One
It was timing.
For a creator investing a substantial budget in Meta ads during Prime Day, a few days of uncertainty can be expensive. If a campaign starts when the sale does, you’re learning what traffic costs while the auction is changing around you. Without a pre-event point of comparison, it’s harder to tell whether a costly visit is a warning sign or simply normal for your account.
What We Saw Across Three Creator Accounts
Two creator accounts had Meta campaigns running roughly two weeks before Prime Days began. A third launched on the first day of the event.
During Prime Days, the accounts that started earlier paid $0.17 and $0.16 per landing page view. The account that launched on day one paid $0.28.
That gap caught our attention. It doesn’t prove that launching early caused the lower costs. The accounts had different audiences, product mixes and levels of maturity. One also had an established warm audience. We can’t separate those factors in this comparison.
Starting early didn’t protect an account from rising costs, either. One of the accounts that was already running saw its cost per landing page view climb about 30% during the event.
But the earlier campaigns gave us something valuable: a baseline. We could see how much traffic cost before the busiest days and recognize when that cost changed.
What To Learn Before The Sale
By the time Prime Day begins, I’d rather have some answers than pay peak prices to find them:
- Which product recommendations are bringing people to the retailer?
- Which audiences and creative are producing those visits?
- What does a landing page view normally cost?
- At what traffic cost do the affiliate earnings stop justifying more spend?
That doesn’t mean every decision has to be made before the event. It means you have a point of comparison when the auction gets more competitive.
“Traffic is expensive right now” tells you very little. “Traffic costs have risen well above our usual level, and the additional visits aren’t earning enough to cover them” gives you a reason to change course.
If someone already manages your Meta ads, ask them what your normal cost per landing page view is and what increase would prompt a change in spending. If you’re new to paid ads, that’s a baseline worth building before the next major shopping event.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should Amazon influencers start Meta ads before Prime Day?
If you’re starting a new campaign, roughly two weeks beforehand is a reasonable window for focused testing. Our Summer Prime Week review suggests the value of having pre-event results to compare against, but three different accounts cannot establish an ideal launch date. If you already advertise, begin with the data you have.
What should creators test before Prime Day?
Test the product recommendations you expect to promote, along with a manageable set of creative and audiences. Look beyond clicks: track whether people reach the retailer, what those visits cost and whether estimated affiliate earnings justify the spend.
Does starting ads early guarantee cheaper Prime Day traffic?
No. The two accounts that launched early in our review paid less per landing page view during Prime Days than the account that launched on day one, but the accounts also differed in audience and maturity. One early account still saw its traffic cost rise about 30% during the event.
How can I tell when Prime Day traffic is too expensive?
Compare the current cost per landing page view with your pre-event baseline and the affiliate earnings the traffic produces. A higher cost may still be worthwhile if returns support it. There’s no useful price ceiling that applies to every creator account.
What should I ask my paid media agency before Prime Day?
Ask for your usual cost per landing page view, which product content is earning affiliate revenue, and the conditions that would prompt a change in spending. You should know the plan before event-day costs start moving.
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