FORT COLLINS, Colorado – Andreea Matei has built a lucrative side hustle reviewing products on Amazon, raking in over $20,000 in just eight months. Her journey from making $1.28 on her first video to consistently earning thousands passively highlights the money-making potential of Amazon’s Influencer Program.
Humble Beginnings
Last November, Matei posted a 75-second video reviewing an electrolyte powder for the first time through the Amazon Influencer Program. Under the program, content creators can earn commissions when someone purchases a product after viewing their video.
Matei was thrilled when she earned $1.28 from that first video. It wasn’t much, but the minimal effort involved made her realize she was onto something big.
“It wasn’t much, but considering how easily she earned the cash, Matei knew she was onto something, she says,” reports CNBC.
Since that first video, Matei estimates she has posted almost 1,000 reviews. Each one takes her 20 minutes at most to film and edit. Those videos have earned her $21,700 total over the last eight months – an average of $2,700 per month.
Passive Income Stream
According to Matei, she spends no more than three hours per week filming, recording voiceovers, and editing videos from her Fort Collins home.
“Once you create videos, it’s totally passive,” she told CNBC. “I have not had any time to make videos this week, and the money still keeps coming in.”
At 47, Matei is a side hustle pro. She runs a media consulting site called Launch Grow Joy, where she teaches people how to grow small businesses and side gigs. Her golden rule for side hustle success: Find an audience, listen to what it wants, and deliver.
Amazon Reviews Pay Off
Matei’s other side hustles include a podcast, YouTube channel, and health content website. But none have been nearly as profitable for her as reviewing products for Amazon.
She first learned about the opportunity from a YouTube video titled “the world’s easiest side hustle.” After applying and getting accepted due to her substantial social media following, the daily payouts from her reviews quickly took off.
“I made $40 a day, then $50 the next day, then $100. I had to keep going. It was so much fun,” Matei told CNBC.
Now, she typically records 2-3 product reviews each morning so she can focus on her consulting business during the daytime. To keep the income flowing during busy periods, she tries to “stockpile” videos in advance.
Free Products and Payments
Initially, Matei reviewed products she already owned or found at friends’ and family members’ homes. Now, Amazon sellers send her free items and pay her to review them across her social channels.
While Matei’s success may be hard to replicate, it highlights the earning potential of Amazon’s Influencer Program for those accepted. However, applicants need a substantial following on major platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.
Matei notes that income fluctuates based on Amazon’s algorithm changes. But she aims to turn it into a six-figure side hustle on top of her consulting business. Her story shows that with consistency and strategic planning, Amazon’s platform can become a passive yet profitable income stream.