What is UGC (User-Generated Content), Where to Get It, and How to Use It?
Getting paid to post photos and promote brands on social media seems like a dream for many. Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are the buzziest, trendiest social media platforms right now.
But what if I told you that you can make money on Amazon? Simply by showcasing all your favorite products to your audience!
Being an Amazon Influencer is relatively new, but oh boy, it’s such an easy way to add a little extra to your pocket!
Here at JoinBrands, we’ve put together all you need to know to get that big bucks coming from the Amazon Influencer Program! So let’s get into it!
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Table of Contents
What is the Amazon Influencer Program, Anyway?
The Amazon Influencer Program is an extension of the Amazon Associate Program that pays influencers and content creators to promote and recommend products.
Simply put, Amazon gives you a convenient place to share all your favorite products on social media and pays you a commission every time someone buys from you. Depending on the type of product you promote, you can earn anywhere from 1-10% of each sale.
Think about this as your website where you keep all your favorite products. For example, you’re a beauty influencer and get tons of questions about your skincare routine.
Instead of manually linking all your skin care products in every post, you can simply share a separate page with all the products you use.
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Amazon Influencer v.s. Amazon Associates
You might have heard about the Amazon Associates program. Nope. It’s not the same as Amazon Influencer!
The key difference between the two is the ability to create a custom Amazon storefront with your product recommendation. Amazon Influencers can create a unique storefront, while Amazon Associates can simply earn commissions on sales from affiliate links posted on their websites.
How Does the Amazon Influencer Program Work?
The Amazon Influencer Program is similar to an online affiliate marketing program. The things that make it different, are the ability to post shoppable photos, go live, have people follow you, and create a unique vanity URL.
Simply put, as an Amazon influencer, you get to customize your storefront with your favorite products, post custom photos, and earn money ⎯ all within Amazon. The cool part is that whenever anyone visits your page and makes a purchase, you earn a commission for the sale!
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Can I Become an Amazon Influencer?
While all this sounds tempting, before getting up and registering, you need to find out if you can join the Amazon Influencer Program. While there are no fixed characteristics, if you want to qualify for the program, you need to hit these criteria:
☞ Have an Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok account
☞ Have a decent number of followers
☞Active engagement with your audience regularly
* If you’re applying using Instagram or Facebook, you are required to use a business account.
While there isn’t complete transparency on how many followers one needs to gain access to the program, the bigger your audience is, the more chances you have to qualify.
Generally speaking, Amazon seeks people who have a highly engaged audience and share interesting content. However, if you have 20k followers, with only 30 likes per post, then that’s a huge red flag.
So, it’s nearly impossible to guess whether or not you’ll get accepted, but it’s still worth trying. In the worst-case scenario, you can apply again once you grow online.
Is The Amazon Influencer Program Free?
The Amazon Influencer Program is 100% free to join if you qualify for it! And, there are no monthly fees, so you can make as much money as you want by promoting products to your audience!
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Becoming an Amazon Influencer in 4 Easy Steps
If you think you fit the characteristics set above, let’s dig into the details:
Step 1. Register on Amazon
The very first step to becoming an Amazon influencer is creating an Amazon account. If you already have an account, just move on to the next step.
Step 2. Apply for the Influencer Program
Go to the Amazon Influencer Program page and apply to the program.
At this point, you have to choose the platform you want to apply with: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok. It’s up to you to choose the platform you enjoy the most, however, you should apply to the one where you have the largest following.
Remember the more followers you have, the higher chance you have to get accepted to the program!
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Step 3. Create your Storefront
Your storefront is where everything happens! Once accepted, you can build multiple stores for each niche you sell to, but if you’re just starting your influencer journey, it’s best to go with just one.
Start by adding up your favorite products you buy from Amazon. Depending on your preferences and niche, you might create multiple lists with a variety of items to promote.
With that in mind, how is a storefront set up?
