you know, you've got d two c, which is purely brand, and then you've got Amazon, which is this combination where brand is important, but it's not the same way it's important on an own personal t two c shopify site. How does brand play into an Amazon listing and how do you get it to drive conversion?
Yeah, brand story has a dual function. Number one, it functions as a place where you can showcase the mission vision, values of the brand, the founder story, and you can also upsell some products. So it's this creative piece in the middle of your product detail page where again, the background can be a nice little image. You can have these different modules in it that talk about anything. It could be our mission, how we give back. We plant one tree for every product or something like that, and it can link to other products. But the thing that I like about the brand story that is much more added value is that if you have a brand story on all of your products, it opens you up for premium a plus content. So premium a plus content is actually like that.
That's what we're after. Regular a plus content is, you know, it's okay, it's, it used to be, you know, kind of great, right. Because it's just like these pieces of creative that you can stack up and if you do it well enough, it looks like a very nice landing page. But premier a plus content takes it to a whole new level. And the beautiful thing is you can actually a b test your old a content with new premium a plus content.
So, so what is premium a plus content?
So premium a plus content takes like it takes the a plus content and then makes it wider so it really fills out the page, blends it all together so there's no gaps. And it is desktop and mobile optimized. Yeah, compared. So basically you'll submit one for desktop, one for mobile. So it'll look way better, you know, than having just the same for both because the font can be bigger on desk on mobile to showcase like where it wouldn't show if it, you know, it show normally on desktop. And not only that, you can have video, you can have carousels and you can have large comparison charts. Right. So it really just takes a plus content and takes it to a whole new level where you can sell your product again, like how we talked about the rest of the images.
You can sell people, you can remove Dao, you can, you know, show that this is a better product than everyone else.
Yeah. And you can bring in elements that maybe were harder to bring into Amazon. Like you could bring in your own, you know, charts and your own, you know, comparisons and that sort of stuff. Us versus them, like that sort of stuff.
Yeah. You can actually compare versus other products or you can have all of your products lined up and then you can show like how each one works for a different, you know, use or something.
Awesome. Okay, UGC, this one's fun because, you know, UGC is a big part of getting good creative in D to see a lot of times for ads or whatever. But how does UGC factor into Amazon and conversion?
Yeah, so UGC is a great way to get people to kind of see how others are reacting to the product. There's a module right in, you know, below the a plus content, what we talked about. And it just says upload a video. And so what you can do is you can literally like click on that, copy the link and then go to creators that you've worked with or, you know, creators that you can, you know, look for on Instagram and you can say, hey, I would love to give you a free product to try it out. In exchange, would you do a review for us, a video review and upload it to Amazon and getting that social proof up there, we've seen really, like, we've gone from, you know, one or two videos that the brand uploads themselves to like maybe eight videos that are all like by different creators. And, you know, creators, they know how to create content, they know how to speak on camera, they know how to, you know, sell. And a lot of times they're not selling, they're just being like, oh, look at what I discovered and look at why I like it. And they just want to, you know, just, it's the way that influencers and creators are, right? There's like that natural element to it.
And we've seen by adding those videos, conversion rate goes up.
Wow, awesome. And then what are Amazon posts?
So Amazon post is basically an Instagram feed on Amazon. And so you could, it has to feature the product, right? So any image that features the product could be a lifestyle image or whatever you can upload there. And so it's just a nice visual way to showcase your product in a more lifestyle environment. It's not going to add a huge amount of conversion, but it is another thing that you can take advantage of on the listing. And the goal here at the end of the day, like, the reason I'm mentioning all this is some people might be like, oh, like, this doesn't really matter. That doesn't matter. And I agree. Like, there's some elements that, like Amazon post that don't matter that much.
But having a really beautiful, well presented, you know, listing that is going to drive conversion. Like another thing is like the storefront, right? Like that we didn't mention, but, you know, under your title, it's going to say, visit the MMA nutrition store. Now, if you click on that and it takes you, if you don't have a brand store, it's just going to take you to the search results where MMA nutrition is the search term. Right. But if you do have a Bradstore, it'll take you to this storefront page that is like nice design. Now, are you gonna make a shitload of sales from that? Probably not, but it is gonna showcase your product in a little bit of a better light. And every, it's like 1% better every day. Every percent matters.
Exactly, exactly. And then this one's fun. Images and reviews, like, how do you deal with them? How do you like. Yeah, just how does it work?
Yeah. So I've noticed that reviews with images, like, impact performance way more than just regular written reviews. Someone will, because it's also the first thing that shows up in the review. So as soon as you go down to the review section, you'll click and you'll go and look at the images and read the reviews on those images before scrolling through the rest of the images. So by you going and, you know, maybe friends and family or whatever and going after people and asking them to upload images in the reviews to talk about the product, that's also helped brands convert better, you know?
Yeah. And going back to buyer journey, I find myself a lot of times when I'm shopping Amazon products, I kind of, like I said, I land on the page by picking out, you know, pricing stars, photo title. I get into the page, go look through the creative, then I'm heading straight down to like the reviews. And like you said, one of the first things that jumps out is the actual, it's like nice to see real people take pictures with that product. Cause it's different than the Amazon listing, which is like you said, maybe it's 3d or fake, whatever. And you're conveying an idea. So that's kind of where you go to see like the real, the real deal. And so having a sort of strategy in there and just knowing that those sort of reviews are important to drive conversion I think is a super important, important way to approach it.
Okay, awesome. So we tackled everything in CVR. Was there anything else you wanted or I'll just recap.
No, you can recap it.
Okay. So again, to nail your CVR, your conversion rate, um, for your Amazon shop, you want to make sure all your other images are great. You want to make sure you have great video, um, you want to provide all the information in the bullet point section. You want to nail your virtual bundles to push down, um, you know, all your other competitors. You want to tell a really solid brand story. You want to leverage premium content, a plus. You want to leverage ugc when you have it to drive conversion. Amazon posts, you want to be able to leverage that.
And images and reviews, you want to make sure they look good because that's where people are, are looking before they buy. Okay, let's move on. Average order value.
Yeah.
What do we need to know? How do we get it up and how does it impact your growth?
Yeah, so, you know, we talked about the core pillars are driving more traffic, more people see you improving cookthrough rate, more people end up inside of your listing and improving conversion rate, more people end up buying from, from that listing. Now, a couple of things that you can also do to increase revenue. Right. And the reason I mention everything is so you can, you know, keep hitting all of those. And if you hit each one consistently, you're inevitably going to keep growing and making more money. But aov average order value is another great way. Now, how do you increase average order value? Virtual bundles is one, right, where you can, you know, create a virtual bundle and get people to buy more than one of your products. Multi pack discounts is another one where you can say, you know, buy two, get 10% off, buy three, get 15% off.
I always like to activate that, right. Because it doesn't, never hurts.
Right.
Just having it there is nice variations is also a great way. And so like doing like a, let's say a 60 day supply instead of a 30 day supply. And so you have two types of variation. You can have a multi pack variation. So new products combined. So it's essentially like a real bundle, not a virtual bundle.
Yep.
But you can also have just like an economy value.
Right.
So instead of a 30 day, you know, you have 180 day supplies, stuff like that. So those are all the ways that you can increase average order value. And then the final piece is lifetime value. Right. And so how do we get the people to, you know, buy more and more from us? If you are not a consumable product, the only way is to. Through upsells.
Yeah.
And that is through DSP. DSP is the only way you can target people who purchase from you and then cross sell them another product. But if you have a consumable product, then you want to get them on, subscribe and save. So number one, activate subscribe and save and do the 10% off. Subscribe and save. So that just gives them a percent off to subscribe, you know, just for being subscription. But then you can add an additional subscription for the additional discount for the first subscription. So $5 off your first subscriber save, which incentivizes people to then sign up for subscribers.
If, because they're like, okay, I'm anyways gonna use this product, the subscription is gonna be 10% off. And like, this is an additional 5% off. That's or $5 off. That sounds like a deal right now, people will cancel, but as long as the people signing up are more than the people that are canceling, you're building subscription and that's increasing your lifetime value. And, you know, we've seen anywhere from like, you know, people who are subscribed will spend 1.8 to like, 4.6 times more than the average person, which means for every subscription, they're worth, let's say, an average of three times more than a regular person, you, you acquire the customer once and you don't have to acquire them the other, let's say three times that they purchase.
Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So we covered a lot on this one. Um, so are there any last thoughts you have wrapping up? I mean, I think we, we, I think we covered it all. Like, I think, you know, if you're growing on Amazon, like this is what you need to be doing. You need to be, you know, thinking about the three core pillars for traffic, click through rate and conversion. And then, you know, on the back end of that you obviously want to be thinking about your average order value, how to get that up, as well as different ways to improve, increase LTV through things like subscription and stuff like that.
That's it. Yeah, live and we covered everything. I mean, you know, execution wise and logistically, you want to think about this as like one thing at a time.
Yeah.
You do not want to, number one, you don't want like when you're driving traffic to launch all of your keywords at once, you don't want to change your main image. Listening images, add videos, do all because the goal is like how can I measure my improvement? And so if you can only change your main image, you know, and then measure the improvement there. Okay, profits went up. Revenue went up. Great. Let's move on to the next thing. Let's optimize the second image, third image, or let's update our a plus content, make it premium a plus and utilize like experiments on Amazon. It's called manage my experiments and it is basically a b testing your title, your, your, you know, images, your a content or p, your brand story.
So there's a lot of different modules that you can a b test on Amazon. So take full advantage of that, you know, because it never used to exist.
Yeah. And you know, I think this is really great because it's a great framework for even if you're getting started, right, you're launching your store on the first time. Like these are all the pillars that you want to have taken care of and given thought. And then obviously as you start to scale you have more insights into keywords and how they're performing. You can run tests, you can say, oh, we swapped our video. How did that impact everything else? But I just like this as a framework. Cause, you know, it's applicable for, for everyone really at all stages of, of that growth journey on Amazon.
So exactly.
For, for anyone who's tuning in and wants to connect with you, shout out your socials, where do we find you? Uh, on Instagram on LinkedIn. Where do we connect with you? In trivium?
Yeah, yeah. So hit me up on LinkedIn. Uh, mina Elias. M I n a e l I a s. Uh, the. The website is trivium co.com, so triviumco.com and then Instagram at the minaelias. I'm pretty responsive everywhere, so if you have any questions about any of the things that I covered, hit me up. And then my YouTube channel.
Mina Elias. There's so much more fire content than this. So if you want, like, hours of this, check out the YouTube.
Hell yeah. All right. Thanks for coming on today.
Awesome. Thank you for having me.
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In this week's episode of the DTC Pod, @Mina Elias joins the our host @Blaine Bolus to share her successful strategies in selling her supplement brand on Amazon, leading to remarkable growth during the pandemic.
Mina uncovers the multi-faceted pillars of growing on Amazon, particularly focusing on traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. She explains the key strategies involved in increasing impressions, click rates and, ultimately, conversion rates on Amazon.
Additionally, they focus on key topics such as SEO optimization, understanding the buyer's journey, pricing strategies, review management, and much more, offering a detailed, holistic approach to enhancing the presence and profitability of any brand on Amazon.
