Influencers are disgusted with Amazon's paltry $25-per-video endorsement offer

[AlphaX]

What just happened? When Amazon launched its Influencer Program in 2017, it was a massive promotional change compared to the long-standing review system the site had used. The service recently began paying users to promote various Amazon products in short videos. However, the sums the company offers now pale compared to previous payouts and industry standards.

Last December, Amazon launched a new addition to its Influencer Program called "Inspire." Inspire is essentially TikTok-like videos featuring Amazon products. The retailer wanted to jump on the hype train of user-generated content (UGC) product videos blowing up on TikTok. Users can now upload short videos promoting items they had ordered through Amazon, and the creators would make commissions if a viewer purchased products shown in their videos.

Alongside these commissions, Amazon occasionally adds incentives to encourage more users to upload content to Inspire. In January, a Reddit user claimed they received an email offering $250 per post for a maximum of 10 videos. Another stated they got a similar email from Amazon but for only two.

However, Amazon's generosity may have run out after just eight months. A Twitter user posted an incentive offer they had received from Amazon, claiming they could receive $12,500 in exchange for 500 videos. It works out to $25 per video – one-tenth of the initial incentives Amazon paid in the early days of Inspire. Worse yet, the posted offer lacks the "up to 500 videos" verbiage making it sound like a $12,500 contract, meaning the creator is on the hook for 500 videos, and not just an occasional $25 video here and there.

Amazon is offering creators up to $12,500 to upload shoppable videos!!

If you didn't catch the last incentive, now is your time! #amazoninfluencer pic.twitter.com/8xQo0sswTY

– Kyndhal I UGC Creator I Amazon Influencer & Mentor (@KyndhalUGC) August 16, 2023

Based on internet outcry, creators are unhappy about Amazon's sudden and significant change regarding Inspire payments. One commenter pointed out that the amount of work needed to complete such a contract equates to a full-time job. Another just said, "LOL, no thanks".

However, Amazon must be using some unknown metric for its proposals since one user claims to have received an offer for $12,500 for 250 videos. At $50 per video, it's double the other user's offer but still well below industry standards.

A study by Brands Meet Creators showed that, on average, UGC creators request $212 from brands for a single 15 – 60 second video. Of course, the rates can vary heavily depending on a user's follower count, the type of product, or the number of videos a brand purchases.

Jazmine Flores, a makeup artist who produces UGC videos, told Bloomberg she charges approximately $300 for the content that Amazon demands. According to her, Amazon's request for "up to 500 videos" is also unheard of in UGC commissions.

Amazon reportedly plans to cut off the incentive once it pays out $875,000, which should be around 35,000 videos. Nonetheless, it appears that most users aren't happy about this change to Inspire's payment system. So it could take Amazon a while to burn through that budget unless they offer more. Many Inspire creators work full-time on their videos. This drastic cut to what Amazon is willing to pay could cause issues for some.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/99848-amazon-offers-25-video-influencers-they-not-thrilled.html

 

[FaTaL]

Why the pay cut? Because Amazon will soon use the top influencer faces and have AI create the content using their faces. oooh so sry kthxbai

Cheaper =\

 

[Uncle Al]

Amazon continues to dig itself into a deeper and deeper hole. Once the collapse starts it will happen suddenly and completely .... as have many other catalog type companies over the decades .....

 

[paul1122]

Maybe being an influencer shouldn't be your full-time job. Maybe welfare should be your main gig.

 

[yRaz]

Maybe being an influencer shouldn't be your full-time job. Maybe welfare should be your main gig.

same could be said for acting or anyone in the entertainment industry. Maybe you should stop expecting people to make music, TV shows and Movies?

I make that comparison because today's "entertainment" is such trash that I'd rather watch user generated content on other platforms. So, yes these people actually matter because they usually make better content than what is being spoon fed to us by telecoms

 

[FaTaL]

same could be said for acting or anyone in the entertainment industry. Maybe you should stop expecting people to make music, TV shows and Movies?

I make that comparison because today's "entertainment" is such trash that I'd rather watch user generated content on other platforms. So, yes these people actually matter because they usually make better content than what is being spoon fed to us by telecoms

Influencers / enterainment indudstry - its all the same type of people, woke trash that want attention. The only difference is the pay.

