Walmart Aims to Add Influencers via Content Creation Tool and Commissions

Walmart announced Tuesday (Oct. 18) that it is launching a new content creation platform of digital tools so that influencers and other creative-minded types can make social media posts and also earn commissions on the products they sell.

In announcing the Beta-version of the newly launched “Walmart Creator” portal, the retail giant said it hoped to “democratize” the creative process for eCommerce and social media by letting artists monetize shoppable products from the retail giant.

“We know our customers are inspired by the content and stories they see from their favorite influencers in their social feeds every day,” William White, chief marketing officer, Walmart U.S., said in a company press release. “This next step in our strategy will help fuel inspiration for our customers by connecting their favorite creators directly with our brand and the brands they love at Walmart.”

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In addition, Walmart said the new content creation platform also comes with a full set of traffic analytic tools that users can access to track and analyze the performance of their own sites, as part of what White referred to as an ongoing process of “testing and learning” designed to shorten the distance between inspiration and purchase, the blog post stated.

Although the new platform is being launched in Beta form, Walmart said it plans to expand the program with a full launch in 2023.

To be sure, the debut of the new creator suite is not Walmart’s first foray into social commerce and comes at a time when Walmart has been attempting to maximize its early innovation and presence in the digital world.  Last week, for example, the retail giant teamed with metaverse gaming site Roblox in a bid to gain access to the site’s 50 million daily visitors.

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