Tune into the DTC Pod on Spotify to gain valuable insights on implementing a data-driven strategy to scale your Amazon business.
Full episode here: [Spotify Link]
#dtcpod #AmazonSelling #MarketingStrategy #Ecommerce #ConversionRateOptimization #SEO #DTCBrands
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"Mina Elias discusses effective Amazon growth strategies for DTC brands."
💼 LinkedIN - 6 Reasons Post
Choosing to market your brand on Amazon is the SMART move your business can make. Here are six compelling reasons why Amazon should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy.
Maximized Exposure
Amazon is a global marketplace with millions of active buyers. By listing your products here, you open your business to a wide audience spread across geographical and demographical boundaries. Forget about working tirelessly to build brand awareness - Amazon already has a massive customer base waiting to discover your products!
Leveraged Marketing Tools
Amazon provides advanced marketing tools that allow you to showcase your products effectively. Videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, and brand story sections all work to enhance the digital experience for the buyer and convey essential product information. It's a varied arsenal that caters to different shopper preferences and boosts your product's visibility.
Superior SEO Optimization
With Amazon's robust SEO features, your listings are more likely to appear in relevant search results. Strong SEO-optimized titles, bullet points, and product specs put your product in front of potential customers looking for what you offer. The result is more impressions and increased click-through rates which influence conversion rates positively.
Effective Pricing and Review Strategies
Price and reviews are key factors that affect your conversion rates on Amazon. Offering an attractive initial price can attract initial sales, and strategic management of reviews results in better conversion rates. As your reviews and ratings increase, so do your sales, giving you room to adjust your pricing strategy.
Rich User-Generated Content (UGC)
Amazon's focus on UGC gives businesses a powerful tool to influence conversions. UGC such as video reviews, images, and social proof genuinely reflect user experiences and sway potential buyers' decisions in your favor. The fact that Amazon values and maintains this content reflects its effectiveness in driving conversions.
Transformed Buying Journey
Amazon changes the way buyers shop online. It prioritizes customer convenience with features like fast shipping, subscribe and save options, and Prime membership. These enhance the customer's buying journey, translating into repeat purchases and increased lifetime value for your customers.
TAKEAWAY:
Don't hesitate to market on Amazon.
Maximize your brand exposure through their marketplace.
Utilize Amazon's marketing tools effectively.
Optimize your product listings with strong SEO practices.
Have effective pricing and review strategies.
Take advantage of rich User-Generated Content.
But most importantly, understand and leverage Amazon's transformed buying journey to boost your business growth!
Interview Breakdown
In this revealing episode, we join Blaine Bolus in an insightful conversation with Mina Elias, as she shares her experience and strategies she utilized to propel her supplement brand on Amazon. It's a comprehensive collection of her expertise on everything you need to understand about generating traffic, improving click-through rates, and increasing conversion on Amazon.
In this exciting episode, we'll dig into:
Mina's Approach to Building a Performance-Driven Amazon Brand
Key Strategies for Enhancing Product Visibility and Conversion on Amazon
The Crucial Role SEO-Optimized Titles, Videos, and User Generated Content Play for Your Brand
Comprehensive Insights on Managing Price and Reviews for Greater Conversion
Get ready to discover your brand's potential on Amazon in this jam-packed episode.
🔑 7 Key Themes
Utilizing video content for product marketing
Importance of SEO-optimized bullet points
Effective strategies for new Amazon brands
Impact of reviews, stars and price
Increasing order value and lifetime value
Using programmatic DSP for targeted selling
Techniques in identifying profitable keywords and ads.
💬 Keywords
Amazon SEO, product videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, brand story, A+ content, position on Amazon's page, product differentiation, review strategy, click through rate, main image, pricing strategies, star ratings, SEO-optimized titles, shipping speed, Amazon badges, buyer's journey, DTC brands, discounts and coupons, user generated content, Amazon Posts, lifetime value, DSP targeting, subscribe and save, Blaine Bolus, Mina Elias, profitable keywords, paid traffic, organic traffic, budget allocation
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Experienced Amazon seller and MMA fighter turned entrepreneur discusses bringing value to DTC brands expanding to Amazon.
05:54 Paid advertising aims to maximize product exposure and conversion by targeting keywords and ensuring top page placement; influenced by observing strategies on platforms like Facebook.
09:33 Testing keywords for conversion and position is important for specific and broad searches. Position matters based on the type of keyword.
11:13 Amazon core for DTC brands, TikTok shop experimental, budget ROI analysis.
16:13 Targeting competitors' audience, complementary products, granular DSP targeting, Amazon ads frequency, and using responsive e-commerce for paid traffic.
19:33 When launching, focus on product differentiation and showcasing it in the main image to increase conversion rate and sales.
22:57 Creating compelling ads with product images only, no added text for competition on Facebook.
23:44 Discussion on pricing strategy for products, including MAP pricing, launching on DTC sites first, and the impact of price on click-through rate.
29:19 DTC pod joins HubSpot podcast network, bringing business insights and guests.
32:36 Comparison of Amazon fulfillment methods: FBM vs FBA, impact on shipping and ranking.
33:34 Amazon badges influence sales; aim for best seller badge by tweaking product category.
39:39 Bullet points in Amazon listing are crucial for SEO optimization and can help improve ranking. Include a quick selling point and SEO-optimized sentences. Also, include product specs.
40:55 Amazon's new virtual bundles combine products, push competitors down, and boost conversions.
45:19 UGC leverages influencers to create authentic video reviews, boosting social proof on Amazon.
48:18 Buyer journey on Amazon: focus on reviews for real experience, important for conversion.
53:12 Optimize marketing on Amazon by testing and measuring changes incrementally.
53:59 This framework is great for all stages of growth on Amazon.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Excited about value, experience in expanding brands.
05:54 Running successful paid advertising campaigns for products.
09:33 Testing keywords is crucial for conversion success.
11:13 Amazon core revenue, TikTok more experimental. Buyer intent high on Amazon.
16:13 Targeting competitors, complementary products, granular audience, Amazon.
19:33 Low conversion rate, invest in differentiation, image.
22:57 Maximize ad impact with minimal text.
23:44 Map pricing, product pricing strategies, and channels.
29:19 Exciting announcement: DTC pod joins HubSpot network.
32:36 Doubtful about using FBM for Amazon products.
33:34 Amazon badge influence sales, choose categories strategically.
39:39 Use bullet points to optimize SEO on Amazon.
40:55 Amazon's virtual bundles upsell and reduce competition.
45:19 Leveraging UGC for social proof and influence.
48:18 Buyer journey on Amazon involves reviews, pricing, photos.
53:12 Optimize content changes to measure performance improvements.
53:59 Great framework for launching and scaling business.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Utilizing Videos in Product Showcasing
Importance of creating videos without audio and using captions
Potential of videos in drawing potential customers
Optimizing Bullet Points for SEO
Importance of quick selling points
Significance of product benefits and specifications
Using Virtual Bundles
Pushing competitor ads away
Improvement of conversion rates
The Role of Brand Story in Amazon Listing
The significance of the brand's mission, values, and more
Linking to other products and utilizing premium A+ content
Importance of Premium A+ Content
Enhancements to the content
Mobile and desktop optimization and the inclusion of videos, carousels, and more
Factors affecting Sales & Conversion on Amazon
The role of product's position on Amazon's page
Break in strategies for new brands
Click-through-rate influencing factors
Pricing Strategies in Amazon Marketplace
Lower starting prices to attract sales
Experimenting with higher prices for better margins
Role of Reviews and Star Ratings
Managing reviews for better conversions
Direct correlation of price, reviews, and stars
Various Amazon Discounts Strategies
Split-testing discount effectiveness
Significance during major holidays
The Power of User Generated Content
Impact on product reactions and conversions
Benefits of Amazon Posts
Strategies for Increasing Average Order Value
Virtual bundles, multi-pack discounts, different supply lengths, and upsells
Aiming for the Long-term: Lifetime Value and Subscriptions
Increasing through non-consumable product upsells
Potential of subscribe and save offers
A Step-by-Step Approach to Amazon Success
The need for improvement measurement
The framework's applicability for varying growth stages
Importance of Keywords and Paid Advertising
Identifying profitable keywords
Maximizing exposure and conversions
Traffic Influence on Amazon Sales
Differentiation between paid and organic traffic
Programs like DSP and responsive e-commerce for more sales
Budget Allocation and Amazon's Dominance
Experimentation with keywords and conversion
Amazon's revenue generation potential for DTC brands
New Slack Community for DTC Founders
Promotion of sales hub from HubSpot
Waitlist announcement for the community
Launching a Brand on Amazon: Mina Elias's Journey
Growing Impressions, click-through rate, and conversion rate
Strategies to grow traffic through paid and organic sources.
🎬 Reel script
Join us on the DTC POD where we had an insightful discussion with Mina Elias about mastering Amazon strategies for business growth. Key takeaways include utilizing SEO-optimized bullet points and videos to enhance product visibility. Virtual bundles and premium A+ content can effectively decrease competitor visibility and boost conversion rates. The significance of reviews, pricing, shipping speed, and the use of Amazon badges can't be overstated. We also discussed techniques to optimize the buyer's journey and tactics to enhance the click-through rate. Overall, we focused on the core pillars of traffic, conversion, and click-through rate, in growing your Amazon business. Check out the full episode for an in-depth understanding.
✏️ Custom Newsletter
Subject: Discover Winning Strategies for Success on Amazon in Our Latest Podcast Episode!
Hey there,
Welcome to the newest DTC POD episode, 'Mina Elias v2', where we pick the genius brain of our valued guest, Mina Elias, conquering the ecommerce landscape about her tried-and-tested strategies to propel your brand's status on Amazon!
After listening to this information-packed episode, here are 5 keys you can expect to master:
Leveraging Videos and Bullet Points: Mina teaches us how to attract and sustain potential buyers' attention using well-crafted videos and bullet point structures, maximizing SEO value in the process.
Crafting an Impactful Brand Story: Learn how an effective Brand story can open up the doors for premium A+ content and improve visibility on the platform.
Navigating Pricing Strategies: Mina guides us through the art of formulating appropriate pricing strategies and managing reviews for a better click-through rate and ultimate success.
Importance of UGC: Understand the role of User Generated Content in enhancing product credibility and boosting conversions.
Increasing Lifetime Value: Get insights on how to enrich the lifetime value of customers with strategic subscriptions and cross-selling.
As an added bonus, in this episode, Mina imparts an interesting piece of advice: lowering the actual product price performs better in search results than offering a percentage off. Who would've thought!
Wrapping up, our host, Blaine Bolus, reiterates the importance of improving traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate for continuous brand growth on Amazon.
Intrigued? Don’t wait! Click on the link below to dive right in and discover how you can turn up the heat on your Amazon sales.
LISTEN TO EPISODE
Remember, your journey to ecommerce dominance starts with a single click. So, follow us, check out our show notes, and keep an eye on our socials on dtcpod.com for more impactful wisdom.
Here's to your growth,
[Your Name]
P.S.: If you found this episode helpful, please support us by sharing it with a friend! After all, success is better when shared, right?
🐦 Business Lesson Tweet Thread
1/21 - Ever tuned in to the latest episode of DTC POD where Mina Elias laid out the keys to success on Amazon? It's a gold mine. Here's my takeaway.
