How to Increase Product Visibility with Amazon Lightning Deals
With Amazon Lightning Deals, Amazon has created a deal category that allows you to increase the visibility of your products and achieve additional sales through short-term discount promotions. Here, you can learn how Lightning Deals work on Amazon and what experiences sellers and vendors have had.
What are Amazon Lightning Deals?
Amazon Lightning Deals (also known as Deals or Today’s Deals) are a savings promotion by Amazon. Sellers and vendors can offer discounts on their products for a limited period of four to twelve hours. The quantity of discounted items is limited. Amazon always displays the percentage of available units that have already been sold, which further increases the purchase incentive for customers. If all units of the promotion are sold, the deal ends early.
Benefits of Amazon Lightning Deals for Sellers and Vendors
To list an item as an Amazon Lightning Deal, sellers and vendors must pay a fee to Amazon. However, this can significantly increase the visibility of their products. Unlike PPC campaigns, Lightning Deals are not keyword-based; instead, they are displayed through Amazon’s deals page, and the listing is marked with a label.
On Amazon’s deals page, customers with a high purchase intent are primarily browsing. Therefore, the chance that a customer who discovers your product among the Amazon Lightning Deals will buy it is high. Additionally, Amazon notifies customers who have the product on their wish list about the deal and also runs email marketing to visitors of the product page. This way, you can convince undecided customers to make a final purchase with an Amazon Lightning Deal. If your product is frequently clicked and purchased during the promotion, it can also positively impact its organic ranking.
How do Amazon Lightning Deals work?
To list your product as an Amazon Lightning Deal, it must meet certain requirements:
Additional Requirements on Prime Day
Prime Day is an exclusive deal event, as the offers are only available to customers who are part of Amazon’s loyalty program “Prime.” Since July 2015, Prime Day has been held as an annual discount event. Amazon has since expanded the Prime-exclusive offers to include additional events, such as “Prime Fall” in the autumn of 2022.
To list an Amazon Lightning Deal on Prime Day, you must meet additional requirements. On Prime Day, Amazon only features items with at least a 20 percent discount and the lowest selling price of the year as Lightning Deals. The rating must also be at least 3.5 stars. Additionally, all Amazon guidelines for product presentation must be fulfilled.
Creating an Amazon Lightning Deal – How Does It Work?
You can create an Amazon Lightning Deal through your Seller or Vendor account in the “Advertising” section. Under the “Deals” option, you can create a new deal for the desired product.
You can now select the desired week and duration for the deal. Lucrative promotional periods are often booked a month in advance, so it is advisable to reserve the deal slot early. After choosing the promotional period, you can set the quantity and offer price. It is important to note that Amazon specifies a minimum quantity below which the deal cannot be created. Therefore, you need to have a certain inventory level to offer an Amazon Lightning Deal.
After entering all relevant parameters, you can confirm the creation of the deal. The Lightning Deal will then be reviewed and approved by Amazon.
The Amazon Lightning Deal is not working – What to do?
It can happen that Amazon requests a revision for the submitted Lightning Deal or rejects the offer. It is advisable to take a look at Amazon’s guidelines. For example, the required discount may not be met because the calculation uses the past average price rather than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). If you seek support from an Amazon agency like Faru Services GmbH, you can also consult them for advice on getting the deal approved.
Costs for Amazon Lightning Deals
To list an Amazon Lightning Deal, sellers must pay two fees: depending on the event, a marketing fee ranging from €35 to €70 applies. Additionally, there is a fee for each item sold through the promotion. This fee varies individually but is displayed during the deal creation process.
Alternative to Amazon Lightning Deals: 7-Day Deal
An alternative to the Amazon Lightning Deal, where you are not as reliant on a specific short promotional period, is the 7-Day Deal. This promotion can also be created through the deals page.
Conclusion: Amazon Lightning Deals as an Opportunity for Sellers and Vendors
Amazon Lightning Deals are a great way to generate more attention for your products or boost sales, as you reach a particularly purchase-driven customer group through the deals page. Additionally, customers who already have your product on their wish list may receive the final push to make a purchase.
However, Amazon Lightning Deals are just one component of a successful marketing strategy on Amazon. For a comprehensive strategy, it is advisable to collaborate with a specialized Amazon marketing agency to fully leverage Amazon’s capabilities and develop a suitable marketing mix for your brand.
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