[ BDSN ] From $1.5m to $5m in 5 months on Amazon

🙋 IS YOUTUBE an UNDERRATED MARKETING CHANNEL?

While most Amazon sellers focus their marketing efforts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, recent data suggests they might be overlooking a goldmine: YouTube.

Here's why this platform deserves serious consideration in your 2025 marketing strategy.

YouTube Dominates Teen Usage More Than You Think

Forget the TikTok hype. YouTube actually rules among younger demographics. 90% of all US teenagers use YouTube, outpacing TikTok at 79% and Instagram at 61%. This dominance spans across all demographics too, with minimal differences between urban/rural users and various income levels.

For Amazon sellers targeting younger consumers, this presents a massive opportunity that many competitors are ignoring.

The Revenue Numbers Don't Lie

YouTube has become Google's cash cow, and the growth trajectory is impressive:

• 2017: $8.15 billion in ad revenue (7.3% of Google's total revenue)

• 2024: $36.15 billion in ad revenue (13.66% of Google's total revenue)

This revenue nearly doubled since 2014, and after slower growth in 2022-2023, 2024 marked a clear resurgence. When ad spending climbs this dramatically, it means one thing: the ads are working.

Mobile and Desktop Both Matter

YouTube's traffic distribution shows the platform's versatility:

• Mobile visits: 55.8 billion in December 2024

• Desktop visits: Growing from 21.8 billion in August to 23.6 billion in December 2024

This dual-platform strength means Amazon sellers can create diverse content strategies like detailed product demonstrations and tutorials for desktop viewers, while using Shorts and quick product highlights for mobile audiences.

ROI That Beats the Competition

While marketers might not talk about YouTube first, the numbers speak volumes. YouTube saw the biggest ROI increase of all platforms. That’s an 11% spike from 2023 to 2024, with Instagram trailing at 7%. Meanwhile, Facebook and LinkedIn actually saw slight decreases.

The Shorts Opportunity

YouTube Shorts offer particular value for Amazon sellers:

• Engagement rate: Nearly 6% (comparable to TikTok and Reels)

• Primary use: 49% of marketers use Shorts for brand visibility

• Audience reach: Unlike TikTok's demographic skew, YouTube reaches diverse age groups

The key advantage? Shorts integrate directly with YouTube's ecosystem, allowing seamless transitions from short-form discovery content to detailed product videos or tutorials.

Why Amazon Sellers Should Care

Despite these impressive metrics, YouTube sits in the middle of marketer preferences at 51% adoption, while Facebook and Instagram dominate. This represents a significant opportunity gap.

The platform offers multiple angles for Amazon sellers:

1. Product demonstration videos for desktop audiences

2. Shorts for product discovery and brand awareness

3. Connected TV advertising for premium brand positioning

4. Tutorial content that builds authority and trust

YouTube's combination of massive reach (especially among younger demographics), growing ad revenue, improving ROI, and diverse content formats makes it potentially the most underutilized platform in most Amazon sellers' marketing mix.

With competition increasing on traditional social platforms and YouTube's continued growth trajectory, now might be the perfect time to establish your presence before costs rise and competition intensifies.

🔭 YOU GOTTA SEE THIS

Barry Hott was asked how he would spend his time if he had 10 hours to build some ads for a new product brand.

Watch the clip below for a mini masterclass in ad creation (using a real brand that Barry is launching!). 

💰 SHE WENT from $1.5 MILLION to $5 MILLION in 5 MONTHS

Palak went from selling $1.5 million on Amazon in the home goods category to $5 million in just 5 months. Here’s how she did it:

🖥️ SCENES FROM INSIDE BDSS 12 VIRTUAL HAPPENING NOW

🚀 INSIDE a PROFITABLE AMAZON PPC PRODUCT LAUNCH

Join my friend Chris Rawlings as he breaks down—campaign by campaign—how a product was profitably launched on Amazon using only PPC in the past few months.

You’ll see the exact ad types, targeting, and match types used, with a rare behind-the-scenes look at what’s working right now.

Watch the real $50k/mo Amazon PPC Product Launch here

Always something useful! Could be a handy reference guide, a great software tool you have never heard of, a link to a ton of resources. You never know. Click to find out.

CLICK for TODAY’S MYSTERY

👀  RUFUS NOW PRICE WATCHES for CUSTOMERS

Andrew Bell points out on LinkedIn Rufus optimization is no longer just listing optimization. It is pricing strategy.

Over a month ago, Amazon gave Rufus an agentic ability: set price alerts. Now it’s right in front of the customer, one click, and Rufus will remember for them.

He says that’s a CLEAR example of Agentic Commerce.

Instead of optimizing for Rufus being all about our content, now it has to do with how and when we give discounts.

Price history and deal cadence matter … even for Rufus.

✌🏼 Have a great weekend.

See you again on Monday.

The answer to today’s STUMP BEZOS is
79% of Gen Z is regularly on TikTok, the most of any group.