For influencers looking to engage with their audiences, livestreaming is enormously powerful. Many are already using YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, but there’s another platform influencers should consider, namely Amazon Live.
Zoetica Media founder Kami Huyse invited Dealcasters LIVE show hosts Chris Stone and Jim Fuhs on the Social Media Breakfast Houston livestream to share their expertise in growing brand awareness and earning affiliate revenue in the Amazon space. Here's a snapshot of what they had to say.
Getting Started
To get started as an Amazon influencer, the first thing to do is sign up as an Amazon Associate, which allows someone to monetize their traffic through a unique link that earns them a small commission when visitors buy recommended products.
What makes the Amazon Influencer Program particularly beneficial, however, is that influencers can create their own online storefront inside Amazon, which enables them to get in front of consumers who are ready and willing to buy products and services.
“When you go live on Amazon [people are] ready to spend. It’s the number one search engine for products,” says Chris. Going on Amazon Live is “taking that [affiliate] link and just hyper-charging it.”
Your Amazon Livestream Doesn’t Have to Be a Product Review Show
Some influencers enjoy creating a show that focuses exclusively on product descriptions, reviews, and a heavy push towards sales. And even though Amazon wants Amazon Live shows to be product-focused, creators have quite a bit of flexibility.
Chris and Jim, for example, decided to co-host a show about livestreaming and podcasting that features interviews with experts. Jim commented that they decided “we’re not going to be these salesy guys… We have intentionally chosen to be more focused on providing high-quality interviews.” But while their main goal is to inform and educate their audience, sales opportunities definitely exist through the product mentions they make during the program.
You Don’t Have to be a Bigwig Influencer to Get Approached by Companies on Amazon Live
As anyone who has tried to build a YouTube channel knows, it is usually a very long process to get monetized. Chris describes it as “a long long road uphill.” But on Amazon Live, things can happen much more quickly. For Chris and Jim, monetization began after their second show (yes, second!).
And since there are only about 1,000 or so content creators on Amazon Live, there’s a fantastic opportunity to build a following without a lot of competition.
There are Different Levels of Monetization on Amazon Live
Someone just getting started as an Amazon livestreamer is considered a “rising star.” At that level, Amazon simply wants to ensure their technology works properly and that they’re committed to livestreaming.
To get to the “insider” level, they need to livestream 90 minutes within a one-month period. At that point their show is eligible to have products featured while the livestream is going on, with the items based on what’s listed in the product carousel.
Shopable videos is another Amazon Live feature that is an Amazon differentiator. These videos, around 2-5 minutes long, feature pure product reviews which influencers can upload to their shop page. Jim calls it “making money while you sleep.” The videos don’t need to be live, which might appeal to influencers who prefer preparing and perfecting their videos before uploading them.
The next and highest level is “A-List,” which requires influencers to make at least $10K in revenue for Amazon, or sell 100 products in a 30-day period, and reach 2000 followers on the platform.
Take Advantage of Big Shopping Days to Grab Buyers’ Attention
Influencers should keep track of big shopping days like Prime Day and Black Friday, when buyers are looking for great deals (Amazon sold over 300 million items during its 2022 two-day Prime Day sale).
Hopping on Amazon's “shopping days” gives creators a huge opportunity to grab audience attention. Chris and Jim, for example, have received tens of thousands of viewers by going live during those times.
To learn more, watch the full replay with Chris Stone and Jim Fuhs here. 🎥