#510 - The Amazon Ads Mistake Costing Sellers Growth

What if your lowest ACoS strategy is secretly slowing your growth? Hear why simple ads win, hidden revenue gets missed, and sellers are rethinking Amazon PPC at the Prosper Show live.

Are you optimizing your Amazon ads for efficiency while accidentally capping your growth? In this live episode from Prosper Show in Las Vegas, Carrie Miller sits down with Destaney Wishon to unpack one of the biggest mindset shifts sellers need to make with PPC: low ACoS does not always mean smart growth. Together, they explore what happens when sellers move from outsourcing their ads to understanding them more deeply themselves, and why that transition can feel both intimidating and empowering. The conversation also ties into Helium 10 Ads Academy’s Outsourced to Optimized series, which was designed to help sellers take more control over their advertising strategy.

The conversation digs into the real decisions that separate reactive ad management from intentional strategy. Carrie shares the fear many Amazon sellers have of losing control of spend, hurting TACoS, or making the wrong changes too quickly. Destaney explains why focusing on just one KPI can be dangerous, especially when certain high-cost keywords are still essential for organic rank, brand visibility, and long-term momentum. They also break down how tools, bid rules, keyword harvesting, and filtering can help sellers manage campaigns more confidently without spending all day managing their Amazon PPC.

Another standout takeaway is how many brands are still missing major ad opportunities hiding in plain sight. Carrie and Destaney talk about the value of Sponsored Brands, overlooked campaigns that were quietly driving revenue, and why simple creatives often outperform expensive video productions. They also show how AI tools are making ad testing faster, cheaper, and more accessible than ever. To close the episode, Shivali and Carrie share quick Prosper Show conversations with Jeffrey Anderson, Parker Swanson, and Colin Raja, offering fresh perspectives on Amazon PPC mistakes, rising competition, and the operational habits that are helping brands grow faster today.

In episode 510 of the AM/PM Podcast, Shivali, Carrie, Destaney, Jeffrey, Parker, and Colin discuss:

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 00:58 - Live From The Prosper Show With Carrie Miller & Destaney Wishon
• 01:57 - Carrie Miller’s Amazon Seller Story And Helium 10 Journey
• 04:38 - The Goal Of The Outsourced To Optimized Series
• 05:34 - The Fear Of Taking Control Of Your Own Ads
• 06:41 - Why Keyword Context Matters More Than Chasing Low ACOS
• 08:54 - How Helium 10 Ads Simplifies Optimization
• 10:45 - The 3 Ways To Manage Amazon Ad Bids
• 12:32 - The $60,000 Campaigns That Were Accidentally Turned Off
• 15:14 - Why Simple Ad Creative Can Outperform Expensive Videos
• 20:12 - Why Outsource To Optimize Worked For Carrie
• 23:00 - Prosper Show Seller Insights With Jeffrey Anderson, Parker Swanson, And Colin Raja