Amazon Influencer Program | How I Make $3,100+ a Month
A few months back, I went through a training program with a small number of online Entrepreneurs. As part of that program, we each shared the unique systems and strategies we’d created to make passive income.
One of the people in that program (John Shea) shared his story about the Amazon Influencer program. He was creating simple videos of products he already owned and uploading them to the Amazon platform for others to watch. He was able to quickly replace his normal income and move into being a full-time Influencer within a few short months.
I knew I had to join the program, but I had no idea where to start! This guide is everything you need to get started with the program and all the things I’ve personally learned along the way.
Let’s get started!
What is the Amazon Influencer Program?
Disclaimer
Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links and if you decide to purchase, I receive a small commission from each sale. I only recommend products or software that I personal use and all commissions help my blog grow and support my work. Thanks in advance!
The Amazon Influencer Program is an online program that lets you create video & image content directly on the Amazon platform. As an influencer, your videos, images and Live Streams appear on shoppable videos Product Pages, shoppable image reels & category pages.
I’ve been a part of the program since mid 2022, and this post will guide you through everything you need to know to start making money on the platform.
Who Can Become an Amazon Influencer?
The Amazon Influencer program is a new way to make money on the internet, and it’s one of the most exciting things I have seen in a while! If you are looking for ways to earn extra income online, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
I am going to tell you everything about how to become an Amazon Influencer, how to get started and what I’ve personally learned along the way.
how does the amazon influencer program work
How exactly does the Amazon Influencer program work? Well, as an influencer, you create video & image content that is added to the Amazon platform.
This content then shows on product pages, category pages, and Amazon Live streams. If someone watches 30 seconds of your video, or clicks your images and then decides to purchase the product shown in your video – you get a commission from that sale! The more content you create and upload, the more money you’ll make.
Requirements to Join
In order to join the Amazon Influencer Program, there are a few basic requirements.
Have at least 500-2,000 followers on your social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). Although the actual number of followers is not actually confirmed by Amazon, they do ask that you have an existing social media following.
I’ve seen individuals get accepted with both smaller (500+) and larger channels. Personally, I used my YouTube channel which at the time had a total of 3400+ active subscribers.
It’s also worth noting that I was regularly adding new content to my YouTube channel which I personally feel is helpful for getting approved.
I was able to join the Amazon Influencer Program using my YouTube Channel. Amazon will also allow you to join with an active Instagram or TikTok Profile.
– Luke
Amazon is Looking For Influencers That Are:
Creating and Customizing Your Influencer Store
Once you have signed up, you will receive a link to create your Amazon Influencer storefront. This is where you can customize your store to match your brand and style. Your store front will look like the following examples:
You’ll also have the option to link your TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter profiles. I’d suggest adding as many as possible so you can grow those profiles from your Amazon content at the same time.
How Much Do Amazon Influencers Make?
How much you earn through the program is completely dependant on how hard you work, and how many videos you upload. In the first month on the program I was able to earn roughly over $1,000. In my second month, I took that to $3,100+.
The more effort you put into creating quality content, Live Streaming and engaging with your audience and finding great deals – the bigger the reward!
I personally think you should focus on creating the best video content you can, and stick to continually improving your reviews and thumbnails.
I go through the uploading process in detail here.
Once your videos get more views, you’ll begin to see an uptick in products being purchased. I’ve also noticed that when I put more time into crafting a quality thumbnail for each video, my watch time (percentage watched) increases too.
How much you earn also depends on which niche your videos are made for. Here’s a direct link to how much Amazon pays through the associate’s program (which the Influencer program is a part of).
You’ll find niches like home, kitchen, outdoors and clothing have higher commission rates.
Right now there’s only one online course I’d personally recommend if you want to learn from someone currently doing over $10k a month through the Amazon Influencer program. John Shea has been absolutely crushing it on the Amazon Influencer program.
