16. What Levers “Move the Needle” on Amazon? with Shannon Roddy, Founder of Marketplace Seller Courses

Shannon Roddy is the founder of the Amazon Brand Success Academy Course. He joins E-Commerce with Coffee?! to speak to host Nate Svoboda about which levers brands have to pull for success on the ultra-competitive e-marketplace.

Unlike some high-profile Amazon gurus who tapped e-commerce “secrets” that gave them an instant success, Shannon started with some failures by omission and big “a-ha” moments. When he started to gain traction (and knowledge), he flew fast.

Moving into Amazon-focused topics, Shannon weaves through several central strategies that brands need to learn more about. He offers multiple metaphors that help listeners visualize the concepts he touches on.

“We have limited time, money, and energy,” Shannon reminds us. The question is how to invest what we have.

Shannon then talks a lot about what it is to give 100% of anything. “You don’t have to give something 100% of your time. You do have to give it 100% of the time it needs to be successful.” Amazon is no exception, he assures us.

If you don’t have 100% of the time Amazon strategy requires, Shannon says, hold off. It isn’t worth it until you can give it what it needs.

For brands who do already have the resources (or can outsource whatever talent isn’t in-house), giving Amazon its required 100% comes down to how many products you choose to focus on at once. This is where Shannon’s insights on the Amazon Flywheel and his own Amazon Trifecta come into play.

Listen in to hear more detail in the full episode! Shannon gave an extraordinary interview that will be sure to leave you with more ideas than you can count.

What to listen for:

• Listen in for the story of how Shannon started his own product 10 years ago. He actually created the product for himself, but then people started to ask, “can I get one?” The story of how he gained his expertise after that is a memorable one.
• Amazon strategy, Shannon tells us, is a “combination of knowing best practices and policy changes.” There’s no silver bullet because success on Amazon requires an ecosystem of strategies. Check out Shannon’s Complete Amazon Checklist to learn more.
• “Brands don’t know what they don’t know,” Shannon says, just like he learned when he started his own brand. The biggest hurdle today is how brands often piecemeal their knowledge together. No number of tips or information nuggets will create a solid foundation, and Shannon explains why.
• Brands can become their own advocates if they stay up to date on Amazon’s policies. That way, when a vendor or consultant does propose something that contradicts the newest policies, the brand doesn’t take on unnecessary risk. Shannon’s Free Amazon Masterclass is a great resource to get started.
• Shannon is also a big fan of email marketing and email customer service, so listen in to learn why. Customer retention is a natural part of the Amazon strategy he teaches, and it shows.
• Learn more from Shannon and get specific actions for your brand with his On-Demand Amazon Coaching.

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