If you do any sort of shopping online, you have most likely made a purchase on Amazon at one point or another. Amazon is responsible for roughly 50% of all e-commerce sales and it’s no question that they are the leader in e-commerce today. Like many other successful online businesses, Amazon has relationships with affiliates. With the recent changes in digital marketing and specifically influencer marketing,
Amazon has rolled out its own Amazon influencer program. Amazon’s influencer program allows you to sign up, promote products, and get rewarded. Influencers with a qualifying Facebook, YouTube channel, Instagram, or Twitter can sign up and promote Amazon products and get paid.
In this article, we will dive into everything you need to know to become an Amazon influencer and how it can be an alternative source of revenue if you are an influencer already.
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AMAZON INFLUENCER PROGRAM VS. AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM
It’s worth mentioning that the Amazon influencer program and the Amazon affiliate program are two separate programs that are available through Amazon. The Amazon influencer program was started in 2017 and is an extension of the already successful Amazon affiliate program.
Basically, anyone can sign up to Amazon’s affiliate program, start promoting Amazon products with their own unique links and receive commissions from qualifying purchases. The Amazon influencer program, although quite similar to its affiliate program, is more exclusive and harder to get accepted to.
Reading Tip: Affiliate Marketing
If you are accepted into the Amazon influencer program you will be given your link to your storefront with products that you can promote to your audience. The program values influencers who have a loyal following of people who value their opinion.
You are more likely to get accepted by the influencer program if you already have a strong established audience. With the Amazon affiliate program, all you need is your website.
REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN THE AMAZON INFLUENCER PROGRAM
When the Amazon influencer program was initially made public, they sent invites to well-known industry veterans who have massive followings. These include names such as Mark Cuban, Whatsup Mom, and Felicia Day.
So what is exactly required to be accepted into the program?
To apply to the program, you have to apply using one of your YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. After you apply, Amazon’s staff will carefully access your YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account to ensure it matches what they are looking for.
Some influencers have reported that applying with your YouTube channel is the fastest way to get accepted, but not guaranteed. There aren’t any restrictions for categories or niches that can apply to the influencer program.
Amazon carefully looks at the number of followers you have, what kind of engagements you have with your followers, what kind of niche your audience fits in, and other important data to determine if your content would be a good fit for the influencer program.
They don’t strictly look at the size of your following to approve you into the program. Amazon also accepts micro-influencers as well as nano-influencers if they prove to have valuable engagements with their audience.
If there is one key factor for getting accepted to their influencer program it would be the value of the audience. So the better relationship you have with your audience the higher likelihood that you will get accepted.
If you don’t qualify the first time that you apply for the program, you can apply again in the future when your audience has gotten bigger and your engagements have improved. If you are accepted you will need an Amazon account in order to promote products.
CREATING YOUR OWN STOREFRONT
After you get accepted to the program you will have to work on creating your custom Amazon storefront. Your storefront will be the main way you promote products to your audience. On top of that, you will also be able to create recommended lists of products.
Most influencers will already have a style and look to their social media profiles which they tend to match to their Amazon storefront. Some chose to make it truly different and unique. This will depend on what you think is the best fit for your audience.
You will create and organize your Amazon storefront with a recommended list of products you already use and have experience with. This is the best way to make sure the products you recommend to your audience are authentic. Speaking about products from personal experience is the best way to gain further trust with your audience.
Recommended Resources: How to Setup an Amazon Influencer Storefront Profile
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AMAZON INFLUENCER STORE-FRONT EXAMPLE
John Fish has a YouTube channel online that is about reading, education, and his journey as a Harvard computer science student. He has a strong base of over 830k subscribers that is continually growing on YouTube. The link to his storefront is featured in the description field of his YouTube videos.
He has a storefront with a list of different products he uses and recommends to his audience. This includes different books he has read, camera equipment, back-to-school supplies, and apartment gear.
This is what his storefront looks like.
As he reads different books each year, he adds them to the lists he has created. This list is then shared with his audience. If someone from his audience purchases a recommended product from his lists he will earn a commission.
This is the right way to promote products through the influencer program and establish long-term trust with your audience.
HOW MUCH AMAZON INFLUENCERS MAKE?
There is a multitude of different factors which can influence the amount of money you can make through the Amazon influencer program.
Some of these factors include:
- The cost of the products you are recommending
- The commission payout for the niche of products you are recommending
- Size of your audience
- The Engagement level of your audience
- Level of trust from your audience
- The seasonality of your niche
All these factors can contribute to how much money you can earn from the Amazon influencer program. Commissions can range between 1% to 10% and some influencers have reported earning as much as $3,000 in a single month.
It’s worth noting that you should not rely on the program as your sole income source. The program allows you to make some extra money from the content and products you already share with your audience.
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How to Promote Your Amazon Influencer Store
Getting approved and getting your Amazon influencer store created is the easy part. Now it’s time to start promoting it and earn some commissions. But how do you start promoting?
- Start with your audience
It’s great to be honest and upfront with your audience and let them know that you will be part of the Amazon influencer program and you will be earning commissions on products you recommend to them that they end up purchasing through your link.
- Add Links to Social Media BIO’s
The best way to promote your Amazon influencer store is to start adding your link to your social media bios. This will drive natural curiosity from your audience and will be something they see the second they land on your social media profiles.
- Review Amazon Products You Have Used
If you have used certain products from Amazon which you have had a good experience with that your audience could find useful, share some of its features with your audience that can help give them perspective on the product.
EARNING MONEY FROM BOUNTIES
Amazon has different programs and services within its influencer program in which influencers can promote through their store. Instead of earning commissions on product sales, you earn fixed advertising fees. They are referred to as “bounties”. Some of these bounties include programs and services such as:
- Amazon business accounts
- Amazon Kindle
- Audible
- Amazon Video
- Amazon Pantry
For a full list of all the different bounties which are available for you to promote check out the link below.
The bounty program allows you to rake in extra money if you refer someone to an Amazon service or product. It’s a nice addition to have on top of the regular influencer fees you earn.
TRACKING YOUR EARNINGS
When someone buys an item that an influencer linked to for their followers, the influencers will receive a cut of the sales based on the commission payout of that item.
Recommended Reading: Influencer Program Fee Schedule
The reporting tab inside your Amazon store account will track how much you are earning as a result of your store or bounty referrals. You will see all your sales history inside the reporting tab and you can see which items people actually purchased.
CONCLUSION
The Amazon influencer program can be a great way to monetize your audience in a friendly way that doesn’t try to shove products down people’s throats. If you are already an influencer with a strong and established audience the Amazon influencer program can be a great way to capture some additional revenue and build a better relationship with your audience.
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FAQ’s
How much does it cost to be an Amazon Influencer?
Signing up to become an Amazon influencer is 100% free of charge. Becoming an Amazon influencer is a great way to expand your income and provide value to your audience.
How many followers do you need for Amazon Storefront?
There isn’t a minimum follower count in order to become an Amazon influencer or be part of their influencer program. It all depends on what kind of social media following you have and whether or not Amazon accepts you into their influencer program.