To maximize your Amazon sales, which would you use: Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software?
Running Amazon ads can be overwhelming, especially when pricey third-party PPC tools cut into your budget and limit data control. Amazon Bulk Sheets offer a simpler, cost-effective alternative, letting you manage ads efficiently within Amazon’s ecosystem—no extra fees or middlemen needed.
Choosing the right tools for managing your ad campaigns depends on your unique needs and goals. Let’s explore each option in detail to help you make the best choice.
Or skip the ad hassle entirely—let our Amazon agency manage it all, so you can focus on growing your brand.
Table of Contents
Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software: Overview
Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click) enhances visibility, drives targeted traffic, and boosts sales by placing your product at the top of search results among millions of listings.
By focusing on specific keywords and targeting shoppers actively searching for similar products, PPC improves click-through rates and sales, while also providing valuable insights into keywords and shopper behavior for listing optimization.
For effective PPC management, consider whether to use paid third-party software with premium features for automation or Amazon’s free Bulk Sheets for cost-effective campaign management.
Key Takeaways:
Utilizing the bulk operations tab in Amazon Advertising allows you to download reports on product eligibility for ads, helping identify issues that may hinder performance.
Implementing a low-bid automatic campaign with separate ad groups for each SKU can optimize ad spend and enhance visibility while maintaining minimal costs.
Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software: Cost Comparison
When it comes to managing Amazon PPC ads, costs can add up fast with third-party PPC tools.
Prices for tools like Perpetua, Teikametrics, and Quartile range from $199 to over $10,000 per month—some even charge a percentage of ad spend, adding hidden costs on top of already high subscription fees. These platforms offer advanced features like AI bidding, cross-platform compatibility, and customizable automation but at a premium.
In contrast, the Amazon Bulk Sheet offers a free, in-house solution for managing bids, budgets, and keywords without subscription fees or markups.
For an Amazon seller prioritizing budget control and flexibility, Bulk Sheets are a cost-effective alternative to third-party tools, allowing you to handle ad management directly within Amazon’s platform at no additional cost.
Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software: How to Use For PPC Management
Amazon Bulksheets
Bulk operations is a feature in the Amazon Advertising console that sellers and advertisers can use for creating, managing, and optimizing multiple campaigns efficiently, minimizing manual work.
Amazon Bulk Sheets, a spreadsheet-based tool, enables these large-scale updates. Advertisers can download metrics in a bulk sheet, make edits, and upload the updated data for streamlined ad management.
Why Use Bulk Operations?
Save Time
Simultaneously add or remove hundreds of keywords and adjust bids and budgets, scaling up quickly.
Boost Results
Download performance metrics per campaign and optimize at scale for better outcomes.
Work Offline
Edit your bulk sheet locally, enabling flexibility and reducing latency.
Is Bulk Operations Right for You?
Choosing bulk operations depends on your campaign volume. For a few campaigns, Amazon’s ad console works well.
But for large-scale changes across numerous campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and product targets, Bulk Sheets provide an efficient, time-saving option.
How to Access Bulk Operations in Seller Central
- Navigate to “Advertising > Campaign Manager” in Seller Central.
Select Bulk Operations from the left navigation menu.
How to Download and Upload Amazon Bulksheets
- Download Your Bulk File
Download your bulk file from the “Bulk Operations” tab in the Amazon Advertising Console. Set a Date Range of at least two weeks, select your settings, and download the spreadsheet.
- Edit the Bulk File
Edit the downloaded file in Excel or Google Sheets. Ensure changes follow the correct format to avoid errors. With this bulksheet, you can rename campaigns or ad groups, modify bids, change budgets, and adjust placement settings.
- Upload the Bulk File
Go back to the Bulk Operation Page, click “Choose file”, then attach your edited bulksheet.
- Review and Correct Errors
After uploading, check for errors. Download the generated report to identify any issues, correct them in your bulk file, and reupload to ensure all changes are processed.
Check out this guide on how to use the Amazon bulksheets.
What You Can Do With Bulk Operations
- Creating New Campaigns
Set the Record Type to “Campaign,” specify a Campaign Name, and define the Daily Budget. You can also input the Start Date, which defaults to today if left blank, and an optional End Date.
Additionally, indicate the Targeting Type, provide an optional Portfolio ID, set the Status to “enabled,” and choose a Bidding Strategy.
You do not need to include a Record ID when creating new campaigns, ad groups, or keywords. After uploading your bulk sheet, Amazon will automatically assign an ID to each record.
You can view these new records with their respective Record IDs the next time you download a bulk sheet from Amazon.
- Creating Ad Groups
To create a new ad, set the Record Type to “Ad” , then fill in the Campaign, Ad Group, SKU, and Status (set to “enabled”). Remember to use the SKU for the ad rather than the product’s ASIN, as a single ASIN may have multiple SKUs.
- Adding Keywords
To add a new keyword using bulk operations, set Record Type to “Keyword” and complete fields for Campaign, Ad Group, Max Bid, Keyword or Product Targeting (the keyword or ASIN), and Status (set to “enabled”). There must be one row for each ASIN or keyword.
- Adjusting Bids
Adjusting bids is straightforward—just modify the amount directly in the Max Bid column by clicking on the cell and entering the new value.
Key Takeaways on Bid Adjustments:
Reducing bids can be strategic when certain keywords have high ACoS or low effectiveness.
