Amazon is the undisputed king of the online retail world, and every brand wants to have a foothold on this platform.
The newest weapon to achieve this goal is the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers.
Why do brands want to build their presence on Amazon?
There are more than 500,000 sellers, and about 7,400 products are sold every minute in the United States on Amazon. This clearly shows its importance as a retail channel.
Add to that the millions of customers who shop on Amazon, and you’ve got yourself an amazing platform to sell your products.
If you are a seller, you can leverage the benefits of the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers to reach out to many potential customers. You can collaborate with Instagram influencers, YouTube influencers and other social media influencers to promote your products on Amazon.
Wondering how the Amazon Influencer Program for sellers works and how it can benefit your brand? We thought so.
That’s why we’ve created this quick guide to the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers to walk you through how you can leverage it to boost your sales.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What is the Amazon Influencer Program?
The Amazon Influencer Program is an extension of their extremely successful Amazon Associates Program started in 2017. Amazon influencers are people who have a substantial follower base on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or any other social media platform. Through the program, they can promote third-party brands on Amazon to their social media followers.
Once a person qualifies as an Amazon Influencer, they can create unique store pages with personalized URLs. They can also customize the page to their liking and showcase the products they want to recommend to their audience.
Image Source – Amazon
Let’s say we have a beauty and lifestyle influencer. They can build an Amazon store with different categories of beauty and personal care products, wellness products, home decor products, etc. from different brands.
The influencer can also add the store link to their social media bio and share it via social posts and stories. Every time someone uses these links to make a purchase, the influencer will earn a commission from Amazon as well as from the seller.
Qualifying for the Amazon Influencer Program is not every social influencer’s cup of tea, though. Amazon considers three important factors while qualifying an individual as an influencer:
- Social media presence
- Follower count
- Engagement rate
The third dimension to this program is the brands or the sellers. The Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers allows brands to collaborate with influencers to promote their products listed on Amazon.
CTA
Dive deeper with Get Hyped’s expert influencer strategies and watch your brand soar to new heights. Don’t just follow the trends—set them.
And unlock your brand’s full potential!
Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers: How Does It Work?
The Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers helps them collaborate with selected influencers to promote their products on Amazon. Popular influencers can add products from different sellers to their shops and promote them to their social media followers.
This will open a new avenue for people to discover and shop for your products on Amazon through influencer shops. Influencers will get a commission for every purchase, and sellers will get a boost in sales.
The Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers is similar to the Amazon Associates program in its structure as both are intended to direct more traffic towards Amazon.
The main difference between the two is that influencers can build unique Amazon storefronts on Amazon, while associates can only promote via sharing product links.
Here’s a glimpse of influencer Jamye’s storefront:
Image Source – Amazon
Let’s break down how the Amazon Influencer Program works into simple steps:
- An individual builds a significant following and influence on social media to become an influencer.
- They apply for the Amazon Influencer Program, pass the selection process, and get their account verified.
- Next, they open their Amazon store, collaborate with different sellers, and add the products they want to promote.
- They can then promote their store or individual products by sharing links on social media and creating content around it.
- As users click on these links, they will be directed to the influencer’s Amazon store.
- Every time these leads make a purchase, the influencer will get a commission both from Amazon and the sellers they promote.
Take a quick look at the commission rates offered by Amazon for different product categories.
Image Source – Amazon
This commission is an additional income for the influencer, apart from what they get from the sellers.
How Beneficial is the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers?
As a seller, you know how valuable influencer recommendations are for boosting sales already.
When influencers recommend your products, their followers tend to listen and value their recommendations because the influencer has become someone that they have learned over time to like and trust.
The data shows that influencer recommendations are more powerful than any promotion that sellers could do themselves.
Take a look at how the influencer Ashley Marquez promotes her Amazon store on her website.
Image Source – Teach Create Motivate
Using the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers you can:
- Effectively promote your brand on social media
- Reach new audiences and expand your brand awareness
- Improve your brand image and credibility through influencer recommendations
- Generate more sales for your products on Amazon
How to Collaborate with the Best Amazon Influencers for Your Brand
So, you’ve decided to find and collaborate with Amazon influencers to sell your products, have you? Excellent decision.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do that effectively:
1. Build a Good Brand Reputation on Amazon
That’s right! As a seller, you need to impress influencers. They will not risk promoting a brand that has a poor reputation on Amazon.
