Which ad would persuade you to buy: a well-produced TV commercial with paid actors and expert animation or a rough review video by an Instagram content creator you follow?
There's a 99% chance it's the latter. Here's why—
The content creator has already influenced your decision from the start. They don't need to convince you of their credibility because they've already done so through their previous content. If they recommend a product, you're likely to purchase it. That's "influence" in a nutshell.
What is an influencer?
Merriam-Webster has adopted several definitions of "influencer" as they have evolved significantly over the years. One of them, perhaps the most accurate when referencing today's influencers, is given by American broadcaster John C. Dvorak.
He defines an influencer as "a person who inspires or guides the actions of others." Although this definition is generic, it identifies two elements delineating an influencer's value to brands: inspiration and action.
Influencers not only drive attention toward your brand, but they also have the power to convince their followers to take action. In other words, they can help propel your business toward your ultimate goal—conversion, sales, and profit.
Dvorak explains that "the old theme of laziness and mellowness runs counter to today's influencers, who are businesspeople and upscale inspirational promoters of a go-getter way of life."
Fusing the traditional and modern definitions of the term, we can surmise that an influencer is an individual or group that capitalizes on its influence over its followers. They sell this influence to brands that target their followers.
Influencers can promote your products in various ways, including posting original content—videos, shorts, podcasts, etc.—on their websites or social media, writing reviews on independent review websites, and using word of mouth. You can pay them a fixed price or a sales commission, depending on their preference.
What is an Amazon influencer?
An Amazon influencer is a content creator enrolled in the Amazon Influencer Program (AIP). They create content that recommends Amazon products and drives traffic to Amazon via social media and video-streaming websites. Only individuals can enroll in AIP. Media companies who want to become Amazon affiliates must enroll in the Amazon Associates Program.
Why invest in influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing became a thing in the mid-2000s. It's not that new anymore. Brands have repeatedly put it through the wringer and proven its effectiveness. When executed correctly, it can guarantee success for any brand. No wonder its market has grown by over 1200% in just eight years. Starting as a $1.7 billion industry in 2016, it's now valued at over $21 billion.
If you're wondering why Amazon and other marketplaces continue to grow even with little promotion, influencers might have something to do with it. Recent studies show that around 30% of social media users discover new products through influencers, who source most of them online. When they promote or review a particular product, they also lead their followers to where they got it.
Influencers particularly hold sway over late millennials and Gen Zs, driving 21% of brand sales through recommendations. The reason? — Today's consumers prefer ads they can relate to, which is a crucial difference with influencers. Many focus on niches aligned with their interests or expertise, creating relatable content that doesn't feel forced.
It's also important to note that over 60% of brands work with at least ten influencers, spending an average of $5.78 on influencer marketing ads per internet user. If you have not yet included influencer marketing in your strategy, you're missing out on sales opportunities your competitors already enjoy.
How do I find an influencer to market my products?
Let's get to the fun part—finding and connecting with the right influencer for your brand. I also shared some tips for maximizing the value of influencer marketing.
Step 1: Decide between micro, macro, and mega.
There are three types of influencers you can collaborate with. Micro-influencers are those with 5,000 to 50,000 followers. They are relatively new to the industry and are the easiest to do business with. Macro-influencers have between 50,000 and 500,000 followers. They have bigger channels and more content than micro-influencers.
Influencers with more than 500,000 followers are considered mega-influencers. Unless you make at least $500,000 net monthly profit, these are not the ones you want. They usually require hefty fees on top of sales commissions, which you might find impractical.
Here's a tip: The easiest way to reach out to influencers is through Instagram. It is the number one influencer marketing platform, according to 89% of marketers. Facebook ranks second, but distinguishing legitimate accounts from fake or fanpage ones on this platform can be tricky. Meanwhile, other social media and video-streaming sites like YouTube restrict communication between accounts. Additionally, Instagram has a feature that allows you to see profiles similar to the ones you're checking, making it easier to find more influencers to check out.
Often, influencers get flooded with direct messages on their social media, making it easy for your message to get overlooked. In such situations, you can instead comment on their latest posts to notify them about your recent DM. You can also react to many of their photos to get their attention.
Also, as an influencer's following grows, their response rate tends to decrease. This means you're more likely to receive a response from a micro-influencer compared to a macro-influencer, and it's easy to understand why—
Micro-influencers are just building their brands, so they constantly seek advertising opportunities. Conversely, macro-influencers have more resources and can be pickier about which invitations they accept. In short, if a macro-influencer doesn't respond to your message within a week, they've probably moved on to other opportunities.
