Did you know that it’s possible to make money on Amazon without actually selling anything?
There are in fact new and legitimate ways to make money on Amazon without any monetary investment, inventory, or selling a physical product as of 2023. And no, I’m not talking about Amazon Associates, arbitrage, FBA, drop shipping, or affiliate marketing as you may know it.
With the launch of some innovative new features getting a major push right, now is the time to get in early and start earning as an Amazon Influencer. And lucky for you, making money with the Amazon Influencer program is still just starting to gain traction.
Amazon’s pushing a new way to shop.
As the world’s largest online marketplace, Amazon facilitates businesses and individuals to create their own Amazon stores where they can sell items directly to millions of customers. If you don’t however have a product to sell or the know-how to grow an Amazon store from scratch, there are still ways you can make money on Amazon.
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You see, the way we shop online these days has shifted. And Amazon is quickly shifting with us.
More and more people are relying on influencers and insights from trusted sources to guide their purchases. This is where Amazon wants you to come in as an Amazon Influencer.
The best part? You don’t need a huge social media presence or tons of followers to make money as an Amazon Influencer.
Whether you’re a social media “it girl” or you’re more of a low-key baddie with 122 followers, Amazon wants to leverage your influence for its newest features. And in turn, you can make some serious cash doing it.
But I’m not an influencer.
Forget about having an army of followers. As an Amazon Influencer, you’ll be given the platform complete with all the elements you need to succeed — including a hot and ready-to-buy audience!
Amazon Influencers can use the platform’s newest features to inspire Amazonians to shop for millions of products by creating content such as engaging live streams, shoppable photos, and shoppable videos.
Perhaps you’ve heard of UGC?
UGC stands for User-Generated Content, which is any type of content that is created by consumers or users of a product or service, rather than by the brand or company itself.
UGC is valuable for brands because it helps to build trust and authenticity, as consumers are more likely to trust the opinions and experiences of other consumers than they are to trust a brand’s marketing messages.
The great thing about UGC for those wanting to make money from it is that you don’t need to be a big influencer in order to create and earn.
So what’s the difference between “Amazon Influencer” and “Amazon Associate”?
If you’re a content creator or something of the sort, perhaps you’re familiar with the OG Amazon Associate Program (if not, you can skip this part). So isn’t this just the same thing?
Well, not exactly…
The “Amazon Influencer” Program is really an extension of the longer-established “Amazon Associate” program for those who qualify (more on qualifying later).
With the Amazon Influencer Program, you can get your own page on Amazon with a custom URL to showcase the products you recommend to your followers. You can also now participate in earning on-site commissions.
Amazon “On-Site” Commission vs “Off-Site” Commission
As of late, Amazon has really started to push the promotion of shoppable content and product recommendations on the site.
As an Amazon Influencer, the photos and videos you create for the platform can be selected to appear to customers as they search and browse Amazon. Commissions earned from the promotion of content on Amazon are called “on-site commissions“.
According to Amazon, you will earn onsite rates when Amazon displays your published content (e.g., Idea Lists, photos, videos, and live streams where applicable) on Amazon and customers click on your content and make a qualifying purchase.
On the other hand, commissions earned from an external source (such as someone clicking through your affiliate link from your blog), are called “off-site commissions”.
Affiliate sales earn off-site commissions. Sales made from your Amazon storefront may also be categorized as off-site commissions.
For tracking purposes, you’re assigned two separate Amazon IDs for on-site and off-site commission so you can see your earnings from the links you generate and traffic you drive to Amazon vs the content that Amazon features onsite.
On-Site Ways To Earn As An Amazon Influencer (Without Followers Or Clicks)
As mentioned before, Amazon at the moment is really pushing its new on-site shopping features such as Amazon Inspire and Amazon Live.
Why? Because these features encourage shoppers to browse, search, and explore products right on Amazon.
For those looking to capitalize on the future of online shopping, this is a really exciting opportunity for pros and newbies alike to make money on Amazon in new ways.
Furthermore, this opportunity is particularly great if you don’t have lots of social media followers or clicks because you’ll earn commissions from buyers who are already shopping on Amazon and engaging with your content!
Imagine being able to create shoppable content (for people that are already on Amazon to shop) and get paid commissions based on the content you’ve created and your recommendations. It’s fabulous!
Alright, now without further ado, let’s dive into these fresh new ways you can make money with Amazon without selling physical products.
1) Amazon Inspire / Shoppable Videos & Pictures
Think of Inspire as Amazon’s very own shoppable TikTok feature.
Inspire is a new in-app shopping feed that’s personalized with short and captivating shoppable photos and videos tailored to your interests and engagement. Shoppers can discover new products or get inspiration on what to buy.
You can make money as an Amazon Influencer by creating short and compelling clips, as the name suggests, to inspire purchases. Whether folks are browsing for fun or looking for inspiration on what to buy next, Inspire is a place for people to discover and shop for new items.
