- Amazon offered several incentives to motivate influencers to promote Prime Day this year.
- Leading up to the annual two-day event, influencers shared shopping guides and deals with followers.
- Last year, Amazon influencers earned 17 times more on average per day during Prime Day than on other days.
It was nearly impossible to miss out on Amazon’s annual two-day sales event, Prime Day, this year. Influencers on platforms from TikTok to Instagram’s buzzy new app Threads were posting their favorite products and sharing Prime Day deals with followers.
The event returned on July 11 and 12, and to create momentum, the company harnessed its network of social-media stars. TikTok stars like fashion and beauty creator Alix Earle and comedy creators Leenda Dong and Jake Shane went live on Amazon’s TikTok account for “Prime Night: Duel for the Deals.”
Amazon team members were busy months leading up to the event, recruiting influencers to create content promoting sales and specific products.
Influencers have become central to many marketing plans, and Prime Day is no exception.
“As consumers, we want that personal curation from creators,” said Lindsey Gamble, associate director of influencer innovation at Mavrck. “We want to know not only what products are they using, but how it looks, and creators have a way of providing a more personalized shopping experience.”
And for influencers who work with Amazon, the event is the biggest payday opportunity of the year. Last year, Amazon influencers earned 17 times more on average per day during Prime Day compared to their daily average during the rest of the year, the company said.
Leading up to this year’s event, the Amazon influencer team reached out to talent managers and creators to provide advance notice of the timing of Prime Day, share a sneak peak at certain deals, and provide paid content opportunities to help creators prepare for the event.
First, Amazon hosted an event in Austin, Texas, earlier this year, where 200 creators previewed Prime Day deals, and were encouraged to start creating content ahead of the event.
Then in June, Amazon hosted a set of webinars where influencer program team members shared best practices for Prime Day, a sneak peek at deals, and answered questions. The company also encouraged creators to submit content ahead of time, for the chance to have it featured across the US Amazon store, providing added visibility to maximize onsite earnings, the company said.
During Prime Day, Amazon released Instagram and TikTok filters, and team members kept creators updated on trending deals.
Amazon “was really coaching them on what channels to create content on and how to repurpose that content,” Gamble said.
Amazon offered various paid incentives for creators during and around Prime Day. Some incentives for Prime Day this year included increased rates, additional payouts, and gift cards.
How Amazon is building its influencer network and the challenges it has faced
To become an Amazon influencer, creators can sign up directly on Amazon’s site, which asks a series of questions and for them to provide links to their YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok account. Once accepted, the program offers a suite of tools and features for influencers to earn money by promoting products on social media, or directly on Amazon through content formats such as livestreams or product review videos.
Amazon’s affiliate program has become a major tool for many tech, beauty, and lifestyle creators to earn money. Still, the company has faced some challenges. Inspire (Amazon’s new TikTok-like feature) and Amazon Live (its livestreaming platform) have had trouble wooing some in the influencer community.
For some creators, Amazon Live can be “hit or miss,” said Jay Kent-Hume, the cofounder of the talent management firm The Sociable Society. He added that the success of an Amazon Live relies on the influencer promoting it on a separate platform, or Amazon pushing the stream to the homepage.
“We are trying to find ways to go live on YouTube and Amazon at the same time, and have it all work together instead of viewing it as separate things,” Kent-Hume said.
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