Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Twitter has been an amazing platform for content creators and small business owners to build community, showcase their work and knowledge, and express distinct viewpoints. In our series, Social Proof, we’ve spoken to content creators who’ve literally built their careers by tweeting about their interests and passions. And the power of Twitter can be leveraged by professionals in virtually all fields – making it a great channel to build community. And now, Twitter is giving creators a new tool to connect with their most ardent supporters – Super Followers. The feature was first introduced in September of 2021, and allows creators to earn revenue from their tweets, while also providing a way for them to deepen their relationship with their biggest fans. Here’s exactly how the feature works and how two content creators are creating exclusive tweets for their Twitter Super Followers.What exactly does it mean to have Twitter Super Followers?Your Twitter Super Followers will be privy to specific content that you’ve curated especially for them. Currently, Super Followers is being tested, meaning it’s only available to certain people who’re in the test group and not a feature just anyone can use. Even if you are included in this special group, you’ll still need to apply to have Super Followers. Here are the qualifications you’ll need to meet: Be 18 years or olderHave at least 10,000 FollowersHave Tweeted at least 25 times in the last 30 days How exactly does a normal follower get upgraded to a Super Follower? They will need to subscribe and pay a monthly fee. Twitter gives creators the option to set the price – you can choose from three different tiers: $2.99, $4.99, and $9.99. Once you start getting subscribers, that’s when the fun begins! You’ll be able to plan out and create specific content for an exclusive portion of your audience, aka your Super Followers. Along with seeing exclusive tweets, Super Followers will also have a badge displayed next to their name that will show up when they interact with your Tweets. And, they’ll have access to exclusive Twitter Spaces you can host.Source: TwitterAs this feature is still in development, Twitter has said they’re looking into adding additional perks and bonus content for Super Followers.How these content creators utilize Twitter Super FollowersMaybe you’re interested in having Super Followers, but you’re not entirely sure how you’d go about it. To give you some insight into the possibilities this new tool provides, here are how these two content creators are navigating the feature.Mr. Gary is more personal with his Twitter Super FollowersA long-time actor who got his start playing Nelson Tibideaux on The Cosby Show, Gary Gray’s Twitter account revolves around his art. Asides from acting, Gary does coaching for voice lessons, writes screenplays, and creates original art pieces. The actor has landed many of his followers through tweets he’s made about his previous roles — like when he posted about the 25th anniversary of Rocket Power – a popular Nickelodeon show he worked on.  Happy Jordan year (23!) to my first VO, the one and only Sam Dullard aka Squiiid – and to everyone involved with Rocket Power! 23 years ago the show dropped and y’all made us #1! Thanks to all y’all for watching then and STILL watching now – you the MVPs. Much love – GLG pic.twitter.com/k62eabcEuc— Mr. Gray (@GaryLGray) August 16, 2022

When Gary first got the notice that he was eligible to apply for Super Followers, he didn’t seriously think any of his followers would actually pay for extra tweets. That is, until he asked. He was surprised to see several individuals responding that they would be interested in Super Following him. The actor has been using the feature for the last couple of months and fluctuates between 8 – 14 Super Followers. Overall, he says he’s had a positive experience with it. The main difference in the content he creates for his Super Followers is that he’s intentionally more interactive with this group compared to the rest of his 24,000+ community. “On my regular Twitter, I’ll just say, you know, ‘Feeling meh,’” Gary said. “Whereas, with Super Followers, I’ll say, ‘Not feeling so good today. What did you guys do?’ Because it makes them feel a little less like they’re observing me and a little bit more like they’re included.”Gary also provides his Super Followers with additional perks including exclusive access to his sketches and art pieces at discounted prices. Recently, he just did his first giveaway for his Super Followers as well and gifted a signed copy of a Rocket Power video game. Gary offers his Super Followers exclusive access to art piecesGary appreciates this tight knit relationship he’s developed with his Super Follower community and has noticed that his Super Followers also seem to enjoy this content as they regularly interact with his exclusive tweets.Ashani the Alchemist offers personalized horoscopes for her Twitter Super FollowersA tarot reader and astrologist, Ashani has always felt drawn to the spiritual world. She majored in creative writing in college and worked at a spiritual shop which prepped her well to write the horoscope messages she would eventually be known for.  Mercury retrograde starts in about 2 weeks on September 9th.As the moon enters Libra today, now conj. Mercury, we are going to get a peek at the themes we’ll be facing next month. Imbalances in your life, especially your relationships, will be more evident at this time.— ashani the alchemist ☿ (@ashanism) August 29, 2022

