Amazon copywriting is more than just words. For sellers on the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace, the copywriting they feature has a tremendous effect on everything from algorithm performance to customer satisfaction. Find out exactly why it matters so much and how you can do it better. 

Search Engine Optimization

Obviously, Amazon is an online marketplace. But as much as it’s a place to shop, it is also a search engine. Hundreds of millions of products from countless sellers are listed for sale, and they are all competing to be among the top results when a customer types in a relevant search term. Successful Amazon copywriting is mindful of this fact and incorporates relevant and well-researched keywords into product listings. However, it’s not enough just to include the right words. They need to be integrated seamlessly without sacrificing the effectiveness of engaging copy. 

Storytelling

E-commerce success doesn’t just come from selling products online. It also requires selling your brand to customers in a way that strengthens satisfaction and encourages loyalty. Often, it starts with clear and concise writing. Whether it’s bullet points, item descriptions or the landing page of an Amazon Store, the style and tone should enhance your brand, not compete with it. The copywriting on Amazon is also your brand’s story, and you want customers to enjoy reading it. 

Customer Service

The most effective Amazon copywriting can be essential to your customer service efforts. By taking a proactive approach, the information featured in your product listings can clear up any potential confusion about your product’s size, color or use before it becomes a problem for future buyers. Scour your reviews, particularly the negative and neutral ones, to find the most pressing FAQs and address them in compelling copy.  

Conversions

Even if copywriting capitalizes on the algorithm, conveys your brand’s story, and describes your product thoroughly, it still has critical work left to do. Success on Amazon comes down to conversions. Fortunately, optimized copywriting will typically result in more eyes on your product listing, which is a reliable way to increase sales. But the words only have a small window to resonate with shoppers and transition them from searching to buying. To accomplish this consistently, writing needs to be engaging enough to keep their attention and persuasive enough to convince them they have found what they were looking for.

Where copywriting matters

Despite the limitations of an Amazon product listing, there are three main areas where copywriting is critical. The words chosen for each element of a listing have the potential to influence search results, and more importantly, they can determine whether that search leads to a view or, ideally, a conversion. 

Product Title

An ideal product title is bold, concise, informative and imminently clickable. While it may seem intuitive, it’s a combination that can be difficult for both novice and experienced writers to achieve. Amazon titles are limited to 250 characters and receive more emphasis in terms of SEO than other parts of a listing. This can make choosing which keywords to include in the title a critical choice with substantial consequences. In most cases, the product title will consist of the brand name and most important product details that apply universally to any variants available in the listing, along with one or two relevant keywords. 

Key Features

The key features of an Amazon product listing provide an overview of an item in a bullet point format. This text receives prominent placement near the top of the listing and typically focuses on the specifications or key selling points that are most useful to shoppers. Amazon sellers are limited to five bullet points of up to 100 characters each. One tip that professional e-commerce copywriters understand is that an emphasis on benefits can lead to more conversions than simply the product features. Therefore, approaching this section of a listing with the goal of explaining how the product solves a shopper’s problem rather than just describing the item can pay big dividends. 

Product Description

Comprising the bulk of any Amazon listing, the product description offers up to 2000 characters to dive into the details about the item you’re selling. The length gives the best opportunity to incorporate your brand storytelling and long-tail keywords. 

Unlike the title and key features, Amazon product description writing should do more than try to lure in potential customers. Instead, by the time they reach a product description, these shoppers are invested in their search and putting substantial effort into finding the right product for their needs. 

Many Amazon sellers fail to capitalize on the copywriting opportunity that a product description presents. Instead, they use common marketing words and cliches to describe the item rather than trying to make a stronger impression with would-be buyers. In addition to addressing the most important questions about a product, effective copywriting for a product description can connect with shoppers and begin the vital goal of building customer loyalty by appealing to shared values. 

The keys to successful Amazon copywriting

There are several ways to improve your Amazon copywriting. Mainly, they result from taking a deliberate approach that accounts for the customer’s perspective. Write what shoppers want to know, not what brands want to tell them. We’ve included some of the most impactful copywriting strategies below. 

Differentiate your product

As brand owners, you know what makes your product different from everything else out there. The problem is, when you’re that close to it, it’s easy to focus on the what instead of the why. Optimized Amazon copywriting will always lead with benefits and explain the deliberate ways your product outperforms the competition.  

Do your research

Before writing new copy or adjusting existing content, it’s imperative that you do the necessary research. Keyword research to identify both head keywords and more specific long-tail keywords will ensure the best chance to break through the noise. Competitive research is also essential, but keep the focus on your product. Look for differences you can highlight that are true, relevant and that you can win on. If it doesn’t meet those criteria, it’s best to look elsewhere for content. 

Address customer concerns

As mentioned above, copywriting presents an incredible opportunity to strengthen your brand’s customer service. You can’t make everyone happy, but you can make sure the people who buy your product know what they’re getting. And doing so will minimize the possibility of a poor review. Remember, surveys have shown that nine out of 10 customers read reviews before clicking the buy button, while eight out of 10 give them as much weight as a personal recommendation. Be honest with yourself and your customers. Your listings should actively address customer concerns and complaints, as well as reassure them about the quality of the product. 

Make a connection 

Don’t underestimate the power of emotion when it comes to the words promoting your product. Your branding should feature an emotional connection that you are attempting to make with customers. Do you want them to feel safe? More confident? Happier? Whatever it is, your copy should incorporate language that reflects those same feelings. Customer reviews or discussions with users about their product experience can be great ways to identify the target emotions that will guide any copywriting.

Keep it simple

Despite the complex demands of Amazon copywriting, keeping your prose simple is still helpful. You want a prospective buyer to be able to scan the copy quickly and easily land on the area of most interest to them. Reading an initial draft of any new copywriting aloud is an excellent way to spot any areas readers might get hung up on. If possible, it’s also best to have multiple people review it for additional perspectives on the readability. 

Finding the right copywriting partner

Once you decide that copywriting is too important to be an afterthought, you may find that partnering with a professional is the best route to improving your Amazon listing content. If so, there are a few areas you should pay careful attention to during your search for the right provider. 

E-commerce Experience

Experience isn’t just a function of time. You want to work with a writer who has a proven track record writing for the e-commerce industry. While it can be helpful to work with someone familiar with your product category, understanding the best practices for online writing and optimizing for Amazon is likely to be the more critical factor. 

Alignment with your Brand

The long-term success of any Amazon partnership hinges on how well the provider’s capabilities align with the brand’s expectations. Creating a solid foundation requires compatibility across several areas. Obviously, you need a partner with the ability to provide effective copywriting, but they should also be able to meet your expectations when it comes to cost, communication and goals. Most brands will be better served by finding a copywriter who is the best fit for their products, not the one with the most impressive lineup of previous clients.

Bundled Services

In many cases, there is value in working with a partner that can provide more than an efficient Amazon copywriting service. Since the writing works in conjunction with so many other parts of the Amazon marketplace, bundling Amazon listing optimization services can maximize the impact. If you’re looking for copywriting help, consider a provider that can assist with photography, Amazon Store creation, digital marketing campaigns and more. Just be wary of companies or individuals who claim expertise in too many areas without the staff and experience to back it up. 

Amify your business

Whether it’s copywriting, Amazon SEO strategy or general platform management, the team at Amify is ready to help elevate your brand in a competitive e-commerce marketplace. We have the right combination of best-in-class tools and hard-earned experience to lead your Amazon listing optimization and achieve the results you want. Contact us for a free consultation.