Just last month, Amazon launched Spark, an online hangout where you can rub virtual shoulders with people who share your interests. It’s Facebook for shoppers.
Here’s what you need to know about Amazon Spark.
You were probably visiting Amazon recently and thought to yourself: “You know what this site needs? A social network that looks like Instagram!”
Your wish has been granted.
Just last month, Amazon launched Spark, an online hangout where you can rub virtual shoulders with people who share your interests. It’s Facebook for shoppers.
Of course, Amazon didn’t create the social site because it wants to see people improve their interpersonal skills. It’s using Spark to make money.
Here’s what you need to know about Amazon Spark.
Amazon Spark is Inspired by Instagram
Unquestionably, Amazon Spark was inspired by Instagram’s shoppable photos. The e-commerce giant decided to copy Instagram just like Instagram copied many of Snapchat’s features.
Karma is real.
Amazon Spark operates on the “feed” format just like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Users scroll down to see what others have posted.
And what do others post? Stuff like testimonials, thoughts, and images of products.
Of course, those products are sold on Amazon.
Friends and followers who appreciate what others post can react with a “smile.” That’s a response similar to a “like” or “favorite” on other social media platforms.
Experienced social Internauts will also notice that Amazon Spark has a certain Pinterest feel to it. That’s because, like Instagram, Pinterest is also image-driven.
What They’re Saying About Amazon Spark
“We created Spark to allow customers to discover – and shop – stories and ideas from a community that likes what they like,” said an Amazon spokeswoman.
“When customers first visit Spark, they select at least five interests they’d like to follow and we’ll create a feed of relevant content contributed by others. Customers shop their feed by tapping on product links or photos with the shopping bag icon.”
Bob Hetu, a research director at Gartner, said that Amazon Spark exists for three reasons.
“It’s to learn more, to sell more and to connect to customers,” he said.
Hetu also said that it’s too early to say whether or not Spark will be a direct threat to Pinterest. If it is, it will be due to Spark’s direct connection to retail.
Brand strategist Jill Richardson seems as though she’s already an Amazon Spark addict.
“Been messing with #AmazonSpark all morning and I am LIVING. It’s like Pinterest, Instagram, and my credit card had a baby and it’s beautiful,” she tweeted.
Community manager Lucas Miller agrees, tweeting: “So #amazonspark is going to be a dangerous pastime. The app is already too easy to shop…”
Quiet Testing With Amazon Spark
Amazon has been testing Spark without much fanfare for a few months. The company pulled the trigger and formally launched it on July 18.
The whole point of Amazon Spark is keep social activity centered around Amazon products on the Amazon site. That way, the conversation will more likely lead to conversion.
Still, though, Amazon isn’t promoting Spark aggressively at this time. That’s probably because company engineers know that a larger universe of users will undoubtedly uncover a few more bugs.
Not for Desktop Users Regarding Amazon Spark
If you want to jump on Amazon Spark, you’ll have to step away from your laptop. As of this writing, it’s only available to mobile users.
In fact, it’s only available on iOS. Android users will have to wait for a while before they can use it.
How long Android users will have to wait is unclear at this time. However, Amazon assures us that they’re working on it.
If you are blessed with iOS and you’d like to become part of the community of active users who just might make Jeff Bezos the richest person in the world (he was the richest recently, but just for a matter of hours), start by firing up your Amazon app. Then head over to the “Programs & Features” section of the app’s navigation you’ll see an option for Amazon Spark.
Tap that to get the ball rolling.
Getting Started With Amazon Spark
Once you join Spark, you’ll be asked to select five interests that you want to follow. That’s a fairly common first step on social sites these days.
Amazon will require you to select at least five interests. You can select more if you want, but you must select at least five.
Unsurprisingly, the interests you can select correspond quite nicely to Amazon product categories. There’s some variation, but not a whole lot.
For example, interest categories include options such as “Style & Fashion,” “Books,” “Music,” and “Fitness.”
