• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 9, 2022

Amazon has launched Inspire, a TikTok-like in-app feed that lets consumers explore and buy merchandise from a curated feed of short-form videos and photos from influencers, brands and other consumers.   

Amazon, which hopes to draw sales away from TikTok and other apps, is making the feed accessible to select U.S. customers early this month, through  the Amazon mobile app on iOS and Android, with a full U.S. rollout to follow in coming months. 

Brands and sellers in Amazon’s Brand Registry with active Brand Stores can post to Inspire.

To use the feature, consumers open the Amazon Shopping app and tap the Inspire icon. The first time they use it, they are asked to help personalize their feed by selecting from a list of more than  20 interests, such as pets, gaming, interior design, travel, plants, skin car and makeup.

The feed is designed to become more customized as it tracks engagement behavior and accumulates information about specific users’ preferences over time.

Users tap on buttons at the bottom of a product window to link to it on Amazon. The product appears in a window overlaying the video. Tapping on “See all details” takes them to a product page with more information and the ability to add it to a wish list or purchase it.  

To see the next video, users swipe up from the bottom, much like TikTok’s vertical feed.

In addition, like Instagram, Inspire lets users tap on photos to “like” the content.

“In just a few taps, customers can discover new products or get inspiration on what to buy, all tailored to their interests, and then shop for those items on Amazon,” stated Oliver Messenger, director of Amazon Shopping.

Amazon says it will add more shoppable features to Inspire over time.

Participating influencers can earn money through the Amazon Influencer Program for purchases made by their followers through their posts.