When juggling between business operations and marketing, being enrolled in a reliable program that can help sellers boost their business is beneficial.
In regards to an Amazon marketing campaign, enrolling in Amazon Launchpad to help scale up is beneficial and recommended. The goal of Amazon Launchpad is to provide room for rising brands and startups to kickstart their Amazon business.
Jim Adkins, Amazon Vice-President stated that “…our goal is to enable them to reach Amazon’s hundreds of millions of customers and to overcome one of the biggest challenges any startup faces – bringing their product to market successfully.”
Understanding the Amazon Launchpad
Amazon Launchpad is a program that was launched by Amazon back in 2015 and is aimed towards helping Amazon startups, creators, inventors, and emerging brands. It serves as a supplemental program to accelerate and jumpstart your Amazon business.
The program benefits can be classified into four categories which cover mainly onboarding, optimization, marketing, and business insight. To better understand what Amazon sellers may get from Amazon Launchpad, here are the program benefits.
Onboarding & Optimization Support
Kick-starting an Amazon business may not be easy for sellers that are non-techy and new to the eCommerce industry. That is why Amazon created Amazon Launchpad and its on-boarding and optimization support to assist sellers in successfully launching their product.
As part of the onboarding phase, sellers will benefit from; (1) In-house Brand Consultants; (2) Launch Checklist; (3) Sponsored Products Advisor Access. All of these processes form part of the on-boarding and optimization support in Amazon Launchpad geared primarily towards your Amazon advertising strategy.
Launch Marketing Package
Once you optimize your product listing and complete the checklist launch provided, your listings will be qualified for Amazon Launchpad Marketing. This part of the program aims to improve the visibility and discoverability of your product listing.
Some of the perks sellers will enjoy from the Amazon Launchpad Marketing Package include (1) placement of the product on strategic Amazon Launchpad pages, including homepage, category page, and new releases category page; (2) Email & Notifications; (3) Being qualified for thematic campaigns.
Business Insights
As part of Amazon Launchpad, sellers will also be eligible for business insights. The business insights include sellers gaining access to (1) Self-service Business Insights Suite; (2) High-Value Business Advisory.
Ongoing Opportunities
One of the best things new Amazon sellers will get from the Amazon Launchpad program is the consideration for placement in Amazon shopping events. Some of these events include Cyber Monday, Amazon Prime Day, and Black Friday.
Furthermore, Amazon Launchpad members will also be eligible for additional discounts, credits, and other useful benefits from the program. However, worth noting that opportunities and benefits may be subject to varying selection criteria and location.
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Amazon Launchpad Eligibility
When it comes to who can join the Amazon Launchpad program, as of the current, Amazon gives preference to startups funded by crowdfunding platforms and venture capital firms.
However, Amazon is willing to consider other startups, brand owners, and entrepreneurs as long as they have unique and innovative products. They can apply for the Amazon Launchpad program and wait for 7-10 business days for the response.
Even existing sellers may also participate in Amazon Launchpad, provided that they have product listings for less than 3 years and have generated an annual gross income of less than $5 million.
Additional criteria for current Amazon sellers include at least 3.5 stars, at least 5 reviews, and must be enrolled in Amazon FBA with Prime Badging. Worth noting that, for both types of applicants, it is highly suggested that they should have their products prepared and ready for shipping.
Post-Launchpad Support
After enjoying Amazon Launchpad benefits, administrative support will still be provided after transitioning out of the program. Amazon still offers avenues for sellers whose products are no longer featured in Amazon Launchpad.
Amazon sellers may access tools and resources under their Vendor Central account. Amazon offers further marketing and advertising solutions to continue the success of the Amazon Launchpad program despite graduating from the program or after canceling program participation after 12 months.
Alternatively, Seller University is also available once sellers login to their Seller Account. Seller University provides various tips and tricks for Amazon sellers including materials discussing topic fulfillment, optimization, marketing, sales, and customer satisfaction queries.
Moreover, if you are not satisfied with the in-house support of Amazon after leaving the Launchpad program, sellers may also check on third-party Amazon seller tools, including but not limited to Amazon repricers, data analytic, FBA revenue calculators, and keyword research tools.
Launching Success
Like in any form of business, the starting phase is normally the most difficult one. However, you should not be discouraged from any struggle or difficulty in this particular stage of the business.
Instead of dwelling on the frustration and disappointments of the Amazon business, try to focus on bringing solutions and innovation to your Amazon startup.