After losing her job during the beginning of the pandemic, Ashani became more active on Twitter and her friends began asking her to do tarot readings – making her realize there was a demand for her service. She quickly went viral on Twitter and her popularity afforded her the opportunity to go on Instagram Live with rap superstar Cardi B and do a birth-chart reading for her. When Ashani was first introduced to Super Followers, she was very interested because she believed this feature could allow her to focus more on Twitter as a whole instead of other platforms like Patreon.“I was excited [for Super Followers] because I didn’t like Patreon for the sole fact that, one, it took me away from the engagement I had on Twitter. And I felt like I was working double time trying to create content for Twitter and Patreon.”Ashani has amassed just over 30 Super Followers in the last few months and provides them with more personalized horoscope messages than the ones she offers the rest of her 38,000+ following. However, the content creator admits that since the feature is so new, she is still figuring out how to best engage with her Super Followers. “[Super Followers] is a lot more of an intimate space,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure out how I can engage with people a little bit more, or, what they even want from me. Because obviously, they want the content and the information. But it’s like, how can I make it more fulfilling for myself as well?”As of now, Ashani does see the value in having Super Followers and plans to continue using it. However, she’s actively brainstorming new ways to engage with this exclusive audience in order to make the feature work best for both her community and her business. Still, her current Super Followers already see the value in the services and content she is providing, including one of her ardent supporters, Twitter user @luminary222. Luminary says she is happy to pay the $4.99 a month because she believes Ashani is a talented tarot reader and she personally connects with her messages.  “What I gain from being a Super Follower of Ashani is not only do I get more content, but I am helping her expand as a creator,” Luminary said. “I am letting her know that there’s people out there who care about her work and genuinely want to hear what she has to say.”Benefits of having Twitter Super FollowersYour supporters are what makes your business and content thrive, and Twitter Super Followers is a great way to provide them with special content that, hopefully, will allow them to forge a stronger connection to your work. Twitter Super Followers can provide the following benefits to you and your business.Streamline the amount of platforms you useAs a content creator, it can be hard to jumble multiple social accounts. The fact that Super Followers allows you to host a subscription service within Twitter is a big plus for Ashani. “I will say that I enjoy [Super Followers], because it’s all seamless,” she said. “It’s just a click of the button. All you have to do is press a little drop down menu and say, super followers versus everyone. So it’s a lot more simple. It’s all in one place. I do enjoy that.”Using this feature may make it possible for you to limit the number of other subscription based platforms you’re active on, like Patreon or Ko-Fi, reducing the amount of toggling you’ll be doing between accounts throughout the day. This can also allow you to spend more time curating specific content for Twitter and your Super Followers.Deepen your relationship with followersFor Gary, Super Followers has been a great way for him to open up on a more personal level with his biggest supporters. The actor is able to go beyond discussing work related matters, and introduce a more intimate side of himself. “Super Followers might get some [more personal] videos of me because it’s something that’s a little bit more intimate that I wouldn’t necessarily show a lot of people,” he said. The feature has made it possible for him to get to know his Super Followers better, making the relationship feel mutual instead of one-sided. This is not something he’d be able to do with his account’s main following as it would be quite difficult to get to know over 20,000 people intimately. Your Super Followers will also stand out to you when they interact with your normal content, too – thanks to the handy badge next to their name – meaning it will be easier to engage with them whenever they comment on your general tweets as well. Add a new source of revenueWhile you may not be able to rely solely on the income coming from your Twitter Super Followers, it can be a great way to earn