BWD Admin

Oct 29, 2025

12 Best Practices to Advertise on Amazon in 2026

Why Amazon Advertising Matters More Than Ever

Selling on Amazon used to be simple: list your product, run a few ads, and watch sales roll in. But in 2026, Amazon will evolve into a full-blown ad empire where only strategic advertisers will thrive.

By next year, Amazon will control nearly 12% of the U.S. digital ad market, right behind Google and Meta. According to eMarketer projections, brands across the U.S. will invest more than $64 billion in Amazon ads by 2026.

So if you’re wondering about the best way to advertise on Amazon, here’s what will separate winners from the rest: it won’t be bigger budgets, it’ll be smarter strategies.

Let’s look at the 12 best practices that will shape Amazon's advertising success in 2026.

1. Understand Amazon’s Changing Advertising Landscape

Amazon’s ad ecosystem in 2026 will look completely different from even two years ago.

AI personalization, automated targeting, and machine-learning-driven bidding are now the norm.

New ad formats like Sponsored TV, Interactive Video Ads, and AI-generated creative testing are helping brands reach customers across Amazon Prime Video, Fire TV, and Alexa devices.

If you’re still only using Sponsored Products, it’s time to level up.

Understanding how these evolving tools fit into your funnel is now one of the Amazon advertising best practices you can’t afford to skip.

2. Prioritize Data-Driven Campaigns

Data is the real currency on Amazon.

Top sellers analyze metrics like ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sales), TACOS (Total Advertising Cost of Sales), and CTR (Click-Through Rate) to guide every decision.

In 2026, the best way to advertise on Amazon is to let data drive strategy.

Amazon’s new analytics dashboards and predictive tools help you understand which keywords are converting, which audiences are engaged, and where your budget performs best.

Don’t just “set and forget.” Review, optimize, and adjust weekly.

The brands winning on Amazon are those that treat advertising as a science, not a gamble.

3. Optimize for Voice and Visual Search

Voice commerce will skyrocket by 2026, with Alexa and Echo devices powering 30% of Amazon purchases (Statista forecast, 2025).

When shoppers say, “Alexa, order the best Bluetooth speaker,” you want your product to show up first.

To do that, optimize product titles with natural phrases people actually say, not just type.

Similarly, visual search is on the rise. Amazon Lens allows users to search with images. Ensure your product photos are clear, high-quality, and keyword-rich in metadata to appear in visual searches.

Voice and visual search will quietly shape Amazon ad trends 2026, influencing which products get seen first.

4. Invest in Sponsored Brand Video Ads

Video is taking over Amazon, and for good reason.

According to Amazon Ads data (2025), listings with video ads experience 120% higher engagement and 35% more conversions than static listings.

Sponsored brand videos autoplay in search results and let you demonstrate features, show customer testimonials, or even build emotional brand stories.

Think of it like a mini-commercial right where your customers are shopping.

In 2026, this format will dominate mid- to high-ticket product categories like tech, beauty, and fitness.

5. Leverage Automation and AI in Ad Management

If you’re manually managing campaigns in 2026, good luck keeping up.

Amazon’s built-in automation features, like dynamic bidding, automated targeting, and AI-driven budget pacing, are revolutionizing ad management.

They automatically adjust bids, placements, and creatives based on performance in real time.

Brands that embrace automation report 30% lower wasted ad spend and 25% higher ROI (Source: JungleScout, 2025).

The best way to advertise on Amazon this year is to combine automation with human oversight, let AI handle the repetition, and focus on strategy.

6. Build a Branded Amazon Storefront

If your Amazon page looks like a digital flea market, you’re leaving money on the table.

Your Amazon Storefront is your brand’s home base. It gives you control over layout, imagery, and storytelling, all while improving conversions.

Sellers using custom storefronts saw 22% higher repeat purchase rates (Source: Feedvisor, 2025).

Use this space to highlight top products, seasonal bundles, and branded content.

Remember: in a marketplace full of random listings, branding builds trust and trust builds sales.

7. Utilize Amazon DSP for Retargeting

You know that shopper who viewed your product, read reviews, added it to their cart, then vanished? Amazon DSP is how you win them back.

Amazon’s Demand-Side Platform (DSP) lets you display and video ads beyond Amazon on websites, apps, and even Twitch.

It’s the ultimate tool for retargeting and building awareness.

Brands using DSP report up to 35% higher conversion rates compared to those relying solely on in-platform ads (Source: eMarketer, 2025).