Present yourself to be reliable by optimizing your store and building a positive reputation. Focus on getting plenty of positive reviews and ratings before you think of using the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers.
2. Search for Amazon Influencers in Your Niche
Once you build a positive reputation as a seller on Amazon, it’s time to find the right Amazon influencers. If, for example, you sell tech products, you need to look specifically for tech influencers who are a part of the Amazon Influencer Program.
Where do you begin your search? A good place to start looking for Amazon influencers is the #FoundItOnAmazon page. Here, you can find influencers from various niches and choose the ones most relevant to your brand.
Image Source – Amazon
A similar search can be conducted on Amazon Live as well. Look for influencers who are talking about brands and products like yours and see how much engagement they’re getting on their content.
Once you find the influencers that are suitable for your brand, analyze their social media profiles to assess their level of influence.
3. Assess How They Engage with Their Followers on Social Media
Once you’ve shortlisted the influencers you want to work with, check out their social media profiles to find out how influential they really are. You can check the likes, shares, and comments on their posts to analyze their engagement rates.
Remember, this step is vital to determine if the influencer is right for your brand. So, be diligent when you vet the various influencers you plan to work with.
4. Make an Impressive Pitch
Reach out to your shortlisted influencers with an impressive pitch explaining why they should work with you. Focus on what’s in it for them.
You should also offer them free samples to try and test before they choose to promote your products. This adds to your credibility and transparency as a business. Authentic influencers don’t promote brands and products that they haven’t experienced first for themselves.
To close the deal, you should finalize the scope and duration of the campaign, as well as the payment terms. If all this seems a little overwhelming to you, you might want to hire an influencer marketing agency to help execute the details of your campaign.
Now that you have at least one powerful influencer by your side, you can start moving the needle with your marketing and track your ROI!
FAQs
1. How much does Amazon pay its influencers?
As a part of the Amazon Influencer Program, you can earn a commission for every sale made using your links. Amazon pays fixed commissions between 1% and 20% depending on the product category.
It also offers special commission income on bounty events, bonus events, subscriptions, and more.
2. How do you get an influencer to promote your products on Amazon?
Here is how you can get an Amazon influencer to promote your brand and products:
- Build a good brand reputation on Amazon
- Search for Amazon influencers in your niche
- Analyze their social media metrics
- Make an impressive pitch and close the deal
3. How many followers do you need to become an Amazon Influencer?
If you have over 200 followers, then you can apply for the Amazon Influencer Program. However, it’s better to build a follower count of at least 1000 to increase your chances of getting selected.
At the end of the day, it’s Amazon’s decision, but they of course want more influencers in their program. They not only consider the follower count but a variety of other social engagement metrics, as well.
If you don’t get accepted on your first application, keep creating more content and try again!
4. Is the Amazon Influencer Program successful?
Yes, the Amazon Influencer Program is very successful! Everyone involved—Amazon, the influencers, and the sellers—benefits from it.
It enables sellers to reach a wider target audience on social media and direct them to Amazon to buy their products. There are many benefits of the Amazon Influencer Program for sellers, including a boost in brand awareness and sales.
5. How is the Amazon Influencer Program different from Amazon’s affiliate program?
The Amazon Influencer Program is an extension of the Amazon Associates program. It’s designed for social media influencers with a large follower base who can help Amazon sellers sell more.
Amazon influencers can have their own store on Amazon where they can showcase the products they recommend.
Influencers can also share the link to their store or individual products on their social media pages and divert traffic to Amazon.
Ready to Invest in Amazon Influencer Marketing?
Hopefully, by now, you’re clear on how the Amazon Influencer Program for Sellers works.
The Amazon Influencer Program holds immense potential for sellers when used right. The secret to using influencers to drive sales lies in selecting the right influencers.
That’s how you’ll be able to promote your products to a relevant audience with a high likelihood of making a purchase.
Need some professional help planning your first Amazon influencer marketing campaign?
Feel free to reach out to our team of experts to understand how to leverage the power of influencer marketing for your brand.