some extra cash for your content.It’s good to note, however, that Twitter does tax some of this revenue. The social media platform has provided a helpful breakdown depicting a realistic look at what a content creator can take home from a Super Follower subscription. Source: TwitterWhat to consider before opting into Twitter Super FollowersRemember, social media sites are constantly adapting and adding new tools for content creators. It may be tempting to opt into a new feature when it’s first offered, but not every feature or trend will be a right fit for you and your brand.Since Super Followers is such a new and limited feature, there will also be a learning curve on how to best use it. As of now, there isn’t a ton of data on how Twitter Super Followers has benefited creators or small businesses. Here are some factors to consider if you’re leaning towards having Super Followers on your Twitter account.Make sure you have the capacity for itSometimes, it can be easy to jump on new social media trends in hopes of gaining more engagement and traction online. But in reality, it’s important to make sure you have the bandwidth to commit to these new features and channels. While Ashani is appreciative of all of her Super Followers, she’s also aware that $5 a month is not a sustainable enough income for her to constantly be churning out new content. “I have to be more discerning in my energy. And so I have to discern whether $5 is worth giving so much more of myself each month,” Ashani said. “No shade to all my super followers because I love them, and I’m appreciative of them, but even one of them told me that they’re [Super Following me] just to support me.” By implementing this feature, you will need to generate more content for your Super Followers, so make sure you have the creative and emotional capacity to do so as well as enough time in your schedule.Have a clear idea of how you’ll be dividing your contentOnce you decide to have Super Followers, you will need to make extra content for this group, which means you’ll also need to sort out exactly how you’ll be divvying up your tweets. While this isn’t necessarily a negative, it may add more work onto your plate. Now, whenever Gary plans to post on Twitter, he has to factor in what he can provide his Super Followers with versus his main following. “For instance, my anniversary content for Rocket Power — that day I’m thinking in my head, is it worth it to post something to super followers first?” Gary said. “Or, is this an everybody thing? Almost every big tweet or any big engagement like that, I have to sort of think about the separate groups.”Your Super Followers will be paying you for exclusive content, so it’s important to be strategic and organized when planning out tweets for them.Don’t alienate the rest of your audienceFor Ashani, a major struggle with implementing Super Followers has been her not wanting to neglect her main following. As a tarot reader, she gets most of her clients from her astrology and horoscope tweets which tend to receive tons of retweets and likes. To limit some of that content to her Super Followers can sometimes feel counterproductive. “When I post messages, I gain clients. I gain new followers. Those followers resonate with my work, and then they book with me. And, they book with me consistently,” she said. “And if I’m only posting messages on Super Followers, yeah, that’s 4.99 a month, but is it taking away from the tips I could get, the engagement I could get, the extra clients that I could get?”Ashani does caution other content creators and small businesses owners to really think about the effects Super Followers may have on their content before jumping into the feature.Have fun and experiment!While Gary appreciates his Twitter Super Followers, he also hopes Twitter will provide a clearer picture on best practices for using the feature as he feels the burden is currently on content creators to navigate it. “Twitter has to show businesses and creators the value in [Super Followers] by providing a sort of roadmap,” he said. For now, content creators are testing the feature, using it to the best of their abilities. Ashani encourages others to try out Super Followers, but to be intentional about it as well.“So the one thing I would say to people who are going to approach [Super Followers] is know what you’re trying to offer… and what you have the capacity to offer for the price point as well. Don’t overextend yourself … But consider it and have fun with it.”Do you Super Follow anyone on Twitter? We’d love to know the content creators you’re supporting! Drop their names in our DMs on Instagram or Twitter.

