Amazon is pushing the idea of using its platform as a sales and promotion channel with a new self-service tool called Amazon Giveaway that lets individuals and brands host their own giveaway promotions.
The word "giveaway" is used more than a million times a day on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, according to the company. So Amazon is now offering the same functionality to authors, artists, bloggers and brands.
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“The idea of running giveaway promotions is easy. They are a really effective way to attract attention and build engagement, but giveaways often come with hidden costs and complexities, which make the reality of running one hard,” said Steve Shure, VP of consumer marketing. “Amazon Giveaway is the first self-service tool that takes care of all the hard work of a giveaway, from setting up all of the rules to shipping prizes directly to winners.”
The program is available starting Tuesday, which offers a simple, three-step process.
The eligible prize items are shipped and sold by Amazon. Users can give away up to 50 prizes for a total value of $5,000.