Launching experiences for influencers to earn money on Amazon and customers to find recommendations from people they trust  

ROLE
design and product owner, collaborater, connector

TEAM
Kate Dixon, design manager
Sarah Pickar, product owner

It’s hard to imagine a time when influencer marketing wasn’t such an integral part of our lives and shopping experiences as it is today. I loved working on this project because it marked a pivotal moment when social shopping was just beginning to take shape. At the time, influencer marketing was not a new concept. Companies had been partnering with bloggers and content creators to promote their products long before the influencer program. By 2014, Amazon had nearly one million members in its Affiliate Program and was a key player in affiliate marketing. In the years leading up to this project, social media was transforming, especially with the rise of social media influencers. While TikTok did not exist, the emergence of  social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube allowed individuals to gain large followings. Research showed that 40% of customers had made purchases after seeing products on social media.

This trend highlighted the need for influencers to easily recommend products on Amazon, creating an opportunity to enhance connections between influencers and customers seeking trusted product recommendations.

INFLUENCER CREATION FLOW

Creating and Launching Amazon Influencers

Opportunity 

Influencer

Influencers need a simpler way to recommend products on Amazon. The traditional pay-per-click model used in affiliate programs hasn’t worked well for Instagram and YouTube creators. Managing multiple affiliate links was tedious, making it challenging for them to share multiple product recommendations at once.

End Customer

End customers would enjoy quick, easy access to curated product recommendations from trusted influencers, making discovery and purchasing more convenient.

Design & Process

  • Build a Vision 

  • Scope an MVP Concept: “Vanity URL” – An easy-to-remember URL based on influencers' social handles.

  • Validation: Conducted a beta program:

    • Influencers created Amazon Wishlists for their recommendations.

    • Vanity URLs redirected to these lists, integrating social media profiles and attribution tags.

Program Launch & Impact  - July 2017

The program launched in July 2017, when Upfluence reported about 400,000 influencers in the U.S. and 3 million worldwide. Within the first week, 41,000 influencers had received an Amazon vanity URL. In the first month, 32.4% of active influencers generated $34 million in revenue, with those using multiple lists earning 40% more than those with a single list. Additionally, "Follow" buttons on influencer storefronts received four times more clicks than any other placement on the site.

Press Coverage

  • Featured in Cosmopolitan and TechCrunch.

My Work

As lead product designer from beta through launch, I served as the sole design lead for two years. This project was a favorite of mine because I guided it from initial concept to full launch and saw it continue to grow even after I moved on. It was unique for me because I was involved in all aspects of design—developing the product, collaborating with marketing, and connecting directly with influencers, our key users.

My work included:

  • Defining the product vision and setting a roadmap for feature enhancements

  • Creating the sign-up and onboarding experience for influencers

  • Developing tools for influencers to track earnings and impact on Associates Central, Amazon's main affiliate tool

  • Designing the storefront experience for customers to find relevant content and discover influencers to follow

  • Enhancing storefronts, allowing influencers to personalize their pages with rich content

  • Building tools to connect Amazon sellers and brands with influencers for sponsorships

  • Designing trade show materials, marketing collateral, and branded swag

END CUSTOMER CX

INFLUENCER DASHBOARD