With all the online buzz around Amazon's Prime Day, small businesses can gain increased visibility (and sales) for their products and services. That's the case whether they're an Amazon seller or not.

Last year, Amazon's selling partners, primarily small and medium businesses, reported record sales during Prime Day — registering sales growth that outpaced Amazon's own retail business, according to the online retailer.

Further, e-commerce sales go up overall because both Prime and non-Prime members look online for deals and promotions before, during, and after the two-day event.

Here are five ways to prepare for and increase exposure for your business during the days leading up to and during Prime Day (expected to be in July), including attracting traffic to your site.

Up Your Game Online

Raising your visibility on social media platforms for Prime Day is important. You want your brand to pop up in front of the swarm of consumers online looking for deals.

Be sure to use tagging and consider running paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on search engines such as Google, to help stay on the radar of potential customers.

Coupons and Discounts

 Come up with promotions that give shoppers a discount on products or services on the days before or after Prime Day. Or run a lightning deal promotion for a specific day.

Other ideas include a coupon with special savings to current customers as a reward for their continued business.

Run a promo code for your Prime Day-related deals and promote it across your online platforms to draw shoppers to your business for purchases.

If applicable to your business offerings, pitch your products as early back-to-school purchases or holiday gifts, as shoppers are already in the buying mood for these during Prime Day events.

Promote Early & Local

 Many shoppers like to support local businesses. So tap into that appeal when running offers and promoting your business during Prime Day.

Check your business profile on sites like Google to be sure you'll be listed when potential customers do a local search.

Think about getting out in front of promotions for people looking for deals weeks before Prime Day, which last year ran July 12-13. 

Prep for Increased Sales

If you’re taking the time to create and promote Prime Day offers and sales, you better plan for the uptick in business. You’ll want to be ready on several fronts.

Ensure you have enough inventory, proper shipping processes, and staffing to handle increased sales and queries. 

Advertise on Amazon

If you’re an Amazon seller, you might want to weigh the site's advertising options to help drive sales and product visibility for Prime Day.

With Sponsored Products, ads for individual product listings appear within shopping results pages and on product detail pages. Sponsored Brands ads include your brand logo, a custom headline, and a selection of your products featured in ads that appear on shopping results pages.

Sponsored Display ads are intended to reach specific audiences, with ad placements that appear on and off Amazon.

Also, Amazon offers a free advertising option called “Stores,” which are custom multipage shopping destinations on Amazon for individual brands that let you showcase your brand story and product offering. “They require no website experience to use, and it's free.”

Prime Day Stats

Last year, sales during Prime Day reached a new record high, amounting to $12 billion, most of which came from the U.S., according to Statista.

Also, Amazon reports that small businesses participating in its “Sweepstakes” promotion in 2022 said $3 billion in sales in the three weeks leading up to Prime Day (from June 21 to July 11). According to Amazon, small businesses sold over 100 million items during the lead-up to Prime Day last year. That should get you excited about the sale opportunities for your small business on Prime Day!

Get prepared for Amazon Prime Day, and see what success you have for your small business this year!