Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past ten years or so, you’re well aware of Amazon’s dominance in the e-commerce field. More brands are starting to adopt an “if you can’t beat them, join them” policy with regards to their e-commerce operations. So, instead of designing their content marketing efforts to add value to the products on their webstore, they’re designing their content marketing efforts to drive traffic to Amazon.
Why Amazon?
On the surface, it may sound strange. Why would a successful business with engaging content design it in such a way that it pushes the consumer away from their e-commerce operations instead of towards them?
It’s a numbers game, and you can’t deny the numbers that Amazon puts up. In 2016, Amazon generated 82.8 billion dollars in sales, which is more than their closest ten competitors combined. No site converts better or knows the ins and outs of e-commerce better than the folks at Amazon. Let’s look at a couple of businesses who are leading the pack when it comes to focusing their content marketing strategies on driving traffic to Amazon.
Amoretti
Amoretti makes delicious food and beverage flavorings. No doubt you’ve tasted their products in some of your favorite foods, desserts or beverages. In 2011, the company opened its operation to retail customers as well.
Since Amoretti’s products are used in such a broad range of foods and beverages, there was plenty of room to create a beautiful blog showcasing recipes, tips and other helpful information about Amoretti products. Throughout their blog, you’ll notice various calls to action to purchase their products directly on Amazon.
Teacher Peach
Teacher Peach is a brand specializing in fun and educational products for teachers to use in their classrooms, as well as thoughtful gifts for the teacher in your life.
Teacher Peach began by selling their products on Amazon, and shortly after created an e-commerce site as well. What they learned is that Amazon is a much more powerful tool at driving sales than their own website.
Instead of trying to fight the power of Amazon, they embraced it. So, they made some massive alterations to their website and removed its e-commerce functionality. Now, they leave the challenges of e-commerce to Amazon while using their website as a space to create content, promote their products and educate consumers on how to use them.
The results? Teacher Peach enjoyed over 170% growth in sales in 2016 as compared to the previous year.
What’s Right for You?
This practice isn’t going to be for everybody. For some businesses, especially businesses with lower margins, it’s not going to make sense financially to steer your business straight to Amazon. But, if you find that the numbers work for you after doing some research, harnessing the power of Amazon as a sales channel could be a great way to take your business to the next level.
