Amazon steps up creator investments as it looks to convert social media influence into sales

Amazon is looking to turn its growing network of influencers into a measurable commerce channel, expanding investments in social media integrations, affiliate marketing and performance-linked campaigns as it seeks to connect product discovery with purchases.

Between January and September, creator content influenced 42 million customers on Amazon, of whom 28 million made a purchase. A total of 133 million products were purchased through creators during the period, said Nidhi Thakkar, head of social commerce for emerging marketplaces at Amazon. Influenced customers grew 50% year-on-year, while purchasing customers increased 92%. The figures were recorded before the Diwali shopping season.