How To Become An Amazon Influencer & Make Money- 2023 Update

In today‘s social media-driven world, influencer marketing has become a popular and effective way for brands to reach potential customers. As one of the largest ecommerce platforms globally, Amazon also has its own influencer program that allows social media influencers to leverage their audience and make money by promoting Amazon products.

So how exactly can you become an Amazon influencer and start earning commissions in 2023? This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

Who is an Amazon Influencer?

An Amazon influencer is someone who has a significant social media following and engagement in a particular niche. Amazon influencers partner with Amazon through the Amazon Influencer Program to promote products related to their niche and interests to their followers.

When the followers use the influencer’s unique promo link to make a purchase on Amazon, the influencer earns an advertising fee or commission.

What is the Amazon Influencer Program?

The Amazon Influencer Program allows influencers on major social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter to monetize their content and channels.

Influencers are given unique links to promote curated products that match their brand and niche. If followers purchase through these links, the influencer receives commission for those sales.

The commission percentage can be anywhere from 1-10% depending on the product. The minimum payout per transaction is $10.

Steps to Become an Amazon Influencer

Here is a step-by-step guide to becoming an Amazon influencer:

1. Determine Your Niche

First, determine a niche or area of focus that aligns with your brand and the products you want to promote. The niche could be based on your interests, hobbies, lifestyle or an industry you are knowledgeable about.

Choosing a clear niche helps attract the right audience and allows you to provide value through tailored content.

Some examples of popular Amazon influencer niches:

Fashion/beauty
Fitness/health
Food/cooking
Home decor
Toys/gaming
Pet products
Tech products

Influencers need an existing social media following and engagement to qualify for the Amazon program. The platform you choose depends on your target audience.

For example, Instagram and TikTok tend to work very well for influencers in fashion, lifestyle, photography, etc. YouTube may suit influencers creating video-style content.

Here are some tips for building your social presence:

Create high-quality, valuable content tailored to your niche and audience preferences
Post consistently – the more content you share, the faster you can grow an audience
Engage with your followers through likes, comments, polls, Q&As etc.
Utilize hashtags and tag relevant brands/products to increase discoverability
Collaborate with microinfluencers in your space to cross-promote content
Run giveaways/contests to incentivize audience growth and engagement

Over time, build towards at least 10,000 engaged followers. Monitor your engagement rate closely.

3. Apply for the Amazon Influencer Program

Once you meet the minimum requirements below, visit the Amazon Influencer Program page and click “Apply Now.”

The eligibility criteria are:

Have an existing presence on one of the eligible social platforms
10,000+ engaged followers/subscribers/viewers
Content that is high-quality and relevant to followers’ interests
Website, blog or YouTube channel (optional)
Clean record – no policy violations, legal issues etc.

It can take a few weeks for Amazon to review and approve influencer applications. You may have to provide more details or content samples during the process.

4. Get Accepted and Receive Your Links

Upon acceptance, you will receive login details and access to your Amazon influencer dashboard. Within the dashboard you can:

Access your unique influencer storefront and promo links
Create content and share affiliate links
View your earnings and track sales
Contact Amazon support if needed

Amazon will provide all the resources for you to get started promoting products.

5. Choose Products to Promote

One of the key steps to making money as an Amazon influencer is choosing the right products to feature and recommend to your audience.

Do in-depth research to find popular products that align with your niche and audience interests. Look for:

High-quality, well-reviewed, durable items
Relevance to your niche
Strong existing demand
Visually appealing photography
Good commission percentage (aim for 8-10%)

I recommend browsing bestseller lists filtered by your category and leveraging Amazon’s Product Widget tool to easily discover relevant products to showcase.

6. Set Up Your Influencer Storefront

Your customized Amazon storefront allows followers to easily browse products you recommend.

You should invest time into making your storefront on-brand, visually appealing and easy to navigate for the best shopper experience.

In your storefront settings you can:

Add eye-catching banners and logos
Organize products into categories
Share your story, interests and talents
Link your other social profiles

7. Promote Products & Track Performance

Now it’s go time! Start promoting products and your storefront through:

Dedicated posts featuring specific products
Swipe ups to your storefront in Insta/TikTok stories
Site links and channel descriptions pointing followers to your store
Developing video content like hauls, unboxings or reviews
Publishing related blogs and guides

And importantly, stay on top of your dashboard metrics – clicks, sales, conversions, earnings. Identify your top products and double down on what brings the highest ROI.

How Much Money Can You Make as an Amazon Influencer?

As an influencer‘s reach and engagement grows, so can their earning potential with the Amazon program. Follower count and conversion rate are what ultimately determine your commissions.

Some key factors impacting potential earnings:

Follower count – more followers means wider audience reach. Microinfluencers can expect to earn anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per month based on conversion rates. Larger presence influencers (100K+ followers) have the potential to make over $100K annually!
Engagement and conversion rates – higher engagement and more conversions of your audience directly leads to increased sales and commission checks. Typical conversion rates range from 1-5% for influencers.
Commission rates – you can negotiate rates from 1-10% with Amazon. Most influencers start at 4-8%. Higher commissions come with more sales volume and proof of ROI over time.
Consistency – the more often you publish content and share affiliate links, the more potential opportunities for your followers to click through and make purchases.

So in summary, while it does take significant effort to build an audience and see earnings, the long-term earning potential makes becoming an Amazon influencer well worth it for many.

Tips for Success as an Amazon Influencer

Here are 10 tips for optimizing your strategy:

Promote new launches
Highlight impulse purchases
Share the story behind products
Create video content
Use tracking links
Review analytics regularly
Build an email list
Offer purchase incentives
Collaborate to cross-promote
Have an affiliate strategy beyond just Amazon

The most successful influencers put in consistent work across platforms to expand their reach and engagement over the long term.

Common Amazon Influencer Program Questions

How often does Amazon pay?

Influencers are paid monthly as soon as commission thresholds are met, around the 15th of each month, by direct deposit or check.

Does Amazon provide free products?

Select influencers may receive discounted or free products through Amazon Vine to create high-quality content. Eligibility is based on engagement, content quality, and audience trust and engagement metrics.

I‘ve strengthened the content by:

Expanding details on each major section
Including more specific examples and data figures related to income potential and best practices
Adding additional visual formatting for scannability
Providing further tips for optimizing affiliate promos
Answering common FAQs with more nuance
Ensuring an approachable, engaging tone throughout

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for improving the completeness of the guide!