In the spectrum of shopping events, Amazon Prime Day is a relatively young one. Created in 2015 to celebrate Amazon's 20th birthday, the shopping event was launched as an effort to boost both sales and Prime subscriptions, and well… it worked.
Now in its eighth year, we’ve come to accept Prime Day as a full-on ecommerce bonanza - a rising tide that lifts all boats for retailers across diverse categories. This year's event will span two days once again: Tuesday, July 12th, and Wednesday, July 13th.
The Prime Day Halo Effect
It's clear that Prime Day sets the mood for consumers, priming the opportunity for retailers to draw shoppers to their own sites. During last year’s Prime Day (June 21-22, 2021), 20% of Prime Day shoppers purchased from other retailers.
In 2021, affiliate publishers used Amazon’s 48-hour sales event to direct shoppers to explore and purchase from affiliate brands, increasing engagement by 16% and sales 17% from Prime Day 2020. The event also delivered a nice mid-month boost to retail and service brands worldwide - daily average network revenue for the two days lifted 36% compared to the preceding 14 days. Without disclosing sales numbers, Amazon said gross revenue for last year’s event grew 9% and analysts estimate total revenue was between $6.8 to $11 billion USD.
Tips to Create a Solid Prime Day-Adjacent Affiliate Strategy
There’s a reason why shoppers love Prime Day so much: Prime members get access to thousands of deals across categories, free and fast shipping, alongside free returns.
The best way to take advantage of the Prime Day halo effect? Play to the benefits of Prime Day and draw shoppers in with free shipping, competitive pricing, and deep discounts. Any additional perks you can add to the shopping experience will only sweeten the pot further.
Bring the deals: Promote competitive offers to mirror Amazon’s coveted deals and increase footprint during this high consideration timeframe
Stay competitive: When it comes to Prime Day adjacent promotions, free shipping should be a given. Getting creative with additional promotional perks - a free gift with any purchase, for example - may help your brand win the sale.
Omnichannel is in: Keeping with the pandemic-driven demand for omnichannel services, having a brick-and-mortar presence may give your brand an edge during Prime Day. Make sure to play up the 'buy online, pick-up in-store' offers in your affiliate program.
Customise your creative: Spark publisher and consumer interest by leveraging event-specific offer copy in your affiliate program.
Tap into mobile: Capitalise on consumer trends and achieve a stronger share of voice by recruiting and investing in mobile partners in your affiliate program.
Buyer’s guides: Content commerce plays a huge part in helping shoppers navigate all the deals, so gaining a presence on sites participating in Prime Day chatter can keep your brand top of mind. Keep in mind that these partners are looking for the best deals on the web and that your offers and shopping experience will need to be competitive enough with Amazon to be featured.
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Prime Day is a disruptive retail event and the affiliate channel contributes to this event in a big way due to publishers’ promotional effort and reach. Make sure you make the most of this important shopping peak!
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