Keeping Your Amazon Team at the Cutting Edge - Episode 155

CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL ERICKSON

 

DESCRIPTION

Today we’re playing a conversation with Michael Erickson, founder of Ad Badger - an Amazon PPC optimization tool. Michael also hosts The Badger’s Den podcast, a great show about Amazon paid search strategies and tactics. But on today’s show, we are talking about how we stay up to date on the newest Amazon marketing strategies.

Tune in, to learn how to keep your Amazon team at the cutting edge!

In early 2010, Michael discovered the fast-paced, exciting world of online marketing. He loved its challenges and the intrinsic reward of helping businesses scale new heights. Now his objective is to help businesses grow by providing honest online marketing that provides true value to their customers. With Ad Badger, his desire is to bring a true automation tool to market to improve the seller’s workflow on Amazon.

“It really is important to actually, formally specify what is our organization’s learning methodology and how do we stay on top of things.”
— Michael Erickson

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The mindset of a professional researcher - creating a lof of content:

    • Writing is a ‘public good’ and also a selfish pursuit of understanding a topic more deeply, it helps to clarify the point of view. E.g. writing a post for Forbes, doing webinars: Luxury brands on Amazon (Digiday), CPG brands on Amazon (Foresight CFO) - 2 recent webinars. 

    • Write a weekly news digest for clients. Round-up of all the news items that affect brands of the past week. Very time-intensive. Even harder to connect the dots with past changes/trends. For the audience - become the “hub” of your company for vital information, and you will always be invaluable.

    • Newsletters from solution providers. ‘Nuzzel’ is a favorite tool to aggregate news stories from people on Twitter. 

    • Be practical. Don’t expect to spot everything. 

  • Accept some solicitations

    • Software tools & solution providers - 1 in 10 times accept a pitch and learn something about the industry, or at least, why a certain solution exists. 

  • Peer groups

    • “Digital shelf institute” by Salsify - a group of retail execs that pretty candidly share their deepest issues and wins in their company. We conduct investigations among this group and come up with insights that aren’t widely available. 

    • Find your “tribe” - LinkedIn, Slack channels, etc. Create a culture of sharing. 

  • For the wider team

    • Test & learn (software, platforms, etc) - some make it, some don’t. Usually, give it a 1-month trial on 1-2 accounts.  

    • Meetings with Amazon partner team - having a 1:1 relationship with Amazon both on AMS and DSP side is very fortunate. Best practices, access to Beta programs, etc. This is something you should be leaning on your agency for, if you’re a smaller brand without a direct AMZ relationship. 

    • 90-day reviews.

    • Channel-digest.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Season 3Kiri MastersComment