Amazon seems to have noticed the effect of social media users with large followers and reach. The company has stealth launched the ‘Amazon Influencers Program’ last week.
Unlike the Amazon Affiliate program which lets anyone sign up to receive commission from links and banner ads, the Influencers Program requires submission of an application and checks to a number of various requirements. These include but aren’t limited to having a large number of followers, metrics like post engagement, relevance for Amazon and posted content quality. But this doesn’t mean that a large number of followers guarantees entry into the program which is open across all tiers and categories.
How this works is similar to the Affiliate program. The influencers are provided with a unique URL displaying a curated set of products recommended by them. When a user purchases an item, the influencer will receive a commission. The selection of products is entirely dependent upon them and their brand relationship is also something that Amazon will not involve itself in.
Currently, only a small number of influencers have joined as Amazon is having a pilot run of the program to see how users respond. The company hopes that they will respond better to recommendations from well known sources.
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