Start Making Money With The Amazon Influencer Program

When you think about making money with Amazon, your mind may immediately go to selling products. While that’s certainly an option, there’s another path to consider: creating shoppable videos.

By promoting products you’ve purchased from Amazon and love, or even products you haven’t bought from Amazon but use regularly and can be found on Amazon, you can earn commissions for some extra income.

Related read: How To Start Making Money With Your Blog

Here’s how to get started and make the most of this opportunity.

(This information is not meant to be advice and is just for educational purposes. I am not a financial or content expert. This post includes affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.)

Ways to make money with Amazon: Affiliate Program vs. Influencer Program

There are two main ways to earn through Amazon without selling products directly:

• The Amazon Affiliate Program
• The Amazon Influencer Program

While both programs share some similarities, they also have distinct differences. The Affiliate Program allows you to earn commissions by sharing affiliate links to Amazon products on your blog or social channels.

The Influencer Program focuses on creating shoppable content, such as videos or lists, that directly link back to Amazon.

To learn more about the Amazon Affiliate Program, check out my detailed blog post, 6 Of The Best Affiliate Programs For Beauty Bloggers. Let’s dive deeper into the Amazon Influencer Program, how it works, and how money can be earned.

What Is the Amazon Influencer Program?

The Amazon Influencer Program allows you to create your own personal Amazon storefront where you can post product recommendations via videos, photos, and product lists.

The videos are called shoppable videos, not review videos. The main difference is who is making the video and what can be earned from the video.

Review videos can be made and uploaded by anyone who purchased that product via Amazon. No commissions can be earned from review videos.

Shoppable videos can only be made and shared by those in the Amazon Influencer Program, and commissions can be earned from them. Every time someone makes a purchase through a shoppable video, the influencer can earn a commission.

Related read: How To Make Your First $100 With Google Adsense

How to sign up for the Amazon Influencer Program

Getting started with the Amazon Influencer Program is straightforward but isn’t always easy. Not everyone gets approved, and it’s not always clear why.

Before you try to sign up, check your eligibility. Amazon looks at your social media following and engagement levels to determine eligibility. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are commonly accepted.

To apply, visit the Amazon Influencer Program page, log in with your Amazon account, and follow the prompts to apply.

If you get accepted, you’ll gain access to a customizable Amazon Storefront where your shoppable videos, product lists, and recommendations can be uploaded and will be displayed.

Getting Started with the Amazon Influencer Program

To start earning commissions, you’ll need to create content and optimize your Amazon Storefront. 

• Personalize your storefront with a name similar to your social content handle, or just use your name
• Upload a picture. It's good to use the same one from your social handles for consistency
• Wrote a short description about what products you include in my storefront
• Adding your social links
• Started creating content by creating product lists for categories. If you have a blog or already share social content, it's good to align with that, but you don't need to 
• Upload shoppable images and tag up three products seen in the image

Onsite commissions are earned when videos you make and upload to your storefront appear directly on Amazon product pages, and people purchase through your video. Now, one thing that tends to trip people up about the onsite commissions is that once they are approved for the Influencer Program, they start uploading videos too quickly.

Getting approved for Amazon Onsite Commissions

Yes, this requires an additional approval process. It can be a little tricky, and you only have three tries to get approved. So you need to make sure you’re thinking through your videos and planning properly.

Go to your Amazon Storefront and under the “Manage Content” tab, select “Video.” That takes you to the Amazon Creator Hub. Toward the top of the page, you will see a graphic with a lock. You’ll need to upload your videos to get that lock removed.

Now, these videos you upload must adhere to strict guidelines set by Amazon, which you can find here.

The kicker is that you only get three chances to have your videos approved. If you don’t get approved within your three chances, you’ll have to reapply to the Amazon Influencer Program. Yes, some people don’t get approved before their three tries are up. Also, not everyone gets approved on the first try, but I did.

It can take a few days to a week or two to get approved. When you are approved, you get a pop-up showing confetti and saying congratulations you're in. Something to note: you can only see the pop-up on desktop. I've seen some who signed up for the program not realize they were in because they were looking for it to happen on their phone.

Related read: Getting Started With The LTK App

How to get approved for Amazon onsite commissions

Approval for onsite commissions can be challenging, but with the right approach, it’s doable. I've read several blogs and social posts as well as watched videos from those who signed up and got approved. Here’s what worked for them when they created and submitted their three videos

What to do

Keep videos a watchable length: Videos ranging from 30-60 seconds, focusing on the essentials. 

Use a voiceover: Record clear voiceovers instead of talking on camera. Use your own voice instead of AI

Demonstrate product use: Show how the product works and how you use it in real life.

Include product names: Menton, the full or generic name of the product, to provide clarity.

Use only original content: All video clips are filmed by you—no photos or stock images were used

Extensive research: Read the program Terms & Conditions, as understanding Amazon’s guidelines is crucial.

Join a Facebook Group: Join Facebook groups where members share tips and review each other’s videos.

What not to do 

Avoid certain phrases: Don't use terms like “this is my review” in the voiceover. Also, don't mention anything about buying the product, price, cost, or budget.

Skipp health products: Avoid featuring wellness or health-related products in the videos you submit for approval to avoid additional scrutiny.

Exclude personal details: Don't include kids, barcodes, or multiple unrelated products in the frame.

Make product claims: Don't say things like this product will fix this or it does this or that for your health, skin, or hair.

Show other products: Focus on one product in each video and avoid talking about other brands or products, including Amazon.

Related read: 7 Tips To Get Monetized On YouTube

Tips for creating successful Amazon Shoppable Videos

Here are additional tips for creating shoppable videos:

Be authentic: Show genuine enthusiasm for the product. Your viewers will sense if your recommendation isn’t heartfelt.

Highlight benefits: Don’t just regurgitate the details on the product page. Focus on how the product solves a problem or adds value.

Keep it simple: Don’t overcomplicate your videos. Stick to showcasing the product and how you use it.

Don't worry too much about length: It used to be that shorter was better, but I've seen some say they get better commissions when their videos are at least 60 seconds. Some even say they have videos eight minutes long that convert really well.

What to keep in mind with the Amazon Influencer Program

You don’t have to buy items from Amazon to make videos about them. If you already own a product, you can create a video as long as it’s sold on Amazon.

To check if a product is available on Amazon, use the lens feature in the app’s search bar. Simply scan the product, and the app will show if it’s listed.

Earnings take time, so patience is key. It can take several weeks or even months before you start seeing consistent commissions. Commissions can come almost a month after you begin, or it can take a little bit longer. Also, the earnings can be small at first. I've heard some saying they were making like five cents a day to start. Everyone's experience is different, so keep that in mind when you see the many social videos of people claiming to make thousands of dollars a month. Some do, but that doesn't seem to be the majority.

Videos featuring high-priced items tend to generate the most significant commissions. Products in the $80+ range tend to be top earners.

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