Winning on Amazon in 2025 Starts with Mind, Body & Brand

In this episode, Mina Elias from Trivium Group drops some serious knowledge bombs on how crushing it on Amazon isn’t just about ads and listings — it’s about mindset, mental toughness, and yes, even jiu-jitsu 🥋 (because why not train like a fighter to survive the Amazon jungle?).We dive deep into why your body is your ultimate business asset, why building the best brand beats just slapping products on a shelf, and how to run your Amazon store like a well-oiled machine that never quits. Mina spills the tea on mastering product-market fit and owning your keyword game .Tune in, get inspired, and maybe even get off the couch for a round of jiu-jitsu!!We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 – Welcome back Mina Elias03:15 – Jiu-jitsu, mindset 05:35 – Your body = your business machine (Lamborghini or rusty clunker?)06:25 – The Amazon battlefield in 2025: no more “easy wins”07:00 – Why your 2015 strategy won’t work today (bye-bye, gold rush)08:00 – Are you building the best brand — or just selling stuff?11:00 – Real product examples: what buyers actually want12:06 – Is your product page truly the best one on the internet?13:25 – Why great brands win without even trying14:45 – Conversion rate: the “cheat code” for Amazon growth16:00 – Amazon vs. Facebook Ads: who wins the simplicity game?17:15 – “Moneyballing” Amazon success with checklists & nerdy details19:45 – What if your product page is great? What’s next?21:10 – PPC strategy explained like a human, not a robot26:36 – Success = systems28:50 – Using Brand Analytics to measure conversion 29:30 – Why “passive Amazon income” is a sweet, sweet lie31:45 – Selling a product vs. building a business (big difference)32:15 – Final thoughts + where to find Mina online🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingMeet Mina Elias – founder & CEO of Trivium Group, professional supplement nerd, jiu-jitsu enthusiast, and the guy who turns “just a product” into “wait, I’ve seen that everywhere!”Tariff Turmoil: How Brands Are Adapting in 2025Seller Stories: Growing 10 Brands at Once and Managing by KPI’sSuccessful Ecommerce Entrepreneur On Business, Scaling 10x, and Finding the Right Partners📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host:  Mina EliasSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

Prime Day 2025 is here (8–11 July), and we’ve got something special for you.Every year, like clockwork, we at Ad Badger dig deep into the data, dust off our best strategies, and sharpen our PPC claws for what’s basically the Super Bowl of Amazon selling. This year? We’ve packed everything we’ve learned since 2018 into one mega-episode—stories, missteps, wins, surprises, and a few controversial takes.We talk about what actually happens to conversion rates, why ACoS drops while spend goes up, and how Prime Day isn’t just about the 48 hours—it’s about the before and after. You’ll hear about the exact moment one seller realized their campaigns were cannibalizing their own keywords. And why another seller got better results by doing... absolutely nothing.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 – Conversion rates jump on Prime Day (2018 data)1:53 – Prime Day duration increased from 36 to 48 hours over the years5:03 – Clicks surge by about 70% on Prime Day6:11 – Sales increase by 130% on Prime Day7:54 – Average daily ad spend rises by 78% on Prime Day8:40 – ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale) drops from 31% to 25% on Prime Day12:57 – Recommended to increase budgets 2–3x on Prime Day, tapering up 1.5–2.5x in days leading up14:04 – Increase bids by 10% across the board; 50–100% on top-converting products17:39 – Huge conversion rate increase (~35%) during Prime Day, worth aggressive budget scaling27:43 – Strategy to aggressively target customers pre-, during, and post-Prime Day for max impact🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingA Data-Oriented Approach to Amazon Prime Day AdvertisingThe No-Hype, All Data Approach to Prime Day PPCPrime Day Preparation: Capitalizing on the Most Important Days of the YearYour Guide to Amazon Prime Day 2021How Do I Make the Most of Prime Day 2023 as an Amazon PPC-er?When Is Prime Day 2025? Everything You Need to Know📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

