Affiliate Programs
Maximizing Your Earnings: A Complete Guide to Amazon Associates Affiliate Program
Imagine earning money from the comfort of your home on your couch without having to worry about inventory, shipping, customer service, etc. This may sound like a dream, but in fact, that’s exactly what affiliate marketing can do for you.
If you’re looking for a way to earn extra income, Amazon affiliate marketing, the world’s largest affiliate marketing program, would be a good choice.
If you are considering starting an Amazon affiliate network marketing business, this is your starter guide to learning how to generate affiliate network marketing income.
What is the Amazon Affiliate program?
What is Amazon Affiliate Program?
Amazon’s affiliate program is callled “Amazon Associates”,an excellent choice for aspiring entrepreneurs and marketers, as the company boasts over 12 million products and earned $386.06 billion in revenue in 2020. Moreover, the program represents a substantial portion of Amazon’s market share, with around 45% of the site’s market share attributed to affiliate marketers. With a membership exceeding 900,000, Amazon Associates is one of the largest affiliate networks worldwide.
This program is well-suited for individuals who already have a following, as well as those who are new to affiliate marketing.
How does the Amazon Affiliate Program Work?
In the Amazon Affiliate program, associates earn commission by creating unique product links, promoting the links on their website, and driving referral traffic back to Amazon. Here’s how it works:
You can create an Amazon Affiliate account on the platform.
Amazon gives each associate a unique Associate ID.
Once the application is approved, associates can build affiliate links in their Amazon portal.
You can share these affiliate links on your website or social media sites such as YouTube, TikTok, or Pinterest.
Customers will be redirected to that item on Amazon.com when they click the link. You will receive a commission if they buy the product within 24 hours. This fee is based on a product price percentage and varies by product type.
It is of course possible that a customer may arrive at Amazon.com via your Associates link, add an item to his Shopping Cart, and then leave Amazon.com without placing an order. As long as the item was added to the customer’s Shopping Cart during this 24-hour window, you will still earn a referral commission if the order is placed before the Shopping Cart expires (usually after 90 days).
What is the Amazon Affiliate Program Commission Rate?
Amazon Associates is not a get-rich-quick scheme, just like any other affiliate program. While Amazon’s commission rates are not the most generous, there are still opportunities to earn revenue if you choose the right niche.
Just check out Amazon’s current commissions:
At the time of writing, Amazon pays affiliates up to 20% per sale on digital video games, while luxury beauty items and Amazon Explore’s digital products earn a 10% commission.
However, some categories pay much less, such as the home improvement category, which pays only 3%, and Amazon Coins and PC components, which pay 2.5%. It’s important to note that these commissions change constantly, so don’t base your affiliate website solely on current rates.
In addition to product category-based commissions, there is also the Amazon bounty program, where you receive fixed payments for driving specific actions.
such as:
Amazon Prime Gifting (12-month) $5
Prime Video Channels Free Trial $2.5
While it’s unlikely that you can build an online business based solely on bounty payments, they can add to your existing affiliate earnings.
Currently, nearly 40 different products, services, and actions are eligible for bounty payments, so check the commission web page regularly to ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities. When choosing a niche, consider a topic you enjoy with growth potential rather than commission rates.
How and When Getting Paid as an Amazon Associate?
Your application to join the Amazon Associates program is approved for 180 days, during which you must make at least three sales, or your account will be closed.
The commission is earned when the order is shipped, and if the customer cancels the order before shipping, you won’t receive a commission. If a customer returns a product after purchase, the commission will be deducted from your earnings.
Amazon Associates receive payment by direct deposit, with the funds automatically deposited into their bank account. Alternatively, you can opt to receive payment via an Amazon gift card or a check by mail.
Payments are made monthly, but with a catch – you receive payment 60 days after the end of the month you’re being paid for. For example, if you earned a commission in January, you would receive payment at the end of March. It’s important to keep this in mind when planning your finances as an Amazon Associate.
What is Amazon Affiliate Program Requirements?
You must apply to join to earn money from the Amazon Associates program. To be eligible for the program, there are some requirements you must meet:
The most basic affiliate review requirements include:
You need to have a website, mobile app, or social media account。 Your site (or mobile app) must be publicly available and contain original content.
Other requirements are in place for ethical promotion as well as preventing associates from gaming the system. Noncompliance may result in being banned from the program. Here are some of the big ones to keep in mind:
You must disclose on your site or in your communication that you may be eligible to earn from your recommendations.
You must not make false or deceptive claims in your recommendations.
Your website must not contain unsuitable content.
Avoid referring to prices (with some exceptions) since prices frequently change.
Do not use Amazon affiliate links in offline promotions, eBooks, or emails.
Do not use link shorteners on affiliate links.