 

[yRaz]

Influencers / enterainment indudstry - its all the same type of people, woke trash that want attention. The only difference is the pay.

I would argue that youtubers and other independent media creators(keep in mind, techspot is an independant media creator) are less woke than the mass produced stuff coming out of the magic space rectangle in the living room.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

same could be said for acting or anyone in the entertainment industry. Maybe you should stop expecting people to make music, TV shows and Movies?

I make that comparison because today's "entertainment" is such trash that I'd rather watch user generated content on other platforms. So, yes these people actually matter because they usually make better content than what is being spoon fed to us by telecoms

TBF entertainment was treated as lower then begging for millenia, and the attitude of modern media giants shows why we used to think that way.

I would argue that youtubers and other independent media creators(keep in mind, techspot is an independant media creator) are less woke than the mass produced stuff coming out of the magic space rectangle in the living room.

Some are, some are not. The beauty of independent creators is you get a wide range of opinions (one may even say - a more inclusive, diverse set) that you dont get from big business.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Amazon continues to dig itself into a deeper and deeper hole. Once the collapse starts it will happen suddenly and completely .... as have many other catalog type companies over the decades .....

Any time someone tells me that Amazon could never fail, I tell them to look into the history of Sears. The parallels are absolutely there. Amazon makes tons of money today, but I can imagine a series of terrible business decisions could torpedo the business.

 

[urielejh]

Maybe they'll go back to school and/or get a real job. "influencers".

 

[kiwigraeme]

Maybe because Amazon did some analytics - and the influencers were not as great as they think
don't they get what's it call affiliated links - well something when there followers click on it

I sure the big movers - still make good bux

We can all get money for Amazon referrals if we wanted by have a channel or website .
If you wish to support us please use the below link - I make a few pennies , but it helps - thanks

 

[brucek]

I don't care how Amazon spends its marketing dollars. If this leads to a lot less people making a lot less videos hawking their goods, fine by me.

 

[RudyBob]

I don't care what Amazon does as long as I can get what I need or want.

 

[mrvco]

As a non-participant in the "influencer economy", I find the influencer economy to be non-sensical from the get. But I get it in as much as teenage girls and manchildren exist.

God forbid being an influencer pay anything like a real 'job'. I suspect that $25 / video is about right for the typical Tik-Tok uploader. Taco Bell talent, Taco Bell hourly wage.

Ultimately, Amazon will get what they pay for and adjust accordingly.

 

[p51d007]

The LAST thing I look at before purchasing a product, is the "5 star" type ratings.
My first look is 1 star, then 2, 3 star ratings. Most of the 5 star ratings anymore,
are nothing but people paid, or bots that do it.

 

[Durch]

The LAST thing I look at before purchasing a product, is the "5 star" type ratings.
My first look is 1 star, then 2, 3 star ratings. Most of the 5 star ratings anymore,
are nothing but people paid, or bots that do it.

Same here. If I see all 5 stars, I start getting suspicious very quickly.

 

[NumberSix]

Influencers should just f#*k off

 

[Bobbydpue]

Influencers should just f#*k off

Why are you angry about people you don't know? Don't like those videos? Don't want them. It's not like you were being forced to watch all of this free content.

 

[Bobbydpue]

As a non-participant in the "influencer economy", I find the influencer economy to be non-sensical from the get. But I get it in as much as teenage girls and manchildren exist.

God forbid being an influencer pay anything like a real 'job'. I suspect that $25 / video is about right for the typical Tik-Tok uploader. Taco Bell talent, Taco Bell hourly wage.

Ultimately, Amazon will get what they pay for and adjust accordingly.

Creating videos takes a lot more skill than working fast food.

 

[GoldenGoat]

Are there quality standards? Does it matter if the product sells? Or do they just want you to pump out videos as fast as possible? Do you even have to get familiar with the product first? or just start recording, open the box, and whatever happens, happens. No editing required. That seems like great pay if you can make 5 or 6 videos an hour. Maybe that is what they want?