Amazon Vine Program: Everything Sellers Should Know 

Customer reviews can be a major game changer when selling on Amazon. In fact, statistics reveal that 9 out of 10 consumers rely on customer reviews before making a purchase. Customer reviews not only impact sales, but also determines your product ranking in Amazon’s A10 Algorithm. 

While customer reviews are an essential component for success on the Amazon marketplace, they could take some time to generate. 

Thankfully, Amazon has introduced the Amazon Vine Program where trusted and eligible reviewers are invited to drop their honest reviews on a product. In exchange, these reviewers get the products for free. 

With the Amazon Vine Program, sellers can increase the number of reviews on their product, boost their conversion rate and increase Amazon sales. 

What is the Amazon Vine Program? 

The Amazon Vine Program invites trusted reviewers called Vine Voices to drop unbiased and authentic reviews on new or pre-release items. The goal of this program is to provide reliable feedback for customers to make informed purchase decisions. 

Amazon invites reviewers based on their reviewer rank amongst other criteria. In exchange, Amazon gives them free products from the brand or sellers. 

What kind of reviews can you expect from Amazon Vine? 

Amazon invites the most trusted reviewers who meet certain criteria to drop their reviews on a product. This means you can expect a well-detailed review. However, while you can expect relevant and authentic reviews, the program doesn’t guarantee positive reviews. 

Also, you will not be able to remove the reviews unless they go against Amazon’s Terms and Conditions. 

How many reviews can a product get through Amazon Vine? 

The Amazon Vine program allows a maximum of 30 reviews for each product. This means that if your product already has 5 reviews, the maximum number of reviews it can receive is 25. 

Benefits of joining Amazon Vine 

There are several benefits of joining Amazon Vine for both sellers and buyers. Here are a few benefits of the Amazon Vine Program: 

Benefits for sellers 

• As an Amazon seller, you get unbiased reviews that potential customers can trust. Reviewers are carefully selected by Amazon and their reviews are more organized and detailed. Ultimately, this can provide potential customers with all the product information they need, boost your conversion rates and increase sales on Amazon.
• Launching a new product can be exciting. However, promoting the product and getting it up in Amazon search results may be quite challenging. New products need a boost to drive sales. With Amazon Vine, you can get quality reviews that can increase brand awareness for new or slow-moving products
• Helpful quality reviews can increase brand trust and ultimately get you loyal customers. 
• Quality reviews from the Amazon Vine Program can improve your product rankings on the Amazon search results

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Benefits for buyers 

• Amazon Vine reviewers focus on providing detailed feedback. Buyers can rely on accurate reviews to give them a good picture of how the product will work for them before they make a purchase. 

How much does the Amazon Vine Program cost?

The Amazon Vine Program is free asides from the cost of your products and tax burdens on your products. Sellers are also responsible for other fees like FBA shipping fees. Amazon Vine Reviewers receive free or discounted products as ‘payment’. 

How can I enroll in the Amazon Vine Program?

Here are simple steps to enroll in the Amazon Vine program: 

• Firstly, go to your Amazon Seller Central
• Under the Advertising Tab, click on Vine 
• Put in the ASIN you want to enroll on Amazon Vine in the search box
• Next, go to your vine dashboard and set up enrollment for your ASINs. Include the number of units you want to enroll
• Once you enroll your ASINs, you can track the progress of the ASIN by clicking on the same ‘Details’ button. 

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There are three levels of enrollment: 

• Basic level: The Basic level allows you to enroll 5 products 
• Plus level: The Plus level allows you to enroll 10 products
• Premium level: The Premium level allows you to register up to 20 products

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How do I become an Amazon Vine Reviewer?

Amazon prioritizes authentic reviews. Through the Amazon Vine program, customers can get a good idea of what the product is like before making a purchase. 

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Amazon Vine reviewers are typically invited. Amazon will reach out to you if you are a good fit for the program. Amazon focuses on the quality of the reviews and here are some guidelines for Vine Voices: 

• Reviewer's rank which includes the helpfulness of the reviews and the number of reviews. Reviewers with reviews constantly marked as helpful have a higher chance of becoming a vine member. 
• Showing expertise in a specific category can give you a better chance of becoming a Vine member. Amazon looks out for your interest in a specific category. 
• Amazon pays more attention to recent reviews since product rankings get updated every few days. 

While Amazon offers some guidelines, there is no clear structure on how Amazon picks reviewers. We've found reviewers with thousands of helpful votes who are not part of the program. Also, Amazon does not disclose how often they invite reviewers. 

Product requirements to enroll in Amazon Vine Program

To be eligible to enroll in the Amazon Vine Program, you need to meet the following criteria: 

• Be a professional seller 
• Be registered under the Amazon Brand Registry 
• Have less than 30 reviews on the product you want to enroll in Amazon Vine Program
• Should you have your products launched at the time of enrollment
• Should have available inventory
• The enrolled product should have complete information (including a product title, image, and description) on the listing page
• The product should be available under Amazon FBA in “New” condition
• Should not be a digital software, application, or adult product  

Product restrictions to enroll in Amazon Vine Program 

Amazon also has the following restrictions for products to enroll on the Amazon Vine Program:

• Restricted products are not eligible for the Amazon Vine Program
• Products that require Amazon to bundle multiple products for review and delivery
• Products that require reviewers to order another product. In other words, products that require another specific product to conduct a review are not eligible
• Products that do not match the exact product listed on the Amazon FBA offer 
• Products like items sold in a package, heavy and bulky items, sample goods, and dropship items are not eligible  

Is it possible to cancel my enrollment? 

Yes, you can cancel your enrollment in the Amazon Vine Program. Simply follow these steps: 

• On your Amazon Seller Central page, hover around the advertising tab and click on Vine
• Click on the “Details” button next to the product you want to cancel enrollment for
• Click Cancel enrollment on the bottom right corner of the page 

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Alternative ways to generate customer reviews 

Perhaps your products aren’t eligible for Amazon Vine. There are other alternatives to generate customer reviews for your products and increase sales on Amazon. 

Amazon review software 

Amazon review software is a technology that can help you automate customer reviews easily. With Amazon review software, you can generate more feedback, simplify your daily tasks and track your performance. Some of these review software help with feedback management, sending personalized messaging, tracking negative reviews, and much more. There are several Amazon review software tools you can invest in. Some of them include AMZFinder, FeedbackWhiz, SellerApp, etc. 

Emails

Emails are a powerful tool to not only get customer reviews on your product but to also establish a relationship with your customers. You can send emails after delivery encouraging your customers to leave a review on your product. You want to ensure your email is polite, well-written, and carries a link to redirect customers to your product listing so they can leave a review. 

Package inserts 

Another great way to generate reviews on your product is through package inserts. You can get the attention of your customers using creative package inserts. Your package insert card should encourage your customers to leave a review. You can also include your social media handles or QR codes that link to your website. 

Final thoughts on Amazon Vine Program 

If you’re looking to launch a new product or sell a slow-moving product, the Amazon Vine program is a great way to generate quality reviews to drive sales. What’s great about the Amazon Vine program is that Amazon only recruits top-ranking reviewers. As an Amazon seller, you can be sure to get high-quality and relevant customer reviews that will help your potential customers make a buying decision.