What is an Amazon Influencer? (how much they make, qualifications + more)
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Given the rise of influencers on Instagram, TikTok and other social sharing platforms, you might also be wondering – what is an Amazon influencer?
I was trying to figure this out too, so I dug in and here’s what I know about the Amazon Influencer Program!
What is an Amazon Influencer in 2022?
Amazon Influencers are part of the Amazon Influencer Program, an extension of the Amazon Affiliate. The affiliate program allows content creators to earn affiliate commissions on eligible purchases from Amazon in 2022. In other words, Amazon influencers partner with leading e-commerce companies to provide product-related content and promote goods and services on Amazon.
If you’re intrigued by the idea of becoming an Amazon Influencer, read on to learn more, including how to qualify and how to recognize Influencer content on Amazon!
Who are Amazon Influencers?
One of the cool things about Amazon influencers is that they come from all walks of life, and there’s a good chance you’ve followed and interacted with some.
Back in 2017, as social media really took off, and it was clear that influencer advertising was here to stay, Amazon got more involved by launching an influencer program.
It’s a rev-sharing model where influencers drive Amazon sales through social media links, most commonly seen on Instagram.
However, there has also been a lot of influencer activity on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
These influencers may be fashion bloggers, reality TV stars, motivational speakers, lifestyle gurus, and others with large followings.
Typically, this number drops to around 100,000 – 500,000 followers.
Remember, the Amazon Influencer Program is for individuals, while Amazon Associates is for media companies and brands.
Independent content creators who work with many different brands are often eager to become influencers on Amazon because of the millions of products and promising revenue potential.
The neat thing about Amazon’s influencer program is that creators don’t have to provide just positive, enthusiastic reviews.
Instead, they’re encouraged to be honest about the products they love and others they can skip.
What is Amazon Influencer Content?
The next time you browse social media, you might see content from Amazon influencers.
This content may contain product advertisements and testimonials, linking to the vanity URL to the influencer’s personal Amazon.com storefront, amazon.com/shop/influencername.
Amazon and its influencers maintain transparency by always listing the program name on relevant content, so in this case, all posts say Amazon Influencer.
If you’ve ever noticed #ad or #support on Instagram, it’s similar to Amazon content and the company name is visible, so viewers know these recommendations are part of the ad.
Properly identifying all Amazon Influencer content as part of this program is critical, as this ensures creators meet social media guidelines and maximize their potential revenue.
Additionally, Amazon does not verify influencer opinions in its content, as creators can independently decide whether to recommend an item.
Creators are free to publish what they want without modification or editing from Amazon, as long as the content complies with Amazon’s publishing guidelines.
This means encouraging influencers to provide honest reviews to help consumers find the best products for them.
While influencers must follow community guidelines, they can provide positive and negative reviews to help shoppers find products that suit their needs.
This is especially useful for comparing multiple items of the same category.
How Much Do Amazon Influencers Make?
The main reason people turn social media into their full-time job is that they can make a lot of money doing what they love, which is being creative and producing engaging content.
Many influencers started social media and quickly learned that they could replace their 9-to-5 income with a more flexible lifestyle with clear financial benefits.
Generally speaking, social media influencers can earn anywhere from $10,000 to over $1,000,000 per year, depending on how much they do and how much they charge per post.
Amazon is one of the most impactful programs because its earning potential is nearly limitless.
Influencers can earn up to 10% commission on products purchased through their storefront.
The point is that followers click through to Amazon via an influencer link, just like an affiliate link for a blog in Amazon Associates.
An Amazon influencer can make $100 or $10,000 on a single post, as it depends on the engagement of the followers and how much they shop on Amazon.
To better understand rates, Amazon maintains a list of fixed commission income rates and promotional rates.
How can I qualify as an Amazon Influencer?
If you’re interested in becoming an influencer, Amazon looks at your total follower count and engagement metrics across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
While typically 100,000 followers is the benchmark for acceptance of the program, Amazon has started accepting micro and nano influencers with smaller follower counters.
This is allowed if the relevant influencer can provide a high engagement rate.
Like other influencer and affiliate programs, Amazon decides which influencers are eligible, and expectations change over time.
Sometimes an influencer might have a growing follower account but not a lot of engagement, in which case Amazon might tell them to apply again in the future.
There’s no reason content creators can’t reapply to Amazon Influencer as long as their accounts are in good standing and meet community guidelines.
In fact, some top Amazon influencers were initially rejected from the program and were able to reapply and join the program once they increased their followers and engagement.
If you want to see if you qualify as an Amazon Influencer, visit affiliate-program.amazon.com/influencers/signup to begin the registration and approval process.
If you want to learn more, you can also read our posts on whether Amazon raises prices after viewing, whether Amazon reviews affect sales, and whether Amazon reviews are fake.
in conclusion
Amazon Associates is a popular way for publishers and bloggers to monetize and generate revenue from their sites through advertising and Amazon links.
Amazon expanded the program to include influencers in 2017, and its popularity has exploded since then, with thousands of individual content creators taking advantage of the opportunity to promote endless products on Amazon.