In 2026, DSP is no longer optional; it’s the secret weapon behind every serious Amazon advertiser.

8. Use Predictive Targeting and Smart Segmentation

Predictive targeting is the future of personalization.

Amazon now uses AI-powered audience segmentation, analyzing search habits, purchase frequency, and even wish lists to show your ads to the right people.

This isn’t guesswork, it’s algorithmic matchmaking.

Imagine promoting dog toys to people who recently bought dog food or showing kitchen gadgets to shoppers upgrading home appliances.

These hyper-relevant campaigns are how brands double CTRs while cutting costs.

That’s why predictive segmentation is one of the most important Amazon ad trends 2026 to adopt.

9. Align Product Listing SEO with Advertising

Here’s a truth most sellers miss: your ads are only as strong as your listings.

If your title, bullets, and description aren’t optimized with target keywords, even the best ads will underperform.

Amazon’s A10 algorithm rewards relevant, keyword-rich listings with higher ad visibility.

To maximize ROI:

Use the same keywords from your ad campaigns in your listing.
Include long-tail variations in bullet points.
Update backend search terms regularly.

This partnership between SEO and advertising is the best way to advertise on Amazon efficiently in 2026.

10. Conduct A/B Testing for Creatives and Formats

Think your product image or headline is “perfect”? Test it anyway.

A/B testing helps uncover what actually converts. Sometimes, the smallest tweak makes the biggest impact.

Test your:

Main image angles
Ad headlines
Call-to-action copy
Video lengths

Amazon’s Manage Your Experiments tool allows side-by-side performance comparisons.

Brands that test consistently see 25% higher conversion rates on average (Source: Tinuiti, 2025).

Testing isn’t extra work; it’s insurance against wasted spend.

11. Track Attribution and Off-Platform Behavior

Amazon advertising doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Buyers often see your ad on one device, but purchase later elsewhere.

Amazon Attribution helps bridge that gap, showing you how shoppers interact with your brand across channels from social media to email to Amazon checkout.

The data allows you to allocate ad budgets where they actually drive sales.

In 2026, expect Amazon Attribution to become even more advanced, integrating with platforms like Meta Ads, YouTube, and TikTok.

Measuring what happens after the click is one of the most overlooked Amazon advertising best practices today.

12. Partner with an Experienced Amazon Advertising Agency

Let’s be honest, keeping up with Amazon’s evolving ad features, algorithms, and data dashboards can be overwhelming.

That’s where agencies like Bridgeway Digital come in.

We live and breathe Amazon marketing, managing Sponsored Ads, optimizing DSP campaigns, and building custom brand storefronts for top performance.

Partnering with experts helps you avoid expensive trial and error, scale faster, and leverage insider tools.

With experienced guidance, you’re not just running ads, you’re building a system that drives growth long-term.

Comparing Amazon Ad Formats in 2026

Ad Format	Purpose	Projected Avg. CTR (2026)	Best For
Sponsored Products	Drive direct sales	0.5%–0.7%	Everyday essentials, quick conversions
Sponsored Brands Video	Build awareness & storytelling	1.0%–1.3%	Lifestyle & premium categories
Sponsored Display	Retarget site visitors	0.5%	Cross-selling complementary items
Amazon DSP	Off-platform retargeting	0.7%–1.0%	Expanding reach & awareness campaigns

What’s Next for Amazon Ads?

By 2026, we’ll see AI take center stage in creative generation and campaign optimization.

Expect AI-written ad copy, automated image selection, and even predictive budgeting tools that adjust based on seasonal trends.

Amazon will continue expanding ads into its entertainment ecosystem, think Fire TV, Alexa, Twitch, and Prime Video integrations.

As privacy laws tighten, first-party data will become gold. Brands that collect, manage, and use it responsibly will dominate.

The future of Amazon advertising isn’t just about visibility; it’s about precision, automation, and brand intelligence.

The Future of Amazon Advertising Is Bright

The future of Amazon advertising is smart, fast, and packed with potential. In 2026, brands using AI-driven ad automation are seeing 30% higher ROI and 25% lower costs (JungleScout, 2025).

That’s not luck, it’s strategy. Following these 12 best practices ensures your brand thrives in a competitive marketplace that’s growing fiercer by the day.

At Bridgeway Digital, we turn your ad clicks into real, loyal customers using data, creativity, and next-gen Amazon tools.

With $64 billion projected in U.S. Amazon ad spend this year, now’s the time to take your campaigns seriously. 2026 is shaping up to be a record year for digital sellers. Let’s make sure your brand leads the pack.