The creator economy is bustling — so much so, a LinkedIn report found job postings for creators have nearly tripled since 2021.
While the demand is there, one important question remains: is the salary keeping pace?
Here, we’ll cover the average salary of content creators, what influences the number, and strategies to increase your salary.

Table of Contents
Content Creator Salary in 2022
What influences the salary of content creators?

How to Increase Your Salary as a Content Creator
Finding a Job as a Content Creator
Content Creator Salary in 2022
The average salary for content creators in 2022 is $44,192 per year. That works out to be just over $22 an hour, or $3,680 per month.
The salary range is $36,000 to $58,500, with top earners generating up to $74,500 annually across the United States.
For comparison, here’s a roundup of similar jobs and their average annual salary:

Now let’s explore the different factors that influence the salary of creators in this field.
What influences the salary of content creators?
The term “content creator” is an umbrella term that includes everything from blog writing to videography. Because of this discrepancy, the salary for one role may be vastly different from another, even though the job titles are similar.
Let’s explore some additional factors that influence salary:
Location.
Not surprisingly, location can impact your base salary. For instance, while the national average salary for a content creator is $44,192 per year, this number jumps to $58,186 in New York City.
In fact, California, New York, and Massachusetts pay above the national average for this role. Take a look at the highest paying cities in the US for content creators:

city
average annual salary

Sunnyvale, CA
$63,681

Santa Rosa, CA
$61,708

Cambridge, MA
$59,792

Vacaville, CA
$58,557

New York City, NY
$58,186

Years of experience.
Experience also plays a large part in how much you can earn. Ultimately, your level of experience indicates to employers whether you’re capable of doing the job. The more years you have working as a content creator, the more you can expect to earn.
For example, the average salary of a junior video editor is $48,962 per year. On average, a senior video editor will make almost $20,000 more per year.

In-demand skills.
Content creators who posses certain skills are in great position to earn more than their counterparts. For example, a multilingual copywriter — or a marketing manager who specializes in automation— may earn more for these additional skills.
How to Increase Your Salary as a Content Creator
Here are a few strategies to land on the higher end of the salary range as a content creator:
1. Find your expertise.
While content creation is a multi-faceted job, it can be helpful to specialize in a certain area, such as web analytics, social media, search engine optimization, or content creation. This is especially crucial for freelance content creators who want to set themselves apart from the crowd.
2. Grow your skillset.
The field of content creation is always changing. For example, if you’re an SEO writer, you should always stay ahead of new algorithm updates and changes.
Set aside time to learn new skills, complete certifications, and read about new techniques and trends. In doing so, you can remain competitive and advocate for yourself.
Besides beefing up your technical skills, you can also benefit from developing your soft skills. After all, besides doing the technical scope of work, you’re also responsible for everything that goes into the business aspect, such as looking for clients, negotiating deals, or deciding your rates.
3. Create your own brand.

Branding isn’t just for businesses. Maintaining an online portfolio, blog, podcast, or social media account is an effective way to showcase your expertise, share your work, build authority, and network with new clients. Simply updating your LinkedIn profile and posting updates can boost awareness around your work.
Finding a Job as a Content Creator
Most content creators pursue one of the following career paths: freelance, in-house, or agency. If you want to find a job as a content creator, you may be wondering which avenue you should take.
Let’s take a closer look at these options:

Freelance — this is a solid path for creators who value flexibility. Freelancers set their own rates and have the freedom to work on multiple projects without committing to one employer — although you may have reoccurring clients. The downside? Freelancing is unpredictable, and work is never a guarantee.
In-house — this involves working for anything from a scrappy start-up to a large corporation. Perhaps the biggest perk is income stability. You also have more opportunities to collaborate with team members. That said, the work may lack variety which may get monotonous.
Agency — at an agency, you work with a team of experts to complete projects. Agency life is fast-paced, so expect to encounter a variety of industries and grow your portfolio at record speed. Like working in-house, you can expect consistent pay and work. However, with projects constantly crossing your desk, it’s easy to burnout in this environment.

As a content creator, you have the luxury of working in different environments. If you’re looking for the best fit, start by assessing your lifestyle, compensation requirements, work preferences, skill level, and comfortability working solo versus on a team.
Back To You
Content creation is an exciting area, but it’s important to be fairly compensated. Remember to stay consistent with your quality of work, and never forget the value you bring to the table.

Ever had a job where you clocked in, kept your head down for 8 hours, and clocked out? No staying extra hours to finish out a project or volunteering for tasks beyond your assignment workload.

This is what Millennials and Gen Z are calling quiet quitting. Learn why it’s trending on social media and how companies should address it.
What’s quiet quitting?
Quiet quitting is a term that took off on TikTok in a video by content creator Zaiad Khan.