In this episode, we chat with Emma Schermer Tamir of Marketing by Emma about how AI is flipping the Amazon customer journey upside down. She shares how she’s using tools like ChatGPT to beat writer’s block, dig into reviews, and fine-tune copy—but also why human creativity still steals the show. We get into why solid branding and killer visuals matter more than ever, how great A+ content can boost trust (and sales), and what makes a product page actually stand out in the age of average AI-generated everything. It's a real talk on where ecomm is headed—and how to stay ahead.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights 00:00 – Welcome back, Emma!02:00 – Even Emma’s dad uses ChatGPT for everything03:20 – Rufus handles 270M searches… but still struggles05:00 – Perplexity’s smarter product comparison layout08:00 – Why Amazon search is frustrating customers10:00 – Emma likes the new “high return rate” badge13:00 – “Do you have the best page on the internet?”14:30 – Pre-answering customer questions matters more than ever16:00 – The end of outdated keyword-stuffed listings17:30 – Visual clarity and emotional connection win18:30 – Appealing to AI vs. appealing to humans19:00 – Run your images through ChatGPT to test clarity28:30 – AI is influencing conversions—outside Amazon too29:30 – Emma’s game plan for fixing weak product pages 35:20 – Emma’s YouTube channel: now 2x a week!🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ https://www.adbadger.com/pricing-product-tour/Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingMeet Emma Schermer Tamir — copy queen, clarity junkie, and your secret weapon for turning Amazon clicks into conversionsIs Your Amazon Listing Stuck in 2016? 11 Things to Fix Right NowCommon Mistakes With Amazon Product Listings and How to Avoid Them  (Classic)How Can Product Images on Amazon Boost Conversion Rates?How Can I Elevate My Copywriting In My Amazon PPC Campaign?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host:  Emma Schermer TamirSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

Think cutting your Amazon PPC budget is like saving money? In this episode, Michael Tejeda breaks down why slashing your ad spend right now could actually hurt your organic rankings and cost you more in the long run. With tariffs and economic uncertainty shaking things up, Michael shares real client stories and smart strategies like keyword clustering and budget balancing that helped boost sales—even when the market softened. A must-listen for every Amazon seller who wants to win the game.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​00:00 – What questions do Amazon sellers ask most?00:27 – Tariffs are messing things up — why cutting ads now is a bad move02:24 – Why slashing your ad budget can hurt your sales big time04:14 – How Amazon ads help your organic (free) sales06:30 – When a client says “Cut my ads in half!” — what really happens07:37 – How fast your organic sales drop after cutting ads09:00 – Story time: What happened when we pumped up the ad budget15:47 – How grouping keywords helps you spend ad money smarter19:10 – Why breaking keywords into clusters makes your budget work better20:34 – Staying cool when Amazon throws curveballs at your ads22:13 – Different sellers, different ad struggles 🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingGet to know Michael Tejeda, a skilled campaign manager at Ad BadgerTariff Turmoil: How Brands Are Adapting in 2025Successful Ecommerce Entrepreneur On Business, Scaling 10x, and Finding the Right PartnersThe One Activity That Will Fix Your ACOS in 2025How to Find Products That Sell Organically📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host:  Michael TejedaSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

Michael sits down with Blair Forrest — yes, the one lifting scary barbells, flying solo without an assistant, and casually rethinking the entire North American logistics map.They dive deep into the 2025 tariff chaos: why brands are panicking, how bonded warehouses are basically international waters (minus the pirates), and what it actually means to “wait out” a multi-million dollar shipping problem.From FTZ hacks to cross-border inventory plays, this is your tactical survival guide for the madness — whether you’re paying $5K or $300K per container.It’s messy. It’s essential. It’s surprisingly therapeutic. We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 – Goal setting like headless monkeys4:12 – $300K tariffs on $100K goods7:58 – FTZ, Bonded, Anti-USA play explained11:44 – Blair’s real setup: bonded, FTZ, Canada14:32 – Inaction is action: just wait it out16:20 – HS audits: maybe it’s not the water bottle’s fault20:12 – Inbound obsession: check-in time is king now22:01 – Blair's bold predictions: AWD in trouble, West Coast doomed25:05 – Budget discipline vs. ad spend delusions26:45 – Agencies need to be business optimizers now28:13 – Shopify vs Amazon: wake-up call time29:20 – The 3-body problem: Ads vs Organic vs Profit30:30 – Outro🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Find Michael Erickson Facchin — Ad Badger’s CEO and soul, PPC whisperer, and your go-to guide through the wild world of Amazon advertisingGet to know Blair Forrest of AMZPrep — the logistics mastermind with bold predictions, sharp insights, and just the right amount of chaos to keep Amazon on its toes.How Can I Expand My Amazon PPC Campaign To Canada?10 Steps to Maximize Amazon FBA Inventory LimitsHow Do I Perfect My Amazon Inventory Management?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes​​​​​-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host:  Blair ForrestSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