2/21 - Videos? Oh yes! Nothing sells a product better. Having captions on silent videos can be a game-changer. It's that simple.
3/21 - Bullet points are your friends. Quick-selling, SEO optimized points that emphasize the benefits of your product might just be what keeps you ahead.
4/21 - The genius of virtual bundles is when two products bundled together pushes down competitor visibility. Less competition, more profit.
5/21 - Amazon's A+ content benefits greatly from a solid brand story. It's all about the who, what, and why behind your brand.
6/21 - Ever considered how your position on Amazon's page impacts a sale? It’s all about the likelihood of conversion.
7/21 - Breaking in as a new brand? Stand out. Offer attractive pricing, make use of unique images and have a review strategy.
8/21 - Click-through rate can be a make or break. It's all about the image, price, reviews, titling, shipping speed, and of course, the badges.
9/21 - Pricing? Start low to attract initial sales, then start experimenting with increments for better margins.
10/21 - Reviews and ratings are vital to maintain a healthy click-through rate. They need strategic management for better conversion.
11/21 - Remember, shipping speed bears an impact on customer decisions. Amazon Prime is a game-changer.
12/21 - It's not just about the stars, but also the badges. Strategies for obtaining the "best seller" badge can go a long way.
13/21 - Conversion rates depend on factors like videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, brand story, and even user-generated content.
14/21 - Speaking of user-generated content, there's nothing more powerful than genuine customer testimonials. It's all about authenticity!
15/21 - Discounts have a time and place. Prime Day and Black Friday are some of the prime examples. Pun intended!
16/21 - Starting a business on Amazon? Start with a market-agreeable price, build your reviews, and adjust from there.
17/21 - Mina Elias emphasized DSP to target customers who've already made a purchase. It’s all about the cross-selling.
18/21 - Subscriptions? Yes, please! A 10% discount and an extra $5 off the first subscription can really allure customers.
19/21 - Traffic, click-through rate, and conversion are your benchmarks for growth on Amazon. Add upselling, and you've got an increase in lifetime value.
20/21 - All the strategies leading to success on Amazon and other platforms require experimentation. Testing keywords, conversion rates - there's a lot of room for growth.
21/21 - Growth comes from understanding the buyer’s journey and implementing the right strategies - combining paid and organic methods, optimizing keywords, and focusing on conversion rates.
🎓 Lessons Learned
Title: "Utilizing Videos Effectively"
Description: Learn how to convince potential buyers by carefully designing videos showcasing product usage, optimized for no audio.Title: "Fostering Conversion with Virtual Bundles"
Description: Improve conversion rates by creating virtual product bundles that push down competitors' ads, reducing their visibility.Title: "Enhancing SEO with Bullet Points"
Description: Boost SEO value by optimizing bullet points around product benefits, quick selling points, and specifications.Title: "Making the Most of Brand Story"
Description: Unleash the power of brand stories in showcasing your brand’s mission, values, and founder's story, linking to other products.Title: "Exploring Premium A+ Content"
Description: Leverage wider, optimized content for desktop and mobile to facilitate robust marketing strategies through carousels, videos, and large comparison charts.Title: "Impact of Shipping Speed on Sales"
Description: Understand how shipping speed influences customer decision-making, especially for achieving Amazon Prime badge eligibility.Title: "Mastering Amazon Positioning"
Description: Learn how Amazon's positioning is vital for new brands breaking into the market with attractive pricing, product differentiation, and review strategies.Title: "Maximizing SEO-Optimized Titles"
Description: Dive into the importance of SEO-optimized titles for improving SEO value and enhancing readability.Title: "Understanding Conversion Rate Factors"
Description: Explore the factors affecting conversion rate, including videos, images, bullet points, user-generated content, virtual bundles, and brand stories.Title: "Leveraging Discounts for Visibility"
Description: Discover the power of discounts and promotions during major holidays, and how lowering the actual price can boost search results.
💎 Maxims
Always employ the use of videos in displaying products. They are a persuasive tool for potential buyers. Cater to all users by ensuring captions are available for those who prefer watching without sound.
Utilize SEO optimized bullet points that involve quick selling points and discuss product benefits and specs, this can greatly increase SEO value.
Consider the use of virtual bundles for your products. This strategic move pushes competitors' ads down, reducing their visibility, and ultimately improving your conversion rates.
Implement the brand story in every product listing. This allows consumers to better understand your brand's mission, values, and origin. It opens door for premium A+ content which can greatly enhance your product's appeal to consumers.
The premium A+ content is a significant tool to effectively market your product. Create the content that is wider, optimized for both desktop and mobile, and allows for advanced features like videos, carousal and large comparison charts.
Strategize your break in as a new brand by differentiating your product in the main image, offering competitive pricing, and developing a robust review strategy.
Pay attention to factors affecting CTR: main image, price, reviews, discounts, SEO in title, shipping speed, and badges.
Adeptly manage reviews as they impact click through rate and greatly influence conversion.
Pricing strategy is crucial. Begin with lower prices to attract sales, then gauge the market response when altering pricing for better profit margins.
Utilize badges like "Amazon's choice" and "best seller". Discussions and strategies to achieve these can greatly boost your market place visibility.
Understand the buyer's journey to tailor your marketing strategies effectively.
Recognize that DTC brands may face hurdles on Amazon due to higher prices and less effective review strategies.
Amass a high number of reviews to ensure success on Amazon.
Strategize your discounts and coupons. Test them for their effectiveness.
Employ UGC. This helps display real-time reactions to products and influence conversion rates.
Leverage platforms such as Amazon Posts to augment listing appeal.
Boost average order value through strategies like virtual bundles, variations, and upselling non-consumable products.
Consider the subscribe and save option to incentivize customers to sign up for subscriptions.
Regularly review and make improvements. Measure their impact before deciding on a final strategy for Amazon.
Connect with potential customers on social platforms for growth and visibility.
Emphasize the importance of SEO and identifying profitable keywords to increase conversion rates.
Focus ad efforts on paid traffic with structured campaigns focusing on ad groups and keywords and organic traffic to increase click-through rates and conversion rate for better organic rank.
Understand the concept of buyer intent - showing up lower in search results can lead to higher buyer intent and better conversions for specific keywords.
Allocate and experiment with budget in a way that focuses on profitable conversion.
Utilize tools and communities that allow connection, idea sharing, and building sales pipelines for increased revenue.
Keep the focus on growing impressions, click-through rate, and conversion rate to scale on Amazon.
🌟 3 Fun Facts
Mina Elias, the guest, began her journey by starting a supplement brand on Amazon and successfully grown it during the pandemic, leveraging both organic and paid traffic methods for growth.
The DTC Pod is set to launch a new Slack community for DTC founders and operators, creating a platform for thought exchange, collaboration, and support that brings together industry enthusiasts and experts.
Mina Elias highlights an interesting marketing strategy – starting with a lower price on Amazon to attract initial sales, then gradually ramping up the price for improved profit margins once the product has built up positive reviews.
📓 Blog Post
Title: Amazon Sales Strategies: An In-Depth Discussion with Mina Elias on the DTC Pod
Subheader: Capitalizing on Amazon's Digital Reach for your DTC Brand
Section 1: Masters of Brand Marketing: Utilizing Videos, Bullet Points, and Brand Stories
In an engaging discussion between Mina Elias and host Blaine Bolus on the DTC Pod, Elias emphasized the importance of using marketing techniques specifically tailored for the world's largest online marketplace - Amazon. Including video demonstrations of product utility, crafting SEO optimized bullet points, and focusing on a strong brand narrative is key in boosting your product's visibility and appeal.
Section 2: The Game of Positioning: Virtual Bundles and Premium A+ Content
There is power in strategic positioning on Amazon's page. It's essential for brands looking to carve out a competitive edge. Cue virtual bundles and premium A+ content: two tools that can cater to this need. By allowing your products to be grouped together virtually, you push competitor ads further down the page, thereby improving your conversion rates. Adding a brand story to the mix sets the stage for advanced multimedia content and A/B testing.
Section 3: The Price, Review, and Image Balance
A tipping point for conversion rate is striking the right balance between product price, review management, and image selection. Elias offered insights into effective pricing strategies and shared the value of boosting click-through rates by managing reviews proactively, as well as differentiating your product with impressive main images.
Section 4: Using User Generated Content and Amazon Posts
With online shoppers relying heavily on user reviews, User Generated Content (UGC) has never been more critical. Through UGC and Amazon Posts, which serves as a virtual lifestyle gallery for products, brands can improve their conversion capabilities.
Section 5: Increase Revenue with Average Order Value and Lifetime Value
To reach your desired profit margins, a keen focus on increasing the average order value and lifetime value is crucial. Utilize strategies such as virtual bundles, multi-pack discounts, and upsells to achieve this. Additionally, Elias highlights the importance of DSP for targeting customers who have made a purchase already.
Section 6: Implementing Customer-Specific Discounts and Subscriptions
Elias stresses the value of offering specific discounts and pushing for customer subscriptions. According to her, a 10% discount plus an additional $5 off the first subscription can significantly increase the lifetime value of a customer.
Section 7: The Six-Month Path to Break-Even
For businesses investing an average of $300-$500 a day on Amazon, Elias discusses the trajectory to profitability. She explains that brands can expect to break even in about six months and then start reaping profits.
Section 8: Maximizing Paid and Organic Traffic
Paid or organic, traffic is key. Organic traffic can be improved with keyword-focused conversion rates, while paid traffic requires the precision of targeted ad groups and keywords.
Section 9: Budget Allocation and Experimentation
Tied closely to ad performance is how well you can optimize your budget on keyword experimentation and conversion rates. Elias discusses the initial experimental phase and gradually refining the budget based on profitable conversions.
Section 10: The New DTC Community and Tools
To foster growth and collaboration in the DTC sector, Bolus announces a new Slack community exclusively for DTC founders. He also recommends HubSpot's sales hub to generate more revenue effectively.
Listening to experts like Mina Elias can provide insights into the complex and competitive world of Amazon selling. Marketers and business owners can take away valuable lessons for scaling their DTC brand to improve traffic flow, click-through rate, and conversion rate on Amazon. Tune in to the DTC Pod for more.
🎤 Voiceover Script
Starting to sell your product on Amazon can feel like navigating a maze: there's SEO, pricing strategies, customer reviews, and more to manage. But don't worry—we've got you covered. In this episode, we chat with Mina Elias, Amazon expert, who shares her invaluable insights and strategies.
Here's a sneak peek at what you'll discover:
Effective methods to utilize videos, bullet points, and the brand story for better conversion.
Understanding buyer's journey to mold your marketing strategies.
Pricing tactics and the role of reviews, discounts, and star ratings.
Maximizing SEO value and click-through rate on Amazon.
How to exploit benefits of virtual bundles and user generated content.
Learning about increasing lifetime value and average order value.
The art of identifying profitable keywords and optimizing paid advertising.
Don't miss this episode packed with nuggets of knowledge about selling effectively on Amazon. So, head on to DTC POD now and tune in to our conversation with Mina Elias!
