How Adding Customer Images to Amazon Can Increase Your Book Sales
On every Amazon product page (including print and eBook pages) there is the option to “Share your own customer images”. Find this option under the image of your book cover.
Anyone can upload these customer images, including the author or publisher. So why is this worth your while?
In the case of my non-fiction wedding guide, I uploaded images to compliment the existing book cover image. These include an image of the paperback book in a real life setting, the books interior and images of the text on my Kindle.
When I made this small change, I noticed a leap in my sales. Coincidence?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. It’s hard to know which marketing efforts are working since we do not have direct statistics from Amazon, and I suspect that it’s a sum of the entire equation. Here is why adding customer images works, using an example of my favorite vice, Peet’s coffee.
Here is what Peet’s coffee looks like in it’s bag. We can more or less draw a parallel of the coffee bag to the image of your book’s front cover:
Now, we can add an image that gives the consumer a feeling; a desire to enjoy the product for them self:
We can even go one step further and add in an image of someone enjoying the coffee, to show the customer the joy and experience this purchase will bring them.
Photo Courtesy of KatLevPhoto on Flikr
It’s obvious which image is going to entice you to buy the coffee more effectively. In the case of your book, this could be a picture of someone reading your book on the sofa, by the pool or even at the beach.
Adding customer images is a simple, effective, yet underused tool. Use this to your advantage and give customers more than just a book cover to judge your book by.
Now please excuse me while I go get my coffee!
Have you used this feature? Leave a comment with a link to your book so we can all check it out.
Thanks for this nice tip about the “Share customer images” feature on your Amazon. We have just updated our Yankee Mandarin page at Amazon with images related to the story – see what you think at http://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Mandarin-ebook/dp/B0088LI9BA/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_1
This feature may engage the attention of browsing readers and hold them on the page longer, and encourage them to try the book.
Good for you for implementing this tip, James!
Nice.
I had neglected that aspect to ebooks (beginner here). But..what do you do if some ebooks are in the erotica niche? Cant exactly take a nudie pic of some chick with blue paint and fake alien antennae and post it on amazon, or can I? :)
Hi Skyward, great question! You can post pics of characters (with clothes on!) but with a sexy air about them. So much can be conveyed by the eyes :)
What do you do if a customer has posted up some defamatory or horrible pictures in response to your book? I can’t seem to find any ‘report’ buttons.
Hi Amanda. If you have an Author Central account, you can contact Amazon support through the contact form and state the issue. There is a phone number you can call in there too. I hope that helps, good luck.