You call it Friday—we call it Fried-ay. Because we’re about to serve some bite-sized news that’s even crispier than your crunchy snacks:
- “Unusual review activity” 🚫
- Get 3M+ views on TikTok 📱
- TikTok Shop vs. Amazon ⚔️
- Building customer loyalty 🤝
TACTIC TALKS
Statistics say that 95% of buyers read online reviews before purchasing. That’s why a lot of sellers scramble to get good reviews from their customers.
But what if Amazon limits the reviews your products can have because of a buyer’s “unusual review activity?” Weird, right? But that really happened to one seller, who shared the upsetting situation on Seller Central.
What was the “unusual activity?”
- According to the post, the seller has a customer who wants to share good feedback on their products.
- The customer bought their products on Shopify but wanted to leave a review somewhere else (on Amazon, as implied in the post).
- Amazon then sent the following message to the customer: "Amazon has noticed unusual reviewing activity on this product. Due to this activity, we have limited this product to verified purchase reviews."
- As a result, the product received a review ban from Amazon.
⛔ Banned for a valid reason
Other sellers were quick to spot the problem with OP’s post. Logically, Shopify customers should leave reviews on Shopify (or other review sites), and Amazon buyers should leave theirs on Amazon.
Many were on Amazon’s side as the retailer did this to limit the amount of fake reviews on the platform. Plus, they pointed out that legitimate Amazon customers can still leave reviews.
❗ If you’re a new seller, take the time to review Amazon’s Customer Reviews policies to prevent the same thing from happening to your listings. You don’t want to get in trouble this early in the year—or ever, for that matter.
TOGETHER WITH INSENSE
Here’s how to get 3M+ views on TikTok for your Amazon products
Let’s look at how Thrasio achieved this for 25 of its products on the platform.
- To drive external traffic to their Amazon listings, Thrasio partnered with 100+ TikTok creators to source high-performing UGC.
- To optimize their collabs with creators, Thrasio uses Insense—an all-in-one platform for UGC and influencer marketing, trusted by 1,500+ brands and Amazon sellers like Rankster, 5 Stars United, and Upper Echelon Products.
Insense streamlines the process to let you:
- Download shipping details in bulk: With one click, you can download the shipping details of your chosen creators to easily send them your products.
- Filter creators with Amazon Storefronts: You can use the filters in the campaign brief to receive applications only from creators and micro-influencers with an Amazon Storefront.
- Get UGC in 10 days: Receive high-performing UGC for organic + paid social
- Simplify the admin work: You’ll get access to automated influencer agreements, payments, and digital content usage rights
- Get a money-back guarantee if an influencer ghosts you
- Repeat long-term collabs: Build strong and lasting relationships with top-notch influencers and UGC creators!
🤙 What are you waiting for? Book a free personalized strategy call today and get $200 for your first campaign until February 23!
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Banned No More: TikTok is back in Indonesia after acquiring the ecommerce platform Tokopedia.
- Getting ‘Ruf’: Amazon is rolling out their new AI shopping assistant named Rufus.
- DYK: Online shopping is being used to manage expenses, mostly by millennials.
- Moon Marketing: The Lunar New Year is becoming a major marketing event in the U.S.
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Is TikTok Shop ready to take on Amazon?
Ecommerce platforms were challenged when TikTok added the shop feature. A recent article from NPR outlines how TikTok Shop dares the current ecommerce king, Amazon, and how users react to the competition between these two.
💪 TikTok Shop’s edge
It is basically Amazon’s social media version. It’s a fully integrated online marketplace where users can complete a purchase AND watch video content with a few taps. Plus, Shop supports:
- Smooth transition to the in-app marketplace. Instead of ads redirecting users to a brand’s web page or listing, people can go directly to Shop.
- Influencer selling. On TikTok Shop, everyone is an advertiser. Brands are not the only ones selling, as influencers are the real marketing stars on the platform. 🌟
- Algorithms and other boosts. TikTok boosts seller posts, with viral video creators getting their personal TikTok Shop agent. Early adopters also enjoylow commission ratesand free shipping.
👿 TikTok Shop’s cons
Because TikTok Shop is still a young ecommerce player, there are still not-so-good sides, such as:
- Lack of seller control. The auto-cancellation feature might be great for customers—not for sellers. Also, TikTok has caused grief for refunding orders AFTER they’ve been shipped.
- Too many “commercials.” Some users complain about the amount of ads they don’t need.
- Rollback of benefits. Seller fees are already set to increase incrementally and up to 8% this coming July.
Can TikTok Shop take on Amazon?
According to marketing and ecommerce expert Arelis Caban-Oberst, “TikTok has the potential to disrupt the industry.” But taking on Amazon isn’t yet in sight, as it still needs to address some flaws and earn loyalty from merchants and shoppers.
Another important question now is: How will Amazon adapt TikTok strategies—or should it?
SOCIAL PULSE
5 ways to build customer loyalty this 2024
Did you know that increasing customer retention rates by at least 5% improves overall profits by 25%–95%?
💡 That’s the power of customer loyalty. If you want to harness its full benefits, here are some expert tips collected by Grit Daily to help you win long-term customers:
- Create value beyond transactions. One of the best ways to do this is via loyalty programs, which allow them to be part of a community and earn points from their purchases. You can also include tiers to acknowledge VIP (high-spending) customers.
- Reward active interactions, such as posting about your brand, giving you honest feedback on review sites, etc. Much better if you extend rewards to your social media channels to reach new customers.
- Personalize the shopping experience. It can be as simple as sending a birthday treat to your loyal customers or as bold as retargeting customers with personalized recommendations.
- Take feedback seriously. Implement a strong feedback loop and then make improvements based on buyers’ comments. This will make your customers feel appreciated as they become part of the brand’s process.
- Extend the buying journey by providing excellent after-sales support. Send follow-ups and order updates, encourage feedback, or offer exclusive deals to encourage repeat purchases.
In the cutthroat world of ecommerce, competitive pricing and creative advertising are good—but not enough. You need to give your customers a sense of exclusivity and importance to convince them to always choose your brand. 🫵