🔘 Best Practices Guide
On this DTC POD episode, Mina Elias shares vital Amazon strategies. To attract buyers, use videos to showcase products, ensuring they can be understood without sound. SEO-optimize bullet points to enhance brand visibility- briefly detailing product benefits and features. Integrate virtual bundles, they push competitors' ads down and boost conversion rates. Establishing your brand story opens doors for premium A+ content and enhances product marketing. Reviews and star ratings impact click-through rates- their strategic management improves conversion. Consider price, main Image, reviews, discounts, SEO in titles, shipping speed, and badges to maximize click-through rates. Use UGC for showcasing product reactions and influencing conversions. To boost order value, employ virtual bundles, multi-pack discounts, different supply lengths, and non-consumable product upsells. Aim for consistent improvement of traffic, click-through and conversion rates. Success on Amazon is a strategic investment.
🎆 Social Carousel: Do's/Don'ts
Slide 1: "10 Must-Know Tips for Marketers on Amazon"
Slide 2: "Mute Videos? No!" - Use videos designed for scenarios with no audio, showcasing product usage, to convince potential buyers.
Slide 3: "Random Bullet Points? Avoid!" - SEO optimize bullet points, highlighting selling points and benefits for higher SEO value.
Slide 4: "Ignore Virtual Bundles? Bad Idea!" - Create virtual bundles to minimize competitor visibility and heighten conversion rates.
Slide 5: "Generic Brand Story? Please, Don't" - Make the brand story personal with mission, values, and founder story for premium content.
Slide 6: "Negligible Pricing? Beware!" - Set a lower price initially and then experiment with upsells for better margins.
Slide 7: "Ignoring Shipping Speed? Mistake!" - Speedy delivery impacts conversion, target Amazon Prime badge eligibility.
Slide 8: "Neglecting Badges? Misstep!" - Try to obtain "Amazon's choice" and "best seller" badges, they can boost visibility.
Slide 9: "Underestimate UGC? Not Recommended!" - Utilize videos reviews and social proofs from users to influence conversions.
Slide 10: "Discounts with No Tests? A No-No!" - Ensure you are split-testing your discounts and coupons offerings for maximum effectiveness.
Slide 11: "Overlooking Keywords? Careful!" - Use profitable, SEO-optimized keywords to maximize SEO value and conversion rates.
🎠 Social Carousel
Cover Slide: "10 Must-Know Tips for Amazon Sales"
Slide 1: "Leverage Videos"
Show products in action with silent, captioned videos for convincing potential buyers.
Slide 2: "SEO Bullet Points"
Incorporate product benefits, specs and quick selling points in your bullet points to optimize SEO value.
Slide 3: "Virtual Bundles"
Reduce competitor visibility to improve conversion rates by creating virtual bundles with two products.
Slide 4: "Brand Story"
Create a compelling brand story to enhance listing appeal and open doors for premium A+ content.
Slide 5: "Prime Positioning"
Strategically invest in Amazon page positions based on the likelihood of conversion.
Slide 6: "Premium A+ Content"
Optimize for both desktop and mobile. Include videos, carousels, and comparison charts for effective marketing.
Slide 7: "Consider Click-Throughs"
Maximize click-through rate by focusing on main image, price, reviews, star ratings, title, shipping speed, and badges.
Slide 8: "Review Strategy"
Aim to amass high number of reviews as it can drastically improve sales and allow for higher pricing.
Slide 9: "Benefit from UGC"
Upload video reviews and social proof to showcase real product reactions and influence conversions.
Slide 10: "Optimized Pricing"
Start with a market-agreeable price, build up reviews, then adjust pricing for maximum profitability.
Last Slide: CTA
Tune in to DTC POD for more insider tips. Subscribe and follow us on dtcpod.com!
One Off Tweets
Tweet 1:
Breaking in as a new brand on Amazon? Focus on product differentiation, attractive pricing, and a robust review system. Success is attainable with the right strategy!
Tweet 2:
A top-notch main image can significantly influence your click-through rate on Amazon. Utilizing 3D renders and packaging explorations can help you stand out from the crowd.
Tweet 3:
Don't underestimate the power of SEO-optimized titles on Amazon. Maximizing SEO value while maintaining readability can drastically impact your product visibility.
Tweet 4:
Understanding the buyer's journey is pivotal in creating effective marketing strategies. Knowledge is power in the Amazon marketplace!
Tweet 5:
Success on Amazon is no small task. The top impactors on your conversion rate? Price, and reviews. Two factors that shouldn't be overlooked!
Tweet 6:
The road to Amazon profitability may seem long, but with consistent testing and refining, breakeven can usually be achieved within six months. Patience is key!
Tweet 7:
Implementing an effective review strategy can dramatically increase sales on Amazon. As reviews augment, so does your leverage on pricing. Power to the customers!
Tweet 8:
Here's a strategy to up your conversions on Amazon: Virtual bundles. By creating bundles with two products, you can reduce competitor visibility and improve conversion rates!
Tweet 9:
A+ content is revolutionary. By optimizing media, providing large comparison charts, and including your brand story, your product marketing reaches a whole new level!
Tweet 10:
User-Generated Content is not only a pivotal part of building social proof but also a powerful tool for influencing conversions on Amazon. Invoke the power of UGC!
Twitter Post 1
Did you know Amazon's page position is actually an investment by Amazon based on their calculation of your product's likelihood to convert? Consider it Amazon's stamp of confidence on your product's likelihood to sell!
Mindsets
Looking to boost your brand's visibility and conversions on Amazon? Here are three mindset shifts inspired by our recent podcast episode featuring e-commerce expert Mina Elias:
💭 Don't just sell, tell a Story: Moving beyond mere bullet points in product descriptions, Mina emphasizes the power of brand stories in forming a personal connection with potential buyers. More than just quality and price, customers are also interested in your brand's values, mission, and origins. Make these a substantial part of your Amazon listing, increasing the chances to engage on a deeper level and leading to repeat purchases.
💭 See Reviews as your Fuel, not Failure: Amazon reviews can make or break your sales, but instead of fearing negative ones, view them as valuable feedback to boost your product's quality and refine your strategies. Remember, it's not about the quantity of reviews but about how they contribute to the quality of your customer's buying decision.
💭 Embrace Data: Shift your mindset to understand and harness the power of data. As explained in the podcast, managing successful Amazon sales is about maximizing SEO value, improving click-through rates, and working strategically with the factors affecting conversions. Analyze the buyer journey data for more robust strategies and use insights from A/B tests and audience metrics to refine your page positioning, product differentiation, and pricing.
To learn more and gain additional knowledge on supercharging your Amazon sales journey, tune in to our latest episode with Mina Elias on the DTC POD. Enhance your strategies and mindset and become a more successful Amazon seller!
Tactics
If you're seeking actionable ways to uplift your business on Amazon, below are some pointed strategies inspired by our conversation with Mina Elias on DTC Pod:
💡 Leverage visually appealing videos and bullet points: To better influence your buyers' decision-making process, use captivating videos that showcase the product's use. In addition, foster SEO-optimized bullet points highlighting product benefits, features, and specs.
💡 Implement virtual bundles: Grouping two complementing products together can potentially reduce your competitors' visibility on product search pages. This tactic can elevate your conversion rates by minimizing distractions from rival brands.
💡 Invest in the brand story: Crafting a compelling brand story can engage potential buyers and build connection. It also opens the door for integrating premium A+ content into your page, providing a multimedia-rich experience that supports your marketing efforts.
💡 Prioritize user-generated content (UGC): Incorporating video reviews, picture testimonials, and other forms of social proof can significantly impact your product's conversion rates on Amazon. Emphasize requests for image-included reviews in your follow-ups to customers post-purchase.
💡 Optimize pricing methods: Adopt strategies such as starting with a lower price to attract initial purchases before gradually experimenting with pricing elevation. This practice can result in a stronger traction and improved margins.
Remember, understanding and adapting to your buyers' journey will be central to leveraging these strategies for your success on Amazon. Each strategy is a stepping stone to enhancing traffic, optimizing click-through rate (CTR), and bolstering conversion rate!
In Depth Thread
Strategies Unveiled: Ranking First on Amazon
People with businesses often overlook the power of mastering Amazon. It's not about pumping out a 55-page treatise but following a precise plan. Here's the detailed template used by Mina Elias to significantly grow her brand on Amazon.
Rule of 7
Seven factors impact your ranking on Amazon. Keep them in mind as you strategize. Must-haves are an appealing main image, price, reviews, discounts, SEO-optimized title, shipping speed, and badges.
Market to the Buyer’s Journey
Invest time in understanding the buyer's A-Z journey on Amazon. Your marketing strategies need to align with that journey, or you risk losing your customer to a competitor.
The Land of Plenty
If your potential customer can find the key facts, benefits, or product specs in easy-to-read bullet points, the odds of conversion increase. Enhance these bullet points with SEO tactics so your product shines.
Tagline
In one sentence, capture the essence of your product. Think Nike’s “Just do it.” This is marketing at its finest and helps your product stick in buyers' minds.
Speak their Language
What's your product's unique value proposition? Frame it in a language only your product speaks. Whether it's cutting-edge, high-quality, or the best-value, own your narrative.
The Bundle Win
Leverage the power of virtual bundles. By grouping your products together, you push competitors down the page. This increases your online visibility, reduces competition, and enhances conversion rates.
Be Transparent
Whether it's pricing, reviews, discounts, or star ratings, ensure all transactional aspects of your product are clear. Trust builds customer relationships, leading to higher conversions.
Prove it, Don't Preach it
Show customers how your product works through User Generated Content and videos. This authentic engagement is more likely to result in a purchase than a sales pitch.
Team
Your Amazon journey is not a one-person mission. It takes a team to strategize, optimize, and convert. Invest in the right people to get your product to the top.
In the world of Amazon, it's all about visibility, click-through rate, and conversion. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned player, these are your golden rules to succeed. Understand them, strategize around them, and watch your product rise up the ranks.
New Idea
Idea #1: The Power of SEO Optimization
Maximizing Visibility: As the conversation with Mina Elias highlighted, having SEO-optimized bullet points in product descriptions can help increase visibility to potential buyers, improving the likelihood of successful sales.
Enhancing Readability: One vital point Mina stressed during the discussion was the importance of SEO-optimized titles. Titles optimized for SEO and readability can enhance product discoverability and engagement on Amazon and similar platforms.
Incorporating Seach Keywords: As they delved deeper, Mina Elias shared her process of identifying profitable keywords to boost conversion rates for maximum profitability. This strategy emphasizes the crucial role SEO optimization plays in enhancing a brand's visibility and profitability on platforms like Amazon.
Tweet thread on learnings
Tweet 1:
Just wrapped up a fantastic @DTCPOD episode featuring @minaelias! We dug deep into the strategies for mastering Amazon. Key takeaways, ready to be tweeted! 👇
Tweet 2:
The Power of Video Content
Without sound but with captions, these videos showcase how someone interacts with the product. A powerful tool for convincing potential buyers on Amazon.
Tweet 3:
The Supreme Importance of Bullet Points
Make them SEO optimized, quick to deliver selling points, and specify product benefits. It can enhance your Amazon listing's appeal and relates directly to better conversions.
Tweet 4:
Smart Pricing Tactics
Starting with a competitive price helps initiate sales, then experiment with price increases for improved margins. All about strategic pricing management on Amazon!
