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Most brands pay a YouTuber, the video goes up, and 80% to 90% of its views happen within a couple of months. Jessica Thorpe’s argument is that the same video belongs on your Amazon product page, where it keeps working on every visitor who arrives from any source.
Adding video to a product page lifts conversion by roughly 25% to 30% on average. Some categories see closer to 50%.
Jessica is president of Gen.video, which connects brands with video influencers and syndicates that content to retailer product pages. I ran a campaign on the platform myself.
This episode covers what influencer videos actually cost, how to evaluate a channel, the click through rates to expect, and how to measure results when attribution is unclear.
A note on timing: this is a 2017 conversation. Platform features and influencer rates have changed since.
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Table of Contents
Key takeaways
- One influencer video can run on YouTube, your site, and retailer product pages.
- Video on a product page lifts conversion rates by roughly 25% to 30%.
- Judge channels on views rather than subscribers, expecting views at 10% of subscriber count.
- Videos start around $500 for product page use, rising to $4,000 or $5,000 for large channels.
- Target a cost per view around 25 to 30 cents, dropping as channel size grows.
- Influencer links convert at 3% to 6% click through, well above typical display advertising.
- Measure with a 30 day before and after comparison rather than click attribution.
- Supply keywords for titles and descriptions, then let the influencer phrase them.
Why put influencer videos on product pages?
Because a YouTube video exhausts most of its audience within a couple of months, and a product page keeps serving it indefinitely. That same video then reaches everyone arriving from search, ads, or any other channel.
The conversion lift is substantial. Pages gaining video see roughly 25% to 30% higher conversion rates on average.
Basket size and purchase intent rise too. Shoppers who watch tend to spend more.
Video substitutes for handling the product. Shoppers describe it as the next best thing to touching something in a store.
Completion rates are higher than expected. Videos under two minutes see 70% to 80% watched, and Amazon shoppers average a minute or more.
Getting video onto Amazon takes access. The related video strip requires a programming relationship, which is what platforms like Gen.video provide.
How much do influencer videos cost?
From $500 for a video intended only for your product pages, scaling to $4,000 or $5,000 for a channel with 200,000 to 300,000 subscribers. The floor reflects production quality good enough for a product page.
Larger deals buy audience alongside content. Treat it the way you would evaluate a Facebook ad spend.
Cost per view is the better lens. Around 25 to 30 cents is reasonable, falling as channels get larger.
Niche categories command premiums. Fewer creators in a vertical means higher rates.
A licensing option costs less. Brands can license an influencer’s existing video as a one-time purchase.
How do you evaluate an influencer channel?
Compare views to subscribers rather than looking at subscriber count alone. A channel should pull views around 10% of its subscriber base.
Strong channels far exceed that. Jessica cites a consumer electronics creator with 400,000 subscribers pulling 150,000 to 200,000 views.
Engagement often falls as channels grow. A million subscribers with weak viewership is worth less than the number suggests.
Match the audience to the product. Targeting parameters cover age, gender, and interest tags.
Look at click through history too. Creators who consistently drive traffic to product pages are worth more than raw reach.
What click through rate should influencer videos produce?
Three to six percent from the video description to your product page, with strong campaigns reaching 10%. That sits far above typical digital advertising.
Display campaigns rarely clear 1%. Some run under 1% on video placements.
YouTube averages 3% to 4% generally. Shopping-oriented creators outperform that.
A 100,000 view video can send thousands of visitors. Even at the lower end of the range.
Clicks understate the impact. Viewers who do not click still carry your brand into their consideration set.
What kind of influencer video works best for ecommerce?
It depends on where the video will live. Product reviews, unboxings, and how-to videos suit product pages, where shoppers want specific information before buying.
Integrated content works better on social. A product appearing naturally inside a longer video reaches the creator’s audience organically.
Beauty demonstrates the split. A get-ready-with-me video runs 12 to 14 minutes and integrates products in the first minute or two.
Product pages want the short cut. Some brands extract that one minute segment for retailer syndication.
Let creators handle the execution. They know how to make a product fit their format naturally.
Almost any product qualifies. Even a garlic press connects to recipe content, which is abundant on YouTube.
How do you measure influencer marketing results?
Compare 30 days before publication with 30 days after. Click attribution captures only part of the value, since many buyers arrive through direct traffic later.
Three metrics come from the social side. Views, engagement through likes and comments and shares, and click through to your page.
Seasonal products need a different baseline. Compare against the same period a year earlier.
Isolate the variable where possible. Running other promotions simultaneously makes attribution harder.
Sequence matters for spend. Place video before investing in traffic, so the optimized page receives the visitors.
Should you control the video title and description?
Supply the keywords and let the influencer write the phrasing. Overly prescriptive titles tend to underperform with their audience.
Mix branded and unbranded terms. That balance helps search discovery without reading as an ad.
The description carries your link. That is where product page traffic originates.
Where should influencer traffic point?
Either an Amazon product page by ASIN or a custom URL on your own site. Both are tracked.
Amazon works when that is your primary channel. The video lives on the product page alongside the traffic it drives.
Your own site keeps the customer relationship. Choose based on which channel matters more to your business.
How do influencers make money beyond sponsorships?
Affiliate links and content licensing fill the gaps between paid campaigns. Most creators publish far more videos than they have sponsorships for.
Amazon Associates is underused by YouTubers. Many find the program time consuming to work with manually.
Licensing monetizes the back catalog. A brand can pay a one-time fee for a video that already exists.
Platform diversification is the underlying motive. Depending entirely on YouTube revenue is a concentrated risk.
Can you use an influencer’s video on your own site?
You can embed a YouTube video on your own website using the standard player. Placing it on a retailer product page requires the actual video file.
Retailers need the asset uploaded. Amazon and Walmart both work this way.
That is why platforms collect files directly. Creators upload through the platform and publish to YouTube from there.
Permission still matters. Licensing arrangements cover the rights for other placements.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a YouTube influencer video cost?
From $500 for product page use to $4,000 or $5,000 for a channel with a few hundred thousand subscribers. Rates scale with audience size and category competitiveness.
How do you evaluate an influencer’s channel?
Compare views to subscribers rather than subscriber count. A healthy channel pulls views at roughly 10% of its subscriber base.
Does video increase Amazon conversion rates?
Yes, by roughly 25% to 30% on average across categories, with some categories seeing closer to 50%. Basket size and purchase intent rise as well.
What click through rate do influencer videos get?
Three to six percent to the linked product page, and up to 10% on strong campaigns. Display advertising rarely clears 1%.
How do you track influencer marketing ROI?
Compare sales and conversion for 30 days before and after the video goes live. Click data captures only part of the effect, since many buyers return later directly.
What type of influencer video converts best?
Reviews, unboxings, and how-to videos on product pages, where shoppers want specific information. Integrated placements inside longer videos work better on social.
Can any product use influencer marketing?
Largely yes. Any product that can be shown in use has a natural place in someone’s content, including mundane kitchen items.
Should you write the influencer’s video title?
Supply keywords and let them phrase it. Overly prescriptive titles tend not to resonate with the creator’s audience.
