Inside Amazon's Creator Program: How micro-influencers are making money

In a cramped studio in Delhi, a creator from Jaipur unpacks camera equipment after travelling hundreds of miles for a three-day shoot. This scene, according to Nidhi Thakkar, head of creator success and creator programs at Amazon India, exemplifies a persistent challenge facing India's growing creator economy: access to products and professional resources.

It's a problem Amazon believes it has begun solving through its Creator Program, which Thakkar reveals has grown to encompass 100,000 creators, a milestone the company announces as it launches its specialised Tech Influencer Program.

"We realise that creators are an undeniable force in the way purchase decisions happen today," Thakkar explains during an interview about Amazon's creator ecosystem.

The programme operates on what she describes as a "flywheel" model: more creators produce more shopping content, leading to better customer experiences, higher conversions, and ultimately more lucrative incentives for creators.

The democratic foundation

Unlike traditional influencer marketing that often favours creators with massive followings, Amazon's approach deliberately casts a wider net. The company's Amazon Influencer Program (AIP), launched in India in 2018, accepts creators with as few as 2,000 followers, provided they meet certain engagement thresholds.

"Creators with as few as 2,000 followers can auto-sign up and become an Amazon Influencer," Thakkar notes.

"We have many examples where creators say their first pay cheque actually came from Amazon before AdSense."

This accessibility stems from Amazon's marketplace-focused approach rather than traditional reach-based marketing. "I'm not in the business of reach-based distribution; I'm in the business of being a marketplace," Thakkar states. "What we're constantly looking for are creators who are highly engaged with their communities."

The foundation rests on affiliate marketing; creators earn commissions when their audiences purchase products through their links. For many, this represents a more reliable income stream than the uncertainty of brand collaborations.

"It's a glamorous profession, but few people make it to the big numbers," Thakkar observes about the creator economy. "The journey to get there is difficult, including a steady stream of branded content campaigns. The AIP is different because it's in your hands. You sold something; somebody bought it. There's no middleman."

Graduated benefits through specialisation

Beyond the basic affiliate programme, there are what Thakkar terms "special category programmes", which are managed initiatives that offer enhanced benefits to creators who demonstrate consistent performance.

The newly-launched Tech Influencer Program represents the latest addition to this tier, joining the established Fashion Influencer Program, which now includes over 4,000 creators.

The Tech programme addresses specific pain points Thakkar's team has identified amongst technology creators.

"Access to products has been a solid issue," she explains. "This is a fast-paced industry with expensive products and launches that happen on very quick timelines."

The programme's benefits package includes early product access up to 20 days before launches, studio access, stabilised commission rates, and crucially, opportunities to participate in brand monetisation deals. "For the first time, this cohort is getting a chance to work and participate in brand monetisation opportunities," Thakkar reveals.

The Fashion Influencer Program, operational for two and a half years, serves as a template for this expansion. Thakkar describes it as "one of the top two or three largest spends for Amazon Fashion and Beauty" and "a formidable marketing channel that works across all marketing funnel objectives."

Regional reach and inclusive growth

The platform's democratic approach extends geographically, with approximately 30% of Amazon's creator base comprising regional language content creators.

"Telugu channels dominate, and Bengali is another significant category for fashion and beauty," Thakkar notes, highlighting the platform's reach beyond English-speaking metros.

This geographic diversity aligns with Amazon's operational strategy. Rather than building large acquisition teams, Thakkar's three-person team focuses on creator communications, tool development, and educational resources through initiatives like Creator University.

"There's only so much business development you can do to acquire creators individually," she explains. "What I can do is build tools for creators and put the word out there that anyone can join."

The parenting creator phenomenon

Among the platform's success stories, parenting creators represent an unexpected but significant segment. These creators utilise Amazon's storefront features to create comprehensive product lists from newborn essentials to children's books, leveraging what Thakkar identifies as unique trust dynamics.

"Parents will only rely on other parents to tell them what to buy; they won't rely on their friends," she observes. "This gives influencers significant power when it comes to purchase decision-making for parenting categories."

Integration with broader marketing strategy

Within Amazon's marketing ecosystem, the Creator Program serves dual functions. The basic AIP operates as what Thakkar terms "a traffic channel to drive sales", whilst specialised programmes address broader marketing objectives, including brand awareness, customer acquisition, and seasonal campaigns.

"My singular mission is to demonstrate that creators can be whatever you want them to be because they are a full-funnel tool," Thakkar explains.

"Whether you want to drive Prime membership through creators or create hype around a product launch, they're a creative force."

The platform's integration extends to content distribution across Amazon-owned channels, performance marketing budgets for content amplification, and collaborative campaigns with brands across the marketplace.

The path of steady income

Perhaps most significantly for India's creator economy, Amazon's programme offers what Thakkar repeatedly emphasises as "the constant pay cheque". Unlike the feast-or-famine cycle of brand collaborations, affiliate commissions provide predictable monthly income based directly on sales performance.

"I constantly say AIP is the constant pay cheque," Thakkar says. "It's not the 'I made it big and famous and got a big car' moment—it's the monthly pay cheque. That's a solid role to fill for 100,000 influencers."