TikTok Affiliate vs. Amazon Influencer Program [Which Is Better]

TikTok Shop Affiliate vs. Amazon Influencer Program

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the products and services mentioned on this website pay affiliate commissions to the creators at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

December 17, 2024 in Affiliate Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Side Hustles

Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin 0

Which is a better influencer affiliate program: TikTok Shop or Amazon?

I've done both. Here's what I've found.

The TikTok shop is best for creators who want higher earning potential and are ok with the path being more difficult and less guaranteed. Some creators are making a fortune off of just one video (see below). That doesn't happen with the Amazon influencer program.

Earning potential on a tiktok shop affiliate video

Earning potential on a TikTok shop affiliate video

Creators on TikTok need to be comfortable being seen online, creative enough to come up with content ideas that work, strong at editing and comfortable on camera.

Pros

  • Higher earning ceiling. One video can make 10s of $1,000s of dollars. The earning ceiling is much higher with the TikTok shop affiliate program than the Amazon influencer program. However, getting this one video requires making dozens of videos that earn very little or nothing.
  • Can leverage paid ads on videos that are converting. If a video is driving sales, you can pay for more views to it. This tactic doesn't work on Amazon.
  • More fun. TikTok shop feels much more like a game whereas Amazon influencer feels more like a job. You're always chasing that one big win and the potential is always on your mind. You get rewarded for creativity also, which feels amazing. 

Cons

  • Requires much more skill than the Amazon influencer program. There are different skills required with TikTok. You will need to be better at editing and creating clever videos that keep people's attention. 
  • Requires you to become vulnerable to negative comments. A viral video (the ones that make money) will be riddled with troll comments. 
  • Most videos do not make money. There is truly a boom or bust to TikTok shop videos. Some will resonate very well and others will get nothing. 
  • Approval isn't quite as easy. The Amazon influencer program has more steps required, but they approve influencers who have very small followings. 
  • Easy to be tacky. Let's face it, most TikTok affiliate videos are the worst. You can do them without being like that, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

Amazon Influencer requires lots of video work, but offers a better chance of success even if pay may be lower. This program requires little to no creativity or video editing skills beyond the basics, like trimming clips.

Pros

  • Lower earning floor. If you upload a lot of videos, you will make money. 
  • Requires very little skill. Recording, editing and general on camera skills are much less important for the influencer program.
  • No negative comments. Amazon videos don't allow comments, they only have a thumbs up option. 
  • Easier to get approved. You need to submit example videos and have a following on social media, but these are both very easy to do. A following of under 1,000 on TikTok, for instance, will get you approved for the program.

Cons

  • Lower earning potential. There are very few "big winners" in the influencer program. Most earnings come because of scale. Creating a lot of good videos for products that are selling well, are priced high enough and don't have too much competition.  
  • Amazon is a terrible partner. Amazon notoriously cuts their affiliate commissions frequently. In 2023, they cut many categories up to 80%. Trusting them for the long run isn't usually prudent. For now, it's fine, for 5 years from now? Doubtful.

So Which Is "Better?"

The Amazon Influencer Program is the closest thing to guaranteed money online that I've found. The floor seems to be about $1/month per video, but many creators make closer to $3/video. It depends on the products you review and, to some extent, the quality of your reviews.

Which describes you...

'I am not very creative"

Cell

"I want to be guaranteed to make money"

Cell

"I'm uncomfortable on camera"

Cell

"I know how to make viral content"

Cell

"I prefer huge wins over small, but guaranteed ones."

Cell
TikTok vs. Amazon Influencer


The TikTok affiliate program has "home run" potential. One video can make enough to buy a nice car. These are rare, but the thrill of that potentially being there is motivating.


The big difference between the two programs, though, is that TikTok affiliates need to be more talented on camera than Amazon influencers do. Amazon influencers just need to talk about a product for 60 seconds and hit publish. TikTok affiliates have to create clever video ideas, bring a decent amount of on air charisma and have decent editing skills.


The good news is there is no rule saying you can't do both. I'm doing both. Many products overlap on the TikTok shop and Amazon, so you can absolutely create videos that work for both platforms and "double dip," on commissions.

 Previous
Next

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}