Boost Your Amazon Listings with A+ or Premium A+ Content

When you spend months focused on the merits of a specific product, it’s not hard to know and love that item. After all, you know every detail that sets it apart from the competition and just how beneficial it’s been in your own life. You know exactly how it looks from top to bottom, how best to use it, and who in your life would appreciate it the most.

But your target audience doesn’t have the same knowledge, and when they’re scrolling through dozens of Amazon product listings, you’ve got about 4.5 seconds to convey that information to them.

With Amazon A+ and Premium A+ Content you can highlight all the benefits and features of your products so you can turn potential buyers into repeat customers.
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What is Amazon A+ Content?

Well, let me just start by saying that Amazon A+, formerly known as Enhanced Brand Content or EBC, is like a magic wand for those on Seller Central. It is rich content below-the-fold that allows sellers to wave their marketing wand and transform their product descriptions into visually appealing and informative pieces of art.

Okay, maybe it's not actually a magic wand, but it might as well be. With Amazon A+ Content, sellers have the power to present their brand in a whole new light, showcasing lifestyle images, brand stories, more detailed product features, highlights, and more. By utilizing A+ Content, you can significantly boost conversions and stand out from the competition.
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How to Become Eligible for Amazon A+ Content

In order to take advantage of A+ Content, you need to register the brand on Amazon. Here's how to enroll in Amazon Brand Registry in 3 steps:
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1. Check eligibility requirements: Your brand must meet certain eligibility criteria. This includes having an active registered trademark in each country you want to enroll in or having a pending trademark application via Amazon IP Accelerator.

2. Log in to your Amazon Brand Registry: Use your existing credentials for Seller or Vendor Central to log in. If you don't have an Amazon account, you can create one here at no cost.

3. Complete brand enrollment by providing the following:

• Brand name with an active registered or pending trademark
• Trademark registration number provided by Intellectual Property office
• A list of product categories (e.g., apparel, sporting goods, electronics) in which your brand should be listed.

After you submit this information, Amazon will verify your trademark ownership and send you a verification code. You'll need to send this code back to Amazon to finalize the enrollment process. Once Amazon confirms your trademark information, you'll gain full access to the brand registry, allowing you to create compelling A+ Content to enhance your product listings!

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Standard A+ Modules

Basic A+ Content includes 17 standard 970 pixel-wide modules. Depending on whether you are a seller or a vendor, you can use up to 5-7 modules. To keep the product branding consistent and visually appealing, I mainly use these three:
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1. Standard Image Header with Text: This module is 970 x 600 pixels. I use this without the text overlay, providing a nice image to add product information.

‍2. Standard Image & Dark Text Overlay: This section is 970 x 300 pixels. I use this without the text overlay and utilize it whenever I don't need to have as much information as the Standard Image Header.

‍3. Standard Comparison Chart: I like to add this towards the end to compare and cross-sell if the brand has multiple items. Customers can click on the product to take them to that product's detail page.

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What is Amazon Premium A+ (A++) Content?

So, what exactly is Amazon Premium A+? Well, think of it as A+ Content on steroids!

You get more of everything that makes A+ great and then some. It also provides more real estate on the page, allowing for full-width imagery. With enhanced interactive modules, vibrant, high-resolution images, and supercharged comparison charts, your product page will turn heads and capture your audience’s attention.
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Requirements for Premium Amazon A+ Content

Recently, Amazon made an exciting announcement that benefits all brand registered sellers. Access to Premium A+ Content, which used to come with fees (I will provide more details on this further down), is now available to sellers at no additional cost. However, there are some specific criteria that sellers must meet to qualify for this opportunity.

Here's what you need:

• A+ Brand Story has already been published to all the ASINs in your owned catalog.
• In the last 12 months, you've had a minimum of 15 approved project submissions for A+ Content.

Every month, Amazon reviews the eligibility of brand owners for Premium A+ Content. If you meet the criteria, a notification banner will appear in the A+ Content Manager, granting you access.

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Premium A+ Modules

Premium A+ includes 17 media-rich modules you can't get with basic A+, and you get to use up to 7 on each detail page. Here are some of my favorite ones available with Premium A+:
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1. Premium Full Image: Whether you need to showcase impactful imagery or share detailed infographics, this module is 1464 pixels of pure goodness.

‍2. Premium Comparison Table: Showcase and differentiate the unique features and cross-sell with other products you have on Amazon. Choose from 4 unique options.

‍3. Premium Full Video: Showcase the benefits of your product, highlight its features, or provide a step-by-step guide.

‍4. Premium Navigation Carousel: Customers can scroll through up to 5 different images, each accompanied by a text box.

