Were Amazon’s ears burning after our last poll? 👀 [MDSR #8]

Author

Million Dollar Sellers
February 08, 2024

Breaking: 41% of our readers think Amazon should be doubling down on making the marketplace more trustworthy and legit for shoppers. 

Let’s get into the intel you need to keep making sales no matter what’s happening with The Powers That Be at everyone’s favorite eCom giant…

Hot Off The Presses 📰

Were Amazon’s ears burning after our last newsletter poll? Because they seem to have initiated an automated process to remove suspicious reviews in violation of their customer review policy. We like the idea of improving listing integrity by improving review integrity and all — but some sellers find the potential for errors (and the definite lack of transparency) about the automated process pretty worrying. 

Even so, it’s a good time to be Amazon right now. On February 1st, they announced a Q4 profit of $10.6B and final revenue numbers 14% higher than Wall Street’s predictions. And just a few days later, they struck a landmark deal with Reach (the UK’s largest publisher) in response to the demise of third-party cookies

And cookies or not, shoppers in the US are loving their Amazon purchases, from digital thermometers to durable dog toys. Oh, and tiny homes for $30k…

Meanwhile on TikTok, things seem to be getting even less legit. Creators are exposing counterfeit products, and general interest publications are encouraging shoppers to think twice before they buy from the growing number of shoppable TikTok posts. And something tells us that the viral trends people stuck around for will become a thing of the past given TikTok’s falling out with UMG…

Other than that, AI continues to have its big moment in eCommerce. Amazon has officially announced Rufus, a generative AI-powered conversational shopping experience. Shopify’s Magic AI image editor promises to make any product photos look professional. And PayPal’s getting in on the AI action with a personalized cash-back feature and smart receipts that offer up product recommendations.

Now over to you…

Which AI use case will be the biggest game-changer for your eCom biz?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Million Dollar Advice 💸 

If this is how you’re thinking about pricing your next product launch —

I don’t need to think too much about my competitor’s pricing as long as my product costs a little bit less — I can always change my pricing after launch if I have to… 

Then you need to hear Ian Page’s wisdom on the danger of backpedaling, and why pricing, value, and quality are paramount to your next launch strategy.

A Product Launch Lesson From Liquid Death  🏫

If you’re focused on launching killer products this year, you won’t want to miss this episode of How I Built This featuring Mike Cessario from Liquid Death.

How I Built This: Liquid Death - Mike Cessario

Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison.

https://muckrack.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/episodes/4316526-liquid-death-mike-cessario/

Some takeaways from it:

☠️ He differentiated the brand by developing the product to be an aluminum can that looks more like beer (or poison) than drinking water. 

🌊 In so doing, he tapped into a whole market of shoppers who don’t usually buy bottled water, turning canned water into a mindset.

💭 Thinking creatively and strategically about the name, packaging, and marketing approach can help generate interest and virality on social media.

🔥 Edgy and entertaining marketing has been the brand’s calling card since launch — they describe themselves as “just a funny beverage company who hates corporate marketing as much as you do.” 

♻️ But they’re ethical where it matters with their mission to make people laugh and get them to drink healthy beverages more often — all while “helping to kill plastic pollution.”

🤑 Staying aligned to the vision, doing your best to garner attention despite resource limitations, and resisting the urge to celebrate too soon are how you achieve success and keep it going long-term.

Think these are helpful?

Joining Forces with Carbon6 to Co-host MDS Inspire 2024  🗓️

The official lineup for MDS Inspire 2024 just dropped, and it’s one of the best to date. Here are all the facts: 

📅 March 3rd - 5th, 2024 📍 Las Vegas, Nevada

🔥What Makes It So Special?

  • A fantastic 3-day training event presented by Carbon6, filled with networking, connections, and business growth.

  • With a vibrant mix of Amazon sellers and preferred partners, this event offers the prime chance to network with over 300 e-commerce pros!

What To Expect?

  • 👏20+ Expert speakers

  • 💸3 Days of networking & masterminds

  • 💡Exclusive ideas and actionable steps from industry pioneers

So, you might want to use this link to sign up for $150 off until February 15th…

Did we mention our dates conveniently overlap with Prosper Show so you can maximize your time in Vegas? 

To that end, don’t forget to use our Prosper Show discount code for a FREE Expo Hall Only pass:

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Did you see that post 📲

You heard it here first — trust on the internet is as good as a bank account. It’s currency.

Until Next Time ✌️

As always, thanks for sticking with us until the end. 

If you’d care to share your thoughts on this newsletter, we’re all ears. Just hit reply to sound off. 

See you next time with more of the latest and greatest content you need to succeed this year 🔥

Sincerely, 

Looking for a mastermind community?

Million Dollar Sellers (MDS) is an exclusive community of 650+ like-minded Amazon and DTC sellers from all over the world. Collectively, our members generate more than 8 billion in annual sales and dominate some of the biggest categories on Amazon. MDS offers world-class events, chapters, industry discounts, resource libraries full of SOPs, templates, and video recordings of private trainings, workshops, events and so much more.

If you are looking for a business professional community made for ecom entrepreneurs, then consider applying today. 

*To qualify, you must be a full-time seller or brand owner and do at least 1 million in verified annual revenue.