@zaidleppelin On quiet quitting
#workreform
♬ original sound – ruby

In the video, which currently has 3.5 million views, the Tiktoker explains what quiet quitting is: A rejection of hustle culture and a reclaiming of work-life balance.
Shortly after, other TikTok users shared their thoughts and experiences with quiet quitting – the hashtag now gaining 97.6 million total video views.

So while the term includes the word “quitting,” it actually has nothing to do with it.
Confusing, I know. When I thought of quiet quitting, I pictured employees slowly backing away from their desks and sneaking out of the building Homer Simpson style, never to be seen again.
Instead, quiet quitting involves completing your work responsibilities without going above and beyond. This looks like logging out at 5 p.m., not seeking additional tasks or projects, and taking regular time off.
According to a Gallup survey, around half of the U.S. workforce is already quiet quitting, with work engagement dropping in the second quarter of 2022.
A recent article by the Washington Post dove into the trend and examines how women and people of color are already at a disadvantage in the workplace.
They face harsher punishments for mistakes, they have higher burnout rates, and they’re less likely to be promoted. As a result, quiet quitting could hold them back further. So, for many people of color, it’s something they can’t afford to do.
For others, it’s a form of rebellion. And for some, it’s an odd term to describe something they’ve done for decades.
How Companies Should Address Quiet Quitting
In an NPR article, critics of this term say that quiet quitting is a misnomer for setting boundaries at work and having a healthy work-life balance.
They also argue that this term highlights how many companies exploit employees and set an expectation of overperformance without adequate compensation.
This conversation comes following the Great Resignation, an economic trend in which employees quit their jobs in masses in 2021.
This was reportedly driven by low or stagnant wages, high cost of living, health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a desire for remote work. Not to mention burnout.
With this in mind, instead of seeing quiet quitting as a trend that’s harming the workplace, employers should see it as an opportunity to improve their workplace culture.
The fact is: Employees are only “quiet quitting” as a result of a poor workplace environment – and there’s data to support this.
A workplace study by HBR states that quiet quitting is a reflection of “bad bosses” rather than employees’ unwillingness to go the extra mile.
Their researchers found that managers who ranked highest in balancing business needs with employees’ needs had the highest percentage of employees willing to go the extra mile – 62% to be exact with only 3% quiet quitting.
This is a stark contrast to the managers who ranked the lowest in the category only having 20% of their employees willing to go the extra mile and 14% quiet quitting.
An employee who receives adequate support from their manager, is given growth opportunities, and is rewarded for their work will be motivated to perform at the highest level.
It’s up to employers to create the environment in which that happens. It starts with setting boundaries surrounding work hours – this can look like a no-contact policy around out-of-office times.
Management training is also important as that will likely have the strongest impact on the employee. Training on growth coaching, skill development, and pay transparency will help toward building trust with employees and promoting a positive work life.
In addition, set quarterly career chats between managers and their direct reports to discuss areas of interest and focus, current or expected challenges, and more. The more engagement managers build with their teams, the lower the likelihood of quiet quitting.
What to Do if You’re Managing a Quiet Quitter
If you realize you have a quiet quitter on your team, the first thing you should do is realize it’s likely due to a lack of trust between you and your employee.
Where do you go from there? Work on your relationship.
One of the best ways to do this is by having regular 1-on-1s in which you build your relationship. Find common ground, listen actively, pay attention to their interests, and share resources to support them in their growth.
In addition, set quarterly career chats to discuss their current trajectory. Here are key areas to discuss:

Interests and values
Strengths and gaps
Job satisfaction
Career goals

Once you have a clear understanding of what they’re working toward and what’s missing in their role, create an action plan together on how to meet their goals.
From there, set up a check-in schedule in which you’ll discuss progress, obstacles, and opportunities.
Next, be consistent and reliable. Think about it from a personal note – would you keep a friend who didn’t keep their word and on whom you couldn’t rely? Probably not. So, why should employer-employee relationships be any different? If anything, these traits are even more important as they influence your career.
Lastly, treat your employees like people. Being an engaged employee doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean giving your all. Work-life balance is a key part of job satisfaction and if that’s not a current priority for your team, you’ll end up with a long list of quiet quitters.
In most cases, a quiet quitter is simply an employee who doesn’t have the right support. Once you offer what they need, you’ll have an engaged performer on your hands.

