Premium A+ Content is a bit of Amazon lingo that every seller on the platform should know.
In Amazon's words, "A+ Content can help increase sales by an average of 5%," with some Premium A+ users experiencing even higher sales figures of 15% and 20%.
But what exactly is Amazon Premium A+? What is the difference to standard A+ Content? Who can get it? And what are some of the pros and cons?
In this article, we'll explore all things A+ on Amazon so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not it's right for your business.
What Is Amazon Premium A+ Content?
Simply put, Premium A+ is Amazon's highest level of content management. With Premium A+ Content you can change the descriptions on your product listings from plain text to customized modules and images.
Premium A+ Content offers more modules and customization tools than the standard A+ Content Manager introduced in 2019. It's also a more robust feature than 2016's Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) tool.
To better understand Amazon A+ Content, here's a quick timeline of the platform's content management tools:
- Enhanced Brand Content: Introduced in 2016, EBC allowed sellers to showcase their products with enhanced image and text placements, helping them create a brand story that would set their products apart from the competition and build brand loyalty.
- A+ Content Manager (also known as Basic or Standard A+): Launched in 2019, the A+ Content Manager is a more sophisticated version of EBC. It offers sellers more modules and customization options, helping them deep dive into their product features, benefits, and brand stories.
- Premium A+ Content (also known as A++): The premium version of A+ Content launched alongside its standard counterpart in 2019. But until recently, only vendors were eligible for Premium A+ Content. Now, sellers are also allowed to use the Premium version - completely free of charge. It includes all 17 modules available in the basic version, plus an additional 17 modules that are exclusive to premium users.
In other words, A+ content is excellent, but A++ is even better.
With the help of interactive comparison tables, regimen carousels, and an improved FAQ module, Premium A+ allows Amazon sellers to describe their brand story and products in greater detail while keeping new and returning customers engaged, ultimately helping to increase sales.
What Are the Differences Between Standard A+ and Premium A+ Content?
As we mentioned, Premium A+ Content offers twice as many modules and customization options as Standard A+.
Additionally, when both versions launched in 2019, Premium A+ was an invite-only program with a price tag upwards of $250,000. This meant that only the biggest and most successful brands could access the tool.
But now that Amazon has opened up the program within a promotional period, the features and benefits of Premium A+ are more accessible than ever before.
Who Can Access Premium A+ Content and How Can I Get It?
In August 2022, Amazon announced that Premium A+ would be available on Seller Central for free usage during a promotional period.
Note: The platform also suggested that there might be a future fee for the tool, stating that if they were to "announce a fee for Premium A+ content, we will invite you to opt in."
To qualify for Amazon's premium content management tool:
- You must be a Brand Owner with Amazon Brand Registry.
- Each of the ASINs in your catalog must contain a published A+ Brand Story.
- You must have at least 15 A+ Content project submissions in "Approved" status within the past 12 months.
Amazon's note: "Access to the premium version is granted at the end of each month. You will be notified if you meet the criteria and will not need to contact us for access."
If you meet the program's criteria, simply look this banner in the A+ Content Manager to gain access to the premium version.
If you're unfamiliar with Amazon's Brand Story, don't worry! It's a feature that allows brands to share their history, mission, and values with customers on Amazon. You can create them in Seller Central. Once it's done, the story will be published on your Amazon Brand Page.
Here's an example:
In the above example, the company uses a carousel module available on Premium A+ to showcase its origin story ("started by pet lovers"), mission ("help pets live healthier"), and product lineup all in one place.
Notice also how the module is full-width, meaning it takes up most of the real estate on the product page. This feature, which is available only on Premium A+, makes for a more immersive experience that can help brands better capture their target audience's attention.
What New Modules Are Available on Premium A+?
A+ modules such as simple comparison charts, single image & sidebar, three images & text, and a few more help you present your brand and product information in a more visually appealing way.
So think of Premium A+ modules as an upgrade to these existing features, plus a few that are exclusive to the premium version, such as video image carousel and video with text.
Here are some of the modules that have been added to Premium A+ Content:
- Interactive hover hotspot modules
- Multiple video modules
- Enhanced comparison charts
- Larger images on the detail page
- Carousel modules
- Premium Q&A module
As you can see, there's a lot you can do with Premium A+ to make your product pages stand out. And with Amazon's new carousel modules, you can pack even more information onto your pages without overwhelming shoppers.
Pros and Cons of Amazon Premium A+ Content
Now that we've gone over what Amazon Premium A+ is and what it can do for your brand, let's weigh the pros and cons to help you decide if it's right for you.
Pros
- Premium A+ Content can help you drive traffic to your product detail pages, increase conversions, and boost sales by up to 20%
- Allows you to showcase your brand story and product details in a more visually compelling way, with interactive features that keep shoppers engaged
- Can help you build credibility with potential new customers and retain existing ones
- May help you improve your product's search ranking on Amazon
Cons
- All ASINs must have a published Brand Story, which can be time-consuming and costly if you have a large catalog
- Product pages should have high-quality images and videos to take full advantage of Premium A+'s capabilities, which can also be costly. Also, the Product descriptions must be well-written and engaging to inspire purchases, so they may need to be penned by a professional copywriter
- The promotional period may not allow enough time to see long-term effects on traffic and sales
The bottom line
In conclusion, Amazon Premium A+ is an excellent content management tool to improve your product pages, so long as you're willing to invest the time and resources necessary to create high-quality content.
But even the most amazing Amazon A+ content won't help your business if shoppers can't find it. So make sure you're also investing in SEO and PPC best practices to help drive traffic to your product pages.
Here at BidX, our algorithm is always analyzing your ads' performances and making changes to bids and keywords as needed. So if you're not already using a PPC management tool, now's the time to give us a try.
