Amazon has increased its influencer program over the past months to build a community of social-media creators.
The e-commerce giant actively recruits influencers to join its live streaming platform to sell products.
Helene Desmettre, an Instagram influencer (26,000 followers), and YouTube creators Shea Whitney (1.25 million subscribers) and Tiffany Ma (1.85 million subscribers) told Insider they learned about Amazon Live when the company reached out via email.
Whitney, a live Amazon seller several times per week, stated that her Amazon earnings are beginning to rival her top source of income, brand partnerships.
Katie Scott, Director of the Amazon Influencer Program, stated that they don’t seek one influencer. We think the same way about influencers as we do customers from all backgrounds.
Scott is part of a team that analyzes industry trends by looking at videos on YouTube and TikTok.
The Amazon Influencer Program currently includes four tools for influencers.
Here is a breakdown:
* The Drop: A collaboration between fashion influencers and brands to create a limited-edition clothing collection. Usually, it is available for 24 hours.
* Amazon Live: Livestreaming platform that allows creators to earn a commission on every sale.
* Amazon Affiliates: A program to promote creators through affiliate marketing.
* Storefront: This page allows influencers to list their favorite products and receive a commission.
Scott stated that Amazon is always looking for new features.
Scott stated, “We are looking at [influencers] to tell us their needs and wants.” “It is important to listen to them and find out what works for them. So many of the features and benefits we enjoy are the result of those conversations.
Creator Connection, which matches influencers with brands, is currently in beta testing. Creator Ads, where influencers can appear across Amazon on shoppable Amazon ads, such as Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram, will pay a commission for every person who purchases something from the ad.
Shea Whitney is live on Amazon multiple times per week. Shea Whitney/Amazon Live
Amazon’s strategy is to focus on well-known influencers
Katie Sands is an Instagram influencer who has 280,000 followers. She auditioned for the position of Amazon Style Host 2020. She is responsible for promoting and selling products via live shopping.
Sands will mention every item in a Livestream. A special link is included within the carousel that directs viewers to the product. Every time someone buys something using her link, she earns a commission. Amazon offers a fixed commission rate of between 1% to 10%. Her work has also included brands such as Dickies and Intel on a sponsored Amazon Live.
The partnership between Sands, Amazon, and Amazon represents the company’s overall influencer strategy, which has primarily focused on established creators.
According to some influencers working in Amazon’s program, the biggest problem they face is driving traffic. Amazon does not have a portal that allows users to see all the influencers they follow, unlike YouTube. As a result, creators are often forced to promote when they go live on Instagram and YouTube, where they have a following, to get their followers to click on Amazon.
Sands shared that she gets more viewers when she is about to upload her Instagram Stories.
Amazon has been a powerful money-making tool to influencers such as Sands. However, it remains to be seen if Amazon can produce its stars or provide mechanisms that allow creators to drive traffic.