Tweet 5:
Reviews & Star Ratings Strategy
A crucial factor affecting click-through rate is reviews. As reviews increase, sales improve, and premium pricing becomes feasible. Rule: Actively manage your reviews and star ratings.
Tweet 6:
Premium A+ Content
This is a game-changer. It makes your product effectively marketed by making content wider, more personalised for both desktop and mobile devices. Also, includes videos, carousels, and large comparison charts.
Tweet 7:
Discovering the Buyer’s Journey
Understanding the buyer's journey results in efficient marketing strategies. It's all about standing in the shoes of your customer and seeing things from their perspective.
Tweet 8:
You Must Know Your Position
Your position on Amazon's page is a critical investment for making a sale, as it is directly proportional to the likelihood of conversion.
Tweet 9:
Examining User-Generated Content
UGC is pivotal for influencing conversions. This includes video reviews from creators and showcases authentic product reactions. Colossal impact on performance!
Tweet 10:
Significance of SEO-optimized Titles
An optimized title maximizes your SEO value and enhances readability, thereby playing a central role in maximizing product exposure.
Tweet 11:
Understanding Budget Allocation and Amazon Break-Even Point
With an experimental phase focusing on specific keywords and conversion rates, brands typically hit the breakeven point in about five to six months on Amazon.
Tweet 12:
Finally, remember to consistently reinvent strategies. Focus on growing traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate to continuously grow on Amazon. That's it, folks! Catch the next @DTCPOD episode for more insights.
Future State, 6 reasons post
In 6 months, I turned a newcomer brand on Amazon into a high-converting powerhouse, gained millions of product impressions, and secured an average 4-star rating spanning thousands of reviews. As an Amazon e-commerce expert, I've become fascinated with the platform's enormous selling potential. But there's a HUGE opportunity Amazon brands are missing out on to optimize their presence and grow their revenue exponentially. Let's look at 6 strategies to perfect your Amazon game:
BACKGROUND:
Forget conventional retail models or e-commerce on your own website, the future belongs to AMG (Amazon Managed Growth).
Amazon is where the conversion funnel is simplified and brand visibility is maximized.
If brands harness the power effectively, they can turn Amazon into an end-to-end growth platform that not only generates awareness but also drives sales forecastably and sustainably.
Old Amazon Growth:
No Brand Differentiation
Poor Search Visibility
Lack of User Generated Content (UGC)
Minimal Reviews, Low Ratings
New Amazon Growth:
Unique Product Showcase
High SEO Optimization
Strong UGC Presence
Abundance of Reviews, High Ratings
At TriviumCo, we are driving thousands of quality leads per month and enhancing brand reputation, all of which can't be replicated through traditional e-commerce strategies.
HOWEVER...
This requires a concerted effort and a consistency in maintaining the brand presence. The process can be made more effective by adopting a few game-changing strategies and making your Amazon listing a high-performance conversion platform.
Here are my 6 recommendations:
Showcase your product differentiation right in the main image. Use strategies like 3D renders, packaging, and visual manipulations to stand out.
Optimize your bullet points for maximum SEO value. Make sure to include quick selling points, product benefits, and specs to increase visibility.
Build your brand story and incorporate A+ content. This will significantly enhance the presentation of your products and increase the likelihood of conversions.
Ensure to get as many reviews as possible. Potent reviews not only boost your brand's reputation but also have a direct correlation with sales.
Utilize virtual bundles to push down competitors' ads. This will improve your visibility and subsequently bolster the conversion rate.
Leverage tools like Amazon DSP for targeted customer advertising to stimulate more conversions. Prioritize existing customers and opportunities for cross-selling.
I assure you, Amazon holds so much untapped potential, it's almost surreal.
As the e-commerce realm evolves and online communities strengthen their roots, Amazon has the potential to outperform standard retail models and emerge as the most dominant platform for DTC brands.
P.S.
What strategies do you think are essential for Amazon growth?
Do you believe that the right optimizations on Amazon can redefine the future of your GTM strategy, by automating and enabling key workflows?
About the Episode
In this episode, Mina Elias, an entrepreneur who grew a successful supplement brand on Amazon, shares dynamic strategies for optimizing sales on the platform. She emphasizes the importance of SEO-optimized bullet points, with quick selling points and product benefits, to increase SEO value and inspire potential customers. High-quality videos showcasing the product in use are also crucial to convincing potential buyers of its efficacy, especially when designed for silent viewing with captions for accessibility.
Mina also introduces the innovative concept of virtual bundles, a strategy that pushes competitors' ads down, hence increasing conversion rates by reducing competitor visibility. The brand story section of your Amazon listing can play a powerful role in capturing customer attention by articulating the brand's mission, values, and founder's story. The addition of links to other products opens doors for premium A+ content, which allows for advanced multimedia content and provides an effective platform for marketing a product.
Pricing strategies also take a spotlight in Mina's discussion. She recommends starting with a lower price to hook initial sales, then experimenting with increasing prices for better margins. Intriguingly, she also suggests that lowering the actual price performs better in search results than offering a percentage off. Reviews and star ratings are equally paramount - not only do they drive click-through rates, but they're also critical factors affecting Amazon's conversion rate. According to Mina, a strategic review management approach can greatly boost conversion rates.
Strategy Playbook
This is Trivium's Amazon growth playbook, and it starts with mastering the three pillars of success on the platform: traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. To drive traffic, Mina Elias recommends a mix of paid and organic strategies, focusing on identifying profitable keywords and optimizing ad campaigns for maximum exposure. Paid traffic involves a structured campaign with specific ad groups and keywords, while organic traffic is influenced by conversion rates for keywords, with higher click-through rates and conversions improving organic rank.
Click-through rates are influenced by factors like main image, price, reviews, discounts, SEO-optimized titles, shipping speed, and badges. Mina emphasizes the importance of an attractive main image that showcases product differentiation, as well as strategic pricing and review management. Conversion rates, on the other hand, are impacted by images, videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, brand story, and user-generated content. Videos should be designed for no audio with captions, while bullet points should be SEO-optimized and highlight product benefits and specs.
Next, Mina emphasizes the importance of understanding the buyer's journey and leveraging strategies to increase average order value and lifetime value. This includes offering virtual bundles, multi-pack discounts, variations, and upsells for non-consumable products. Activating subscribe and save, offering discounts, and incentivizing subscriptions can significantly boost customer lifetime value. Mina also discusses the value of DSP for targeting customers who have already made a purchase and cross-selling to them.
The key to success is a step-by-step approach, consistently making improvements and measuring impact through A/B testing. By focusing on these core pillars and implementing targeted strategies, businesses at various stages of growth can thrive on Amazon. Mina's playbook has helped countless brands, with some spending $300-$500 a day on Amazon, break even within six months and turn profitable thereafter. The aim is to invest in the first few months, reach breakeven in months 5-6, and then turn profitable by continually refining budget allocation based on profitable conversions.
Strategy Playbook
This is Trivium's Amazon growth playbook, and it starts with mastering the three pillars of success: traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. To drive traffic, Mina Elias recommends a mix of paid and organic strategies, focusing on profitable keywords and optimized ad campaigns. Click-through rates are influenced by main image, price, reviews, discounts, SEO-optimized titles, shipping speed, and badges. Conversion rates are impacted by images, videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, brand story, and user-generated content.
Next, Mina emphasizes strategies to increase average order value and lifetime value, such as virtual bundles, multi-pack discounts, variations, upsells, and subscribe and save. The key to success is a step-by-step approach, consistently making improvements and measuring impact through A/B testing.
Mina's playbook has helped countless brands, with some spending $300-$500 a day on Amazon, break even within six months and turn profitable thereafter. The aim is to invest in the first few months, reach breakeven in months 5-6, and then turn profitable by continually refining budget allocation based on profitable conversions.
Strategy Playbook
This is Trivium's Amazon growth playbook, focusing on three pillars of success: traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. Mina Elias recommends a mix of paid and organic strategies for traffic, optimizing click-through rates through main image, price, reviews, discounts, titles, shipping, and badges. Conversion rates are impacted by images, videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, brand story, and user-generated content.
Mina emphasizes strategies to increase average order value and lifetime value, such as bundles, discounts, variations, upsells, and subscribe and save. Success comes from consistent improvements and A/B testing.
Brands spending $300-$500 a day on Amazon can break even within six months and turn profitable by refining budget allocation based on profitable conversions. The aim is to invest initially, reach breakeven in months 5-6, and then turn profitable.
Strategy Playbook
Trivium's Amazon growth playbook focuses on three pillars: traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. Mina Elias recommends paid and organic strategies for traffic, optimizing click-through rates through main image, price, reviews, discounts, titles, shipping, and badges. Conversion rates are impacted by images, videos, bullet points, bundles, brand story, and user-generated content.
Mina emphasizes strategies to increase average order value and lifetime value, like bundles, discounts, variations, upsells, and subscribe and save. Success comes from consistent improvements and A/B testing.
Brands spending $300-$500 a day on Amazon can break even within six months and turn profitable by refining budget allocation based on profitable conversions. The aim is to invest initially, reach breakeven in months 5-6, and then turn profitable.
💎 5 Maxims
🚀 Unlock the Amazon Success Code! 🔐
Optimize for the Click 🖱️
CTR is king on Amazon. Craft attention-grabbing main images, competitive prices, and irresistible discounts to skyrocket your click-through rates and leave competitors in the dust. 📈Convert Like a Pro 💰
Once you've earned the click, seal the deal with conversion-boosting tactics. Leverage videos, bullet points, virtual bundles, and a compelling brand story to turn browsers into buyers. 🛒Review Power 🌟
Reviews are the lifeblood of Amazon success. Implement smart review strategies from day one to build trust, boost visibility, and command premium prices. More stars equal more sales! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Lifetime Value Secrets 🔑
Maximize customer lifetime value with savvy strategies. Offer irresistible subscribe & save deals, create virtual bundles, and master the art of upselling. Keep them coming back for more! 🔁Test, Measure, Optimize 📊
Amazon success is a game of continuous improvement. A/B test everything from images to prices, measure impact, and optimize relentlessly. Small tweaks lead to big wins! 📈
Ready to crush it on Amazon? Implement these game-changing strategies and watch your sales soar! 🚀
For more Amazon growth hacks, follow @minaeliasofficial and check out triviumco.com! 🌐 #AmazonSuccess #EcommerceGrowth #DTCPod
Weekly Newsletter
Subject: New Episode: Amazon Growth Playbook from a Multi 7-Figure Seller – How to Scale Your Brand Now
Hi DTC POD Community,
We’re excited to announce the release of our latest episode: “Amazon Growth Tips from a Multi 7-Figure Seller: How to Increase Traffic, Clicks, and Conversions,” featuring returning guest and e-commerce powerhouse Mina Elias. If you’re looking to sharpen your Amazon game and unlock sustainable growth strategies straight from someone who’s scaled not only his own brands but also advises over 185 CPG brands through his agency, this is the episode for you.
Quick Introduction:
Amazon isn’t just another channel – for many brands, it can quickly become up to 50% of your total revenue. But with competition fiercer than ever and customer expectations sky-high, most brands are leaving money on the table. In this week’s episode, host Blaine Bolus sits down with Mina Elias to break down the key pillars every founder and operator should focus on to scale up on Amazon – whether you’re just getting started or optimizing an established store.
