As we all know, Amazon is the largest e-commerce marketplace in the world and marks the beginning of many shopping journeys. But its large user base means competition is fierce. It’s often not enough for brands to just add the right keywords, add positive reviews to product pages, and take high-resolution, high-quality images.

Simply put: Selling on Amazon is not as easy as it used to be.

In an evolving e-commerce environment, partnering with influencers across channels enables brands to reach new audiences and ultimately increase sales. Amazon’s own influencer program is designed to connect brands and influencer stores for the benefit of both parties.

What is the Amazon Influencer Program?

The Amazon Influencer Program allows influencers to recommend products to their followers and earn a commission.

Amazon Influencers are usually bloggers, YouTubers and social media influencers who already have huge followings. They can build their own personalized storefront on Amazon, linking to their recommended products.

This way, brands have the opportunity to partner with well-known influencers who can share their products with a loyal following.

However, the project is not open to everyone. Brands can rest easy knowing that influencers must pass a strict set of criteria to join Amazon’s influencer program.

Amazon influencers need:

Have an active Instagram, YouTube or Facebook account;

have a fixed follower (no minimum);

interact frequently with their followers and audiences; and

Create content related to the products they promote on Amazon.

Don't confuse the Amazon Influencer Program with Amazon Associates. Both earn commissions through affiliate links, but affiliates send traffic from other platforms to Amazon's original product pages, while influencers can generate a unique storefront URL that displays all of their selected products in one place .

Commissions vary by category. Amazon’s commission chart shows that Amazon Gaming can bring in 20% for influencers and 10% for beauty products. Influencers, on the other hand, can earn 2% from digital video games and 2.5% from PC components.

What is an Amazon Influencer Storefront and how does it work?

Amazon Influencers have the opportunity to create their own personalized storefront on Amazon, where they can curate products of their choice.

In addition to generating listings for similar products, influencers can post livestreams, shoppable photos, videos, and other social commerce elements on their storefront to create an engaging landing page.

Influencers who take the time to design an intuitive and attractive storefront have a better chance of getting referrals across Amazon. Brands should pick influencers because they have a well-designed page. More exposure means more sales.

Is Amazon Influencer Program Worth the Investment?

In short: yes, it's worth a try.

Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote e-commerce products because consumers rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews.

Buffer says partnering with micro-influencers (influencers with less than 10,000 followers) is one of the best investments your brand can make, and Think with Google found that over 90% of people discover new brands through YouTube videos or product.

Consumers often find products through their favorite creators. Increase your reach, unlock new audiences, and maximize your brand and product visibility by finding and partnering with relevant influencers.

Want to learn more winning strategies for top brands to stand out on Amazon? Check out Salsify's on-demand webinar, "Expert Strategies for Winning on Amazon."