Tiffany Ferguson<\/a>, a popular YouTuber who creates content critiquing internet culture. \u201cIt\u2019s like we\u2019ve lost the plot,\u201d she says. \u201c[Influencers used to] link products they\u2019ve used, their actual recommendations. Now it\u2019s like, \u2018I like the idea of this product, maybe, if you\u2019re the type of person who wants it.\u2019 What are we even talking about now?\u201d<\/p>\nConsumers are also wising up to the way affiliate marketing works \u2014 they know that occasionally an influencer will make a commission from a shopper\u2019s entire cart, depending on the affiliate program. They also have an increased awareness of the tens of thousands of dollars creators stand to make by acting as perennial (and stealthy) salespeople. \u201cWhen consumers learn that, they feel even more duped,\u201d Ferguson says.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not only influencers who are upping the ante when it comes to affiliate marketing through the holiday season \u2014 it\u2019s also the corporations and brands. Another influencer, who asked to remain anonymous to maintain personal and professional business contacts, showed Yahoo how Walmart changes its commission structure during the holidays. While an influencer would regularly receive a 10% commission for fashion-related items, during the holiday season, that commission doubles to 20%. The commission for electronics soars from 3% to 8.1%; for home goods, it changes from 7% to 13.5%.<\/p>\n\n\nWhile talking to other influencers, she even learned that some of them buy Temu versions of clothing or goods and then link to the more-expensive Amazon versions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n
\u201cAmazon offered me $700 for a story share about Black Friday and $5,000 for a set of story shares on Prime Day on top of affiliate commission,\u201d says the influencer, who has over 100,000 Instagram followers. \u201cI declined both. I never want to rely on my followers buying things to make or break my income.\u201d<\/p>\n\nThe influencer also notes that it seems to be getting harder and harder to secure brand deals. Affiliate marketing is cheaper for brands and easier for creators (who don\u2019t have to negotiate rates, reshoot content and submit for approvals). \u201cInfluencers would rather spend $1,000 a month on new stuff to shoot and then return or give away because they\u2019re making so much money and all the stuff is basically worthless anyway,\u201d she says. While talking to other influencers, she even learned that some of them buy Temu versions of clothing or goods and then link to the more expensive Amazon versions.<\/p>\n
Though mom influencer Bekah Martinez (@bekah<\/a>) has 854,000 followers on Instagram, she doesn\u2019t do much affiliate linking. She tries to encourage her followers to live and shop sustainably, posting content about thrift shopping or mending something that\u2019s broken instead of replacing it.<\/p>\nBut she can see the allure of affiliate marketing. For one thing, followers are constantly asking her to link everything she\u2019s using. \u201cPeople do ask for links about literally everything,\u201d she says. \u201c\u2018Can you link to those binder clips that you\u2019re using?\u2019\u201d Once, Bekah linked to a watercolor set her kids were using and made $2,000 from affiliate sales. But mostly, she stays away from it, despite the eye-watering amounts of profit up for grabs. \u201cThere\u2019s enough people encouraging people to buy shit and I don\u2019t really need to be part of that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n