Amazon influencers are always looking for new ways to get their content in front of shoppers, and a recent development in the Amazon ecosystem has many creators excited. A new type of carousel is appearing in Amazon search results, and it could represent a significant shift in how influencer content gets discovered. In this article, we break down what these new search carousels are, what types of content are showing up in them, and what you should be doing right now to prepare.
Table of Contents
- What Are the New Search Carousels?
- Types of Content Appearing in the Carousels
- Why Vertical Content Matters
- No Threshold Required
- How to Prepare for This Change
- The On-the-Go Content Strategy
- Watch the Full Video
What Are the New Search Carousels?
Something interesting is happening in the Amazon influencer program. When you search for products on Amazon, a new carousel is appearing in the search results, and every piece of content in it says “earns commissions.” This is not the typical upper or lower carousel on product pages that influencers are used to. These are carousels that appear directly in search results when you look up products like dumbbells, vacuums, or other items.
This appears to still be in early testing. It was first spotted by members of the Oink Facebook group for Amazon influencers. The visibility seems to vary depending on the browser you use. For example, it was visible on Microsoft Edge but not on Chrome during initial testing, though it was showing up on more search results as time went on.
Types of Content Appearing in the Carousels
The content showing up in these search carousels includes both pictures and videos. In one example from a dumbbell search, the carousel featured a mix of high-quality vertical photos and vertical videos. The photos had no text overlays and looked semi-professional, while the videos were also in vertical format.
In another example, the carousel contained exclusively video content, all in vertical format. When checking the creators’ storefronts, the videos were confirmed to be uploaded as vertical content, not horizontal videos that were cropped. This is an important distinction because it means Amazon is specifically looking for vertical uploads.
Why Vertical Content Matters
Amazon has clearly been trying to find a place for vertical content ever since Amazon Inspire, their TikTok-style feature, failed to gain traction. Inspire was a big endeavor by Amazon to capture that short-form vertical video feel, but it did not work out. However, this new search carousel development suggests that Amazon is still very interested in leveraging vertical content, just in a different and potentially more effective way.
The fact that all the content in these carousels is vertical, whether photos or videos, is a strong signal about the direction Amazon wants to take. Vertical content fits naturally into mobile browsing experiences and these search result carousels seem like a much more practical application than Inspire was.
No Threshold Required
One encouraging finding is that the creators appearing in these carousels are not all big accounts. Some of the accounts that were showing up had as few as 500 total videos on their storefront. This is great news for smaller creators because it suggests there is no specific threshold you need to meet in order to be eligible for placement in these search carousels.
Additionally, the engagement metrics on the content appearing in the carousels were modest. Some had just two likes, others had 18, and some had none at all. This means there does not appear to be an engagement threshold either. Amazon seems to be prioritizing quality vertical content over account size or engagement numbers.
How to Prepare for This Change
While this appears to be in early testing, there are steps you can take right now to prepare. The most important thing is to not abandon your primary strategies. Whatever is currently working for you with horizontal content and product carousels should remain your main focus.
However, you should start incorporating more vertical content as a secondary strategy. The key is to not upload horizontal and vertical versions at the same time. Instead, come back to a product about 30 days after your original video and create a different style of vertical video. This way, Amazon sees that it is not just the same video uploaded twice but rather a genuinely different piece of content with additional context and value.
The On-the-Go Content Strategy
A great approach for creating vertical content is the on-the-go style. Take your phone with you as you move around your house and shoot quick 30-second vertical videos about products you already own and use. Something simple like saying you have had a product for six months and sharing why you still use it is perfect.
You can edit these videos right from your phone and upload them directly in vertical format. The beauty of this approach is that it does not require a complicated setup or a lot of time. Just be more mindful about grabbing your phone when you see a product you could talk about, and shoot a quick vertical clip. This visibility in search results is something completely new for influencers and affiliates, and getting ahead of it now could pay off significantly once Amazon expands this feature more broadly.
Watch the Full Video
Watch the original video from Oink for Influencers on YouTube:
