Amazon Faces Creator Backlash Over $25 Video Incentives for Inspire

Amazon Influencers

Amazon is currently running a limited-time offer for its Amazon Influencer Program. The e-commerce giant is offering creators $25—provided they meet certain qualifications—to create shoppable videos for Inspire, its TikTok-like shopping feed.

Creators can submit up to 500 videos to earn a maximum of $12,500, in addition to commissions for the sales they drive. The videos must be informative and feature at least two Amazon products in the same category, such as product reviews, product comparison videos, ranking videos that list the best products in a certain category, or gift guides. The offer ends on September 22nd, or when Amazon reaches a cap of 35,000 videos.

Amazon has since received significant backlash from creators for this offer.

Why it Matters: The negative press surrounding Amazon's low compensation offer is not surprising, especially when considering the company's success and the criteria for video submissions. Although the fee is below industry norms, some creators may still find the offer appealing due to the additional sales commissions. Amazon is not unique in this approach; other platforms like ByteDance's Lemon8 have also offered low payments to incentivize creators to post on its platform. This trend seems likely to continue as platforms try to increase the adoption of new features and tools, but platforms should proceed carefully to avoid backlash, which Amazon is currently experiencing.