A detailed guide on Amazon Vine program for sellers

“First impressions matter.” 

This couldn’t be more true for e-commerce businesses trying to grow on Amazon. 

When a viable customer visits your product listing, he/she scans through the images, description, A+ content, and customer reviews. 

That’s right!

You need reviews that serve as social proof to convert a visitor into your customer. 

The Amazon Vine program can help you with just that! 

From eligibility requirements to enrollment programs to finding review-generating strategies, this article covers everything you need to know about the Amazon Vine Program!

So, let’s get started!

Here’s a quick guide to the article

1. What is the Amazon Vine program?
2. How does the Amazon Vine program work?
3. How does Vine Program benefit Amazon sellers?
4. How much does the Amazon Vine program cost?
5. What are the requirements to enroll in Amazon Vine program?
6. How to get started with the Amazon Vine program
7. How many ASINs can a brand enroll in the Amazon Vine program?
8. Product restriction for the Amazon Vine program
9. Other alternatives to get trusted reviews on Amazon
10. How to become an Amazon Vine reviewer?
11. How do I get invited to Vine Program on Amazon?
12. Frequently asked questions about Amazon Vine Program
13. Final Thoughts

Note: If you want to become an Amazon Vine Reviewer, and want to know how it works, skip to this part.

What is the Amazon Vine program?

Amazon Vine program is a product review program designed to help Amazon’s vendors and sellers get reviews for their newly launched or pre-release products. The program is available to a community of reviewers who receive free or discounted products from Amazon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Amazon Vine members, also known as “Vine Voices,” are selected by Amazon based on their reviewer rank, helpfulness votes, and overall reputation. These reviewers are then offered the opportunity to participate in the program and receive free products in exchange for writing reviews.

The program is beneficial for both Amazon vendors and shoppers as it allows vendors to receive authentic and valuable reviews from verified purchasers, while shoppers can make informed purchasing decisions based on these reviews. 

The below image is an example of a review from one of the Vine voices.

How does the Amazon Vine program work?

So, here’s how the Amazon Vine program typically works:

1. Amazon vendors or sellers apply to participate in the program by submitting their products to Amazon.

2. Amazon selects products that are eligible for the program based on factors such as the product’s category, customer demand, and availability.

3. Amazon invites its most trusted reviewers, known as Vine Voices, to participate in the program. Vine Voices are selected based on their reviewer rank, helpfulness votes, and overall reputation.

4. Amazon sends the selected Vine Voices a list of eligible products to choose from. The Vine Voices can select up to five products at a time.

5. Amazon vendors or sellers send the selected products to Vine Voices free of charge.

6. Vine Voices receive the products and are required to write an honest and unbiased review within 30 days of receiving the product.

7. Amazon posts the Vine Voice reviews on the product detail pages along with a special Vine badge to indicate that the review was written as part of the program.

It’s important to note that Vine Voices are not paid for their reviews and are not required to write a positive review in exchange for receiving the product. However, if Vine Voice consistently writes low-quality or biased reviews, they may be removed from the program.

How does Vine Program benefit Amazon sellers?

Amazon Vine program is designed in a way to help you get more high-quality reviews for your products on the Amazon marketplace. Here are some of the benefits that come with participating in the program:

High-quality reviews

Amazon Vine members are selected based on their history of providing high-quality and helpful reviews. This means that products reviewed by Vine members are likely to receive well-written and thoughtful feedback that can help other shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.

Brand awareness

The Amazon Vine program can help increase brand awareness for products by getting them in front of more potential customers. When Vine members review a product, their reviews are labeled as such, which can help draw attention to the product and make it stand out from other products on Amazon.

Increased review potential

Sellers and vendors who participate in the Amazon Vine program can receive more reviews for their products than they might otherwise. This can help build a larger base of reviews for a product, which can be important for social proof and SEO purposes.

Increased traffic and conversion

Products that receive more reviews and have higher ratings are more likely to be featured in Amazon’s search results and recommended product sections. This can help drive more traffic to a product’s listing and increase conversion rates.

Helpful and practical feedback

Amazon Vine members are typically highly engaged and thoughtful reviewers who take the time to provide practical and helpful feedback. This can be valuable for sellers and vendors who are looking to improve their products or identify areas where they can make improvements.