You can also select micro-niche interests such as “BBQ,” “Cats,” and “TV Bingewatching.”
During your initial setup time, you also specify whether or not you’d like to receive notifications. As you can imagine, those work similarly to notifications on other social media sites.
The Amazon Spark Feed
After you’ve selected your interests, Amazon Spark will create a custom feed of imagery, ideas, and of course products that match your interests.
If you like hunting, expect to see plenty of items from the Sporting Goods section of Amazon in your feed. Alternatively, if you’re into women’s fashion, you’ll likely see items from brand names such as Lily Pulitzer and The Fifth Label as you scroll through your feed.
When you browse your feed for the first time you might notice that a lot of the posts look like product reviews. That’s exactly what they are.
Think about it: when fellow Spark users talk about their experience with a product they purchased on Amazon, that’s a review.
Your feed won’t just consist entirely of reviews, though. Amazon will also show you images of products that might interest you.
If you want to purchase those products, you can do so with just the click of a mouse button. There’s a shopping bag icon on the bottom, right-hand side of the photo along with a number that indicates the number of items portrayed in the photo that are available on Amazon.
Keep in mind that Amazon doesn’t just include boring product photos in your Spark feed. You’ll likely see marketing photos as well.
For example, one feed photo features a woman watching the sunset at Yosemite Park with the caption: “Watching the sunset at Yosemite was definitely a dream come true.” That might seem like a simple vacation report, but it’s a sponsored photo that enables Spark users to purchase the hat she’s wearing in the photo.
Spark posts can also contain text, links, and polls.
The Edge
As we’ve seen, Amazon Spark mimics Instagram. However, Spark has a distinct advantage.
Recall that Instagram isn’t link-driven like other social networks. It was originally designed as a photo-sharing app, not a marketing venue.
Still, countless digital marketers use Instagram to promote products on e-commerce sites. Sometimes, the best they can do is tag their brand name in photos and hope for some traffic.
Not so with Amazon Spark. Users can add items to the shopping cart directly from the social channel.
Even better: users can see how many items are in stock without even leaving Spark. That’s simply not the case with Instagram.
Participation Trophies With Amazon Spark
Amazon Spark also uses a reward system that encourages participation. People who post receive a virtual badge.
Those who participate on Amazon Spark are called “Enthusiasts.” It seems as though Amazon is moving away from a system which favors “Top Reviewers” to one which favors Enthusiasts.
It’s still likely, though, that people who are contemplating a purchase will look to old-fashioned reviews for feedback rather than firing up Spark just to see what other people said about a product.
Who Can Participate?
Can anyone who has an Amazon account participate on Amazon Spark? Yes and no.
To post, you have to be a member of Amazon Prime. That’s going to cost you $99 a year.
Of course, you also get all the other advantages associated with Amazon Prime, such as free 2-day shipping and access to lots of movies and TV shows without charge.
If you decide not to become a Prime member, you can still create a feed and browse through it. You won’t be able to post anything, though. That means you can’t become an Enthusiast.
A Future Income Opportunity?
Some people wonder if Amazon Spark might offer an income opportunity – not just for Amazon, but also for Enthusiasts.
Amazon already has an affiliate program. Countless digital marketers earn a chunk of cash every month by selling Amazon products for a commission.
And where is there a better place to convince people that they should shop for Amazon products than on Amazon itself?
Soon, you could see a bit passive-aggressive marketing from affiliates on Amazon Spark. They’ll attempt to add to their Amazon-generated revenue stream with catchy photos that promote different products.
Today, though, Amazon isn’t prepared to discuss any affiliate-related opportunities on Spark.
Wrapping It Up Amazon Spark For Now
Nobody knows where this bus is headed but users sure seem to be enjoying the ride. Amazon undoubtedly appreciates the fact that numerous Prime members will act as brand ambassadors on their own dime and their own time. Whether or not the whole concept catches on remains to be seen.