He personally introduced me to the program and unlike a lot of gurus out there who teach you to record items in stores, he’s the real deal. He did over 200k in sales last year and his course “Faceless Product Reviews” will give you everything you need to see sales straight away.
Click here for more information on Johns course.
Your Personal Amazon Influencer Storefront URL
Adding new video content is really easy! Simply follow these steps to upload your first video through the Influencer dashboard.
NOTE: You must tag the correct product. If you uploaded a video talking about a new computer you own, you must take the time to find the EXACT product on Amazon. Selecting the wrong product could result in your video being rejected, or worse – having your account shut down.
– Luke
- Create an .mp4 file or .mov file of your video review using something like veed.io. Amazon has a video size limit of 5gb per video so be sure to keep your videos to a smaller size. You can also upload up to 15 videos at once if you are planning to move videos from your TikTok or YouTube channel.
- Once your file has uploaded, you need to give your new video a name. I’ve seen various strategies for naming your videos, from something simple like “product X video review”, to something more clickbaitish like “this X has changed my life”. What you might want to do is use a Amazon Keyword research tool (I’ve had success with this one), and make your video more keyword friendly.
- Now that you’ve selected a name for the video, it’s time to tag a product. I’ve found that doing a search for the product on Amazon.com, add grabbing the product code is the best way to make sure you’re picking the right item. Plus it also saves a tonne of time! Amazon also recommends only tagging a single product for each video.
- Now that you’ve done the video name and tagged the correct product, it’s time to add your thumbnail. Your thumbnail doesn’t have to be super fancy, but I personally take the time to get some high quality photos with my mirrorless camera or iPhone 13 Pro. I create a simple template on Canva.com, and use the same template for each new product I review.
- Once you’ve added the thumbnail, you’re good to go! Click submit, and your video will go into ‘In Review’ status. This means that someone from Amazon is going to personally review your videos and make sure they meet the requirements to be adding to the product page. This typically takes 24 hours, but may take up to 72 hours depending on backlog.
Your Personal Amazon Influencer Storefront URL
Once you get approved into the platform, you’ll receive your own store URL that you can share with your followers, friends and family. This is where all of your content, posts and Live Streams will be showcased. The URL is generally amazon.com/shop/[YOUR PERSONAL NAME]. It’s a good idea to bookmark this URL because you’ll be uploading all your content with that URL too.
Where Do Your Videos Appear on Amazon?
At the time of writing, Amazon currently has a few areas that your content will appear:
Image/Video Reel:
If you click through to a product, you’ll notice to the left of the product page there’s both images & videos available to view. Once you’ve uploaded a video to a particular product, your video will often appear here. Currently this doesn’t happen for all products, and Amazon is often testing which video placement drives the most sales.
It seems Amazon is continually tweaking and improving their product placements to see what gets the best engagement. It looks like they plan to eventually roll out a TikTok format shopping feed format (vertical video) – so keep checking back on the blog for updates.
Product Page Video Review
This is the most common placement for your video reviews. Typically, once you scroll down you’ll see influencer video reviews just before customer video reviews. Majority of the videos I create appear on this section of the product page.
Category/Home Pages
From my testing and experience, Amazon typically gives priority to videos that get the most views/sales. These videos will often appear on the category or home pages of Amazon. The image posts I create also appear on this screen too. (Almost like an Instagram feed).
Earn Money from Bounties
To get a complete understanding of how the Amazon bounties program works, I’d suggest you head over to this page and read the full guide. As an Influencer have have access to the bounty programs and you can promote these within your content.
How to Track Your Sales
Once you get approved into the program, you’ll eventually begin seeing sales trickling. You can track your sales (clicks on your content) in ‘Ordered Items’ section of your Influencer dashboard. The good news is this updates every 24 hours.
Personally I like to check my dashboard every 2-3 days and see which videos are generating the most sales. That way I know what type of content is doing well, and I can continue to create more in that sub-niche.
Understanding The Amazon Affiliate Commission Rates
This page outlines the standard commission rates based on category so you can get an understanding of what products you might like to focus on.
