Amazon Is Flying Influencers To Luxurious Resorts To Push Social Media Presence

Amazon has ramped up its social media influencing campaign by flying out dozens of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok stars to Mexico.

The ecommerce behemoth took over the luxury Paradero resort and rebranded it as “Amazon Resort” for members of Amazon’s influencer program, which was launched five years ago and allows influencers to earn money by recommending the company’s products on their social media accounts.

Amazon has held similar events this year in New York and Los Angeles.

The online influencer marketing industry has boomed from approximately $1.7 billion in 2016 to $13.8 billion last year, data from Influencer Marketing Hub claims.

The sector is expected to grow even further to $16.4 billion this year, which is evidence of how much companies value the channel as a means of driving up business.

Influencers invited to the Amazon Resort were treated to lavish meals and spa offerings alongside a company workshop to help creators set up their own Amazon storefronts.

Resort attendees could also walk through a curated pop-up shop of “internet famous” items for sale on Amazon, visit the “Kindle Beach Oasis,” and hang out at a Prime Video movie night.

“Now there’s Amazon, which is a way of making commissions from products you would normally buy on your own,” influencer Raye Boyce told Business Insider.

“You can make money off of that on top of your brand deals, and YouTube and TikTok and everything else.”

For an influencer to join the program, they must qualify through various criteria. Metrics considered include the number of followers they have.