These are the six main participation requirements outlined in Amazon’s thorough program policies. While there are a lot of legal clauses, most of them are common sense and honest affiliate site owners won’t need to worry (but it’s still good practice to read them).
You can read Amazon’s full policy here. Reviewing the operating agreement for associates for other requirements is also a good idea.
Note: Amazon’s affiliate program is one of the most popular programs. There are other affiliate programs out there that are worth trying if you don’t qualify to become an Amazon Associate.
Amazon Influencer Program VS Affiliate Program
The Amazon Influencer program is geared towards individuals with a large and devoted following on their social media profiles. In contrast, the Amazon Associates program is intended for those with specialized websites or blogs. By entering the increasingly popular and successful influencer marketing space, Amazon seeks to reach specific audiences.
Like the Amazon Associates Program, the Influencer Program enables participants to promote a range of products and earn commissions on the sales they generate for Amazon.
However, the key difference is in how to program members guide their audience traffic toward the products they endorse. With the Associate’s Program, users can only share affiliate links for individual products on their websites or social media accounts. In contrast, members of the Influencer Program establish their custom storefronts on Amazon.
This allows their followers to view all their product recommendations in one place, using a single link. Additionally, influencers can organize various types of products within their store, making navigation more straightforward.
Influencer storefronts come with custom vanity URLs，so it’s easy for followers to remember how to find them.
Share your Amazon storefront link across different social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, or your own website.
Choose which Amazon marketing program to apply for based on what you are good at, or of course, you can apply for both; there is no conflict.
Learn more about the Amazon Influencer Program.
How to Make Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program?
Amazon Associates should not be approached as a “get rich quick” scheme. However, significant earnings can be generated if one is willing to devote time and effort.
The best way to do this is to build an affiliate website around a single niche.
Step 1 Choose A Niche that Will Work for Amazon Associates
To choose a niche that will work for Amazon Associates, you can follow these steps:
Identify your interests and passions: List topics that interest you and you have knowledge. Choosing a niche you are passionate about makes creating content and promoting products in that area easier.
Research demand and competition: Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to determine the search volume and competition of different niches. Look for niches with high search volume and low competition, as they offer better opportunities to rank in search engine results and earn higher commissions.
Check product availability: Ensure enough products related to your niche are available on Amazon. Choose a niche with a wide range of products to promote to provide a variety of content and reviews.
Analyze commission rates: Commission rates vary for different product categories on Amazon. Select a niche with higher commission rates to earn more.
Consider seasonality: Decide whether the niche is seasonal or not. Seasonal niches may have a high demand for a few months but low demand for the rest of the year.
Check affiliate program policies: Review the Amazon Associates program policies to ensure your niche is not prohibited or restricted.
There are several software tools you can use to help you choose a niche for Amazon Associates. Some popular tools include:
Google Keyword Planner: A free tool that helps you find relevant keywords and estimate their search volume.
Ahrefs: A paid tool that provides comprehensive SEO and keyword research data and helps you find relevant keywords and issues people care about.
SEMrush: A paid tool that offers competitive analysis, keyword research, and other SEO tools.
Amazon Best Sellers: A free resource that displays the most popular products in different categories on Amazon.
Jungle Scout: A paid tool that helps you research and find profitable niches on Amazon.
By following these steps and utilizing software tools like those listed above, you can choose a niche that will work for Amazon Associates and help you succeed in affiliate marketing.
Step 2 Build Your Affiliate Site
Applying for affiliate marketing requires first building a website around your niche. In 2023, everyone can easily build a website without programming skills and design abilities.
Choose a domain name: The first step is to choose a domain name that reflects your brand or business. You can register a domain name through a domain registrar such as Namecheap or GoDaddy.
Choose a web hosting service: A web hosting service is required to store your website files and make your site accessible online. Some popular web hosting services include Bluehost，Siteground , and HostGator.
For beginners, we recommend using Siteground for both domain name registration and web hosting for only $3.99 monthly for server hosting.
Choose a website platform: If you are building an Amazon Associates site, definitely choose the WordPress platform. It’s by far the best, it’s built into SiteGround, and it’s free!
Design your website: Depending on the platform you choose, you can design your website using templates, themes, or drag-and-drop editors. Customize your website with your branding, content, and images.
Divi and Astra are popular WordPress themes that offer free and premium versions and are excellent choices for building Amazon Associates’ websites.
We offer a detailed guide that provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to build an Amazon Affiliate site. Check it out to learn more.
Step 3 Sign Up to Amazon Associates
To become an Amazon affiliate, you must create an Amazon Associates account. It’s free and simple. Here’s how to get started: Go to the Amazon Associates homepage and click “Sign Up.”
Log in to your existing Amazon account or create a new one.
First, enter your account information, including the name, address, and phone number of the person or company.
