To say that Amazon has revolutionized the way we shop is an understatement. I’ve bought everything from vitamins (”Subscribe & Save” for the win) to my husband’s wedding ring on Prime. Romantic, right? I can’t help it — Amazon just makes shopping so easy.
And now Amazon Live, a QVC-style livestreaming platform within their site and app, is making shopping even easier, particularly when it comes to shopping for products recommended by influencers.
Here’s why: The current process for purchasing Amazon products recommended by influencers is a little convoluted. Take my own process for instance. I recently saw a fashion blogger’s Instagram post (#amazonfinds) and thought, “I mean, I do need another oversized leopard-print sweatshirt this fall season.” So I opened the Like to Know It app to get the link. I found the influencer, scrolled her feed to find the sweatshirt pic in question, tapped it, then browsed the linked products to find and tap the right one. (Because obviously she linked her entire ensemble.) Only then did the Amazon app open to the sweatshirt product listing. It took me three apps and a bunch of taps to get to the sweatshirt, and I still had to read some reviews to get my prepurchase questions answered. Length? Fabric? Quality? Cut?
Amazon, the company that has figured out how to ship me a bed frame in two days, can no doubt figure out how to get me that sweatshirt without two other apps. And so they have, with Amazon Live. If you’re interested in getting on the Amazon Live streaming platform, I’m going to break it down in depth.
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Amazon Live is a livestreaming platform that features shoppable videos highlighting products sold on Amazon. Both Amazon Sellers and Amazon Influencers can create and host streams on Amazon Live — demoing products in real time, answering questions, sharing promo codes, and selling their own products or earning commissions on others’. Beside each live video is a real-time chat window, allowing shoppers to ask questions about products and deals, and below each video is a carousel of the products shown in that stream, allowing shoppers to purchase instantly. You can access Amazon Live from both the Amazon app (main menu > See All Programs > Amazon Live) and the Amazon website at Amazon.com/live.
So if you want to make money livestreaming, promoting products on Amazon Live is for you. Here are a few more reasons why you should stream while the iron is hot:
The potential of Amazon Live is HUGE, and it’s not too late to be among the first early-adopter influencers on the platform.
Not just anyone can stream to Amazon Live, but requesting access isn’t too tricky. Here’s who can access the platform according to Amazon Live’s FAQs:
Whereas Amazon Sellers sell directly to Amazon customers, Amazon Vendors sell their products to Amazon, which then resells those products to customers. So if you’re not selling your own products in one way or another, the way to stream on Amazon is through the Amazon Influencer Program.
The Amazon Influencer Program, which launched in 2017 and grew out of the Amazon Affiliate Program, enables influencers not only to earn a commission on followers’ purchases but also set up their own Amazon storefronts on which they can promote their favorite products.
Applying for the Amazon Influencer Program is quick and easy. I applied using Switcher’s Instagram account and was approved within a few days. You can apply using your YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account. Whereas YouTube and Twitter applications can be approved in real time, Instagram and Facebook applications may take up to five days to be approved.
Even if it means waiting a little longer, be sure to apply with the account on which you have best balance of followers and engagement. You may get approved even if you have a small following — unlike some other platforms, Amazon is open to micro-influencers that have small followings but strong engagement.
Once you’ve been approved as an Amazon Influencer (you’ll find out via email) and you have your storefront set up, it’s time to start streaming and selling on Amazon Live. For this you’ll need to download the Amazon Live Creator app from the App Store — the app is currently available only for iOS devices.
The Amazon Live Creator app is your hub for starting and managing your streams on Amazon Live. It’s where you title and schedule a stream, add the products you’re featuring, choose a video source for your stream (more on that in a minute), and add promo codes. You can also see analytics about your sales, earnings, followers, views, and more. And best of all, it has a practice mode feature, so you can do a test stream before you ever go live for the world to see.
If you check out the Amazon Live homepage, you’ll notice that none of the featured influencer streams appear to have been created with just a single phone as the video source. These influencers have all chosen the external camera option within the Amazon Live Creator video setup. You can tell because their streams feature text overlays, multiple camera angles, prerecorded openers, logos and other on-screen graphics, and even screensharing of actual Amazon listings. All of these additions create a way more dynamic feel than what you can get with a single phone camera.
And, thankfully, you don’t need expensive camera gear or a broadcasting degree to create these types of videos for your own Amazon Live videos. You just need a couple of iOS devices and some simple but professional livestreaming software, a.k.a. Switcher Studio. Here’s how to connect Switcher to Amazon Live Creator. I’ve linked a few more in-depth tutorials below.
You need one iOS device to run Switcher Studio (which I’ll call device 1) and one iOS device to run Amazon Live Creator (device 2). Switcher actually lets you connect up to nine iOS device cameras to create multicamera streams, so you can eventually incorporate as many as you want!
On device 1, create your free Switcher Studio trial and download the Switcher app, logging in with the credentials you just used to create your Switcher trial.
On device 2, launch the Amazon Live Creator app and follow steps 1-8 above. I recommend doing this in practice mode. When choosing your video source, choose External camera. A Get URL and stream key button will be revealed — tap it, then send your stream credentials to yourself for easy access from a computer.
On your computer, visit the Switcher Studio Dashboard’s custom RTMP setup page, then tap +Add Channel. (It’s also possible to set up an RTMP channel within the Switcher app if you’d rather not use a computer.) Nickname your channel “Amazon Live.” Enter the stream credentials — the server URL and stream key that you just sent yourself from Amazon Live Creator — into the corresponding fields. Next, match your stream quality to Amazon’s recommended bit rate by clicking Manual Configuration and choosing a Video bit rate of 2800 Kbps.
On device 1, open the Switcher app if needed and tap Use as Switcher. Visit the Outputs tab and tap Custom RTMP: Amazon Live on the list of broadcasting platforms. (This is the new channel you just set up.) When you’re ready to stream, tap the big red button in Switcher.
On device 2, you’ll see that Amazon Live Creator recognizes that your Switcher stream has started. Tap Go Live in ALC. Now you are streaming to Amazon Live with the video you’re creating in Switcher Studio! When you’re done streaming, tap End in ALC, and then tap the stop button in Switcher.
Woot! You’re now on the path to selling on Amazon Live with stunning streams. Connecting Switcher Studio to Amazon Live Creator is just the beginning of upping your streaming game. You can now use Switcher to connect multiple iOS camera angles, roll in openers for your shows, add text, bring in guests, and more. Here are our top tips for creating engaging streams:
Now it’s time for you to start streaming and earning on Amazon! If you haven’t yet done so, check out our Live Selling page, and don’t forget to start a free trial of Switcher Studio so you can create professional livestreams that help drive sales on the Amazon Live platform. And if you happen to review any oversized sweatshirts perfect for fall, be sure to let me know.