5 Keys You’ll Learn in This Episode:
1. The Trivium Trinity – 3 Core Growth Pillars
Mina introduces his framework, the Trivium Trinity, which breaks success on Amazon down into three focused areas:
Traffic: How to get as many relevant eyeballs on your listings as possible (both paid and organic),
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Mastering the factors that convince shoppers to click on your listing,
Conversion Rate (CVR): Optimizing your listings so more buyers actually purchase once they’ve landed.
Mina firmly believes that if you’re always improving these three elements, growth becomes inevitable.
2. Paid Traffic Strategy that Actually Scales
Mina unpacks the right mindset and tactics for running Amazon ads (PPC). He shares why you need to start experimental, test a ton of keywords, and how to avoid common mistakes like blowing your budget on high-volume, low-converting traffic. He also covers strategic budget allocation – how to decide what you’re willing to spend (or lose) for smart scaling, and the point at which ads flip from experimentation to profit.
3. Organic Ranking Tactics (that Don’t Break Amazon TOS)
You’ll learn why paid and organic traffic go hand-in-hand, and how paid conversion activity actually drives you higher up the (organic) search ranks. Mina breaks down the critical relationship between keyword-level conversions, CTR, and organic visibility, sharing actionable ways to move your listing up the ranks the right way.
4. The 7 Factors That Drive Click-Through Rate
If you think CTR is just about slashing your price, think again. Mina outlines the seven elements you need to tweak and split test to drastically increase clicks:
Main image optimization (and why it’s not just about your label),
Review count and star ratings (and how to build them fast as a new brand),
Strategic pricing and discounting,
Titles and SEO,
Shipping speed (FBA vs FBM),
Badges and coupons,
And more.
He also highlights the buyer’s journey, reminding us how Amazon shoppers consume information—and how you can use this to stand out on crowded search results pages.
5. Conversion Rate: The Ultimate Checklist
Your images, bullet points, A+ content, and even UGC need to work together to sell. Mina walks through how to structure every asset to answer buyer questions and build trust—plus why video and premium content modules matter more than most founders realize.
He doesn’t just cover the basics; you’ll get advanced tips on using virtual bundles to reduce competitor exposure, boosting AOV, Amazon Posts, and using review images and videos to nudge hesitant buyers over the edge.
Fun Fact from the Episode:
Most brands obsess over discounts and coupons to goose sales—but Mina’s testing revealed something surprising: simply lowering your base price often outperforms running a discount or coupon for driving more units sold and boosting your click-through rate! This small but powerful insight can help you gain traction faster, especially when your review count is low or you’re breaking into a busy category.
Outtro:
Mina doesn’t just preach tactics—he’s done it, both as a founder scaling a supplement brand from zero to seven figures and now as the head operator of Trivium Group, where he’s directly responsible for the Amazon strategies of over 185 brands. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by Amazon’s complexity, this episode is your cheat sheet for cutting through the noise and focusing on the highest-impact actions.
Blaine and Mina wrap with some timely reminders: growth on Amazon isn’t about fixing everything at once. Test one lever at a time, measure consistently, and keep doubling down on what works. Whether you’re launching your first SKU or managing a portfolio of best-sellers, this episode gives you a clear framework for scaling profitably in today’s competitive landscape.
Call to Action:
Ready to get your Amazon growth playbook in order? Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast platform or directly through our website. Don’t forget to check out the full show notes for direct links to Mina’s socials, Trivium Group, and the DTC POD Slack community—where you can connect with other top operators and continue the conversation.
As always, your ratings and reviews power our growth too. If you found the episode valuable, please take a moment to leave a review and share it with your team or DTC friends.
Listen, learn, and let us know how you’re implementing these strategies—reply here or tag us on social. We'll see you in the pod!
Best,
The DTC POD Team
Listen to “Amazon Growth Tips from a Multi 7-Figure Seller” now: dtcpod.com/latest-episode
LinkedIN - Start from Scratch
If I had to scale an Amazon brand in 2024, here’s the EXACT framework I’d use:
(This is the “Trivium Trinity” that Mina Elias shared on the latest DTC POD episode—he’s managed 185+ CPG brands and grown his own from $0 to 7-figures)
To consistently win on Amazon (and turn visitors into raving customers), your Amazon growth strategy needs to:
• Drive traffic to your listings
• Get more people to click
• Convert those clicks into buyers
So...
How do you actually get more impressions, clicks, and sales (even if you’re starting from scratch or up against giants like Liquid I.V.)?
You focus on the 3 Amazon Growth Pillars.
Here’s the breakdown:
• Traffic (both paid & organic)
• Click-Through Rate (CTR)
• Conversion Rate (CVR)
Let’s unpack each one 👇
Traffic: How do you get more eyeballs on your product?
Paid traffic (Amazon ads, DSP) = targeting every possible keyword and optimizing bids for visibility and profitability.
Organic traffic = ranking for valuable keywords, which comes after you’ve proven you can convert on them (usually by priming the algorithm with high-performing ad campaigns).
Pro tip: Start with a test budget you’re comfortable losing. Ramp up spend as you learn which keywords convert profitably, and reinvest to scale revenue faster.
Click-Through Rate: How do you get shoppers to click your listing instead of your competitors?
Work these seven levers:
• Main image (make it pop and differentiate—think like a Facebook ad, but you only get the product image)
• Price (stay in the “acceptable” range until reviews build up)
• Reviews & star ratings (have a review-getting strategy from day one)
• Coupons/discounts (test, but lowering price usually beats discounts on Amazon)
• Title (SEO-optimize AND make it readable)
• Shipping speed (Prime badge > FBM every time)
• Badges (best-seller, Amazon’s Choice—know how to win them via your subcategory)Conversion Rate: How do you seal the deal?
Use every content section wisely: secondary images, videos, bullet points, UGC, and brand story.
Optimize A+ (and Premium A+) content for both mobile and desktop.
Leverage “virtual bundles” and subscribe & save to boost AOV and LTV.
Get real user photos and UGC into your reviews—buyers shop with their eyes.
The meta lesson?
Don’t try to do it all at once.
Iterate on one pillar at a time, measure the results, and use Amazon’s “Manage My Experiments” to AB test main images, titles, and content.
What do most brands get wrong?
They ignore the basics (esp. reviews and compelling content), skip testing, or try to replicate their DTC site on Amazon without optimizing for Amazon’s buyer journey.
Want the blueprint?
1/ Focus on impressions, clicks, and conversions—track each separately
2/ Nail main image + reviews before scaling ad spend
3/ Use iterations & split tests, not guessing
Biggest takeaway: Amazon growth = discipline x experimentation x relentless review strategy.
What’s your biggest challenge scaling on Amazon right now?
Drop your thoughts below or DM me!
—
Listen to the full, tactical breakdown from Mina and the Trivium team on DTC POD episode #332:
https://dtcpod.com/amazon-growth-tips
And follow along as we build the DTC POD community for top founders and operators.
Episode Summary
Mina Elias is a seasoned Amazon expert and founder of an Amazon growth agency managing over 180 CPG brands. Starting as an engineer and MMA fighter with a passion for supplements, Mina built a successful Amazon business and later expanded his expertise into helping other DTC brands scale and compete on Amazon's crowded marketplace.
In this episode of DTC Pod, Mina breaks down his proven framework for growing on Amazon by focusing on three core pillars: increasing traffic, optimizing click-through rate, and boosting conversion rate. He shares actionable strategies around paid and organic traffic, pricing, reviews, creative optimization, and advanced tactics like virtual bundles and premium A+ content. The conversation also covers how to set realistic expectations for ad spend, the role of reviews and pricing in building trust, and how to leverage every part of the Amazon listing to maximize sales and long-term growth.
Success Strategies
Simplify Amazon growth to three actionable pillars
Mina Elias recommends cutting through the complexity of Amazon by focusing relentlessly on three drivers: increasing traffic, boosting click-through rate (CTR), and optimizing conversion rate (CVR). Instead of getting overwhelmed by all the micro-tactics and ever-changing features, zero in on consistently growing impressions through paid and organic means, pulling the key levers on your listing to raise CTR, and systematically improving how many viewers become buyers. This laser focus helps brands prioritize what actually leads to growth instead of spreading their attention too thin.
Treat paid ads as a discovery engine—not just a sales channel
When scaling on Amazon, Mina treats paid advertising not just as a way to close sales, but as a critical tool for discovering which keywords and audiences convert profitably. He recommends an experimental, data-driven approach: Test dozens or hundreds of keywords with a set daily budget you’re comfortable “losing” in the name of learning. Gradually filter out the losers and double down on proven winners. Over time, this fuels both profitable campaigns and boosts organic ranking, as Amazon rewards ads that generate conversions with improved visibility.
Obsess over your main image and reviews
Mina emphasizes that your main product image and review count are the two biggest factors shaping both clicks and conversions. Frame your hero image to immediately communicate your key differentiators and fill every pixel of white space—think about what would make you pause if you were scrolling Amazon yourself. At the same time, invest in a deliberate review strategy from the start, understanding that more and better reviews not only signal trust, but also give you the flexibility to experiment with higher pricing and improve conversion rates over the long term. Brands that get these two right can outshine even larger incumbents, especially in competitive categories.
Success Strategies v2
Nail the Trivium Trinity: Traffic, Click-Through Rate, Conversion
Want to crush it on Amazon (or any major retail channel)? Take a page from Mina Elias’s playbook and focus relentlessly on what he calls the “Trivium Trinity”: Traffic, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Conversion Rate (CVR).
Here’s why this framework is so powerful:
Traffic gets eyeballs on your products. CTR ensures people actually click in. CVR is what turns browsers into buyers.
According to Mina, if you’re constantly working on all three, growth becomes inevitable. For DTC founders, this means structuring your entire optimization process around these pillars:
Ramp up traffic with a smart blend of paid (ads, DSP, retargeting) and organic (keyword ranking, reviews) strategies.
Improve CTR by split-testing main images, fine-tuning prices, and leveraging reviews, discounts, and shipping perks.
Skyrocket conversions with winning creative, tight product pages, stellar video, bullet points, bundles, and UGC.
Start by mapping your current Amazon (or DTC site) performance to each of these metrics. Set measurable goals and systematically run experiments one pillar at a time. By simplifying your growth model to these three levers, you’ll know exactly where to focus your time, budget, and energy for maximum returns.
Leverage Reviews and Images for Social Proof (and Profits)
Still treating Amazon reviews as an afterthought? Mina makes it clear: reviews and star ratings aren’t just a credibility boost—they’re a core growth driver.
His advice for DTC brands launching or scaling on Amazon is clear and actionable:
Enter the market with an aggressive yet “market agreeable” price to build velocity and accumulate initial reviews.
Make it a priority to get images and videos into your review section. It’s the first place customers look when making decisions.
Activate a robust, evergreen review strategy. That could mean following up post-purchase, incentivizing UGC, or using friends/family to bolster social proof off the bat.
Here’s the payoff: as your review numbers climb, conversion rates go up—and, more importantly, you unlock the ability to nudge your price up without killing sales. That’s pricing power you can take to the bank, all driven by trust. The goal? Consistency and patience. Every five-star review and user photo multiplies your profit potential over time.
