Amazon Prime Day is one of the most anticipated online shopping events of the year. It brings millions of shoppers to Amazon's platform, creating a high-traffic environment for brands and advertisers.

For those new to e-commerce advertising, Prime Day can be a key moment to learn how ads work in fast-paced sales cycles. The platform's ad ecosystem becomes more competitive, and ad performance metrics often change rapidly.

This article breaks down what Amazon Prime Day is, how it works, and how advertisers can prepare for it in 2025.

What Is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a shopping event created by Amazon for its Prime members. It started in 2015 as a one-day celebration of Amazon's 20th anniversary. Since then, it has grown into a multi-day event offering deals across product categories.

In 2025, Prime Day will run from July 8-11, starting at 12:01 a.m. PDT and ending at 11:59 p.m. PDT. This four-day window gives shoppers more time to browse and purchase discounted items.

For advertisers, Prime Day creates both opportunities and challenges:

• Higher traffic: More shoppers visit Amazon during Prime Day, increasing potential ad impressions

• Increased competition: More sellers compete for ad placements, which can raise costs

• Changed shopper behavior: Customers are more deal-focused and may make faster decisions

Prime day advertisements appear in the same places as regular Amazon ads, but they often highlight limited-time offers or exclusive Prime member deals. The increased traffic during this period means your ads might get more views, but also face more competition.

Why Focus On Prime Day Advertising?

Prime Day creates a unique advertising environment because of its concentrated shopping activity. During previous Prime Days, Amazon has reported record-breaking sales across categories.

The benefits of advertising during Prime Day include:

• Increased visibility: More shoppers means more eyes on your products

• Higher conversion rates: Prime Day shoppers often arrive ready to buy

• New customer acquisition: Many people discover new brands during Prime Day

For example, a small electronics brand might see 3-4 times their normal daily traffic during Prime Day. This surge can help them reach new customers who might continue to buy from them after the event ends.

Prime day ads work best when they highlight specific deals or time-limited offers. Shoppers during this period are looking for good values, so emphasizing savings or exclusive Prime offers can improve ad performance.

Steps To Prepare For Prime Day Ad Success

Preparing for Prime Day requires planning several weeks in advance. Here are the key steps to get ready:

1. Set Your Budget Early

Prime Day requires more ad spending than regular days. Competition drives up bid costs, and higher traffic means your budget might be used up faster.

Most successful advertisers increase their daily budgets by 2-3 times for Prime Day. For example, if you normally spend $100 per day on Amazon ads, you might plan for $200-$300 per day during Prime Day.

How to allocate your Prime Day budget:

• Sponsored Products: 60% (focus on your best-selling items)

• Sponsored Brands: 25% (increase brand visibility)

• Sponsored Display: 15% (retarget interested shoppers)

Setting aside extra budget helps ensure your ads don't stop running in the middle of the event when shoppers are still active.

2. Research High-Intent Keywords

Keywords perform differently during Prime Day. Shoppers often add terms like "deal," "discount," or "Prime Day" to their searches.

Examples of high-performing Prime Day keywords:

• "headphones Prime Day deal"

• "kitchen mixer discount"

• "best Prime Day offers electronics"

To find the right keywords for your amazon prime day strategy, look at:

• Your best-performing regular keywords

• Search term reports from previous special events

• Competitor listings for similar products

Adding these deal-focused terms to your keyword targeting can help your ads appear when shoppers are most ready to buy.

3. Optimize Product Listings

Before running Prime Day ads, make sure your product listings are ready to convert interested shoppers. A good listing includes:

• Clear, high-quality images showing the product from multiple angles

• A descriptive title with key features and benefits

• Bullet points highlighting the most important product information

• Updated inventory to handle increased sales volume

Products with strong ratings (4+ stars) and multiple reviews tend to perform better during Prime Day. If possible, focus your advertising on items with established positive feedback.

4. Create Prime Day-Specific Creatives

For Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display ads, create special creative elements for Prime Day. These might include:

• Headlines mentioning "Prime Day Deals" or "Limited Time Offer"

• Images showing the product with a discount callout

• Custom graphics that stand out in the Prime Day shopping environment

Looking at examples from prime day commercial 2024 campaigns can provide inspiration for effective ad designs. The best creative elements highlight both the product benefits and the special Prime Day value.

Choosing The Right Prime Day Ad Formats

Amazon offers several ad types, each with different strengths for Prime Day campaigns:

1. Sponsored Products

Sponsored Products are the most common amazon prime day ads. They appear in search results and on product detail pages, showing a single product with its image, title, price, and ratings.

These ads work well for:

• Products with active Prime Day deals

• Best-selling items with strong reviews

• New products you want to introduce during high traffic

During Prime Day, Sponsored Products often see higher click-through rates but also higher costs per click. Setting a slightly higher bid (15-20% above normal) can help maintain visibility during competitive periods.

2. Sponsored Brands

Sponsored Brands appear at the top of search results, showing multiple products along with your logo and a custom headline. These prime day ad formats help build brand awareness while driving sales.

Effective Sponsored Brands during Prime Day:

• Feature 3 products with active deals or discounts

• Use headlines that mention limited-time offers

• Link to a store page with all your Prime Day deals

These ads typically cost more per click than Sponsored Products but can drive more brand recognition and multiple product purchases.

3. Sponsored Display

Sponsored Display ads reach shoppers both on and off Amazon. They can appear on product detail pages, customer review pages, and even on third-party websites.

