Prime Day October 13 and 14: Your Last Minute PPC Plan

It is official. Amazon has announced that Prime Day 2020 will run on October 13 and 14. That gives sellers about two weeks to get ready, and it means this year’s Prime Day will kick off the holiday shopping season.

If you have been following our advice from July on planning for a later Prime Day, you are in good shape. If not, here is a fast plan you can still use.

This week: the essentials

Check your stock

Look at days of cover for your top products. If you will run low during or right after Prime Day, plan how to stretch stock. Lower ad spend on low stock products and prepare your merchant fulfilled backup.

Fix your top listings

Spend an hour on each of your top five products. Sharpen the main image, check the title and bullets, and make sure Enhanced Brand Content is live. Small fixes now pay off when traffic spikes.

Clean up campaigns

Add negative keywords for search terms that waste money. Move your best converting search terms into exact match campaigns so you can push them hard during the event.

Next week: the lead-in

• Raise budgets a little on campaigns that are working well.
• Run Sponsored Brands and video ads on your main keywords to build awareness.
• Use Sponsored Display to reach shoppers who viewed your products recently.
• Check that coupons and deals are approved and scheduled correctly.

October 13 and 14: the event

• Raise daily budgets on your best campaigns, often two to three times normal. Never run out by midday.
• Bid up on proven keywords, especially exact match terms that already convert.
• Protect your brand with fully funded branded campaigns.
• Check spend several times a day and top up campaigns close to their limit.

After the event: keep momentum

This year, the days after Prime Day are the start of holiday shopping. Do not cut ads to zero on October 15.

• Lower budgets gradually so you keep the rank you gained.
• Retarget shoppers who viewed but did not buy.
• Review search terms and harvest new winners.
• Restock fast, because Black Friday is only six weeks away.

Think about the whole season

Prime Day this year is not a standalone event. It is the first big push in a long Q4. Plan your discounts, ad spend and stock across October, November and December together. Do not spend your whole budget in two days.

The bottom line

Two weeks is enough time to prepare if you focus on the essentials: stock, top listings, clean campaigns and a clear budget. Then keep the momentum going into the holidays. If you want help, see our Amazon PPC management service or request a free audit.

FAQs

When is Prime Day 2020?

Prime Day 2020 runs on October 13 and 14.

Should I raise bids for Prime Day?

Raise bids on keywords that already convert well. Conversion is higher during Prime Day, so proven keywords are worth more.

What should I do after Prime Day 2020?

Lower budgets gradually, retarget shoppers who did not buy and restock quickly, because the holiday season starts right after.