Test Relentlessly—But One Variable at a Time
Tempted to overhaul your whole Amazon listing in one go? Pump the brakes. Mina’s big on measurement, and he makes a key point: test only one thing at a time so you can clearly see what drives real change.
Whether it’s updating your main image, tweaking ad campaign structure, or reworking your A+ (premium) content, isolate each test and let the results guide your next move. Use Amazon’s built-in experiments (Manage My Experiments) to AB test creative, titles, or premium content—so you’ll know what’s actually growing your sales.
This approach doesn’t just apply to Amazon. Bring it to your DTC site, email flows, or paid channels. A/B testing in a controlled, stepwise way lets you confidently double down on what works and avoid costly mistakes from guessing.
Bottom line: disciplined, sequential testing compounds results and takes the guesswork out of DTC (and marketplace) growth.
Castmagic LinkedIn Post
Amazon is a massive opportunity—but most brands struggle to stand out and drive real growth.
On this week’s episode of DTC POD, Blaine Bolus is joined by Mina Elias, a multi 7-figure Amazon seller and founder of the agency Trivium, managing 185+ brands.
Mina shares the framework his team uses to scale brands on Amazon today: from boosting traffic and impressions, to optimizing click-through and conversion rates, and proven tactics to increase your average order and lifetime value.
We unpack Amazon ads fundamentals, campaign structure, organic ranking, how to win on pricing, reviews, creative, retention, and so much more.
Listen to the full episode here: [link]
#shopify #dtc #ecommerce
IG Reel Vids
Mina Elias was an engineer and MMA fighter who started selling supplements on Amazon in 2018. Within a year, his brand hit nearly $1 million in revenue. But he didn’t stop there—after sharing his Amazon expertise online, he built an agency that now manages 185 brands and has a team of over 80 people. Here’s what matters for Amazon growth: maximize traffic through targeted paid ads and organic rankings, nail your click-through rate with strong images, reviews, and pricing, and boost conversion with optimized titles, bullet points, and UGC. Mina’s approach breaks Amazon growth down into three focused pillars, helping direct-to-consumer brands turn Amazon into almost half their revenue—making it an essential sales channel for scaling CPG brands today.
IG Video
Most Amazon brands struggle to get traffic and conversions—but this seller grew to a multi 7-figure business using a simple formula. Meet Mina Elias. Back in 2018, Mina was a full-time engineer and MMA fighter who launched a supplement brand from his own passion. In just over a year, he scaled it to nearly $100K a month on Amazon. But his real breakthrough? He focused relentlessly on three pillars: driving more traffic, boosting click-through rate, and maximizing conversion.
Instead of overcomplicating, he obsessed over better main images, sharper pricing, and nailing those first reviews. That’s how his listings started ranking and converting—even in crowded categories. Fast forward: now Mina runs an agency that helps over 185 brands replicate this method. His story proves that dominating Amazon isn't luck—it's about simplifying your growth strategy and optimizing every step, one pillar at a time.
📢 Short VO
When it comes to building a high-growth brand on Amazon, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds: listings, images, reviews, keywords—the list goes on. That’s why I sat down with Mina Elias for the latest episode. Mina is a multi 7-figure Amazon seller, an MMA fighter turned supplement founder, and now runs Trivium, an agency managing 185+ CPG brands on Amazon. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on the “Trivium Trinity”—the three core pillars that drive traffic, clicks, and conversions on Amazon—and breaks down actionable strategies for everything from keyword testing to maximizing reviews, dialing in your pricing and main image, and unlocking better conversion rates. Plus, Mina shares hard-won lessons on paid vs. organic growth, budgeting ad spend, and why execution (and AB testing) is everything when you’re scaling. This one’s loaded for anyone looking to win on Amazon. Listen to episode 332 and let us know your biggest takeaway.
Hormozi Prompt
When I launched my supplement brand on Amazon, I didn't pour thousands into flashy ads.
I didn't try to compete on 500,000 reviews.
I didn't obsess over being #1 for every keyword on day one.
I didn't avoid spending money to test what actually worked.
I didn't expect immediate profits.
I focused on three things:
I grew my traffic—paid and organic.
I optimized my click-through rate—main images, pricing, reviews, and titles.
I improved my conversion rate—better images, clearer bullet points, real UGC, and a cleaner offer.
We tested keywords.
We started small budgets—maybe $300 a day, knowing it would lose money at first.
We recycled spends from losers to winners.
We didn’t change everything at once; we changed one thing at a time, measured it, then moved on.
We split-tested every image and offer, using Amazon’s experiments to know what moved the needle.
It took six months of learning, adjusting, and patience before breakeven—even longer before strong gains.
Amazon was not an overnight play.
We played for reviews, we played for trust, and we played for position.
We turned on coupons and tested discounts, but learned that a lower list price often beat a high price with a coupon.
I always tell people:
Don’t expect Day 1 profits.
Don’t expect to win if you won’t test and learn.
Go in knowing traffic, clicks, and conversion rate are all you control, and keep cycling through.
“Launch on Amazon and get rich quick” doesn’t work.
You want to win? Be methodical. Work every angle. Play the long, boring game—and then the wins start to compound.
This was my process. Do what works for you—just keep moving the needle.
Timestamps Trial
00:00 Introduction: DTC POD Slack Community & HubSpot Plug
01:26 Guest Intro: Mina Elias' Amazon journey and agency growth
03:37 Today's Focus: The three core pillars of Amazon growth
04:04 The “Trivium Trinity”: Traffic, Click-Through Rate, Conversion Rate
05:18 Simplifying Amazon growth: The Amazon funnel explained
05:39 Traffic Deep Dive: Paid vs. organic approaches
07:24 Keyword Targeting & Scaling Paid Traffic on Amazon
10:26 Keyword Positioning: Buyer intent and its impact
11:13 Allocating Budget Across Amazon, Meta, TikTok Shop
12:07 Managing Amazon ad spend and break-even budgeting
13:31 Ramp-Up Timeline: How long brands take to find a winning Amazon strategy
14:51 Optimizing Paid Traffic: Campaign structure & tips
15:52 Amazon DSP and building audience funnels
16:50 Cracking Organic Traffic: Ranking and the role of ads
18:30 Click-Through Rate’s Impact on Organic Rank
19:11 Breaking Into Amazon as a New Brand: Differentiation, main images, and more
21:17 The Seven Factors Affecting Amazon Click-Through Rate
23:44 Main image best practices for standing out
24:59 Pricing Strategy: Launching and scaling up price
25:39 Reviews & Star Ratings: Importance and strategies
27:23 Evolving pricing with reviews; maximizing revenue
27:33 Discounts & Coupons: Testing and leveraging deals
30:30 Why lower price beats discount badges
31:22 Amazon Titles: SEO optimization tips
32:21 Shipping Speed: FBA vs. FBM and Prime badges
33:34 Badges: Best Seller & Amazon’s Choice strategies
35:03 Conversion Rate Essentials: Images, videos, bullets, and more
36:14 Understanding the Amazon buyer’s journey
37:41 Optimizing Videos: Content, captions, and creator tips
39:39 Bullet Points: Balancing selling points and SEO
40:55 Virtual Bundles: Upselling and pushing competitors down
42:51 Brand Story & Premium A+ Content: Storytelling and enhanced modules
44:45 UGC on Amazon: Leveraging influencer and customer videos
46:25 Amazon Posts and Storefronts: Lifestyle content and visual branding
47:47 Images in Reviews: Social proof in conversion
49:15 Conversion Rate Recap
49:55 Average Order Value: Multipacks, bundles, and variations
51:24 Lifetime Value: Subscribe & Save and retention strategies
53:03 Wrapping Up: How to execute and approach testing
54:26 Where to connect with Mina and Trivium
55:07 Outro and community resources
Custom LinkedIN Post Format
If I had to scale an Amazon channel from scratch, here's the playbook I'd use (straight from a multi 7-figure seller and agency founder, Mina Elias, on DTC POD #332):
There are 3 core pillars you need to master to win on Amazon:
• Drive more traffic (paid + organic)
• Maximize your click through rate (CTR)
• Boost conversion rate (CVR/Conversion)
Here’s the process...
Flood the top of the funnel with traffic—strategically.
Paid traffic: Start with a daily budget you’re OK to “lose” (think R&D for keywords). Test 50-100 keywords in tight ad groups—$500/day is a solid starting point if you can swing it.
Don’t burn cash indiscriminately—cycle out losers, double down on winners.
Organic traffic: Use ads to drive conversions for high-intent keywords. The more you convert, the higher you’ll rank organically for those terms. It’s a virtuous cycle, but it starts by showing up where buyers are searching.
Optimize for maximum clicks.
CTR on Amazon is driven by 7 levers:
• Main image (fill white space, add “eye candy,” flaunt differentiation)
• Price (test, test, test—lower initial pricing builds trust, reviews let you inch up later)
• Reviews & ratings (deploy a system to collect real, image/video reviews fast)
• Discounts/coupons (split test for profit—sometimes a lower price beats a fake “discount”)
• SEO-driven title
• Fast shipping (FBA almost always wins vs FBM)
• Badges (like Best Seller or Amazon’s Choice)
Think of your listing as an ad in a sea of options. You need to stop the scroll.
Convert with killer content.
Once they click, your job's just begun. Most people scroll images first, so invest in high-quality, infographic-style secondary images that answer “Why buy?” fast. Videos, bullet points (SEO + spec callouts), premium A+ content, and even Amazon Posts build trust and crush objections.
Leverage virtual bundles and subscribe & save to increase AOV and LTV.
A few quick wins we see brands ignore:
• A/B test your images and A+ content via Amazon’s built-in tools
• Get real UGC video into your reviews fast (message creators, seed your product)
• Don’t try to overhaul everything at once—iterate, measure, double down on what moves profit
Amazon can feel overwhelming, but this simple framework will outpace 99% of brands:
→ Get more eyes.
→ Get more clicks.
→ Win more buys.
Scale comes from stacking small improvements at every step.
--
Check out DTC POD #332 for the full blueprint from Mina Elias on how to drive traffic, clicks, and conversions (link in comments).
#ecommerce #amazonfba #dtc #growthmarketing #marketplaces #dtcpod
WEEKLY LINKEDIN SAMPLE POST
If I needed to scale an Amazon brand from scratch in today’s market, here’s the framework I’d follow (straight from Mina Elias—multi 7-figure seller and Amazon agency founder—who’s helped 185+ brands unlock real growth):
To crush it on Amazon, focus relentlessly on 3 core pillars:
• Drive more traffic (paid + organic)
• Boost your click-through rate (CTR)
• Max out your conversion rate (CVR)
Let’s break it down:
TRAFFIC: Get Seen By the Right Shoppers
Traffic comes two ways: paid ads and organic impressions.
For paid, you want to show up for every relevant keyword your customer is searching. Start by launching campaigns targeting 50–100 carefully selected keywords (not all at once—test in batches). Use a daily budget you’re comfortable experimenting with.
Don’t be afraid to lose money upfront to gather data and learn which search queries convert.
