How to Strike Marketing Gold on Amazon

How do you eavesdrop on the conversations your prospects have going on in their heads? How do you really know what it is they want?

Answer those questions correctly and you are well on your way to a successful marketing campaign. This post is going to focus on one of my favorite ways to do that . . . surfing the customer reviews on Amazon.com.

Chances are, whatever your industry/niche, there are books on the topic for sale on Amazon. And if it’s for sale on Amazon, chances are people have voiced their opinions, good and bad, in the customer review section for the book.

These reviews can provide a wealth of information for the savvy marketer.

An important thing to note about this technique is that these are not just people who may be interested in what you offer. These are people who have already demonstrated that they will open their purse strings to get information related to your niche. (As long as you skip the reviews that are most likely posted by the author and their mother!)

These are the people you need to know, and know intimately. And at Amazon they’re bearing their souls about what’s going through their minds.

As you’re reading the reviews, look for the answers to the following questions:

What are the common themes that emerge from the reviews?
What are the ideas and concepts that get the most positive comments?
What are the ideas and concepts that get the most negative comments?
- Do these present an opportunity for you?
What problems does the information in the book help readers solve?
More importantly, what are the ultimate benefits they get from solving their problems (ie. make more money, avoid pain, get peace of mind, enjoy good health, get more respect)?
What problems are they still left with after reading the book?
Are there particularly clear, vivid words or phrases used by reviewers that you can incorporate into a headline, sales letter, website, etc. to help you better describe what you do and how it helps your customers?
Can you identify any potential gaping holes in the market that you can turn into a new product or service?

It’s been said that understanding your target audience – really getting inside their heads and knowing what conversations they have going on in there – is the key to successful marketing.

Those conversations are available to the public, for free, on Amazon.com. Use them to your advantage!