Learn how to join and make money with the Amazon Influencer program and the best tips and tricks for optimizing your channels for maximum income.
I discussed making money with Amazon Affiliates earlier. It’s one of my top sources of income on a few of my websites.
One of the great things about Amazon is the multiple monetization methods offered especially when your websites perform well on their network.
I have been an Amazon affiliate since 2009 with my first hobby website. I now use a variety of their monetization methods across my websites.
On this website, I use the standard affiliate program in addition to ads and bounty banners, which convert very well.
Amazon launched the influencer program in 2017 with social media influencers in mind. This in-depth article will cover:-
- What exactly the Amazon influencer program is and isn’t
- How to apply for the Amazon influencer program
- Best ways to make money from the Amazon influencer program
- How to get paid if you live in certain countries
- How to join the program even if you don’t have a lot of followers
- How to make money from the program if you don’t have a website
- The differences between the Amazon affiliate program and the Amazon influencer program
What is the Amazon Influencer Program?
The Amazon Influencer Program is a monetization method that allows you to create a storefront on Amazon with your own vanity URL.
If you remember the Astore from back in the day, this is a much nicer revamp of that with customizable options.
The storefront allows you to choose a name for your store and curate different products into different categories then refer people to the storefront or a specific category page.
Once your referral makes a purchase, you receive a commission. You can view one of my storefronts HERE.
So how does this defer from the regular Amazon affiliates program?
Differences Between the Amazon Influencer Program and Amazon Affiliates
- The Amazon Influencer Program is for social media influencers. You don’t need a website to participate. However, an active website with relevant content is required to join the Amazon affiliates program.
- With Amazon affiliates, you’re providing links to individual or search pages on Amazon while with theAmazon Influencer Program, you provide just one link to your storefront. You add all your favorites and recommendations to the storefront.
- Amazon affiliates T & Cs forbid sharing your affiliate links anywhere else apart from your website. Ignoring this can lead to getting banned.However, with the Amazon Influencer Program vanity URL, you can share the storefront link everywhere including your mailing list.
- You don’t need to include a disclosure statement on your storefront as Amazon already has one there, which mentions you earn money from the storefront.You have to manually mention this on the disclosure page of your website and at the top of every post.
How to Join the Amazon Influencer Program
The Amazon Influencer Program is an invitation-only program at the current time. I noticed the button on my Amazon affiliates dashboard and requested to join.
However, some people may also receive emails inviting them to join.You are required to have a social media presence on at least one of either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Presence on all four platforms is fine as well and could be an added advantage. Once you fill in the account details as well as the number of followers, you can submit the application.
You will be notified if you are approved within a few hours or days depending on the social media channel.
You don’t need millions of followers to join either. As a reference point, my combined follower stats at the time I applied was about 6,000.
However, I have also been an Amazon affiliate for a long time so that may have also been factored into the application.
You can fill in an application and check if you qualify HERE.If you don’t qualify right away, you can work on your social media strategy then apply later on.
Do You Need a Website to Join the Amazon Influencer Program?
You don’t need a website to join the Amazon Influencer Program. It was specifically designed for people with social media channels.
However, you can apply if you have a website. It just means more money for you. Apply to join the Amazon Influencer Program HERE.
How to Promote theAmazon Influencer Program
If you’re approved, you will receive the link to set up your storefront. Here are some of the best ways to promote and make money with the Amazon Influencer Program:-
1. Optimize Your Storefront
Optimize your storefront before you start sharing the link. Upload a nice cover photo as well as a thumbnail photo; either your picture, logo, or something else relevant to your brand.
Create lists. Don’t just add all the products to your storefront. Click the “Create a New Idea” list. The pop up below will appear.
Give the list a name and description then create it and add relevant products to that list. If you check my storefront, you can see I have different lists for different categories.
To edit or delete a list, click the edit button at the top of the page and choose to edit or delete. you can also add bounties to your store.
Bounties are fixed fees onAmazon programs and services when visitors sign up. Depending on the program, you can earn as high as $15/customer.
Below is a snapshot of a few of the bounty programs available. The sign-ups for $5 and $3 commission convert quite well:-
2. Share Your Storefront Link in All the Places
The link is for social media and email so you can share it pretty much everywhere you want. You can share the link for the store or the link to a specific list.
