The Buzz on Amazon Spark
Do you hear that? That buzz, that hum, that trickle of excitement and intrigue making it’s way through the internet? There’s a mysterious new kid on the social media block and everyone is just itching to get to know them better. After months of near-silent testing, tech giant Amazon launched its own social media platform on July 18th: Amazon Spark. The social and shopping platform is accessible only to iPhone-using Amazon members in the United States, through Amazon’s existing app. It’s shiny, new and somewhat exclusive, so naturally tech ears everywhere are perking up! But does it have what it takes to stand up to the social good old boys, Instagram and Facebook?
Spark feels familiar to users of Instagram and Pinterest-The app is image-driven and features curated feeds based on interests that users select when signing up. Its most significant differentiator from previous social media platforms is ease of purchase. Users can simply tap from their feed to access the Amazon listing of a product, and purchase from within the app. Amazon’s strategy in launching Spark seems to be a slow roll-out and vague messaging, which leaves users and brands interested in Spark with more questions than answers.
What We Do Know about Spark:
Only Prime users can use the full capabilities of Spark, and that’s likely a deliberate choice. Any Amazon user can browse Spark, but only paid Prime members are able to post or engage with content. Given that the average Prime member spends $600 more per year, and places more than 10 more orders per year than the average non-paying user, Amazon’s choice to limit full use of Spark to Prime members seems intended to capitalize on their most engaged customers.
Amazon loves impulse buying even more than we do. Amazon has been consistently updating the user experience to increase “product discovery”- changing users’ focus away from their shopping list and towards impulse buys. Spark represents the ultimate extension of this idea, in that it is positioned as a platform almost entirely dedicated to product discovery, and that the content users see is based on “interests,” not “needs.”
What We Don’t Know about Amazon Spark:
What does it mean to be an “Enthusiast?” Nearly every piece written about Spark references “Enthusiasts,” but definitions of the term range widely. Some suggest that anyone who posts to Spark is considered an Enthusiast. Others believe that engaging consistently on the platform triggers an upgrade to Enthusiast-status. Still others maintain that only influencers, who mark their posts with #sponsored and bear an Instagram-style verified check mark on their profile count as “Enthusiasts.”
Who will drive sales on Spark? It remains unclear whether Spark will become dominated by influencers, as has been the case on Instagram, or whether it will be a more democratized community of Prime members sharing their opinions. Brands are currently unable to post through Spark at all. Currently, there is no indication of whether there will ever be business pages- and if so, how much access to analytics the traditionally reticent e-commerce site will provide for brands.
Will it take off? As with any nascent social media platform, the biggest question is whether or not it will be used. Spark could give users a seamless means of transitioning from social inspiration to point-of-purchase. Or, jaded users who react poorly to #ad on Instagram and mistrust big brands might take a more cynical view of a platform designed by the largest e commerce site in the world.
Have you tried Spark? Let us know your thoughts! To learn more about how your brand can utilize Spark and other social media platforms, contact us today at www.wearelms.com!