Monetize your content with the Amazon Influencer Program
One of the coolest things about the Amazon Influencer program is the fact that you can take all of your existing video content (and images) from other platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok and upload them to start earning commissions from them. However, it’s really important that you take the time to make sure your content meets Amazon’s policies.
This means no mention of ‘subscribing to your channel’ or directly asking people to follow you on YouTube/Instagram etc.
Lon.tv does a great job of explaining everything here:
What Camera & Video Gear Should You Use?
Right now, if you’re looking to create quality video content for your Amazon Influencer profile without breaking the bank here’s what I recommend:
Camera:
- 4K Modes: 4K Ultra HD video delivers a far more intense viewing experience when compared to Full HD, with 4 times the number of pixels. With the 4K PHOTO Function, the G7 has exclusive 4K Ultra HD video tech you can use to pause and extract that perfect photo moment in time as a high-resolution photo
- Other Features: The LUMIX G7 is smaller and lighter than traditional DSLRs yet still provides intuitive, easy access to common functions. A high-resolution (2,360k-dot) OLED Live View Finder on the LUMIX G7 features 10,000:1 contrast and perfect framing, so you’ll enjoy high visibility – even under direct sunlight
- High Image Quality: The LUMIX G7’s 16-megapixel sensor operates much like the larger sensors found in traditional DSLR cameras. The G7, however, also features a next-generation intelligent image processor that produces video and photos free from artifacts that degrade image quality
- High-Visibility View Finder: A high-resolution (2,360k-dot) OLED Live View Finder on the LUMIX G7 features 10,000:1 contrast and perfect framing, so you’ll enjoy high visibility – even under direct sunlight. Plus, the tilt/swivel touch-display lets you further adjust the screen for optimum clarity
Lens:
Microphone:
- Rode Video Mic Go II (works with cameras and smartphones)
Lighting:
- LED Light (cheap, but really good)
Computer for editing:
- Apple Macbook Pro M1 (crazy fast speeds)
SSD for Storage
Video Editing Software
- DaVinci Resolve is a professional level video editing software that’s completely free to use. It does come with a pretty steep learning curve though.
- VEED.IO: If you want something that’s super easy to pick up, and works for YouTube, TikTok & all other platforms, I’d suggest you look at veed.io
This is basically everything I use day to day for all of my video content. If you’re on a tight budget though, maybe look at the iPhone 13 Pro, S22 Ultra or Google Pixel 7 Pro as your main camera source.
Who Can Join the Amazon Influencer Program?
Right now the program is only open to existing content creators/influencers from other social media channels.
The good news is you don’t need a huge following, and even micro-influencers are able to join the program and start making great money.
How Does the Amazon Influencer Program Differ from Amazon Associates?
Technically speaking, the Influencer program is part of the Amazon Associates program.
However, when you join the Influencer program, you will be given a second associates ID for all of your Influencer Earnings to be tracked through. When you log into your associates dashboard, you’ll see both ID’s and how much income you’ve earned from your influencer content. What’s also really cool – if someone purchases multiple products in a single transaction (after watching your content) you’ll get commission on all products purchased.
How Can You Promote Your Amazon Store?
There are a few different ways to promote your Amazon store page.
- Promote it to your existing followers
- Add the link to your Amazon Influencer profile on your social profiles. Simply copy and paste your /shop URL to each account.
- Share your shop URL via email
- Add it to your social media accounts
How many followers does an influencer need to qualify for the Amazon Influencer Program?
Right now (as of the time of writing), Amazon doesn’t specify the exact number of followers you need to join the program.
However, from my personally experience it looks to be roughly 500-2000 minimum subscribers. Obviously the more subscribers the better.
If you have an active YouTube, TikTok or Instagram account you can use this as part of the sign up process. Many people on Reddit also appear to be more successful getting into the program with social channels that review products and show their face.
I was able to successfully get into the program by using my tech channel – which was a good fit for Amazon’s Influencer program.