If you have understood what are the benefits, let’s move on to who gets benefited from Amazon’s Vine program.

Who benefits from the Amazon Vine program?

The Amazon Vine program has advantages for both sellers and buyers, but it can be particularly challenging for new brands or products. To ensure that they receive early reviews that can drive new sales, sellers send samples to Vine reviewers before launching their products. Such early reviews, especially those with 4- or 5-star ratings, are often preferred by customers and can contribute to the product listing of the seller. Vine also aids in boosting your product’s conversion rates. As a result, positive reviews are crucial in generating sales and maintaining a high rank in search and browse queries.

How much does the Amazon Vine program cost?

Currently, the Amazon Vine program is completely free for sellers to enroll in. However, in the past, vendors were charged a fee of $2,500 per enrolled ASIN.

It’s important to understand that simply enrolling in the Vine program does not guarantee positive reviews for your product. It’s crucial that the product listing page accurately reflects the product being sold, as inaccurate or misleading information can lead to negative reviews. Sellers should ensure that all details, such as product descriptions and images, are accurate and provide a clear representation of the product.

What are the requirements to enroll in Amazon Vine program?

The Amazon Vine program was previously only available to vendors, but since 2019, sellers have also been able to enroll. To be eligible for the program, sellers must meet certain requirements:

• The seller must have a professional selling account on Amazon.
• The seller must be enrolled in Amazon’s brand registry.
• The product being enrolled in the Vine program must have fewer than 30 reviews or ratings.
• The product must be available in new condition through Amazon’s FBA service.
• The seller must have sufficient inventory of the product.
• The product must be launched at the time of enrollment.
• The product listing page must have an image, title, and description.
• Digital software, applications, and adult products are not eligible for the Vine program.

By meeting these criteria, sellers can enroll in the Amazon Vine program and provide their products to Vine members in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. It’s important to note that not all applicants will be accepted into the program, as Amazon reviews each application on a case-by-case basis.

How to get started with the Amazon Vine program

To enroll in the Amazon Vine program, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account and click on the Advertising tab, then select Vine.

2. Enter the ASIN you want to enroll in the search box and select the number of units you want to make available for Vine Voices (up to 30).

3. Once the ASIN is registered, you can track progress through the enrollment details page by selecting the ‘Details’ button.

4. Amazon has increased the enrollment limit from 60 to 200 ASINs, allowing brands to simultaneously enroll up to 200 ASINs and potentially increase their reach and sales on the marketplace.
5. When enrolling in the Vine program, sellers must provide free units of the product to be reviewed by Amazon Vine Voices. After enrolling, Vine Voices can request the product after 24 hours, then analyze and start reviewing it.

The Amazon Vine program has three tiers of enrollment: 

• Basic Level
• Plus level
• Premium level

The Basic level allows registration of 5 products, the Plus level allows enrollment of 10 products, and the Premium level allows registration of up to 20 products.

How can you cancel your Amazon Vine enrollment?

If you need to cancel your enrollment in Vine, you can do so quickly and easily by following these steps:

• Visit your Amazon Seller Central homepage.
• Hover over the “Advertising” tab and select “Vine.”

• Choose the product for which you wish to cancel enrollment and click “Details.”

• In the bottom right-hand corner of the page, select “Stop enrollment.”

How many ASINs can a brand enroll in the Amazon Vine program?

Under the Vine program, every enrolled product is eligible to receive a maximum of 30 reviews per ASIN. This means that if your product already has 20 reviews, it can get up to 10 more reviews through Vine.

Product restrictions for the Amazon Vine program

Not all products are eligible for the Amazon Vine program. Restricted products are not eligible for enrollment, including items that require bundling for delivery or review and those that require reviewers to purchase additional products to conduct the review. 

Do keep in mind that Hazmat goods, drop-ship items, heavy or bulk items, and sample goods are also not eligible.

Other alternatives to get trusted reviews on Amazon

Gaining verified reviews can be a challenging task, but they play a vital role in building trust among your customers. Although the Amazon Vine program offers numerous benefits, it may not be a suitable option for every seller due to its eligibility criteria. In such cases, there are alternative programs available to consider

Amazon Early Reviewer Program

One such option is the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, which is comparable to the Vine program but comes with a fee and allows up to five product reviews.