Next, you’ll need to provide links to your website, mobile apps, YouTube channels, etc.
You’ll also need to choose a preferred store ID, usually the same as your website name. You should explain what your website or other platforms aim to achieve and select topics related to Amazon products that your links will likely promote.
Explain how you drive traffic to your websites, how you use your website or apps to generate income, how you usually build links, and how many visitors your site brings in each month.
Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be sent to your Associate homepage, where you can find your performance dashboard.
Choose your payment method.
To create Amazon affiliate links, log in to your account and select the product you want to promote. Then click the “Get link” button to generate your unique affiliate link.
Remember to include the Amazon disclaimer on every page of your website. Add the text “As an Amazon Associate,I earn from qualifying purchases.”
After signing up, you have 180 days to make three sales. If you fail to do that, you must sign up again. Once you make three sales, Amazon will manually review your website to ensure it meets its quality standards.
Step 4 Publish Commercial Content (Write Product Reviews and Comparison Posts)
Becoming an Amazon affiliate marketer is the first step; the real challenge lies in attracting targeted traffic and generating enough income through content creation.
A key tip is to focus on a specific niche for your content creation. It is essential to have a genuine interest in that niche to consistently create engaging content.
Avoid highly competitive keywords when choosing your content creation niche, as larger sites tend to dominate such terms. Even if your articles are of high quality, it can be difficult to compete with sites with a stronger online presence in a short time.
You can use search engines like Google or keyword research tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to determine keyword competition and search volume trends within your chosen niche.
For instance, if you target the “Apple AirTag,” SEMrush can help you identify related keywords’ competition, search volume, and other indicators.
When crafting your articles or content, aim to provide value to your readers and avoid stating the obvious.
Incorporating a variety of content formats, such as text, images, and videos, can help enhance your presentation and engage your audience.
One of the most effective ways to monetize your Amazon Associate account is:
Writing product reviews
Comparing top-performing products for a specific use
Ranking alternative products to a certain product
This strategy enables you to include affiliate links to the products you are reviewing.
Step 5 Insert Amazon Associates Links
First, log in to your Amazon Associates Central account and navigate to Amazon.com. You will see the SiteStripe bar at the top of the page.
From there, go to the product page you want to link to and click on the “Text” link under “Get Link.” This will allow you to generate an Amazon affiliate link.
It’s recommended that you always use the “Full Link” instead of the shortened link to make it easier as your site grows. Additionally, you can create product images to link to.
To insert the Amazon link into your article, select the Image link on the SiteStripe bar and choose the Large image size, even though the images can be small.
Then, copy the link and insert it into your article as an HTML block in WordPress.
Step 6 Promote Your Website on Search Engines and Social Media
Promoting your website on search engines and social media can help drive traffic and increase your visibility to potential customers. Here are some tips on how to do it:
Optimize your website for search engines: Use keywords in your content and meta descriptions, create quality content, improve your site speed, and use alt tags for images. The AIOSEO plugin can help improve your website’s ranking on search engines like Google.
Invest in pay-per-click (PPC) ads: PPC ads are a form of paid advertising where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. You can use platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads to target specific keywords and demographics and set a budget to control your costs.
Use social media advertising: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer advertising options to target specific demographics and interests. You can use eye-catching visuals and copy to attract potential customers and drive traffic to your website.
Engage with your audience on social media:
- Share your content regularly on social media.
- Respond to comments and messages.
- Participate in relevant discussions.
This can help you build a following and increase your brand awareness.
Join relevant online communities: Look for forums, groups, and communities related to your niche and participate in discussions. You can share your content and build relationships with potential customers.
Use email marketing: Collect email addresses from your website visitors and create a newsletter to keep them updated on your latest content and promotions. ConvertKit can be a helpful tool for creators looking to improve their email marketing efforts and engage with their subscribers in a more targeted and personalized way.
Remember, promoting your website takes time and effort. Experiment with different tactics and measure your results to see what works best for your business.
Step 7 Blog Consistently
Remember that consistent content creation is key to achieving success in affiliate marketing. It may take time to see results, so don’t get discouraged early on.
To create blog posts that resonate with your target audience, you must understand their interests, pain points, and questions. Conduct research to gain insights into their needs and preferences. Use this information to craft blog posts that provide the information they’re searching for and address their concerns.
In addition to providing informative content, incorporating stories into your blog posts can help keep readers engaged. Use examples, anecdotes, and personal experiences to illustrate your points and make your content more relatable.
To make your blog posts easy to read and understand, ensure they cover the topic in-depth and provide comprehensive information. Use subheadings, bullet points, and images to break up the text and make it visually appealing. This will help readers navigate the post and retain the information you provide.
Start making money with the Amazon Affiliate Program today!
Disclosur：Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan.（No additional cost for you）