In this episode of PPC Den, we sit down with Francis Leger from GS Plant Foods — a bonsai hobbyist, and the kind of entrepreneur who doesn’t just grow plants… he grows businesses too.Francis shares how he scaled from $0 to $1M (spoiler: it wasn’t magic, it was grit), what needs to shift to hit $5M, and how his approach to marketing and operations evolved at every stage. We also get into the real talk: how to find the right business partner (and how to spot the wrong one fast), why trust matters more than contracts, and what makes a good agency relationship actually work.Of course, we couldn’t let him go without asking the hard-hitting questions: Is being a chef harder than being a founder? What plant is actually trying to die every day? And will AI ever figure out how to water your monstera for you?This episode is part founder therapy, part growth masterclass — and 100% worth your time.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 — Francis’s journey: chef, bonsai fan, ecommerce founder3:00 — Balancing passion with business hustle6:00 — Using outside help to scale smarter10:00  — Why vendor trust matters big time15:00 — Real talk: overcoming tough business challenges30:00  — From hobby to full-on business grind36:00  — COVID pivots and tough lessons38:00  — Marketing’s fast lane: adapt or get left behind40:00  — Retail vs online — who’s winning?43:00 — AI’s role in ecommerce’s future50:00 — Empathy & care: how GS Plant Foods grows more than plants🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Where to find Michael, Michael Erickson FacchinCheck out Francis and GS Plant Foods at gsplantfoods.com — where healthy plants (and smart business decisions) are always in season.How to Find Products That Sell OrganicallyHow To Use Psychology To Master Amazon PPC (Classic)Who to hire for your Amazon Growth Team  (Classic)What’s the Best Way to Manage an Amazon Brand? Exploring Agency Strategies📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host:  Francis LegerSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

In this solo episode, Michael kicks back by the river in Texas and reflects on what’s really been working in Amazon PPC this year. After talking to about 80 sellers and marketers every month, one thing stands out in 2025: shifting spend from non-converting to converting.He breaks it down with real numbers, talks through what most people miss when they try to lower ACOS, and shares exactly how to track and cut non-converting spending. Plus, he drops a few of his favorite tactics like duplicate search term analysis and n-gram analysis. Most importantly, he walks through one fix that can dramatically improve your ACOS — without spending more. We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights00:00 – Greetings from the Pedernales River, thoughts about PPC and spring00:51 – The most important insight of 202501:01 – Mike’s favorite Amazon PPC action: redirecting spend01:31 – What really causes high ACOS: not sales, but spend01:59 – How to find non-converting spend03:27 – Example from an account: $10K spend, $30K revenue, 60% non-converting04:27 – How to reduce ACOS from 33% to 31% without creating new campaigns05:27 – Redirecting $1000 non-converting spend to a keyword with 50% ACOS05:57 – The joy of lowering ACOS and increasing revenue at the same time06:22 – How to track non-converting spend: first steps06:51 – Why it’s important to check reports over different periods (7, 14, 28 days)07:30 – What it means if spend doesn’t double when the period doubles08:27 – Why it’s important to use longer periods for data analysis08:56 – First step after downloading the report: sort by highest spend without orders09:24 – Data analysis by buckets: broad, phrase, auto, close match09:52 – How to combine repeated search terms for more accurate analysis10:20 – Importance of aggregating data across keys appearing in different ad groups🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️Where to find Michael, Michael Erickson FacchinNon-Converting Spend: Misunderstood or Mismanaged? A Closer Look at Your PPC CampaignsWhat strategies can help minimize wasted spend in Amazon PPC?How to Achieve Low ACOS with Negative Keywords?Analyzing 2 Amazon Advertising PPC Accounts With Low ACOSWhy Is Your ACOS So High?📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno

In this episode, Michael sits down with Brent Zahradnik to dive deep into how to find products that actually sell on Amazon — without spending a dime on ads. Brent breaks down his exact process for spotting organic winners, sharing real-life examples, tools, and tips that helped him build a successful Amazon business.They cover how to analyze market trends, read customer signals, and pick products that practically sell themselves. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale your store, our insights will help you avoid costly mistakes and find products with real potential. We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 — Intro1:05 – Discussing Product Research Without Ads  3:20 – Importance of Targeting in Amazon PPC  5:10 – Traffic Sculpting Strategy: What It Is and How It Works  7:00 – Tips for Optimizing Ad Campaigns  9:30 – Success Stories and Common Mistakes to Avoid  10:45 – Outro 🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Where to find Michael, Michael Erickson FacchinWhere to find Brent, Brent ZahradnikAmazon’s New Expanded Product Targeting: How Do I Make the Most of It?5 Things You Don’t Know About Product TargetingSneaky defaults that drain your budget in 20256 Steps To Have A Successful Product Launch For Your Amazon PPC Campaign📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Brent ZahradnikSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