For example, a high bid on a specific term (e.g., “squash soap men”) led to excessive costs, so lowering the bid was necessary to optimize spending.
Paid Amazon PPC Tools
Using third-party Amazon PPC tools generally involves connecting your Amazon account to the tool, allowing it to access your advertising data, analyze performance metrics, and make data-driven adjustments to your campaigns.
While different tools may offer unique features, they commonly follow a similar workflow to help you optimize ad spend, manage bids, and improve ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales). Let’s look at a specific example:
Example: Quartile
Quartile is an AI-powered Amazon PPC software designed to optimize ad campaigns, focusing on lowering ACoS. Here’s how it works:
Data Connection and Analysis
Quartile connects directly to your Amazon account through Amazon’s API, pulling in your ad performance data to gain insights on spending patterns, keyword success, and overall campaign effectiveness.
Strategy and Campaign Management
Using its proprietary AI, Quartile crafts a tailored Amazon advertising strategy, launches campaigns, and continuously manages them. Its real-time adjustments allow it to optimize each campaign, automatically adjusting bids and budget allocation for maximum return.
While the setup and scope of each tool can vary, the core function remains similar: leveraging data analysis to streamline PPC campaigns and improve ad performance. Always refer to each tool’s documentation for setup specifics and customization options tailored to your goals.
Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software: Benefits and Drawbacks
Amazon Bulksheets
Pros
- Free to use, making it accessible for small sellers.
- Allows for rapid bulk changes, significantly faster than the Amazon Advertising Console.
- Facilitates the simultaneous uploading of multiple campaigns and keywords.
- Enables bulk bid changes using Excel formulas and filters, offering precise control.
- Often allows management of new Amazon Ads before third-party software.
Cons
- The interface can be complex and non-intuitive, requiring time to learn.
- Incorrect usage can lead to errors, necessitating troubleshooting.
- All strategic decisions must be made independently; there are no automated suggestions or insights.
Paid Amazon PPC Tools
Pros
- Algorithms adjust bids for you, but be cautious of poor setup.
- Offers better visualization and insights compared to Amazon’s tools.
- Simplifies management of numerous products.
- Streamlined dashboards make ad management easier.
- Provides structured approaches to identify improvement areas.
Cons
- Many tools have substantial fees, unsuitable for smaller budgets.
- Can miss nuances that require hands-on management.
- Extensive features may overwhelm and distract from key optimizations.
Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software: Recommendations
Amazon Bulksheets
When to Use Amazon Bulk Sheets
- Best for handling a moderate number of products without needing paid tools.
- Free to use, so you can allocate funds toward actual ad spend.
- Ideal if you’re comfortable with manual adjustments and spreadsheet management.
- Works well for campaigns needing infrequent changes.
- Data stays within Amazon’s ecosystem, without third-party access.
- Familiar format for users comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets.
When to Skip Amazon Bulk Sheets
- No real-time bid adjustments or keyword automation—third-party tools offer this.
- Bulk Sheets lack advanced data insights and competitor analysis.
- Scaling across multiple markets? Third-party PPC software will scale better.
- Frequent manual adjustments can be time-consuming.
- For machine-learning-driven bid adjustments, paid tools are more effective.
Amazon PPC Software
Use PPC Software If You:
- Spend over $10,000 monthly on ads and need efficient management.
- Handle a large product range that requires significant attention.
- Lack time to manage campaigns and miss important adjustments.
Skip PPC Software If You:
- Have a budget below $5,000 monthly, fewer than five products, and can commit two hours weekly to ads.
- Are skilled in advanced strategies, where software may offer limited benefits.
New Amazon Bulksheets Version
As of September 28, 2023, the legacy Amazon bulksheets have been deprecated and are no longer functional. To manage your sponsored ads campaigns, you must switch to the new version of bulksheets for improved functionality and user experience.
Key Changes in the New Bulksheets
Product Field (Column A)
Set campaign type (Sponsored Products, Brands, or Display).
Entity Field (Column B)
Defines the campaign element being updated (e.g., campaign, ad group, keyword).
Operation Field (Column C)
Specify actions (create, update, archive) for each row. For Sponsored Brands, you can submit drafts without launching immediately.
Campaign Name Updates
Easily update campaign and ad group names in bulk.
Sponsored Display Support
Manage Sponsored Display campaigns with bulksheets.
Indefinite Running
Leave the “End date” blank for ongoing campaigns.
Expanded Sponsored Brands
Now supports product targeting and additional ad formats.
New Metrics
Access CPC, ROAS, and Conversion Rate for bid optimization.
Date Format
Use YYYYMMDD for dates (e.g., 20220225 for February 25, 2022).
Amazon Bulksheets or Amazon PPC Software?
Choose Your Amazon Ad Management Wisely
In the debate between Amazon Bulksheets and third-party PPC tools, the best choice hinges on your specific needs.
Amazon Bulksheets offer a cost-effective and efficient way to manage campaigns directly within Amazon, making them ideal for budget-conscious sellers. On the other hand, Amazon PPC tools provide advanced features and automation, better suited for larger budgets and extensive product ranges.
Whichever path you choose, consider the benefits and drawbacks of each option carefully.
Ready to optimize your Amazon ads without the hassle?
Let our expert team at our Full Service Amazon Agency and Amazon Advertising Agency manage your PPC campaigns for you. Contact us today to boost your sales and grow your brand!
