Could influencers be the key to boosting your brand's Amazon presence?
Fact: nearly two-thirds of online consumers start their product searches on Amazon.
You don’t have to look hard on TikTok or Instagram to find Amazon influencers promoting products. There are countless communities sharing their #AmazonFinds and Prime purchases.
And we see Amazon products go viral all the time.
Partnering with creators on Amazon is valuable for brands and merchants. That’s because content creators can introduce your products to new customers authentically.
This post breaks down how to find Amazon influencers to collab with. We'll also cover what to consider if you want to collab with a high volume creators can to boost your visibility on the platform.
Amazon influencers are creators who promote products via Amazon’s influencer program.
Here’s a rundown of how the Amazon Influencer Program works:
Approved creators also get their own Amazon influencer storefront. This is a landing page featuring a creator's recommended products. Storefront sales are attributed to creators.
Now, let’s dig into how these creators promote their links and drive sales on social media.
Consider that both TikTok and Instagram prohibit external links in posts. Most creators use their bio links to funnel traffic to Amazon. Here’s an example from Instagram:
Source: @shelbstales
What happens when you actually click their bio link, though? Below is what an Amazon influencer storefront looks like:
Source: Amazon
These landing pages feature product recommendations and collections of an influencer's favorite items. Most collections follow specific themes. For example, you might see collections for fall fashion trends or kitchen essentials. Storefronts are a big part of what separates influencers from Amazon's affiliate program (aka "Amazon Associates").
Here’s what going from an influencer’s social page to their storefront looks like step-by-step:
Source: @thefitishbrunette
The official Amazon influencer marketing program is notable for a few reasons:
Again, there’s no shortage of influencers promoting Amazon products.
Finding them does require you to do some quick detective work, though. Below are three ways you can find Amazon influencers in the wild.
Amazon’s own site might seem like square one for finding creators, right?
Believe it or not, there’s no Amazon influencer search bar or official creator list to pick from.
Amazon does provide a few options for finding affiliates on-site, though. The first is browsing potential influencers via Amazon Live. Through these livestreams, Amazon creators show off products and interact with potential customers.
Here's an example of an Amazon Live stream, for reference:
Source: Amazon
Amazon also has its #FoundItOnAmazon feed which is the closest thing to an actual list of influencers. This page aggregates influencer photos, all tagged from their collections and favorite products. You can select specific product categories to narrow your search.
Source: #FoundItOnAmazon
Most Amazon influencers aren’t shy about promoting the products they love. This is especially true on TikTok where Amazon finds go viral daily.
This is good news for brands looking for creators to collab with. If you find someone shouting their latest Prime purchase, chances are you’ll find an influencer storefront in their bio.
Uncovering these creators starts with a hashtag search. Below are a handful of hashtags on Instagram and TikTok to help you find Amazon influencers faster.
Source: @staceylovesshopping
Instagram isn’t quite as rabid as TikTok when it comes to Amazon influencer marketing. That’s because the platforms’ demographics are different. You’ll primarily find Instagram influencers promoting fashion, home and CPG products. These influencers put a ton of thought and effort into making creative content.
Source: @broooke_lynn_
Note: While #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt isn’t Amazon-specific, the tag often features Amazon finds.
The modern customer journey involves discovering products through social media. As a result, TikTok is brimming with accounts and communities dedicated to Amazon products. This includes deal-hunting, fashion dupes and product reviews.
TikTok is the perfect platform for impulse buys and “lifehack” products, too. Honestly, you can promote just about anything on TikTok!
Given the popularity of Amazon influencer marketing, you likely have followers that are already part of the program.
Finding Amazon influencers among your own followers means doing some digging. Start by looking at customers who frequently tag or shout you out. Peek their pages and then:
Once you’ve spotted an active Amazon influencer, consider giving them a follow-back and even reaching out to them for a collab.
Note: If you’re trying to message influencers on TikTok, note that they must follow you back to DM them. Need help with your influencer outreach? Check out our collab emails and DM templates that can help!
Like we said earlier, the Amazon influencer program has loose requirements.
This is great news for creators but can present a challenge for brands. Specifically, figuring out what separates a “good” Amazon influencer from a so-so one. This can be tricky since there are no specific follower or engagement thresholds for applicants to meet.
Whether you’re vetting influencers or want an idea of what to look out for, here are some common threads between top-tier creators.
Not all Amazon influencer posts are equal when it comes to creativity.
Sure, some products do go viral with simple, off-the-cuff videos.
And that’s awesome!
But influencers should plan and put thought into their promotional posts.
Doing so isn’t just for the benefit of brands, either. Think about it. Influencers have to post meaningful content for their target audience to sustain their growth. Low-effort posts won’t do that.
From try-on hauls to skits and in-depth reviews, try to find Amazon influencers that go the extra mile with their content ideas.
Source: @neutrallyashlan
Piggybacking on the point above, the best Amazon influencers don’t sleep on their storefronts. An effective landing page is more than a laundry list of products. From product inspiration to creative item collections, there are plenty of influencers that go out of their way to make their pages pop.
Source: Amazon
Fact: 81% of consumers will unfollow creators who aggressively post sponsored content.
Again, influencers grow authentic audiences through meaningful content. Spamming followers with promotional calls to action is exhausting. Doing so is a lose-lose for influencers and their followers.
This illustrates the value of micro-influencers that naturally feature brands in their feeds. Likewise, skilled influencers know how to make product posts that don’t feel “salesy” at all.
The power of influencer marketing speaks for itself. Consider that 88% of consumers have been inspired to make a purchase based on what an influencer has posted.
For brands active on Amazon, there are a few specific benefits to think about:
Consider also that creators who aren't part of the Amazon Influencer Program are still massively valuable to brands beyond acting as affiliates. The sheer awareness that creators can build for any given brand on Amazon is massive, especially given how popular "Amazon find" posts and videos are.
Translation? Not all Amazon influencer marketing happens on Amazon.
Affiliates or otherwise, brands are wise to work with creators of all shapes and sizes. Restricting your creator community to those within the Amazon Influencer Program could mean that you're missing out on your brand's best creators.
With the recent announcement of TikTok Amazon Ads, there's even more reason for brands to start promoting UGC on Amazon and growing their influencer presence there. Especially since it's speculated that creator-based Amazon ads could be around the corner.
To wrap things up, here are three points to consider before adding Amazon creators to your influencer marketing strategy.
Hopefully you’ll have a successful Amazon influencer search after all of this!
But again, your job isn’t exactly over once you’ve found potential influencers to partner with.
You’ll still need to reach out, iron out a contract, brief them and figure out how to get products into their hands. That’s all before they produce a single post, too.
If you don't have the bandwidth to juggle all of the above, Statusphere's micro-influencer marketing platform can help.
We offer a scalable way to get guaranteed content from our network of vetted influencers based on 250+ unique, first-party data points. Our advanced matchmaking and fulfillment technology eliminates the most tedious, time-consuming steps of working with influencers.
Want to learn more about how our platform works? Schedule a call with one of our influencer marketing experts to see how we can help you scale your campaigns in a fraction of the time.
This article was first published in February 2021. It was last updated August 15, 2024.