The FTC sent out more warnings this week to social media influencers. Here’s the lowdown — and it’s not sweet.
Is the Amazon Influencer Program worth it?
Want to make extra money while the kids are at school? Need to save for an upcoming vacation? Say hello to the Amazon Influencer Program. Today, 37% of Amazon’s traffic is driven by influencers. That’s a lot of eyes and ears!
But, for the influencers themselves, is it worth it? As always, I went digging for the answers. Spoiler: Don’t bank on it.
Get with the program
In 2017, Amazon started paying folks to promote products through social media, newsletters, you name it. Today, lots of those same people get paid for videos posted directly to Amazon.
Not just anyone can do this. If you want in, you must submit your social media accounts and create and submit three test videos. Once Amazon gives you the green light, you can start earning commissions when someone buys based on your videos.
Amazon encourages influencers on the platform to be honest in their videos and share their opinions — good or bad. (But … who is going to be super negative when they’re trying to sell stuff?)
Shake your moneymaker
While her kids are at school, one woman told the Wall Street Journal that she uses the Amazon app to scan items around her house. She’ll create and upload a promotional video if they’re for sale on the site. So far, she’s done hundreds.
Another mom of two school-aged kids makes up to $1,500 a month. She earned most of her money during the Christmas season — many of her commissions came from toy-related videos.
That kind of money is also based on a little luck. Amazon placed one of her vids about a hair straightener at the top of the product page, earning her up to 10 daily commissions.
But here’s the twist
While there are success stories, the Amazon Influencer Program is far from perfect. Here are some things to consider before diving in:
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Grandparents are making big money as social media gurus
New word for you: Grandfluencer. That’s grandparent + influencer for all the folks trading in retirement for social media fame. We’re talking millions of followers, thousands of comments … and a lot of money. One paid post can land a particularly big grandfluencer over $150K.
💩 Explosive TikTok trend: Influencers are promoting drinking castor oil to detox, lose weight and fight serious illnesses, including cancer. You’ll get one thing, guaranteed … Remember, laughter is the best medicine — unless you have diarrhea.
4% make $100K
We’re talking online content creators, aka influencers. Someone tell this to Gen Z; 57% want to do this as a full-time career.
Be careful before you hit “buy” on social media
I remember the first time I fired up TikTok to see what it was all about. In about 10 minutes, the darn app’s algorithms kicked into gear. On my feed, aside from people dancing all over the globe, were vids about vegetarian dishes, travel tips and golden retrievers. And you know what … it was pretty hard to put down, a total time suck. After three days, I removed it from my phone.
The lucrative world of gambling livestreams
Losing it all at the casino isn’t something to brag about … unless you do it for a living!
Gambling guru Brian Christopher lost a staggering $300,000 on slot machines last year but somehow came out on top. How did he do it? Through building an empire out of livestreaming his gambling adventures.
🌞 Sun-spiracy: Some popular influencers don’t believe the sun causes skin cancer (WSJ, paywalled); instead, they blame sunscreen. Research proves sunscreen protects you from cancer — it doesn’t cause it. I posted a pic of me by the pool the other day. I can’t believe some people didn’t get my sunscreen pun in the caption. Please tell me you do!
I love you just the weigh you are: Folks on social media are pushing Ozempic but hush-hush about its nasty side effects. Karen Evans (paywall link), for instance, never mentioned that severe vomiting made her quit the drug. Get this: Health influencers with under 100,000 followers are making $10,000 and up promoting Ozempic. Influences with over a million followers? They’re making $50,000 to $125,000 per post.
"Influencers" overtaking legitimate journalists as news source
Where do you get your news? Here’s why finding a trusted source is vital, in 60 seconds.
News Flash: Taking a celeb’s financial advice could cost you
As if losing money in crypto wasn’t enough, scammers are going after people who were victims of these crooked schemes. Here’s what you need to watch out for.
Following the FTX crypto exchange collapse in November, lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and a host of celebrities and athletes.
How old are your ears? Viral video reveals your 'hearing age'
Are you worried about your health? I’m sure we all could do a little better in the healthy eating and exercising departments. Tap or click here for apps that will help you get into shape.
Speaking of health. Maybe you’re 60, but you hear as well as a 25-year-old. If you want to find out, TikTok star Justin Agustin has you covered. In a short clip, he shared an audio experiment that he claims will reveal your “hearing age.”
This guy would have almost $300 million ... if he could access his Bitcoin
Cryptocurrency entered the mainstream via social media, with proponents and influencers touting its massive moneymaking potential. But as with any investment, there is always risk, and crypto is particularly volatile.
Be careful mixing crypto with real estate - or this could happen
When it comes to real estate, it’s a seller’s market right now. Everyone wants homes, and thanks to the demand, prices are higher than the Empire State Building. At least, that’s how it can feel to folks who can’t afford to buy a house.
How to juggle your many social media accounts - 3 strategies to manage your online presence
Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever before to update your friends about your life. In a single post, you can let your whole network know what’s going on. If you want your posts to stand out, some simple photo editing techniques can do the trick.
Will Instagram become the new MySpace?
The most optimistic thing you can say about Instagram these days is that it’s in a slump. But to many, Instagram is now boring. It has too many influencers — and not enough people to be influenced.
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Is 5G hazardous to your health?
Social media is a fertile breeding ground for lies. When misinformation explodes in popularity, it spills into the real world, spreading chaos in the form of fires and toppled cell phone towers. Right now, a dangerous conspiracy is emerging: the idea that 5G cell phone towers cause coronavirus.
Tech how-to: Schedule tweets without any extra programs or downloads
If you regularly tweet for work or for fun, you may be using a site like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule out your tweets in advance. Did you know, though, that Twitter also offers ways to schedule your tweets — and you can do so right from the social media platform?
Should you trust social media influencers?
Open/download audioSocial media started as a way to connected with friends and family and share snippets of our everyday lives. But now social media is a full-fledged business, and influencers are the pros hard at work trying to impact our buying decisions. Can you really trust what they post?
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