Amazon debuts influencer program

By

Kate Dingwall

Published
Apr 6, 2017

Amazon has launched its very first influencer program, looking to social media mavens with large followings to help driven social media users to Amazon’s site.

The news was quietly released by Amazon last week via a webpage explaining the process. 

Amazon will concentrate on bringing on influencers who have both a large following and a high frequency of posts, specifically posts with shopping potential, who can drive followers to Amazon’s e-commerce platform. Influencers will be able to generate referral fees on all purchases driven by their posts thanks to a user-unique URL.

To join the program, influencers must apply via an invite-only application process. Amazon states it will accept applications from influencers of all tiers, but it will judge candidates based on number of followers, quality of posts, and follower engagement across all social media platforms. 

Social media has been a huge asset for brands in building a resonance with fans. Brands like Colourpop and Anastasia have relied exclusively on social media to help them tout their products, looking to influencers to help spread the word.  Even Nike has been known to pay influencers in exchange for sponsored posts.

Of note, the FTC is cracking down on paid content. New FTC requirements require paid posts to be clearly labeled with some sort of indicator, like ‘#spon” or #ad”. If the sponsored posts are not properly labeled, the media companies will be held accountable.