From my personally experience and from research you’ll need roughly 500-2000 minimum subscribers to get accepted into the program. However, Amazon doesn’t outline the exact number.
– Luke
Integrate Your Amazon Store with Your Website
If you have an existing website, you might consider adding a direct link to your Amazon store front so people can watch your Live Streams and video reviews.
Type of Content
Right now, Amazon has three content types for you to add to your storefront. Lets cover each one:
1. Video Reviews
Video reviews are typically unboxing, first impressions and short term/long term product reviews. If you own a product and want to provide your audience with more information about how it works, what features it has, and what it’s like to use – uploading a video review is the best option.
2. Image Posts
If you want to showcase how an item looks (clothing is popular), how a product looks after it’s setup, or something you’ve recently starting using an image post is a great option. These posts appear in a number of different spots, but seem to have the most exposure on category pages. They look like this:
3. Amazon Live Streaming
Once you’ve been accepted as an Amazon Influencer, you’ll have instant access to the Live Streaming service. Getting up and running with Live Stream takes some planning and organisation. Here’s a breakdown of everything you’ll need:
- iPhone or iPad to install the Amazon Live App on (not currently available for Android)
- Macbook or Windows computer to install OBS streaming software on (free opensource software)
- A pre-planning idea list of products you plan to talk about (created in your Influencer store front).
- Either a professional camera (or iPhone) on a tripod to stream video with
- Good lighting and clutter free space
Inside the Amazon Live app, you’ll typically select a time/date for your stream, upload a thumbnail (I use canva.com), and select a ideas list to tag all the products you plan to talk about.
Then, if you plan to use your iPhone for the stream, you can hit ‘preview’, and then hit ‘Go Live’. Alternatively, if you want to use a high quality mirrorless or DLSR camera, scroll down and select ‘external camera’.
From here, you’ll get some details that you’ll need to manually input into the OBS streaming software. OBS then connects to Amazon’s servers, finds your live stream and the app will prompt you to ‘go live’. After the 3 second count down, you’re officially Live on Amazon!
If you’d like a full guide on Amazon Live click here to see my other post with an in depth guide.
Should you join the Amazon Influencer Program?
Yes! This is one of the best opportunities to start making passive income I’ve ever stumbled across and I think it’s a great way to turn your video content into additional monthly income. If you put the work in you’ll quickly begin earning a very nice passive income from your content.
The Amazon Influencer is the best affiliate program online. Period.
I’ve been making money online for almost 10 years now, and whilst there and endless ways to make passive income, I think Amazon’s Influencer program current takes the cake. It’s easy to get started, has great commission rates, and a huge audience of buyers and millions of products to review! Click here to get started today, or click here to check out my #1 recommended course.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Amazon influencer make?
How much profit an Amazon Influencer actually depends on how many views their videos are getting, and the number of people purchasing from watching their content. In my first month I made $900+ and in my second month I made $3,200.
How many followers do I need for Amazon influencer program?
Amazon doesn’t provide an exact number, however it’s recommended you have at least 500-1000 followers on your social media following before applying. I recommend applying using an active YouTube account.
What qualifies as an Amazon influencer?
Once approved into the program, you’re officially an Amazon Influencer! Your videos and images will be shown on product pages, image carousels and category pages.
Is Amazon influencer program real?
Yes! It’s very real and an incredible opportunity to start making passive income online.
How do you qualify for Amazon influencer program?
Amazon wants active social media influencers to join the program, which means you don’t yet have a following online, it’s a good idea to spend your time on YouTube, Instagram or TikTok first.
How many followers do you need to be an Amazon influencer?
It’s recommended you have between 500-1000 active followers on your social media profile before applying to get into the program.
What is an Amazon Influencer?
An Amazon Influencer is someone who has been accepted into the program, and creates shoppable video/image content on the platform.
Who is eligible to be in the Amazon Influencer Program?
Amazon wants existing social media influencers from YouTube, Instagram & TikTok to join the program. For more information click here.
