What a time to be alive. I’m 10,000 feet in the air, checking in on Seller Central accounts collectively pushing $500M ARR, while writing an article on Online FBA coaches. If you are looking for actionable guidance, then you’ve come to the right place.

For all the ways I can complain about Online, the truth is they’ve made it easier than ever for entrepreneurs to bring a product to market. They have single handedly flipped the consumer packaged goods industry on its head by giving one person the ability to go toe to toe with giants like Unilever, P&G, and L’Oréal.

These companies once owned the shelf space because they could afford the EDI compliance software, slotting fees, free replenishments, rebates, and payment terms. Today, you don’t need any of that. Online leveled the playing field and gave you a direct line to the consumer. I’m going to be your coach and show you how to win on Online’s marketplaces.

Whether you’re just starting out or already pulling seven figures, bookmark these tips. What I’m about to share will save you years of trial and error.

1. Create Real Brands
   
   A logo and brand guide isn’t good enough. Your brand needs to have a:
   
   
   • Story
     
     People want the story behind the brand. You have to give them your origin, and it better be one that motivates. Something they can see themselves in or draw inspiration from. Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable.
     
     
   • Purpose
     
     You need to tell people why your brand exists. The strongest brands are built in direct opposition to their competition. People rally behind a movement, a challenge, or a conquest they can believe in.
     
     
   • Mission
     
     A brand’s mission is the day-to-day execution of its purpose. Its product(s) has to be tied to the mission, so customers have a clear way to take action and be part of it.
     
     
   • Value Proposition
     
     Your brand’s value proposition is its promise. Make sure it’s valuable to consumers and easy to understand. And try not to be like everyone else. For example, instead of ‘lose weight,’ say ‘flatten your stomach.’
     
     
   • Unique Selling Points
     
     A unique selling point (USP) is a feature or benefit that sets your product apart from competitors and gives consumers a reason to choose you. Research extensively and think critically. If you can’t find something unique about your product that people care about then you shouldn’t develop the product.

If you don’t define these for your brand and product, and communicate them through your content, then your brand will be easy to abandon and easy to take market share from.

2. Develop New or Better Mousetrap Products
   
   
   • New
     
     If you’re innovative or lucky enough to develop a product not in the market, then you have an opportunity to build a barrier to entry. Intellectual property like utility patents, design patents, and even trademarks on non-brand search terms can stop knock offs. Look at Sports Research trademarking ‘Sweat Sweat,’ or Tubshroom securing a utility patent for its drain hair catcher.
     
     
   • Better Mousetrap
     
     “Never copy. Always create better mousetraps. If they’re mushroom coffee, then you’re mushroom coffee with collagen. Copying and playing a price-driven game is a business model that will always eventually fail, because there’s always someone else — like a manufacturer willing to make less than you, and then it’s a race to the bottom.
     
     
3. Have Healthy Profit Margins
   
   
   Know your profit margins before you launch your product. Calculate your net profits on Online by taking your retail price and subtracting the following:
   
   • Referral fee
   • FBA rate fee
   • Storage
   • Cost to ship it to Online’s FCs
   • Placement fee (if you didn’t circumvent it)
   • Returns (FBA rate fee not reimbursed)
     
     You may also need sufficient profit margins for:
     
   • Advertising
   • Promotions
   • Coupons
   • Subscribe & Save
     
     
4. Product Launch Strategy
   
   Pre-build an audience with buyer intent by doing the following:
   • Build a social media following on these platforms:
     • Instagram
     • TikTok
     • YouTube
     • Facebook
   • Write 1,500 plus word articles related to your product
   • Run pre-launch video ads to build anticipation
   • Launch a Kickstarter

All of these must direct to a product page with an email or phone number opt-in.

5. Create Emotionally Compelling Content
   
   Emotions drive decisions more than facts. Just look at Nike, McDonald’s, Disney, and Lululemon — their marketing is built on emotional influence first, with facts coming second.
   
   Find what matters most to your audience and connect to it emotionally, like Nike’s Colin Kaepernick campaign: ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.’
   
   
6. Build A Community
   
   You need a cult following. According to Harvard Business Review, referred customers generate 30% – 57% more new customers than those acquired through other channels. Who are you more likely to believe: a social media ad, or a friend or family member?
   
   
7. Launch New Products Every Year
   
   The most successful brands weren’t built with 1 product. They launch new products every year to account for natural customer attrition, competition, and economic shifts.
   

What are the benefits of an Online FBA coach?

1. Avoid mistakes that could cost you millions.
2. Skip the wasted years. Make the right moves now and get to year 10 in just 2.
3. Get data backed strategies to increase your chances of success.
4. Receive personalized and actionable guidance.
5. Get updates on Online changes before everyone else.

How do you find a good Online coach?

You’re already doing it. You’re reading this article by me. I’ve built and currently manage Online accounts doing over $500M in ARR, and everything I share comes from real life experiences over the past decade.

What are the alternatives?

If an Online FBA coach like myself is out of budget, then check out our Online Seller Club.

The journey gets lonely. Having the right coach or community keeps you from making costly mistakes, increases your odds of winning, and helps you build the life you actually want.