Step 2: Polish your accounts.
Do you have a brand website other than your Amazon Store? Do you use social media to expand your reach? Wherever you promote your brand, make sure to enhance your profile and post diverse, high-quality content.
Like you, influencers want to collaborate with a reliable brand. Remember that they are capitalizing on their followers' trust and putting that trust on the line every time they work with a brand. So, expect them to evaluate your brand thoroughly, and they'll start by viewing all your accounts and their content.
A quick Google search will show them all the websites you have accounts in and stories you're involved in. Make sure none of the search results puts you in a bad light or associates you with anything negative, such as a bad review, customer complaints, fraud, etc.
In addition, posting as much relevant and high-quality content about your brand and products as possible helps influencers determine if you align with their goals. It's also a chance for you to capture their interest in your products even before formal engagement begins.
Step 3: Find an influencer.
Depending on your products, you can find an influencer to collaborate with on different channels, including social media like Facebook and Instagram, video-streaming websites like YouTube and TikTok, and game-streaming websites like Twitch and Steam.
However, it is best to collaborate with influencers who are enrolled in the Amazon Influencers Program. These influencers not only specialize in Amazon products but they've also been vetted by Amazon to ensure partnering brands get the most value for their money.
Are they different from Amazon associates? Yes, they are. Amazon associates are part of the Amazon Associates Program, which is designed for individuals or media companies that own a website where they can promote product listings using affiliate links.
Amazon influencers, on the other hand, don't need a website to join the program. All they need is a proven social media reach and following. Unlike the Amazon Associates Program, which virtually anyone can join, the Amazon Influencers Program has specific criteria only top-tier content creators can meet.
Regarding promotion, Amazon associates need one affiliate link per product listing, while Amazon influencers only need the link to their storefront where they share products they promote. They can also create and upload review videos on this storefront. You can partner with influencers to have their videos shared with your listings. Amazon can also show these videos at the bottom of your product page, along with relevant product suggestions.
This video-sharing feature is Amazon's version of YouTube and TikTok. While Amazon ultimately benefits from review videos created by influencers on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, it doesn't want to lose leads to Walmart, eBay, and other marketplaces through those same videos. By incentivizing content creation directly on the platform, Amazon can ensure that no sales fall through the cracks.
Now, how can you find the right influencer for your brand among the thousands on Amazon? There is a simple way to narrow your search. Utilize influencer marketing tools like Upfluence, HypeAuditor, and Rebaid. Most influencers seeking opportunities have profiles on these platforms, listing their terms of service.
When using these tools to find influencers, you can filter your search by their follower count, platform, niche, and the products they promote. You can also choose to target specific platforms. For example, if you're looking for influencers who make review videos on Amazon, you can use the filter for Amazon Live.
Here are three things you should look for when evaluating influencers:
- Relevant content: They should have videos about a product similar to yours, if not your actual product, whether reviews, comparisons, or simple applications.
- Quality content: Their content must be well-produced and provide value to their audience. You don't want to be associated with influencers often criticized for their poor-quality content.
- Enough following: Since you already know what type of influencer to look for, you can narrow your choices by selecting only those with the necessary following size.
Step 4: Connect with the influencer.
Whether you want your influencer to promote your product inside or outside Amazon, you need to contact them. If the messaging feature is enabled in their social media accounts, chances are they welcome DMs. Send a simple message introducing your brand and explaining your intention. Here's a simple example:
"Hey (influencer's name)! We're a brand that sells (product name), and we'd love to send you some to try out and create content about. Please let me know if you're interested."
Here's a tip: You don't have to give out all the details upfront. It's best to make the initial message short and straightforward but enough to trigger interest. If they reply, they're interested, so this approach helps you test the waters. While waiting, you can start composing your subsequent messages and answers to possible questions they'll throw at you.
Partner with an Amazon Influencer Now!
If you're going to hire someone to test your products and create a review video, consider an Amazon influencer. You'll leverage their proven social media reach and following while assuring consumers of your product's quality, which can pull in organic traffic and conversions.
The key is to source and sell a high-quality product that influencers will feel proud to use. That way, when they review your products, all their positive feedback will be authentic and trustworthy, which can go a long way in building lasting customer trust.