For Prime Day, Sponsored Display works well for:

• Retargeting people who viewed your products but didn't buy

• Showing complementary products to people browsing similar items

• Reaching Amazon shoppers when they visit other websites

This prime day advertising format helps capture customers who might be comparison shopping or researching before making a final decision.

Ways To Optimize Prime Day Ads During The Event

Once Prime Day begins, active management can improve your results:

1. Monitor Campaign Performance

Check your ad performance several times throughout Prime Day. Look for:

• Click-through rate (CTR): How often people click your ads after seeing them

• Conversion rate: How many clicks turn into purchases

• Advertising cost of sale (ACOS): How much you spend on ads relative to sales

If a campaign is performing well, you might increase its budget to capture more sales. If performance is poor, you can adjust bids or pause underperforming keywords.

2. Adjust Bids In Real Time

During Prime Day, bid adjustments can help maintain visibility as competition changes:

• If your ads aren't getting enough impressions, increase bids by 10-15%

• If you're getting impressions but few clicks, review your product images and titles

• If you're getting clicks but few sales, check your product page and price competitiveness

Many successful advertisers adjust bids 2-3 times during each day of the event based on performance data.

3. Coordinate With Lightning Deals

If you're running Lightning Deals (time-limited, deeply discounted offers), coordinate your ads to support them:

• Increase ad spending during the hours your deal is active

• Use similar messaging in your ads and deal descriptions

• Target complementary products that might be purchased alongside your deal item

This coordination helps drive more traffic to your deals when they're available to shoppers.

How To Measure Prime Day Ad Success

After Prime Day ends, analyze your results to improve future campaigns:

1. Compare Performance Metrics

Look at how your Prime Day campaigns performed compared to your regular advertising:

• Sales volume and revenue

• Advertising cost of sale (ACOS)

• Return on ad spend (ROAS)

• Click-through and conversion rates

Many advertisers see higher sales but also higher ACOS during Prime Day. This trade-off can be worthwhile if the increased sales volume leads to new customer acquisition.

2. Evaluate New Customer Acquisition

Amazon provides "New-to-Brand" metrics that show how many customers bought from your brand for the first time. This data helps determine if your Prime Day advertising brought in new customers.

New customers acquired during Prime Day often have good long-term value, especially if you follow up with retention strategies like:

• Email marketing to new purchasers

• Sponsored Products targeting repeat purchasers

• Special offers for second purchases

3. Apply Learnings To Future Campaigns

Use insights from your Prime Day performance to improve your regular advertising and prepare for future events:

• Which products performed best during high traffic?

• Which keywords drove the most sales?

• What ad formats gave the best return on investment?

These learnings can inform both your everyday advertising approach and your strategy for other shopping events like Black Friday.

Advanced Strategies For 2025

1. Integrate Seasonal Trends

Since Prime Day 2025 falls in July, connect your offers to seasonal needs:

• Summer activities and outdoor products

• Back-to-school preparation

• Travel and vacation items

Aligning your amazon prime day advertising with seasonal trends helps your products feel more relevant to shoppers' current interests.

2. Consider International Markets

Prime Day happens in multiple countries, often on different schedules. If you sell internationally, adjust your strategy for each market:

• Translate ad copy and keywords for local languages

• Adjust bidding based on different competition levels

• Consider cultural differences in shopping behavior

What works in the U.S. market might need adjustments for success in European or Asian markets.

3. Use Off-Amazon Promotion

Drive additional traffic to your Amazon listings through:

• Social media posts announcing your Prime Day deals

• Email marketing to your customer list

• Google ads targeting relevant product searches

These external promotion channels can supplement your amazon prime day ads and bring in shoppers who might not otherwise see your products.

Actionable Takeaways For Future Growth

Prime Day represents a significant opportunity to grow your Amazon business. The key takeaways for success include:

• Plan your budget and creative assets at least 2-3 weeks before the event

• Focus on products with strong reviews and competitive pricing

• Use a mix of ad formats to reach shoppers at different stages

• Monitor and adjust campaigns throughout the event

• Analyze results to improve future advertising efforts

By approaching Prime Day with a clear strategy, you can make the most of this high-traffic shopping event to increase sales and acquire new customers.

At Darkroom, we help brands develop comprehensive Amazon advertising strategies that work during both special events and everyday sales periods. Our approach focuses on data-driven decision making and creative optimization to maximize return on ad spend.

Schedule a call to discuss how we can help your brand succeed on Amazon Prime Day and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions About Prime Day Advertising

How much should I budget for Amazon Prime Day ads?

Plan to spend 2-3 times your normal daily advertising budget during Prime Day to maintain visibility in the competitive environment and capture the increased shopping traffic.

When does Amazon announce the exact Prime Day dates?

Amazon typically announces the official Prime Day dates about 2-3 weeks before the event, though they've confirmed July 8-11, 2025 for the upcoming event.

Do Prime Day ads cost more than regular Amazon ads?

Yes, cost-per-click often increases 20-40% during Prime Day due to higher competition among advertisers bidding for the same placements and keywords.

Which products perform best during Prime Day?

Electronics, home goods, and kitchen products historically perform well during Prime Day, but any product with a compelling discount and strong reviews can succeed.

How can small brands compete with larger companies during Prime Day?

Small brands can focus on niche keywords, create compelling product bundles, and emphasize unique product features rather than competing solely on price with larger companies.