Tokki has changed and shifted over the past two years, but one thing has remained the same: we're proud to be small. We love the community we have built around us and know our size has been an asset in creating meaningful connections. We use our size as a tool to show up authentically—making decisions based on real customer feedback and staying flexible.
But once you have something good (or great, even) don't you wanna share it? Scream it from the rooftops? Stick it on a billboard and announce it to the world?
That’s how we feel about The Tokki Bow-Card. We’re ready for our billboard moment, and Amazon is helping us do it.
We launched on the retail giant last week and have been itching to tell you all. It’s an amazing opportunity for so many reasons, and this blog post highlights only a few. We want to share with you what we have learned through the chaos of launching on Amazon, and how YOU can help small brands you love (like us) grow into thriving communities of loyal customers.
So, what have we learned about how to sell on Amazon so far?
1. Amazon isn’t always the bad guy in small business...
There are countless articles online expressing the detrimental effects of Amazon to small businesses. The Big Bad Bezos memes are everywhere. But believe us when we say: as a small business ourselves, Amazon isn’t always the bad guy.
In our case, selling on Amazon has opened up a world of opportunities for Tokki. For starters, shipping is actually cheaper than if we do it ourselves. Their infrastructure is so wide and well-built that we can offer you fast shipping (hi prime, you’re dangerous but we love you) at no extra cost to us. Plus, we can hold WAY more inventory (see #2 for how you can help with that part).
Basically, every constraint we had because we were small ie. people, space, and time—is eliminated with the help of Amazon. We can sell the same cool, sustainable, innovative products without the burden of limited resources. Yay Amazon!
2. The more you buy now, the more you can buy later
We learned quickly that inventory works a little different at Amazon. In order to utilize their space efficiently, they base the amount of inventory we’re allowed on how many sales we get. Seems logical, right? The only problem is that nobody knows we’re on Amazon yet, so we’re not seeing many sales. Which means we can’t have products ready for when our lovely customers DO want to buy.
This is where you come in. The more Tokki Bow-Cards you buy on Amazon now, the more we can sell later (especially as we move into the holidays!). This also means we can run more deals and give you the best prices possible. It’s a win-win-win, so get your holiday shopping done early and add us to your cart 🛒
3. Look us up & click!
Did you know that Amazon has its own SEO system (think google but for shopping). We’re still a baby-brand in Amazon land, and in order to grow we need to boost our click-through rates (that’s when you look us up and click on one of our products).
So just by typing in “Tokki Bow Card" and clicking the first listing, you’re supporting our small business and helping us rank higher for new people to discover the best way to gift.
4. Reviews, reviews, reviews
As Amazon customers ourselves, we know how important reviews are when deciding what to buy. Did Shirley from MA like the blender? Did she hate it? Did it end up in her trash bin or her kitchen counter?
The reviews section on Amazon is like a breeding ground for successful brands. We LOVE reading through your reviews on Tokki.com, but it’s even better if you leave them on our Amazon listing. Sharing your honest opinion (with some photos) is one of the best ways to support us. Plus, we do a happy dance in real-life every time you leave a review. Seriously.
And if you want to celebrate with us, post it on Instagram too! We’re most active on @tokkigifting and love to connect with you all there. We started the #putatokkionit to see all the magical gifting moments you create with our bow-cards.
It has been a BIG learning experience for our small brand, but we are so lucky to be able to do it with you backing us. Thank you for taking the time to stay connected and support us. We can’t wait to grow bigger & stronger with the help of Amazon and YOU!
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