For organic traffic, it’s all about converting on paid terms first—Amazon ranks you higher when your product sells well for a specific keyword. As you win on ads, your organic placements rise with them.
CLICK-THROUGH RATE: Win the Click
Here are the levers that impact your Amazon CTR (Mina’s got these dialed):
• Main image: Stands out, fills the frame, and shouts your top differentiator (callouts right on the packaging).
• Price: Competitive, especially for new products—don’t overprice until reviews stack up.
• Reviews & stars: Social proof wins. Have a clear system to collect reviews early and often.
• Discounts & coupons: Experiment with on-page coupons (even $5 off makes a difference!).
• Title: SEO-packed but readable—front-load your top keywords.
• Shipping: FBA (Prime) is a must, shoppers want it FAST.
• Badges: “Best Seller” and “Amazon’s Choice” send trust skyrocketing.
Split-test regularly. Small tweaks (like a new main image) can multiply clicks overnight.
CONVERSION RATE: Seal the Deal
Your listing is a landing page—optimize it like one. Don’t just rely on default photos and text:
• Fill out all available image slots with hard-hitting infographics and secondary angles.
• Upload high-quality video showing real use, unboxing, or benefits.
• Bullet points = concise sales copy + SEO keywords + key specs.
• Use virtual product bundles to upsell, and push competitor suggestions below the fold.
• Tell your brand story and use premium A+ content—comparison charts, lifestyle photos, mobile-ready layouts.
• UGC: Source real customer photos and video reviews for instant credibility.
• Make sure your reviews have images—shoppers sprint to this section before anything else.
Bonus levers:
• Push average order value (AOV) with bundles, multipacks, or larger sizes.
• Boost lifetime value (LTV) by promoting Subscribe & Save and cross-selling with DSP retargeting.
A few tactical tips:
• Tweak ONE variable at a time and measure results—use Amazon’s built-in AB tests (“Manage My Experiments”).
• Start small, iterate, and scale what works.
• Don’t shortcut reviews—have a LONG-term strategy for steady accumulation.
• Make everything mobile-optimized—most traffic shops on their phones.
Amazon is a simple funnel: more impressions → more clicks → more conversions → more profit. Obsess over the basics, and your brand will scale.
––
Listen to Mina’s full breakdown for actionable Amazon playbooks and strategic details: [dtcpod.com]
#AmazonFBA #DTC #ecommerce #amazonmarketing #growthmarketing
Want hands-on tips, templates, and discussions? Join the DTC Pod Slack community—exclusive for founders, operators, and CPG game-changers. Apply via the link in our show notes!
dtcpod newsletter NEW (test)
Mina Elias is the founder and CEO of Trivium Group, an Amazon growth agency managing over 185 brands—primarily in CPG—since 2021. Mina started on Amazon in 2018 with a supplement brand sparked by his MMA background, scaling to $94K/month within a year, and quickly became a known expert in the Amazon ecosystem. After consulting for aggregators and discovering a gap in agency quality, he built Trivium into an 85+ person team helping DTC brands master Amazon growth.
What you’ll learn:
How Mina approaches Amazon as a funnel driven by three “Trivium Trinity” pillars: traffic, click-through rate (CTR), and conversion rate (CVR).
The tactical differences between scaling paid traffic (ads, DSP) and organic rankings, including why paid spend is a discovery tool for profitable keywords.
How campaign structure, bidding, and keyword segmentation can transform your paid Amazon performance and reduce wasted spend.
Counterintuitive insights on Amazon ad bidding: why showing up further down the search results can actually improve buyer intent, not just top spots.
The seven factors that most influence your CTR on Amazon, from differentiated main images to coupon strategy and shipping speed.
Battle-tested strategies for new brands to quickly generate reviews, break into competitive categories, and optimize for Amazon’s ranking algorithm.
Deep dive on conversion rate optimization, including images, video, bullet points, brand story, and premium A+ content—plus how to leverage virtual bundles for both upsells and competitor defense.
Frameworks for increasing average order value (AOV) and lifetime value (LTV) via multi-pack offers, subscribe & save, and targeting repeat buyers.
The importance of sequential testing (not changing everything at once) and using Amazon’s Manage My Experiments for rigorous A/B testing.
Some takeaways:
Amazon growth boils down to a simple—but relentless—focus on the “Trivium Trinity”: traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. Mina frames Amazon as a funnel: maximize impressions (via organic and paid), boost CTR (with images, price, reviews, and more), then optimize the listing for conversion (through images, video, content, UGC, and a structured buying journey). Master these and you drive revenue.
Paid search on Amazon isn’t about blanket keyword spraying. Structure campaigns as 1 campaign/1 ad group/5 keywords max for budget control and clean data, then systematically test keywords at a threshold spend (50% of product price) for ROI. As you uncover profitable terms, recycle budget into new experiments; don’t just “set and forget.”
Bids aren’t just about being #1. In some cases, buyer intent is higher further down search results—especially for broad queries. Test keyword positioning and don’t assume #10 is “bad.”
Getting organic rank is all about conversions on target keywords, typically through focused ad spend in the early days. Paid and organic are symbiotic: convert paid clicks, and your organic listings rise. A strong click-through rate often signals to Amazon’s algorithm that your product deserves more visibility.
Seven levers control your CTR: main image (focus on clear differentiation and bold callouts—3D renders can outperform photos), price (start low, increase as reviews build), reviews/star ratings (core drivers of trust), discounts/coupons (test vs. simply lowering price), title (keyword-rich but readable), shipping speed (Prime is a must), and badges (Amazon’s Choice, Best Seller—sometimes hackable via category strategy).
For conversion rate, think like a landing page designer: each image and video should sell, inform, and answer objections quickly. Infographics trump walls of text. UGC and images in reviews are a powerful trust driver; incentivize your community for visual reviews whenever possible.
Don’t neglect premium A+ content (unlocked with brand story); use comparison charts, carousels, and video to position your product above competitors—desktop and mobile should be separately optimized.
Virtual bundles are more than an AOV hack: they also push down competitor placements on your listing, defending your traffic.
Average order value increases through bundles, multi-packs, and subscribe & save—activated with both a recurring % discount and a first-purchase sweetener. LTV soars with subscription penetration.
Optimize one lever at a time—don’t overhaul everything at once, or you’ll lose the cause-effect on performance. Use Amazon’s native experiments for systematic, measurable gains.
Where to find Mina Elias:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minaelias/
• Instagram: @theminaelias
• Trivium Group: https://www.triviumco.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MinaElias
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro: DTC Pod community news + why Amazon is core for modern brands
(01:45) Mina’s background: from engineering to multi-7-figure Amazon success
(03:37) Amazon’s key growth pillars: traffic, CTR, CVR (the “Trivium Trinity”)
(05:39) Tactics for scaling paid vs. organic traffic, campaign structure, keyword testing
(10:26) Ad bidding, search result position, and buyer intent
(13:31) How to set budgets, allocate spend across channels, and plan for breakeven
(14:51) Paid campaign structure, DSP, and funnel design
(17:58) How paid conversions drive organic rankings; click-through rate as a ranking factor
(19:11) Fast-tracking new brands with differentiation and early review strategy
(21:13) The seven drivers of CTR: actionable breakdowns
(35:03) Advanced conversion rate tactics: images, video, bullet points, bundles, brand story, reviews, UGC, Amazon Posts
(49:55) Boosting AOV and LTV: multi-packs, variations, subscribe & save, DSP retargeting
(53:12) Execution playbook: sequential change, controlled experiments
Referenced:
• Data Dive for SEO: https://www.datadive.tools/
• RankBell for Amazon buyer journey research: https://www.rankbell.com/
• MMA Nutrition (Mina’s supplement brand): https://www.mmanutrition.com/
Want real Amazon growth? Build relentlessly on traffic, click-through, and conversion. Obsess over every detail your customers see. And—above all—test, measure, and keep iterating.
This summary is based on the full DTC Pod #332 transcript. For more on Mina’s approach or to connect, check out the links above.
[New] Show Notes
Episode Summary
Mina Elias, multi 7-figure Amazon seller and founder of Trivium Group, returns to DTC POD to share advanced growth strategies for scaling on Amazon. Mina breaks down the three core pillars that drive traffic, increase click-through rate (CTR), and boost conversion rates (CVR). He explains actionable tactics for DTC brands looking to win in a competitive Amazon landscape—including paid and organic growth, Amazon ad budgets, campaign structure, product differentiation, pricing, reviews, and more.
Episode Notes
Mina Elias is an Amazon growth expert, supplement brand founder, and founder of Trivium Group, an Amazon-focused agency managing 185+ CPG brands. In this episode of DTC POD, Mina walks listeners through the exact strategies his agency uses to take brands from launch to consistent, profitable growth on Amazon.
Mina outlines the “Trivium Trinity”—traffic, CTR, and conversion rate—and explains how to systematically increase each. He provides in-depth advice on Amazon PPC campaign structure, budget allocation, and the smart way to test and scale keywords. Mina details how to optimize your Amazon listing—covering main images, reviews, price, title, shipping speed, badges, A+ content, and UGC. He shares pragmatic strategies to boost average order value (AOV) and customer lifetime value (LTV), and offers insights every DTC founder and operator needs if they’re selling (or considering selling) on Amazon.
On this episode of DTC POD, we cover:
Mina’s journey: launching on Amazon, scaling brands, and founding Trivium Group
The three pillars of Amazon growth: traffic, CTR, and CVR
Paid vs. organic traffic on Amazon
Keyword research, testing, and budget allocation for Amazon ads
How to price and position new products for maximum traction
Review strategies and the impact of reviews on conversion
Optimizing images, titles, and creative for higher CTR
How discounts, coupons, and promotions play into the Amazon flywheel
FBA vs. FBM and why fulfillment method matters
Leveraging A+ and Premium A+ content for conversion
Boosting AOV with bundles, variations, and subscribe & save
Creative use of UGC, Amazon Posts, Brand Story, and storefronts
Practical A/B testing and execution tactics for ongoing improvement
Timestamps
00:00 Intro: DTC POD Slack community & Mina’s background
04:04 The three pillars of Amazon growth: traffic, CTR, CVR
05:39 Traffic strategies: paid vs. organic, maximizing impressions
10:26 Keyword selection, ad budgets, and testing for profitable campaigns
13:31 Balancing Amazon ad spend with other channels (Meta, TikTok Shop)
14:51 Ramping Amazon strategy: how long does it take to break even?
21:13 Seven key factors influencing click-through rate
25:01 How price, reviews, and ratings interact and affect positioning
27:33 Discounts, coupons, and maximizing search visibility
31:22 Title optimization and Amazon SEO best practices
32:21 Shipping speed: FBA vs. FBM, and its impact on rankings
34:37 Using badges, subcategories, and best seller strategies
35:03 Conversion rate optimization: images, video, bullets, bundles, and A+ content
42:51 Leveraging brand story and premium A+ for differentiation
45:19 The role of UGC, Amazon Posts, and reviews with images
49:55 Increasing AOV and LTV: bundles, subscribe & save, and upsell tactics
53:03 Execution and measurement: A/B testing for continual growth
54:36 How to connect with Mina and Trivium Group
Join the DTC POD founder community at dtcpod.com and follow along for more actionable insights from top consumer founders and operators.
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