Amazon beta testing Influencer Program aimed exclusively at social media bigwigs

Amazon is beta-testing an invite-only Influencer Program that will give social media influencers an Amazon.com vanity URL to make commissions on sales of products they want to promote.

Reported last week on TechCrunch, the program is similar to Amazon’s affiliate program in that the influencers — like affiliates — will earn a commission on products purchased via links attached to their Amazon URL. But, unlike the Amazon Affiliate program, which is open to anyone who wants to join, the Amazon Influencer Program is invite-only for social media influencers Amazon deems worthy of inclusion.

From the Amazon’s Influencer Program details page:

The Amazon Influencer Program is exclusively designed for social media influencers with large followings and a high frequency of posts with shoppable content. An intuitive vanity URL makes it easy for customers to find, browse and buy the products introduced to them through social media influencers. The program allows influencers to earn fees for purchases they drive through their social media platforms.

To be considered for the program, Amazon says applications will be evaluated on things like the number of followers an influencer has on various social platforms, their engagement on posts, the quality of their content and level of relevancy for Amazon.com

“There is no set cut-off and influencers across all tiers and categories are represented in the program,” says Amazon.

The TechCrunch report included comments from Liane Mullin, the president and COO of the YouTube channel “WhatsUpMoms,” who is already part of Amazon’s Influencer Program.

“We are constantly asked by our community for product recommendations and about the products used in our videos,” says Mullins in the TechCrunch report, “Now that we have our own Amazon store [it] makes it much easier to have a curated collection all in one spot.”

To submit applications, social media influencers must follow directions listed on the Amazon Influencer Program page. According to Amazon, only influencers with large followings who meet the program’s qualifications will receive an invite — and that, because of the volume of submissions, anyone who applies will only be contacted if they are invited to join the program.

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Amy Gesenhues

Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.