Amazon Influencer Program: get more from social selling

Gaining external traffic when selling on Amazon is extremely valuable and important. After all, we live in a time when the marketplace doesn't exist from yesterday, and there are tons of guides on the marketplace about the right use of keywords, high-quality images, and the role of getting as many positive reviews as possible.

Competition is fierce - so a great way to stand out from other retailers may be to rely on new and less obvious approaches and marketing strategies, including using more than one Amazon influencer.

The future of advertising: social media platforms & social media influencers

The already famous Amazon A10 algorithm is a highly advanced tool that can even prioritize brands based on seemingly less important factors from the marketplace's own point of view; one of which is the famous ability to get External Amazon traffic.

It is therefore a good idea to give a nod to those who are proficient in social media. Amazon itself is looking in the same direction and, in line with this policy, has created a dedicated Amazon Influencer Program.

Interestingly, while the formalization of the program itself is something of a novelty, the idea itself has existed pretty much since the platform's inception and, according to data cited by Source Approach, this type of marketing activity is responsible for over 37% of Amazon's traffic and growing.

So, who exactly is the worthwhile seller of the future, or an Amazon influencer?

This is someone who is great at social media presence, has one or more social media accounts on at least one social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Amazon Live etc., and has officially joined the influencer program (which also means that they have a large audience base of around 20,000 followers). Of course, taking into account the fact that influencer marketing is a job like any other, it reaps tangible financial benefits from its activities.

And the latter are not few and far between: Amazon influencers should write blog posts with product recommendations, record videos showcasing the product on offer and its benefits, create social media posts, include information about the promoted product in mailings, recommend the brand on Twitch (Amazons #3 referral source) via live stream on Amazon Live. As you can see, this is quite a lot of work, given the fact that they often have more than one product under their umbrella, and what's more - in addition to strictly sales content, they must also take care of their social media audience and wisely balance their published material so as not to bore their followers and, on the contrary, gain even more popularity online. They must be up to date with the amplification or engagement rate and constantly monitor it (as well as other engagement metrics) and have their own custom Amazon storefront.

Amazon Influencer Program vs. Amazon Affiliate Program

Many people wonder what the difference is between Amazon Influencers and Amazon Affiliates. The answer to this question is quite simple: amazon influencers are actually Amazon Affiliates - this is because the Amazon Influencer Program is nothing more than an extension of the Amazon Associates Program.

The only difference between the two programs is really only the issue of affiliate links, or rather, where to publish them. Members of the Affiliate Program can publish their affiliate links in any way they wish; members of the Influencer Program, on the other hand, have the task of creating their own customized Amazon storefront on the platform.

It is undoubtedly a bit more work, but it also comes with higher wages: Amazon Associates (an alternative name for Amazon Affiliates) have a bit lower commission per sale (4-8,5%), while Amazon Influencers can earn up to 10% commission on products purchased on their storefront.

How does the Amazon Influencer Program Work?

In addition to the number of audiences and the registration process, the storefront mentioned in the paragraph above must be set up to join the Amazon Influencer Program.

How do you actually go about this? Firstly: find the right specific niche related to your target audience interests. Shops which recommend anything and everything are not particularly trustworthy.

It is important that the influencer storefront is consistent with all of the influencer's activities - including its social media aesthetic. It is also important that the storefront does not only contain the products themselves, but also the storytelling behind them. See the example below - Carla, Amazon beauty guru, not only share affiliate links themselves but also presents the cosmetics in question and... shows how to use them cleverly to create long-lasting, beautiful make-up.

How Can Amazon Sellers Take Advantage of the Amazon Influencer Program?

From a seller's point of view, working with Amazon Influencer offers many important benefits, including sales driving and brand awareness boost.

However, this is not ideal for everyone; there are product segments that, according to Amazon's policy, cannot be promoted through this channel. These include, among others:

• Live animals, reptiles, fish and similar

• Alcohol and cigarettes 

• Fine art, artefacts 

• COVID 19 supplies

• Currency

• Diet supplements and vitamins

• Drugs, pharmaceutical products, medical devices

• Guns, weapons, explosives 

• Food and dietary products

• Sex-related assortment

• Theft devices

• Surveillance equipment 

How much do Influencers get paid?

First, an important note: it is not the shop owner or brand that pays Amazon Influencers, but the... Amazon marketplace. So it could be that someone is already working on your brand via affiliate marketing - and you don't even know it if you don't follow your analytics closely.

You also don't have to sign up anywhere in particular to use their service - all you need is Amazon Seller Central Seller or Amazon Vendor Central Seller status. What's more, you don't need to send anyone any links or additional material - Amazon Influencers source this information themselves.

So does it pay overall to be an Amazon influencer? The answer is as usual in such cases: it depends. On the amount of audience gathered and the trust of the followers, but also on the... the category of products you are recommending:

In addition, as an Amazon Influencer, you can also bet on an additional source of income and join the so-called. Amazon Bounty Program: very similar to the affiliate program, but based on ... promoting the services of Amazon itself, i.e. Amazon Prime, Audible, Amazon Music.

Now that we've covered the payment issue and know that as an Amazon seller, you don't have to worry about it too much, let's try to answer the most important question from your point of view - how to start taking advantage of this marketplace of goodness, i.e. how to find "your own" Amazon influencer?

You need to put in some research and Browse Creators on Amazon Live and by checking the #FoundItOnAmazon hashtag. You can also bet on looking for other hashtags - adding posts to them is especially popular on the TikTok platform. So check twitter accounts and other platforms - popular searches include:

• #AmazonFinds

• #AmazonHaul

• #AmazonFashion

• #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt

• #FoundItOnAmazon

Summing up

Influencer marketing is a real triumph these days, especially with the younger generations of online shoppers. It would be foolish not to use it with the potential of this trend also selling on Amazon.

Find your very own Amazon influencer today - suitable for your product niche. Enjoy the benefits of the affiliate marketing program and increase your sales or - looking at it from the other side, if you feel like a fish in water in social media and getting perfect engagement metrics is your life goal, become an Amazon Influencer. Remember, however, that becoming a content creator requires a lot of work and having outstanding social media skills to promote products efficiently - but it is undoubtedly profitable.

Regardless of which side of the sales barricade and Amazon account you are on, you will see one thing - social media marketing as well as Amazon influencer program works.