After you’ve got a few videos under your belt, there’s a high chance that you will start to get contacted by agents who work for various brands that sell products on Amazon. They’re going to want you to make shoppable videos for them.
In this article, I will explain how that process works, what to look for, and what to look out for. This is a great opportunity I’ve done right, so let’s get into it.
Who Are These People Contacting Me?
Typically, these agents have hired various sellers to find Amazon influencers to make videos. Their job is to locate active influencers making quality videos and then contact them with the proposal.
Sometimes, you might find a brand contacts you directly, but that’s a pretty low percentage of the time. Usually, it’s these in-between or middlemen who are doing the contact.
How Do They Find Me?
On your Amazon Influencer storefront, you can put several links so that you can be contacted. As you can see in the screenshot above from my storefront, I have several links and opportunities for them to reach me. I’m also trying to show off my different channels to let the agents know that I am serious about what I do, and they can see some of my work.
Most of my communications are direct messages through Instagram and Facebook. They can usually find my email address through those methods if they prefer to contact me. So, you always want to ensure you have your social media links filled out to make it easy for them to reach out to you.
What Is Their Pitch?
Depending on the agent, you might get variances from what they’re asking. But for the most part, it’s going to be simple. They will offer to send you a product for free that they would like you to make a video for.
Some agents will make certain requests, like the video needs a minimum of time (which I take with a grain of salt), a certain style, or mention certain things with a script. Those things can be negotiated and discussed before you take the deal.
What To Watch Out For
Now, some sellers and agents will offer you something different. They will ask you to purchase on Amazon under your own account and then reimburse you the amount you paid.
This sounds good in theory, but it has a couple of problems. First, many of these are scams, and you’ll never be reimbursed. It’s not worth the risk.
But even more so, it’s actually against Amazon’s terms of service to purchase an item with the expectation of being reimbursed for that same item. It’s viewed as a type of sales manipulation. Your purchase appears to Amazon as a legitimate sale; however, it’s not because of the reimbursement. This could result in your Influencer account being shut down.
So avoid this at all costs. Any agent or seller who offers this to you should tell them that you can’t do it and why you can’t do it and offer that you will accept it if it is sent to you by the agent directly.
If they insist you make the purchase, it’s best to ignore or block that agent.
To Get Paid or Do It For Free?
When you get contacted by different agents, you’ll notice that some offer a nominal fee to complete the video, and some offer free products. Others might ask you what your fee is. There are different types of benefits to doing a free video or a paid video, which I’ll talk about briefly here.
Free Videos
Pros
Let’s face it: having a bolstered Amazon influencer storefront looks really good to potential brands and agents. The more videos you have, the more convincing it is that you are a legitimate Amazon Influencer and good to work with. So, you need products for this.
Doing free videos is a great way to increase your visibility on Amazon and fatten up your storefront. It also gives you a chance to make more commissions on items that you may not have been able to do otherwise.
I’m also more likely to take a free item if it’s something I can use in my personal life. If somebody offers me health and fitness equipment for free, there’s a good chance I’ll take it because I’m actually going to use it.
Cons
Making videos takes time, and if you accept videos that never end up selling on Amazon, you essentially spend time making a video for free. this is also why it’s important to list what you look for in potential products and what you want to do videos for.
Here is my Amazon influencer guideline list that I use to determine whether I accept a product.
Paid Videos
Pros
Getting paid a little bit for making these videos always feels good; it can help you guarantee that you’ll make a bit of money off the video you make, regardless of whether or not it sells and creates commissions for you.
Cons
However, it will also limit the number of products you can receive and, therefore, the number of videos you can output. Since so many influencers are available who may be willing to do the item for free, your requirement of getting paid upfront might deter potential agents.
A Few Other Tips to Help You
There are a few other things that I should share with you that can help you navigate this new opportunity.
- If you agree to do a job, do it. If you have delays, just let the agent know; they’re typically very cool with it. Life happens, and they know it. Just keep them in the loop. If you don’t, you’ll not lose opportunities with that agent in the future, but they will tell other agents, and you’ll find yourself blacklisted before long.
- Be open to new opportunities. Some of my best-performing videos for sellers are in niches that I never would have considered before. Know what you’re open to and know what you’re not. Some, including myself, won’t include children in their videos. There’s nowhere to draw the line, so feel free to decline items you’re uncomfortable with.
- The decision to charge or not charge is an individual one you make based on your business. Don’t let others sway you by telling you you should do things one way or another. They don’t know you, your business, or what you’re trying to achieve. Just do what you think is right. You can always adjust later.
- Some of the products you’ll be offered won’t be worth your time for whatever reason. Maybe it’s just something you don’t want to own in your house; maybe it’s something you feel like you can’t properly demonstrate or that you just flat-out don’t think will sell. I decline more opportunities than I accept, so feel free to turn something down if you’re not interested.
Let’s Wrap It Up
I think I started getting contacted around my 100th video upload, so don’t be surprised if nobody reaches out to you beforehand. But, if you stay consistent with your own videos, the opportunities will start coming, and sometimes, they will come so fast that you can’t keep up, which isn’t necessarily bad.
You can also find Facebook groups where sellers might post their opportunities for Influencers to claim. A great one is the Amazon and TikTok Shoppable Videos group.
If you want more tips and tricks on how to make the most out of your Amazon influencer journey, follow my Amazon Influencers YouTube channel.
