Amazon is deepening its commitment to the creator economy with its Creator Connections program, a brand-creator partnership initiative designed to help influencers monetize their content while enabling brands to leverage creator marketing on the e-commerce platform.

How Creator Connections Works

Creator Connections, part of Amazon’s wider influencer strategy, centers on Affiliate+, a self-service advertising opportunity that connects brands with creators. The program allows brands to create campaigns with specific commission rates, budgets, and timeframes, while creators can accept campaigns that align with their audience and content style.

According to Amazon’s guide, creators earn bonus commissions on qualified purchases in addition to standard Amazon Associates rates. This performance-based model pays creators when their audience purchases promoted products during the campaign period.

“Amazon Creator Connections is a brand-creator program that allows you, the creator, to partner with brands that sell on Amazon and ultimately grow your earnings,” the guide states. “Brands create and manage campaigns. Creators opt-in, develop, and publish content about the brands’ selected product(s).”

Campaign Management Process

The process begins with creators building profiles in Associate Central under the Promotions tab. Creators upload photos, add profile information, and select relevant interest tags to help brands find them.

Once registered, creators can browse available campaigns, filtering opportunities based on their preferences. Each campaign detail page includes commission rates, campaign dates, budgets, and specific requirements from brands.

After accepting campaigns, creators receive unique affiliate links for tracking purposes. The guide emphasizes that creators must submit at least one content link before the campaign end date or risk forfeiting bonus commission payments.

Creator Content Requirements

Amazon requires unavoidable disclosures in all creator content. Per FTC guidance, content must clearly indicate that creators receive compensation from brands, using terms like “Sponsored,” “Advertisement,” or “Ad.”

While creators maintain creative freedom and ownership rights to their content, they must adhere to Amazon’s guidelines or risk receiving strikes against their accounts. Three strikes within one year can result in removal from the program.

“If you do not post content or include proper disclosure messaging in your content, you could receive a strike; three strikes and you are removed from Creator Connections,” the guide warns.

Payment Structure and Commission System

Creators earn a commission on qualified purchases during the campaign period. Payments are processed approximately 60 days after the end of the earning month, provided tax information is on file and minimum payment thresholds are met.

The guide explains that commissions are earned after orders ship, and payments can be received via direct deposit, Amazon.com Gift Certificate, or check. Subscribe and Save orders are eligible for commissions at the time of the first shipment.

Supporting Initiatives

In June 2024, Amazon launched complementary programs to support its creator ecosystem. 

Creator University offers educational resources, including video tutorials, articles, and workshops, to help influencers optimize their Amazon content. Creator Connect provides in-person networking events timed around major sales periods.

“At Amazon, we recognize the immense influence content creators have on today’s consumers,” Kishore Thota, Director of Shopping Experience for India & Emerging Markets at Amazon, stated at the time. “Creator University and Creator Connect are ways of empowering these creators with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive within the Amazon ecosystem.”

Market Research Supports Program Expansion

Recent market research revealed how important influencer marketing is to Amazon’s business model. 

A July 2024 IZEA survey of over 1,000 UK consumers found that 62% of social media users have purchased products after seeing them used by influencers, with 68.1% of these purchases occurring on Amazon—6.5 times higher than the next most popular option.

In the U.S. market, an April 2024 IZEA report showed that 59% of nearly 1,300 American social media users have made influencer-inspired purchases, with 94% of those purchases happening on Amazon. The data suggests that over half of an estimated 130+ million U.S. social media users have made influencer-inspired purchases on the platform.

Both studies found that influencers themselves are avid Amazon shoppers, being approximately twice as likely as average social media users to make purchases more than once per week.

Direct Messaging Feature

The Creator Connections platform includes a direct messaging feature, allowing creators to communicate with brands about campaign details. Messages can be initiated through the message icon in the top right corner or via the messaging drawer in the bottom right corner.

“You can send and receive direct messages in Creator Connections—making chatting with brands, asking campaign questions, and more even easier,” the guide explains.

This two-way communication system enables brands and creators to discuss campaign specifics, potentially including product samples, though Amazon notes that “samples are not offered as an incentive via Creator Connections.”

Tracking Performance

Creators can monitor campaign performance through individual campaign detail pages and the Earnings Reports tab. Metrics include spend, purchases/revenue, units sold, and clicks, with data updated within 24 hours after a customer clicks.

The system allows for custom date range reporting spanning up to 90 days, with options to download detailed reports for analysis.

More information is available on Amazon’s website.