With over 300 million active customers on Amazon, it’s no wonder you want to sell a product on the internet’s most visited ecommerce website. Fortunately, choosing what to sell on Amazon, and how to sell it, isn’t as hard as you might think. In fact, most of your research can be done for free on the site itself.

To ensure you choose a low-risk, high-return product to sell on Amazon, we’ve created this guide. Keep reading to learn about top-selling items, what you should sell, and how to conduct research to ensure whatever you’re selling is a safe bet on the ecommerce giant.
Top Selling Items on Amazon
First, for inspiration, let’s take a look at some of the top-selling products on Amazon.
Amazon itself curates a list of current best-sellers, ranging from toys to books to video games —and the list is updated hourly. Here are some of the top product categories:
1. Home & Kitchen

Given the wide range of products that fall within Home & Kitchen — appliances, furniture, décor, and more — it’s no wonder that 32% of sellers on Amazon opt to sell in this category. Plus, it’s a pretty booming industry with global retail sales of home and household appliances amounting to $448 billion dollars in 2021.
It’s important to note that because Home & Kitchen is so popular it may be more difficult for new sellers to find success in this category. So, if you’re considering breaking into this market, make sure you have a product that is high quality and serves a specific niche.
2. Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

It should be no surprise that Clothing, Shoes, & Jewelry is one of Amazon’s top product categories. After all, the ecommerce platform holds a nearly 35% share of all apparel sold online, making it one of the best-selling online fashion retailers. Specifically, Amazon shoppers prefer casual clothing over luxury apparel, with their top brands being Hanes and Amazon Essentials.
It’s important to note that this category can get a bit oversaturated, so it’s critical you ensure you’re able to offer something unique. People don’t turn to Amazon for expensive brand items — instead, they look for discounts. So, if you’re thinking of selling clothes, shoes, and jewelry, make sure your product is high quality and low price.
3. Electronics

From computers and TVs to surveillance systems and wearable technology, consumers are always looking for the latest in tech — especially when they are online shopping. In fact, almost half of all computer and electronics sales occur online.
Amazon consistently displays impressive prices on some of the world’s most popular electronics, so it makes sense that consumers often buy from the platform. This could be a promising category to consider as a third-party seller if you’re able to buy electronics in bulk.
4. Beauty & Personal Care

Though the Beauty & Personal Care industry experienced a 15% decrease in global sales in 2020, don’t underestimate its significance and resilience. The market bounced back with a revenue increase of nearly $3 billion in 2021 and is expected to continue to grow.
The Beauty & Personal Care category includes everything from makeup and skincare to fragrances and hair products. Even though there is quite a bit of competition in this market with 23% of third-party sellers listing items, those who specialize in creating handmade cosmetics may really excel in this category.
Of course, like anything, the more popular the product category, the more intense the competition. It’s important you find your niche to ensure you’re not competing with the 300,000 other search results for “white t-shirt.”
Before we get to what to sell on Amazon, let’s discuss how much it costs.