Automate your reviews with Emails

Another effective way to generate reviews on Amazon is to automate the process with emails. You can send a series of emails to customers after they make a purchase, with the goal of establishing a connection with them and encouraging them to leave a review.

By using this strategy, you can enhance brand engagement and increase your chances of receiving reviews on Amazon. Remember to keep your emails concise, informative, and friendly, and always provide value to your customers.

SellerApp review request tool

The SellerApp review request Chrome extension is a helpful tool that simplifies the process of requesting reviews from customers. By using this tool, you can save time and effort, as it allows you to send multiple review requests from your seller central account all at once. Moreover, this tool is available for free and can be accessed through the provided link.

How to become an Amazon Vine reviewer?

If you’re a good match for the Vine Voices program, Amazon will typically reach out to you. They prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to the number of reviews you’ve completed. To determine if you’re a suitable candidate, Amazon looks at factors such as the helpfulness of your reviews, your expertise in a specific product category, and the recency of your reviews.

However, it’s challenging to know which products are enrolled in the Vine program if you haven’t been invited yet. Amazon doesn’t have a set system for selecting reviewers for the program, and the selection process can vary depending on the categories they want to add new Vine reviewers to. Additionally, Amazon doesn’t disclose how often they invite reviewers, so it’s unclear if they’re actively adding new Vine reviewers. However, some users on forums like Reddit may share when new Vine reviewer slots become available. New slots only become available when old users leave the program.

How do I get invited to Vine Program on Amazon?

To become one of Amazon’s trusted reviewers, you’ll need to catch the attention of the company. Although Amazon does not have a specific process for selecting reviewers, it does provide some guidance on what it looks for in a Vine reviewer. Rather than focusing on the number of reviews, Amazon prioritizes the quality of reviews. Amazon’s criteria for selecting Vine Voices include a reviewer’s rank, expertise in a specific product category, and the recency of reviews. Vine reviewers are also expected to have an interest in products similar to those enrolled in the Vine program.

However, it’s not easy to know which products are enrolled in the program since vendors pay to have their products included. To increase your chances of being invited, you can work on getting more helpful votes on your reviews and sticking to one specific product category to become an expert in that field.

Amazon doesn’t disclose its specific selection process or how often it invites new reviewers to the Vine program. Therefore, you’ll need to keep writing helpful reviews and wait for Amazon to reach out to you if they believe you meet their criteria for Vine Voices.

Frequently asked questions about Amazon Vine Program

Is the Amazon Vine program legit?

Yes, the Amazon Vine program is a legitimate program offered by Amazon to help sellers generate early reviews for their new products. Vine reviewers are carefully selected by Amazon and are required to leave unbiased and honest reviews. While there is a cost associated with participating in the program, it can help sellers gain valuable feedback and increase their product’s visibility and sales on Amazon. However, not all products are eligible for the Vine program, and there are limitations and alternatives that sellers should consider before deciding to participate.

Is the Amazon Vine program still available?

Yes, the Amazon Vine program is still available. It is a program designed for sellers to get early reviews for their products from a group of pre-approved Amazon Vine reviewers. While there are some limitations and requirements to be eligible for the program, it can be a useful tool for new or lesser-known products to gain initial reviews and improve their visibility on the Amazon marketplace.

How Many Reviews Can an ASIN Receive Through Amazon Vine?

Amazon Vine allows up to 30 reviews for each product ASIN. However, if a product already has 25 reviews, it can only receive a maximum of 5 reviews through the program. On the other hand, if a product has no reviews yet, it can receive a maximum of 30 reviews through Amazon Vine.

How much does Amazon Vine pay?

Amazon Vine program doesn’t pay the reviewers for their reviews. The program provides free products to the reviewers in exchange for their unbiased reviews. Amazon Vine program helps sellers to improve their product ranking and ultimately increase sales.

Final Thoughts

Amazon Vine program can be an excellent opportunity for sellers to get early reviews for their products and increase their visibility on Amazon. While it may have some limitations and eligibility requirements, there are alternative options available for those who don’t qualify for the program. Sellers should also keep in mind that generating genuine and honest reviews from customers is crucial for the success of their products on Amazon. 

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