Amazon FBA PPC strategy – underhand throw like Rick Barry

Rick Barry was a professional basketball player for 14 seasons. 

His team didn’t win all the time. 

He is largely unknown.

But, he’s immortalized forever because of 1 thing:

His “Granny Throw”.

That’s right…

Rick was one of the few players in the NBA to perform his free throws underhand.

Ugly? Yes.

Uncool? Yes.

Effective? Yes.

It worked extremely well. He shot 89.31% from the free throw line, which ranks him as the 8th best free throw shooter in NBA history, right behind legends of the sport like Stephen Curry (90.69%) and Steve Nash (90.43%). Side note: what’s with all the accurate Steves? A mystery for a different day.

The “granny throw” is stable because the player uses both hands.

It’s accurate.

It clearly works.

But if it works so well, why don’t more people use it?

Because they want to look cool.

Here’s an excerpt from an article called “Why Won’t Men Shoot Free Throws Like Rick Barry”:

“In an interview with Business Insider, Shaquille O’Neal is quoted as saying, ‘I told Rick Barry I’d rather shoot 0% than shoot underhand.’ While no one can refute Shaq’s prolific run as a dominant force in basketball— he’s probably a Top-15 player in NBA history—imagine a world where he shot 75% at the free throw line and is vaulted to the Mt. Rushmore of NBA players.”

Sometimes, the desire to look cool is the problem.

I’ve noticed a similar phenomenon when folks run Amazon PPC ads.

They want to try cool, flashy, new ad units like Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, Amazon Live, and fancy targeting.

But, it’s the basics that actually work.

Here’s 2 examples of Amazon PPC tactics that you can “granny throw” all the way to the bank!

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(1) Amazon Sponsored Products Auto campaigns for every ASIN. Use low bids. Starting below Amazon’s suggested bids, then inch up from there.

(2) Amazon Sponsored Products Automatic Catch All campaigns. For whatever reason, Amazon LOVES Automatic campaigns with multiple products in them. Use low bids, starting below Amazon’s suggested bidding. Maybe it’s because the ad algorithm can mix-and-match products and targets. Or maybe, as 7-figure seller Ken Wilson speculates, Amazon likes the “blank cheque” aspect.

Both of these campaign styles are extremely uncool and considered very “basic”, yet drive real financial results.

We spend over $13m/year on Amazon Ads, and we often choose these “granny throws” over flashier ad types. Because they drive profit.

If you want a list of low-hanging fruit for your Amazon business, feel free to book a call with my team below for Monday/Tuesday and we’ll share some for free. Always happy to chat:

Why Won’t Men Shoot Free Throws Like Rick Barry?