What’s up, Badger Nation? Mike here, camping in the Cascades, hunting for the elusive North American badger  and some killer Amazon PPC tips.In this episode, we dive into the power of negative keywords and why doing a negative keyword reset could seriously level up your ad game. Think of it like clearing out the old to make space for the new — your product and market change, so your negatives should too.I share smart ways to reset negatives without chaos, why timing (hello, seasonality!) matters, and how to get more control over your PPC traffic flow.If you’ve been scared to add negatives because “what if I need them later?” — here’s the secret: you can take them off again. This reset lets you clean up wasted spend AND test new opportunities.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 — Mike goes wild chasing badgers in the Cascades 🦡2:30 — How top sellers keep ACoS super low 4:00 — Why negative keyword management matters5:30 — When to hit the big RESET button on negatives7:30 — Sneaky campaign-by-campaign negative cleanup hacks10:00 — Benefits of resetting negatives for visibility13:00 — Ad Badger tools that make negative keyword ninja moves🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Where to find Michael, Michael Erickson FacchinHow to Achieve Low ACOS with Negative Keywords?How And Why To Use Negatives In Your Amazon PPCAnswered Prayers: Negative ASIN Targeting Comes to Auto CampaignsNegative ASIN in Amazon PPC Auto Campaigns: Is it Possible? (Part 1)Negative ASIN in Amazon PPC Auto Campaigns: Is it Possible? (Part 2)📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno 

Today, Elizabeth Greene and I dove into one of the most misunderstood topics in Amazon advertising — vCPM in Sponsored Brands campaigns. Mike still hears people say how great the low ACOS looks for vCPM, but we broke down why that can be misleading.We talked about the difference between CPC and vCPM, how attribution works (clicks vs views), and how ACOS is calculated depending on what data source you're looking at — ad console, bulk files, API, or AMC. We also discussed when vCPM actually makes sense and when it doesn't. Spoiler ⚠️: don't use it for brand defense.We walked through how vCPM can become cheaper than CPC if your CTR is high enough, the creative and retargeting advantages it can offer, and why Mike sees less than 5% of ad budgets going to vCPM even in his best accounts.If you've ever been confused about why you can't switch from vCPM to CPC, or how to measure true performance in SB campaigns  this episode is for you.We’ll see you in The PPC Den!🦡 Highlights ​​0:00 - Meet Elizabeth Greene 2:20 – How to adapt to instability in eCommerce?5:20 – What do clients expect in 2025?6:12 – The role of automation: good or bad?8:05 – How campaign structures changed in 2025?9:15 – Performance Max and new ad formats on Amazon13:05 – Why do analytics matter more than ever?15:22 – Can brands still scale in 2025?19:00 - Optimization based on click and view attribution20:00 - How to download a bulk file for analysis of ACoS and other metrics21:00- Benefits and drawbacks of VCPM campaigns for different brands22:00 - VCPM campaigns and their potential for brands with unique products25:00 - Marketing campaigns similar to "Shark Tank" for unique products26:00 - VCPM with high CTR vs. CPC campaigns29:00 - High CTR in VCPM campaigns leading to better engagement cost reduction30:00 - When VCPM campaigns are effective for unique products?🦡 Resources & Links🦡 GET AD BADGER ➡️ Where to find Michael, Michael Erickson FacchinWhere to find Elizabeth,  Elizabeth GreeneJunglrSneaky defaults that drain your budget in 2025How to Make Amazon Advertising Profitable in 2025?RPSB (Research peel stick and block) 2025 UpdateWhy Aren’t You Testing Placement Adjustments in Amazon PPC? 2025 Amazon Marketing Resolutions and Intentions📚 Unlock our FREE comprehensive Amazon Marketing PlaybookSubscribe to our newsletterTransform your workflow with our comprehensive Amazon Advertising checklistReview all our show notes-Host and Executive Producer: Michael Erickson FacchinGuest Co-Host: Elizabeth GreeneSenior Producer: Nancy Lili GonzalezPodcast Coordinator & Graphic Designer: Sofiia PodashVideo and Audio Editor: Pedro Moreno