This Issue's TLDR...

• How to go on OFFENSE this Q4
• The Anker formula
• How to write psychologically charged ad hooks

👉 Did someone forward you this newsletter? First of all, give them a crisp high five when you see them. Second, head over here to subscribe and read past issues.

And, be sure to read last week's issue about how you can figure out contribution authority on your ASINs. Or, read my most popular issue ever: 15 Cool Hacks For Your Amazon Business.

​

SPONSOR Stack Influence The holidays are Amazon's most competitive stretch - ad costs surge, placements tighten, and only brands that break through early win lasting rank visibility. ​ Most sellers face the same issues: PPC costs spike 30–50% in Q4 Rankings freeze on page 2 ​ That's where Lenny & Larry's were stuck - until they used Stack Influence. We activated 1,560 influencers who each: Bought the product on Amazon (a verified purchase) Shared honestly on social media Left organic UGC that the brand could repurpose ​ The result? 11× sales, 525 reviews, 2.3M impressions - momentum ads can't buy. 👀⭐🚀 ​ Get ahead of Q4 competition. Outrank your category before Black Friday hits. See How Stack Influence Works

I wrote last year that The Best Offense is a Good Defense in Q4.

Well, I'm changing my tune a bit this year.

To be clear...YOU SHOULD STILL TAKE DEFENSIVE MEASURES IN Q4. (Refer to last year's Q4 article)

But, I'd like you to consider supplementing them with offensive measures this year.

What am I talking about?

Here are two offensive measures (that your competition probably isn't thinking about):

TACTIC 1: Use Off-Amazon Deal Platforms

I'm not suggesting you do anything Black Hat here, using these platforms for rebated sales or positive reviews.

Of even that you run deals above and beyond what you already have planned for Amazon.

Because, lord knows, Amazon's discount requirements are increasingly steep and annoying (especially when Amazon has a non-sensical reference price).

Rather, the play here is to syndicate your Amazon deals and give them broader visibility.

Brad's Deals and SlickDeals are well-known, and I've written about them before.

The problem with the well-known ones though, is the same problem that we all have with Amazon -- too much competition from other sellers. Which means, your deal is less likely to show up for deal-seeking shoppers.

You can certainly try those sites. But, this year, I'd suggest you supplement.

"Supplement with what, Jon?"

Well, how about the deal platforms that Chinese sellers regularly use (with great success, I might add).

The deal platforms that are most popular among Chinese sellers?

Tomoson, SlickDeals, Vipon, and Dealsplus.

TACTIC 2: Weaponize Amazon's Compliance Machine

What if you could weaponize Amazon's compliance machine, and make it work FOR you instead of AGAINST you?

I'm not talking about clicking that "Report Abuse" link on detail pages, or using the "Report a Violation" workflow in Brand Registry.

We all know that those tactics rarely work.

Rather, I'm talking about using specialized law firms to draw Amazon's attention to things that your competitors might being doing that are against Amazon ToS, in violation of state/federal law, or something else.

Yes, such law firms do exist.

There's even one near me that has a unique way of going after the bank accounts of China-based sellers.

Now, you do want to tread carefully here.

For one thing, while a law firm can shield you from direct involvement, your competitors will likely suspect you and respond in kind.

But also, we all know that Amazon's compliance machine is a machete, not a scalpel, and there's a non-zero risk that your product(s) get swept up in the enforcement activity that you triggered.

So, yeah, this offensive tactic is a bit loaded and nuanced. If you want to chat more about it, or want a law firm recommendation, I'm on the other side of this email.

FRIENDS OF B@A Assureful Honestly, who wants to think about insurance? Well, I'm telling you that you should revisit your insurance coverage. Like...NOW. And, I'm also telling you that you should switch to Assureful. Outside of the fact that it was built by sellers, for sellers, it will also save you 40%-50% (or more!) on your insurance premiums. Seriously, look up what you're paying in monthly insurance premiums right now, and then click the link below to get an instant quote from Assureful. If you don't see savings, send me an ALL CAPS email saying "you were wrong, Jon." ​ See What You Can Save On Insurance

BEST from my Inbox

I'll admit: I'm an Anker fanboi.

I worked closely with them while at Amazon, and saw firsthand how they built an empire (and, I like to think that I played a small part in that).

Anyway, this is a great "inside baseball" interview with Anker's founder, Steven Yang.

It's only a 5-minute read, but if you need a TLDR:

Anker's "Shallow Waters Strategy" dictates that the company must secure its future by dominating multiple smaller, niche product categories rather than relying on a few core products. Looking ahead, Anker's primary focus is on embodied intelligence, specifically developing a home monitoring robotic dog to integrate with its existing security systems.

​

BEST from LinkedIn

Most marketing copy on Amazon is *not* persuasive.

Part of the reason for this is because Amazon sellers, brands, practitioners, etc. write copy to optimize for A9.

Fair.

But, what I'd suggest to you is that the best brand-building skill you can develop, to set yourself apart in 2026 and beyond, is to understand buyer psychology and the "tools of the trade" of direct response marketing.

Of course, leverage your favorite LLM to help with this.

BEST from X

This new packaging fee sucks.

There, I said it.

Amazon is essentially forcing all Oversize products into SIPP.

This ignores the fact that sometimes, when customers receive products in the original packaging (i.e., not an Amazon box), they get pissed.

Among other issues, SIPP products get damaged by carriers, and they reveal what someone is buying (privacy concerns).

Of course, these issues always manifest in the form of negative feedback for the seller, or critical product reviews.

And this is all because a seller/brand is simply following an Amazon policy.

Amazon Sellers ASGTG @AmazonASGTG New hidden fee? 😳 or am I misunderstanding this @amznsellerhelp Amazon says all items (even 0–5 lbs) will now be charged a packaging fee if shipped in one box. So… 12 shampoos in a single box = 12 fees? @guyfosel 7:25 PM • Oct 28, 2025 3 Retweets 12 Likes Read 2 replies

​

​​​