Introduction
Amazon gives sellers several built-in tools to boost conversions and drive traffic — including Coupons, Lightning Deals, 7-Day Deals, and Promotions.
But most sellers treat these like a shotgun blast instead of a sniper shot — wasting money without a strategic plan.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to use Amazon’s promotions strategically — to boost visibility, improve organic rank, and increase profit, not just sales.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Amazon’s Deal Types
- How Coupons Work (and When They Work Best)
- Lightning Deals & 7-Day Deals — Worth It?
- Promotions: % Off, BOGO, Tiered Discounts
- How to Stack Promotions with PPC
- Data-Driven Deal Planning
- Real Seller Examples
- Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes
- Pro Tips for Bigger Profits
- Final Thoughts
1. Understanding Amazon’s Deal Types
Here’s a quick overview of the tools at your disposal:
Deal Type | Traffic | Cost | Buyer Appeal | Rank Impact |
---|---|---|---|---|
Coupons | Medium | $0.60/redemption + discount | High | Moderate |
Lightning Deals | High | $150+ fee + discount | Very High | High |
7-Day Deals | Medium | $300/week + discount | Moderate | Moderate |
Promotions (% Off) | Low-Med | Discount only | Moderate | Low-High |
Each tool can work — when paired with the right product, price, and timing.
2. How Coupons Work (and When to Use Them)
Amazon Coupons are visible:
- On search pages
- On product detail pages
- On your storefront
They typically show as a bright green badge — which can boost conversion simply by existing.
✅ Best Used For:
- Increasing CTR and conversions on new products
- Improving ad performance (especially Sponsored Products)
- Encouraging reviews through higher purchase volume
📌 Pro Tip:
Use odd coupon amounts like “$2.17 off” — they stand out more and look intentional.
3. Lightning Deals & 7-Day Deals
These are high-visibility placements on Amazon’s Deals page.
⚡ Lightning Deals are time-bound (4–12 hours)
📅 7-Day Deals run for — you guessed it — 7 days
✅ Best Used For:
- Seasonal inventory boosts (Q4, Prime Day)
- Slowing long-tail inventory
- Building early sales velocity on new ASINs
📌 Caution:
You’ll need healthy inventory and tight margins. Don’t just run deals because you can.
4. Promotions
Amazon’s older “promotion” system lets you build:
- % Off (single or multi-buy)
- Buy One, Get One Free
- Tiered Discounts (“Buy 2, save 10%”)
✅ Best Used For:
- Building average order value (AOV)
- Encouraging multi-unit purchases
- Converting warm traffic from email/social
📌 Combine Promotions with brand tailored offers or Amazon Attribution links to track effectiveness off-platform.
5. How to Stack Promotions with PPC
Running a coupon or deal? Pair it with Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands for better performance.
Why?
➡ Deals improve CTR
➡ Better CTR = lower CPC
➡ Lower CPC = better return
➡ Better return = higher organic rank
This is the momentum machine smart sellers build.
📌 Bonus: Launch with 7-Day Deal + Sponsored Display Retargeting for max visibility.
6. Data-Driven Deal Planning
Before running any deal, ask:
- What’s my current conversion rate?
- What is the true landed cost of the product?
- Can I afford to discount AND advertise?
- What is my break-even ROAS?
Use reports like:
📊 Detail Page Sales and Traffic
📊 Advertising Cost of Sales (ACoS)
📊 Inventory Performance Index (IPI)
7. Real Seller Examples
🏆 Pet Brand:
Used $3.00 off coupon for 30 days → 22% increase in CVR + 10% drop in ACoS
🏆 Kitchenware Brand:
Ran 7-Day Deal during Prime Day → moved 4 months of inventory in 6 days
🏆 Supplement Seller:
Stacked tiered promo with email → doubled AOV from $28 to $56
8. Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using same coupon every month = buyers wait for discount
❌ Not adjusting ads to promote the deal
❌ Launching deals with low stock → listing suppression
❌ Forgetting to pause deals post-promotion
❌ Ignoring true net profit
9. Pro Tips for Bigger Profits
- Limit coupon usage to strategic bursts
- Use coupons to boost launch velocity
- Run promos on slow movers, not your best sellers
- Always calculate your break-even cost
- Use odd dollar amounts for better visibility
- A/B test deal types over time
10. Final Thoughts
Coupons and promotions aren’t just for discounts — they’re tools for growth.
When used correctly, they:
✅ Build brand trust
✅ Improve conversion rates
✅ Increase organic rank
✅ Create margin with volume, not just lower prices
Want Help?
At Marketplace Valet, we help brands:
🎯 Run smarter deals
📈 Stack promos with PPC
💰 Protect margins while driving growth