Introduction to the Amazon Creator Connections Program
The Amazon Creator Connections Program is a new platform that allows brands to connect and partner with social media influencers and content creators within Amazon’s network to create and promote products. Brands benefit because they are able to access a new audience in the creator’s network of followers and creators benefit by receiving commissions based on sales. This program provides a great opportunity for brands to expand their reach and increase awareness and even the chance to gain influence through relationships with creators. I want to look more in-depth at the program, how it works, strategies for using the tool, and what success BellaVix has had with the program.
Who Has Access?
Currently, this program is only available to select brands in the U.S. and in order to be eligible, brands must have a registered trademark and be selling products on Amazon. Despite limited eligibility, the program is expected to expand in the near future, and more brands will have access to it.
How to know if your brand has access to CC
Brands that have access to the creator connections program will see a change in their ad console. The tab on the far left that normally says “Store” will say “Branded content” and have as a subsection called “Creator Connections”.
Then select “Creator Connections” from the sub-section.
From here, you know you have access and begin building and scheduling campaigns.
If your brand does not have access, what can you do?
While it is true that the CCP is an invite-only platform, there are a couple of proactive things you can do to be put on a waitlist. First, you can send an email to the Creator Connections team at [email protected] requesting access to your brand. Second, you can submit this intake form which will put you on the waitlist. Of course, neither of these actions will guarantee entry into the program, but a squeaky wheel gets the oil (right?).
How it Works
The way it works is that brands create requests that will be sent to creators. Those creators can either search or choose from requests they’ve received and decide whether they’d like to create content to promote your product. The “request” includes the request name and a message from the brand. This message should include the campaign overview, goals, talking points, things to avoid saying, and the coupon code (if applicable) with promotional dates.
After the request message is written, the option to send a product sample is available. Sending a sample to the creator gives the creator a chance to create shoppable content featuring the actual product itself. You can also choose not to send a sample as well. The creators are chosen based on interest category with a maximum of 50 creators for each campaign. This filter provides searchable tags for the creators interested in promoting certain products. Leaving this empty will limit the visibility of campaigns for creators and likely impact campaign performance.
After selecting which interests align with your brand and the products you’re promoting, you choose the total campaign budget, what commission percentage to pay out to the creator, as well as the products you’d like to promote in this campaign.
After the campaign is approved by Amazon, creators will begin receiving your requests, and you will be notified via email when those creators accept your request.
The Results The team at BellaVix has been running several campaigns using the Creator Connections Campaign across multiple brands, and the results have been insightful.
Here is a snapshot of the early results we’ve had for a campaign of ours: 1,211 Clicks, 20X ROI, 56 Orders, and 4.6% CVR. Most campaigns follow a similar performance trend. So far for us, we’ve been testing what works best. We’ve increased the commission rate to see how this affects creator and content quality. We’ve also been utilizing the message widget to work on building relationships with creators to find creators that resonate with our brands. So far, our feeling is that the CCP works best for consistent and intentional growth through connecting with creators and shouldn’t be expected to blow up your sales. Tons of potential for growth, but a steady, consistent approach is likely to be more successful.
Some Considerations as You Get Started
Plan Ahead
- Create a schedule or promotional calendar ahead of time so you know what is in the pipeline and keep track of which campaigns are live reporting on performance more effectively.
- Know what works and don’t get left behind on an opportunity. Some creators may be more willing to invest in creating better quality content if they receive higher commissions if you’ve communicated directly with them through the CC messaging widget, or if you’ve sent them a free product to try.
- For seasonal products, plan 45-60 days ahead of time, and communicate with creators where necessary to create anticipation of a seasonal sale.
Use Naming Nomenclature for Campaigns
If you post consistently (every 1-3 weeks), things can get really messy when you’re researching the historical performance of campaigns. It’s important to be consistent with what you’re naming your campaigns so you can have better tracking and understand how to optimize and improve your future campaigns.
Understand the Cost
It is a good idea to always consider the impact of the additional cost involved in paying out commissions (which are in addition to Amazon’s fees). One rule of thumb might be for you never exceed your target ACOS % when setting a commission %. But if you’re driving awareness, you might be willing (as is the case with top-of-funnel campaigns) to spend a little more to capture new customers.
Conclusion
If you’re a brand selling on Amazon, you should definitely take full advantage of a platform like Amazon’s Creator Connections Program. There is huge potential, and Amazon is always evolving to improve its offering. So hop on board. If you have additional questions or want us to help you on your Amazon journey, don’t hesitate to contact the BellaVix Team.
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