You’ll want to do your research on shipping costs and Amazon seller fees, so you know how much you’ll need to spend depending on your item. This information can help you narrow your decision — for instance, a two-to-three pound item will be lightweight and easy to ship, which can help lower your shipping fees.
Along with weight, you’ll want to consider products that aren’t easily breakable when you’re transporting them.
Additionally, most products on Amazon vary between $10 and $50, so you’ll want to choose items you can sell for relatively cheap while still making a profit.
How to Know What to Sell on Amazon
Once you’ve determined you’re willing to pay shipping costs — and that your product likely falls within a fair price range — it’s time to figure out what you want to sell. Here are five methods that can help you narrow down your search:
1. Manually conduct research on Amazon.com.
To manually research popular products on Amazon, you’ll want to start with Amazon’s best-selling items in a certain category. From there, you’ll start exploring that category’s sub-categories and narrow down on a niche.
When you check out Amazon’s best-sellers list, you might also look at the “Customers also bought” section to get ideas for similar products.
Once you make a list of items, check Google keyword planner to see whether those products have search volume, which indicates a level of demand. Alternatively, you could use Sellerapp’s product intelligence tool specifically for Amazon. Sellerapp offers a seven-day free trial, which allows you to begin investigating popular products on Amazon via keywords to further narrow your list.
2. Use a chrome extension to research products in a niche market.
There are two popular chrome extensions to help you conduct keyword research on Amazon: Jungle Scout and Unicorn Smasher.
Jungle Scout shows you monthly sales volumes on products and displays products with low competition. It allows you to save products to track them over time. Undoubtedly, Jungle Scout’s analytics can help you quickly and efficiently narrow down on a product or an industry in which you could excel. However, Jungle Scout is relatively pricey, particularly if you’re just starting out.
Unicorn Smasher is Jungle Scout’s free alternative. While the data isn’t as accurate as Jungle Scout, and it lacks some of Jungle Scout’s sophisticated features, it’s nonetheless a helpful free option to gather estimated monthly sales and estimated monthly sales revenue for Amazon products.
Some other popular product research extensions include:

FBA Calculator by AMZScout
Amazon Keyword Tool by SellerApp
Helium 10

3. Find a gap in the market.
You can find gaps by using one of the previously mentioned chrome extensions to research products with high monthly sales volume and low competition. However, you might also come across a gap on Amazon through a simple organic search.
For instance, when I search “perfume” there are over 30,000 results, but when I search “natural vegan amber perfume” there are only 247.
This is a simplified example, but sometimes you need to narrow down your product search to find a place to make an impact on Amazon. Plenty of people are already selling perfume, but there might be a certain scent, style, or feature that is missing on the site.

Alternatively, you can find a gap in the market by reading customer reviews in your product market niche. Even if there are plenty of products similar to yours already, you might find that customers are unsatisfied with the current brands and want something you can provide.
4. Find products that don’t have too much competition.
If you’re trying to sell a product that currently has 100,000 search results, it’s likely going to be very difficult to stand out against the competition and achieve the sales you want. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to find a niche within a larger market that has less competition, which ensures your product is more easily found by searchers. Best of all, those searchers are likely more willing to buy your product, since they needed to search for a more specific keyword.
For instance, let’s say you want to sell cookbooks. The search term “Cookbooks” has over 70,000 results.
Alternatively, the search term “Cookbooks for instant pot cooking” has only 3,000 results. Not only is your product more likely to become a best-seller in this category, but it’s a more targeted keyword. If someone searches “Cookbooks” they could mean anything from “Kids cookbooks” to “Holiday cookbooks.” If someone searches “Cookbooks for instant pot cooking,” however, they’re more likely to be satisfied with your product.
5. Search for categories with at least three results with Best Sellers Rank (BSR).
Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank (BSR) reflects both recent and historical sales of an item. A high BSR indicates that the product is in-demand, which is critical to know as a seller.
If you find just one product in a category with a high BSR, and none of the other items are best-sellers, it could be an indication that a single product is dominating the market. Instead, you want to target product categories that feature multiple items with a high BSR because it signifies demand in that area and allows room for your product to succeed.
For instance, let’s say you want to sell sports products, but you find “basketball” has only one item with a high BSR. However, upon further research, you find “football” as a category has multiple best-selling products on the first page.
As a new seller, I would prioritize selling footballs over basketballs since this research demonstrates a user’s willingness to peruse different footballs before purchasing one.

What to Sell on Amazon
Undoubtedly, you can obtain an impressive profit from selling products on Amazon, but it’s critical you’re able to offer unique, budget-friendly products with minimal competition to truly succeed on the site.
Over-saturation on the platform proves it’s more difficult than ever to stand out, so it’s not smart to sell on Amazon for the sake of selling on Amazon. Instead, you want to ensure you’re truly able to offer something of value.
If you have a product in mind, follow the tips above to refine your strategy and find a niche segment within a larger demographic. If you don’t have a product in mind, start with the basics: what are the most-searched keywords on Amazon, and which products are most successful?
Once you have a list based on keyword research, consider similar products the user might find more compelling or useful than the ones currently listed on Amazon.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.