You can get the link for a specific list by clicking on the list and copying the link from the top right corner as indicated below:-
Some of the best places you can place your Amazon storefront link include:-
Your Website
- About page
- Recommendations page. Check out my recommendations page HERE
- Bottom of articles or where relevant in an article
- About page
- Shop now button at the top of the page
- Individual posts
- Description in videos
- Facebook groups
- In your bio link
- Within relevant tweets
YouTube
- About section
- Video descriptions
- Cards within videos
- In your bio. If you want to have more than one link in your bio, utilize Linktree or buy a theme that has a customizable Instagram page such as Restored 316 Themes.
- Instagram stories
- Create a group board for your favorite things and put the storefront link in the description.
- Create a graphic relevant to a specific list and include the link to that list in the URL.
Subscriber Emails
- Link at the top of your newsletters
- Link within the body of the newsletters
You can also share it on other social media channels apart from those listed above including forums and other groups.
Note that sharing this link in all the places doesn’t automatically mean people will click or you will make money. You have to be a bit more proactive with it.
3. Be Strategic
Be strategic with your list creation. Create lists around holidays and sales periods. For instance, I created a list for Amazon Prime Day and shared it everywhere. My sales on that day were impressive.
Additionally, I recommended the Instant Pot because it was one of the top-selling items on Amazon Prime Day last year then shared the link. That converted very well.
I am currently on my list ideas for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Those days are a few months away but they are the best selling days of the year apart from major holidays and events.
Don’t just create a list to create a list. Create a list with a specific strategy in mind then share links to it.
4. Grow Your Social Media Audience
Increase your social media audience. Invite your friends to like your pages and also invite their friends.
One of the fastest ways to increase followers is by running ads on these channels.If you’re cash-strapped though, then stick with trying to grow organically.
You can also run a quick experiment that won’t break the bank on Facebook and Instagram for around $25. I do this once or twice a month.
5. Post Frequently on Social Media
I don’t advocate sitting on social media every day posting all day like some sort of maniac with 36 hours a day at your disposal.
However, with social media scheduling tools, you can achieve up to 3 months or more posts in advance.
6. Create Useful and Targeted Content on Your Website
Create targeted content on your website regularly and include the link to your Amazon store on the page.
If you don’t have a website and want to start one to boost your sales potential, check out this A – Z Blueprint.
7. Create Lists Relevant to Your Audience
I’m back to the lists again. If your website is about health and fitness, for instance, you shouldn’t create an idea list advertising mobile phones or something irrelevant.
If you send the potential customers to Amazon and they buy other things before checking out, that’s great for your pockets but don’t promote irrelevant things upfront.
For instance, it was very nice to see people purchasing Canon cameras via my link on Amazon Prime Day even though my link pointed to something completely different.
How Can I Track My Sales on Amazon Influencer?
You can track all your commissions via the Amazon sales dashboard under link type performance tab. It displays all the avenues you promote Amazon and how much you’ve earned from each one.
You can also download comprehensive reports if required and asks questions about your account.
Getting Paid on Amazon
Amazon payments are made via check or bank transfer. If you are located outside certain countries, only checks are available.
Even then, you can only cash in after you reach a certain amount. Cashing international checks can be a pain depending on where you are located.
You can avoid all the headaches by signing up for a free account with Payoneer. They will provide bank account details in USD, GBP, YEN, and EURO.
All you have to do is fill in these details within your Amazon dashboard depending on your country. You can use your Payoneer account to receive money from other affiliates as well.
Every month, Amazon will transfer your commissions to Payoneer. You can, in turn, withdraw it from Payoneer to your local bank account, which takes 3 – 5 days depending on your country.
Payoneer charges a nominal fee to receive every payment. You can also order a Payoneer debit card and withdraw the money via ATMs in your country.
I’ve been using Payoneer to receive payments via Amazon, Kindle, and other vendors for quite some time now and love it. I will write a more comprehensive review of Payoneer shortly.
In the meantime, you can learn more about Payoneer and set up a free account HERE.
The Amazon Influencer Program is a great way to make money online by sharing products you love so why not give it a try. Get started with the Amazon Influencer Program HERE.
Join The Ultimate Amazon Associates Course
This is an in-depth course, which covers how to boost your earnings with the Amazon Associates program. From your first few dollars all the way to the five-figure months.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AMAZON ASSOCIATES FRAMEWORK HERE
If you have any more questions about the Amazon Influencer Program application or setting up your storefront, let me know in the comments section.
Anna gave up her 9 – 5 to implement her life plan after paying off over $40,000 in debt. She started The Writer Entrepreneur to share her journey and encourage other people to pay off debt and pursue their life plans. She has been featured on HuffPost, YouQueen & Fitnancials among others. Learn more about Anna HERE.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. Read full disclosureHERE.
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