‍5. Premium Simple Image Carousel: Just like an Instagram post, customers can scroll through a collection of images.

‍6. Premium Hotspot: Customers can simply hover over each circle to discover all the amazing key features of your products.

‍7. Premium Q&A: Manage expectations and provide direct answers that may seem awkward using other methods. You have the freedom to customize between 2 to 5 questions and answers.

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A+ vs. Premium A+ Content

Amazon A+ Content and Amazon Premium A+ Content serve as robust resources for sellers aiming to elevate their product listings and boost conversion rates.

However, there are some key differences between the two. Here's a comparison:

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Amazon Premium A+ is Now FREE

There are two seller platforms on Amazon: Seller Central, which sells directly to consumers (sold by ABC, shipped by Amazon), and Vendor Central, which sells directly to Amazon (sold by Amazon).

In the past, Premium A+ came at a premium price: between $250K-$500K for those who were eligible in Vendor Central.

I know, I had the same reaction.

Because of the hefty price tag, Premium A+ was almost exclusively used by big companies with deep pockets. But in August 2022, Amazon announced that Premium A+ would be available on Seller Central for free during a promotional period. That was a year ago, and the promotional period is still going strong. 

While Premium A+ is free, there’s no reason not to take advantage of the additional selling power it can offer you. (If Amazon decides to start charging again, they’ll give you the opportunity to opt-in for a fee so you’re not hit with a hefty fee you didn’t see coming!)

Amazon has shared that including A+ Content can increase conversions by 3-10%. With Premium A+ Content, your sales may increase by up to 20%. Thanks to more visually appealing elements, shoppers are more engaged with your listings and more likely to make a purchase. 
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Graphic Design + Your Amazon Journey

Let’s be honest— A+ and Premium A+ Content are basically meaningless for you if you don’t have the eye-catching graphics to insert in your listings. To make the most of your Amazon Content for each listing, I highly suggest you work with a professional designer to highlight the benefits of your products. Shocking, right? 😉

Here are a few things strong graphic design can do for your Amazon journey (and ultimately your bank account!).
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1. Hone in on your brand and product identity: Every design choice speaks to your brand’s identity. You need graphics that communicate what it is that makes your brand stand apart from the rest. Sure, there are some good looking Canva templates available these days, but those templates are also being used by thousands of other people. It won’t do you any good to blend in with the masses.
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2. Craft visual narratives: You know how they say ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’? Every image you use tells the story of your brand. Customers use this content to learn more about the product, so avoid generic or lifestyle pictures that don’t showcase the product and instead identify the key message you want to communicate and craft a visual narrative.

Utilizing high-resolution images highlighting product features, showcasing the product in action, or including images that evoke emotions are associated with higher sales lift.
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3. Utilize interactivity that converts: Put interactive elements– like comparison charts and hover hotspots– to work. Take full advantage of gorgeous content that both informs and persuades your audience and utilize your space effectively.

4. Benefit from typography choices: Bold or italics? Size 24 or 32? Do these two fonts complement each other? These are the typography choices that can literally keep you up at night if you’re trying to design Amazon graphics. 

Typographical choices have a major impact on the readability of your graphics and help convey your brand’s ethos. Strong typography is consistent with your branding, looks great on all devices, and uses different font styles to create a hierarchy of information. If you add brand text to your image, make sure it is large enough to be readable on mobile devices.
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Should You Use A+ Content?

Without sounding like a broken record, having any A+ Content, whether premium or not, is a no-brainer. There are endless positives for taking advantage of this prime Amazon real estate, and here are just 4 main reasons why:
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1. Enhanced presentation: A+ Content allows you to create more visually appealing and informative product listings. With images, videos, and detailed descriptions, you can present your products in a way that stands out and captures customers' attention.
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2. Brand authority: High-quality A+ Content can position you as an authoritative and trusted brand within your niche. It also lets you maintain a consistent brand identity across your product listings. You reinforce customer trust and loyalty by showcasing your brand's story, values, and messaging.
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3. Reduce customer returns and negative feedback: Avoid buyer's remorse and negative reviews by answering customer questions upfront.  When you address your customers’ most common concerns, they are more likely to convert into happy buyers.
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4. Encourage repeat purchase behavior: Enable customers to explore your other products and increase repeat purchases from your brand by sharing your brand story and more information about your products.

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Fuel Your Amazon Growth

If you’re not already using Amazon A+ or Premium A+, now is the perfect time to start since you have absolutely nothing to lose. Since both are free, you can opt to invest time in designing graphics yourself or invest money in hiring a graphic designer to create gorgeous graphics for you. The only wrong choice is not taking advantage of opportunities to attract new customers and increase your conversion rate!