2) Amazon Video Reviews
Another great way to make money as an Amazon Influencer is by creating informative video reviews.
You see when potential customers are looking to buy something, they often want to know and see exactly what they’re buying. They’re curious about the quality, the fit, the color, how it appears in real life, how it works in real life, etc. before they buy it. This is where your video review comes in!
Amazon Influencers can create short informative videos (think 1 to 2 mins, more or less) reviewing products and posting the videos directly to Amazon for shoppers to view. At the moment, these videos in horizontal format, come up on desktop view above the product reviews.
Amazon recommends Influencers upload product-focused videos to help inform and help Amazon customers make more confident purchasing decisions. Film buying guides, product reviews, comparisons, and unboxing videos of products and upload them and tag products in Amazon’s creator hub.
3) Amazon Live Streaming
Did you know Amazon had Live Streaming (I didn’t know this before a few weeks ago)? Think social media meets QVC shopping network and you have Amazon Live!
On Amazon Live, influencers or “hosts” can engage with customers, answer their questions, and share tips. The video will also stay on Amazon after you’ve gone live so people can always discover you and your recommendations later.
Amazon suggests live video content that focuses on product information or demonstrations such as unboxing, setup instructions, fashion styling ideas, tutorials, and more.
So exactly how much money can you make as an Amazon Influencer?
The fact is that the amount you can make as an Amazon Influencer depends on several factors. The main factors are going to be the volume of content you create, the quality of your content, and the niche your products are in.
To give you an idea, at the moment, beauty commissions are about 3%, while the home niche stands around 4%.
You’d need to promote more volume of beauty for earnings to be fairly comparable to some other niches considering items are priced lower. So it’s really all about how strategic you are in your approach and what niches you choose to focus on.
Among the highest commission payout rates are luxury beauty products, which include high-end skincare and makeup brands at 10%.
Wait, they made how much?
I’ve been an Amazon associate for some time now, but I too was curious about just how much money you can make as an Amazon Influencer And so I did some research (I googled around to read and hear what some other Amazon Influencers were sharing on this topic).
Case Study 1
This girl I found on Youtube claims to be earning around $3k in a single month as an Amazon influencer. She claims to have just started just months ago and I’d say she’s doing pretty darn good.
Whether you are an experienced influencer or new to content creating and making money online, the idea of making affiliate commissions from an audience handed to you on a silver platter is really game-changing and something special.
How to qualify for Amazon Influencer Program?
From my own experience, qualifying for the Amazon influencer program is actually quite easy. Even with a small social media presence or not a lot of followers, you can still get approved.
As mentioned, Amazon, at the moment is really working to push on-site content. So more than the clout and number of followers of any one particular influencer, what would seem to be of more importance is the quality of the UGC or user-generated content created for the platform.
Just imagine, Amazon shoppers from all around the world will often come across influencers that they may not be familiar with on the site. But if the influencer’s content is good, or in other words, inspires a purchase or enlightens an informed purchase, it doesn’t matter. The goal is met and everybody is happy.
Amazon Influencer Requirements
According to their requirements page, Amazon will accept applications from all types of influencers, provided you have a YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok account.
If you’re wondering just how many followers you need to get approved for Amazon’s Influencer program, there is no set number per se. It is suggested however that applicants should have a reasonable amount of followers, say at least 1000 or so, to increase their chances of getting approved.
To start earning on-site commissions, you’ll also need to get at least three user-generated videos approved. I promise you, it’s not at all hard. Just make sure you read and follow Amazon’s Influencer content guidelines, frequently asked quested, and best practices.
After you’ve submitted your three videos for approval, you’ll then need to wait about two days to hear back if they were approved.
Furthermore, it’s not uncommon to be rejected, from the program overall or for your three initial videos. Don’t let that stress you.
Dust your shoulders off, figure out what may have gone wrong, and try again. Many people get approved for the Amazon Influencer program on their second or even third try.
Getting Started As An Amazon Influencer
Once you’re approved as an Amazon Influencer, you’re next order of business is to get posting!
You can start by shopping and reviewing items around your house. Surely you can find a ton of items in your home that you either bought on Amazon or could be purchased on Amazon (just make sure they are exactly the same item as opposed to similar).
See what others are posting on the platform and see how you can create content that is even better so you can stand out from the crowd.
Takeaway
As I mentioned, the way that folks are shopping these days is changing, especially for the younger generations. You can see that in new and dynamic features being implemented across social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok, and now Amazon too.
Buyers don’t want to see perfectly stylized commercial ads anymore. People enjoy being inspired to buy rather than sold to.
They want to see what real people are using in a relatable way. They want to see how products really work by real people. And how those products might improve their own lives.
Amazon Influencers are leading the charge with this shift and are making money on Amazon without selling physical products by doing it.
So if you’re looking to make a side hustle or even full-time income, consider jumping on the Amazon Influencer bandwagon!