First, come up with a unique URL for your storefront. Aim for a short, catchy, and easy-to-remember URL to make it easier for your followers to remember you! A simple link is more likely to be clicked than a long one with letters, symbols, and numbers.
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Then, add a profile image, a header, and a short catchy description that best resonates with you and what you’re doing.
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From here, search and add as many products to your storefront as you’d like, and you’re ready to start selling. Once someone clicks through one of your products and buys it, you earn a commission on that sale!
Step 4. Promote Your Storefront
Once you’ve loaded your storefront with products, it’s time to tell the world about it!
Post about it on social media, and refer your followers to a central place of all your Amazon favorites for easy access.
Instead of sharing a link to every product individually on your posts, you can direct your followers to a page with all the products you love on Amazon.
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Perks of Becoming an Amazon Influencer
◉ A custom mini website with all your products;
◉ Having a unique URL to share everywhere;
◉ Multiple ways to monetize your social media presence;
◉ Earning money and getting rewards for sales;
◉ Possibility to collaborate with brands.
How to Fill Out Your Storefront?
Your Storefront itself is an excellent promotional tool you have to use! Some brands may pay you to advertise their products through your storefront. Or, you can just add your favorite products and promote them. Here are some ideas for advertising your products:
🔥 Idea lists
🔥 Livestreams
🔥 Shoppable photos
🔥 Videos
Idea lists
Idea lists are perfect for grouping together different types of products. Use idea lists to add curated product recommendations and Amazon bounties to your page.
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Livestreams
Another cool feature you could use for promotion is Livestreams. Similar to the Live sessions from other social media, Amazon Lives put a heavier focus on the products.
As an influencer, you can Livestream product reviews, tell about your experience, do unboxings, or just engage with potential customers in real time. So, if you’re feeling like you have a lot to say about a product – go for it!
What makes it even more amazing is the possibility for people to “Follow” your Storefront. This way, Amazon will let them know when you’ve added cool new stuff. Who doesn’t like that?
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Shoppable Photos
In addition to Idea Lists and Livestreams, you also can feature your favorite items on your storefront in a whole new, seriously engaging way. With Shoppable Photos!
Just like they sound, shoppable photos are your images, displayed on your storefront, with click-to-shop functionality. Yes, you heard it right!
Post your images & earn money for them!
This feature allows you to showcase products through real-life visuals of how you’re using certain products in your life. It also makes your store an even more fun place to browse, with a carousel of on-brand imagery for visitors to scroll and shop!
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Videos
Just like with shoppable photos, you could use videos on your Storefront! You can post review videos that may be displayed on Amazon product listings. If a shopper watches your video on a product detail page, you will receive an affiliate commission.
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Promote Your Storefront Online
Setting up your storefront is only half of the battle: now you have to promote it!
The easiest way to advertise your storefront is to share it on your social media accounts. Tell your audience you’ve come up with a list of your favorite products, and recommend them. If you have an engaged audience that responds to your content, many will trust your recommendations.
Below are some quick tips you can use to promote your storefront:
🔥 Include in Your Link-in-Bio
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube ⎯ all these social media platforms have a short biography you can change into anything. If you want your Amazon Storefront to be the main focus of your followers, display it as your link-in-bio!
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Build Content Around Products in Your Storefront
Regardless of what products you’re recommending online, it’s super important to create and share photos and videos displaying these products.
Don’t make it look too “salesy”. Instead, try to focus more on authenticity and real-life, so your followers can identify themselves with the products you’re recommending.
Is the Amazon Influencer Program for Me?
If you’re a content creator who wants to generate revenue on social media, then this program is your perfect side hustle! Amazon gives you all the tools you need to promote your products effortlessly and get your cash straight to your wallet.
The best part about this is that you don’t need to have a website or blog. The Amazon Influencer program is a great way to establish a web presence for free. All you need is a social media community and the desire to create awesome content!
So, if you are thinking about whether to try it or not, go for it!
