On this week’s episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast, Rob Wagener and I discuss how the Amazon Influencer Program turned into a full-time income stream after his affiliate blog was destroyed by the Useful Content Update (HCU). Rob shares his detailed strategy on how to succeed with AIP, including the exact criteria he uses to select products, what separates the top earners from the rest, and how he uses data to scale efficiently.
If you’re looking for a blueprint for making AIP work, especially in today’s changing landscape, this is the episode for you. Let’s take a look at Rob’s journey, his tactical approach, or the key lessons he shares for those looking to get started or take their skills to the next level.
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Fallout from HCU and the Quest for What’s Next
Rob wasn’t always an Amazon Influencer. He started like many others in this field: building a niche site, earning affiliate income, and trying to play the long SEO game. That worked fine for a while, but then it didn’t.
- In 2023, the Useful Content Update destroyed his main source of online income, his blog.
- Rob described feeling “crushed” as he watched something he built slowly crumble, even though he tried to save it with his many SEO courses and strategies.
- During that difficult period, he remembered hearing about the Amazon Influencer Program and decided to give it a try, even though he didn’t know exactly what he was signing up for.
With no video experience, he submitted three YouTube clips and was accepted. He made over $2,000 in his first month and it immediately caught his eye.
From Side Hustle to Full Time Job
Rob is quick to point out that AIP is not passive, at least not at the level it works. He put in hours every day as a second job, not as a casual job.
- When he was fired in April 2025, AIP was already earning enough to replace his full-time salary.
- Consistency, he says, is the key differentiator between people making $500 a month and people making more than $10,000.
- Rob interacts with many creators through his Oink Chrome extension and sees a common theme: high earners consistently build new product and content pipelines.
Two simple rules for product selection
This is where Rob’s clarity really shines. It divides the product selection strategy into only two criteria:
- The product must be sold.
- Your video needs to have a place to be seen, meaning low competition.
He religiously adheres to these two rules and recommends them to others.
- It doesn’t matter how many videos you make. If they are for products that don’t sell, you won’t make money.
- It avoids full-carousel products, especially the top carousel, which usually holds five influencer videos.
- The total number of videos submitted to the product is not important to it, only whether there is visible space for a new video.
What does “Sales” mean in practice?
Not all “sales” products are created equal. Rob explains that it’s not just about the raw number of units sold, it’s also about the context.
- A product that sells 500 units per month with an empty carousel is more attractive than a product that sells 50,000 units with no visibility.
- His personal base is 500 units per month, but it will go down if there is zero competition or if a Creative Contact campaign is added to the product.
- It prefers top carousel placements, but will consider lower ones if it means being one of the only videos there.
What’s changed in AIP and why now is the best time
According to Rob, the Amazon Influencer Program at the end of 2025 will be radically different than it was even a year ago. This has brought a flood of new and returning creators.
- Creator Connections, Amazon’s high-commission campaign program, is now fully integrated into the AIP ecosystem.
- Many influencers, including Rob, now earn more from Creative Links than from traditional shoppable video commissions.
- Amazon is aggressively expanding the program, with approximately 500,000 campaigns available and expected to continue to grow.
Rob says he hears every day from people who have joined AIP in the past, left it, and come back because of how much it has grown.
The Daily Routine of a Successful Influencer
Rob’s workflow isn’t brilliant; efficient and repeatable. Its entire strategy revolves around maintaining a strong product line.
- Each day begins with the purchase of products that meet his two main criteria.
- He then figures out how to get those products: buy them, request samples through Creative Connections, or repurpose items he already owns.
- He spends the rest of his time shooting, editing and uploading videos.
Simplicity is deceptive. Rob says people often overcomplicate things or avoid brilliant tactics. But the best creators have a laser focus on pipeline and execution.
The Most Successful Creators Share One Trait
When asked what sets the top 1% of AIP earners apart, Rob had a simple answer: consistency.
- Most successful creators touch the app every day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes.
- They continue to upload new videos, engage with brands and optimize their workflows.
- Rob mentioned a creator who uploads about 6.5 videos a day, not extreme, but consistent over time, and it produces great results.
This approach stands in contrast to the “spray and pray” method that many influencers use, where they upload a few videos and hope something happens.
Oink: Chrome Extension created by Influencer by Influencer
Rob built the Oink extension to solve his problems. Then he realized that other creators had the same problems, and it went away.
- Oink helps creators instantly assess whether a product is worth making a video about.
- It shows estimated monthly sales, carousel availability and campaign opportunities all in one place.
- There are also functions to track broken videos, messaging brands and sort campaigns by payment.
For side runners in particular, scaling can make the product pipeline process faster and more efficient, which Rob says is often the hardest part for startups.
Final Thoughts
Rob’s story is a perfect example of adapting in the face of change. What started as a precarious internship during the SEO shake-up turned into a sprawling, full-time job. But he is clear that success does not depend on luck; it’s about keeping the work consistent and focused.
If you are considering the Amazon Influencer Program:
- Track the data. Use clear criteria to evaluate each product.
- Stay persistent. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it scales well over time.
- Take advantage of the tools available, especially Chrome extensions like Creator Connections and Oink.
- Don’t waste time on products that don’t look good. Always ask: will anyone see this video?
- For content creators burned out by algorithm updates or tired of waiting for search traffic to kick in, AIP offers something refreshing: a data-driven, repeatable and cost-effective model if you want to be seen and get the job done.
And as Rob says, “It’s simple. Not easy. But it’s simple.”
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