Known by some as the “Cyber Monday of July,” Amazon Prime Day is practically a day of worship for lovers of online shopping. If you’ve got an Amazon Prime membership, you’ll be able to participate in the festivities and take advantage of over 100,000 deals on just about every item you can think of.
What is Amazon Prime Day, Exactly?
This year’s Prime Day will be held on Tuesday, July 12, beginning at midnight Pacific Time (3 a.m. for our fellow Long Islanders and others on the East Coast). It’s a one-day, global shopping event in which prices on all sorts of items ranging from electronics and tech gadgets to household cleaners and books are slashed significantly. Any shopper with an Amazon Prime membership is eligible to participate.
Lightning Deals
The majority of Prime Day bargains come in the form of “lightning deals.” Lightning deals offer huge markdowns, but they only last for short periods of time, or until the stock of the product runs out. If you claim a deal before the time runs out, you then get a certain period of time to make your purchase before your claim expires, opening up the deal for someone else to grab. So, if a deal you like is sold out, join the waitlist. This way, if someone fails to make a purchase on their claim, there’s a chance that you’ll get a shot at it.
There will also be regular sales without time limits, but since so many people will be shopping, items will be selling out quickly. It’s best to treat all deals like lightning deals and take advantage of them right away.
How Your Business Can Take Advantage of Prime Day
The Deals
The astoundingly low prices that Amazon introduces on Prime Day make it the perfect time to test out a new product you’ve been curious about, or just something your business needs. Need a new projector for your conference room? What about a TV for the breakroom? Is every mouse and keyboard in your office falling apart at the seams? You’ll definitely find deals on all of that stuff and more.
Get Involved in the Conversation
One of the core tenets of social media marketing is participation in meaningful conversation on social channels. There’s no doubt that social media will be buzzing with banter about Amazon Prime Day—in fact, it already is. The Twitter hashtag #AmazonPrimeDay is already getting some serious traffic, and of course, that’s going to increase as we get closer to the big day.
Teach and Learn
With the vast range of products in Amazon’s catalog, businesses in every industry will be able to chime into social conversation on Prime Day. So whether your business sells tangible products or provides services, don’t forget about social media.
Even though it won’t give you any direct financial benefit, you can interact with shoppers who are curious about products that are specific to your industry. By giving them useful advice, you establish your business as a source of authority. Of course, you can also monitor social media to find out about worthwhile deals for your own business.
#PrimeDayFail
Last year’s Prime Day was met with mixed attitudes from customers. People who were able to grab hot items at low prices loved it, while others were not so enchanted. Disappointed shoppers took to Twitter to air their grievances via the #PrimeDayFail hashtag, which made for quite a few laughs.
A Diane Keaton T Shirt, with a 5 pack of brass knuckles AND ham?!?! DREAMS CAN COME TRUE #PrimeDayFail pic.twitter.com/hE1X6lhGb5
— Roy Buckingham (@shave_my_lemon) July 15, 2015
Your business can benefit from Amazon Prime Day with useful, new products, as well as with a boost in social proof. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get involved!
