How To Make Money With Amazon Affiliate Program

Picture this: you get paid every time you talk about your favorite emotional support water bottle or suggest that amazing book you finished in one afternoon. Well, that’s exactly what Amazon Associates lets you do!

Whether you’re just starting as an influencer or have been doing it for a while, becoming an Amazon affiliate is a great way to earn money while growing your influence.

Amazon Associates is a super easy-to-use affiliate marketing program, and the best part? It’s completely free! You can promote any product on Amazon and earn a commission of 1% to 10% for every sale you bring in.

In this guide, we’ll take you through everything about Amazon Associates, from setting up your account to sharing your recommendations and enjoying the rewards for your excellent taste.

What is Amazon Associates?

Amazon Associates, also known as the Amazon Affiliate Program, is a way for people to earn money by promoting products from Amazon on their websites or blogs. When someone buys a product through the special links provided to affiliates, they get a commission. The best part is, it’s completely free to join, making it a fantastic option for those looking to make money online.

So, why do people become Amazon affiliates? Well, signing up is a breeze, and you can start promoting a huge range of products and earning commissions within minutes.

The commission rates on Amazon vary, ranging from 1% to 20%, depending on the product category. Whether you’re an experienced marketer or just starting out, Amazon’s affiliate program is a great choice for making money online.

How Does Amazon Associates Work?

The Amazon affiliate program lets online content creators, publishers, and bloggers earn money from their website traffic. Here’s the basic idea: Amazon gives you a commission when someone buys something through your unique affiliate link.

What’s neat is that you get a commission even if they buy something different from what you promoted, as long as they clicked your link and made the purchase within 24 hours.

To send people to Amazon and get those commissions, you need an audience. This audience can be a blog, a niche website (like a review site), YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or other social media platforms. TikTok has become especially popular for sharing affiliate links and making money by promoting products.

And don’t forget the Amazon Influencer Program – it’s an extension of the affiliate program that helps you earn commissions too.

The kind of content you make can vary based on your preferred platform:

• You can give informative overviews.
• Write product reviews.
• Compare different products.
• Make video reviews or comparisons.
• Offer how-to guides.

The key is to focus on a specific niche and create detailed content about it to establish yourself as an expert in that area. So, whether you’re blogging, making videos, or posting on social media, Amazon Associates turns your content into earnings.

How Much Can Amazon Affiliates Make?

Let’s tackle the big question: How much can you make with Amazon Associates? Well, it’s a bit like predicting the weather – it depends on a few things like how many people you reach, how engaged your audience is, and how often you share affiliate links. Some people are raking in over $16,000 a month, while others aren’t earning a cent. It’s a wide range.

The amount you earn for each sale depends on the product category you’re promoting. Amazon offers different commission percentages or fixed fees for each category. They even consider certain non-purchase actions, like people signing up for Kindle or Audible, as “events,” which usually earn affiliates a set fee.

So, what’s the deal with each category? Amazon gives a generous 20% for Amazon Games, a decent 10% for luxury beauty products, and a modest 3% for toys, furniture, and pet products. Other categories might have lower payouts. As you can see, what you’re promoting really impacts your earnings.

Below is a complete list of Amazon’s commission rates by product category:

How To Make Money With Amazon Affiliate Program in 8 Steps

1. Find a Profitable Niche for Amazon Associates

When it comes to picking a niche that works well with Amazon Associates, the key is to follow where the money flows. But don’t worry, you don’t need to become a Rolex watch critic to make this work.

Here’s the deal: You want to make sure the niche you choose has commercial potential, meaning people are making money in it. When I started building websites, I spent ages hunting for a niche that nobody had tapped into yet.

The sweet spot for a great niche is where you have low competition and lots of interest. It’s perfectly fine if there are a few niche websites already in the area you’re considering; that often means there’s a market.

To kick off your niche search, start by checking out Amazon Best Sellers in different categories and subcategories. You can also explore platforms like eBay and Alibaba. Plus, places like Reddit can uncover hidden niches that others might not have noticed.

While niche websites rely on Google search and keywords to reach your audience, it’s also crucial to check out what’s happening on Amazon. This helps you understand how many relevant products are being sold and whether they’re top sellers.

For this research, you’ve got some handy search engine optimization tools at your disposal, like SEMrush, KWFinder, Long Tail Pro, and SeCockpit. They provide insights into search volume, niche or keyword competition, and whether a niche is worth pursuing.

For keyword research, tools like Keywordtool.io and Ubersuggest can help. And don’t forget to peek at Google Trends to spot emerging trends or to see the trend graph for your chosen niche.

Here are some helpful tips when using these tools:

• Start with a broad search and gradually narrow it down. Beginning at a higher level gives you a sense of the niche landscape before diving deep. For example, you might start with the idea of men’s interests, then focus on men’s grooming, and get even more specific with men’s shaving or razors.
• Focus on keywords related to “best” and “review.” These often lead to the “money” keywords, meaning people searching for them are ready to buy. They’re your prime audience, likely to visit your site and eventually head to Amazon for a purchase, earning you a commission.

The goal is to find a niche with existing interest but not too much competition. The idea is that you can create a website promoting products in this niche, attracting ready-to-buy customers to Amazon, and earning commissions when they make purchases.

Here are the key things to look for when finding a promising niche:

• A wide variety of products and related items available on Amazon.
• A price range that works well (ideally between $50 and $150).
• Consistent sales volumes (check the Best Seller Rank on the Product Listing page; lower numbers mean better sales).
• Positive product reviews from customers.

Today, niche research benefits from tools that quantify how many people are searching for specific keywords, making it easier than ever to find profitable opportunities.

2. Build Your Affiliate Site

Amazon affiliate websites generate income by guiding their visitors to purchase products on Amazon. To make this work, site owners simply insert Amazon affiliate links into their content and earn a commission when visitors make purchases.

The best part? Adding these affiliate links to your website is super straightforward, thanks to Amazon’s tools.

Even if you’re not a tech wizard and have no coding skills, you can create an affiliate site.

Here’s what you need to begin: a .com domain and a hosting company.

Think of hosting as the backbone of your website; it directly affects its performance.

You want your affiliate site to load quickly and be available to visitors 24/7. This is why picking the right web hosting provider is crucial for building a successful website.

When selecting a hosting provider for your new site, consider these factors:

• Your Budget: Determine how much you’re willing to spend on website hosting. Premium hosting plans may cost more, but they offer greater flexibility and features.
• Website Size: The hosting plan you choose should match the type of website you want to run. For instance, an online store requires more robust server specifications and tools compared to a small blogging site.
• Hosting Features: Hosting companies often provide features that simplify website building and management. For example, Hostinger allows you to install WordPress on your hosting account with a single click.
• Website Platform: Opt for a hosting plan that supports your preferred website building platform. If you’re using WordPress as your content management system (CMS), go for specialized WordPress-optimized web hosting. For more information, check out our guide on how to build an affiliate website with WordPress. 

Both WordPress and website builders offer ready-made themes that make achieving an attractive website design easy. However, don’t hesitate to make some tweaks to give your affiliate site a unique personality.

3. Set up your Amazon Affiliate account

Now that you’ve found your niche and prepared content for the products you’ll promote, let’s breeze through the steps to get your Amazon affiliate program account ready.

Step 1: Join Amazon Associates

Begin by visiting Amazon Associates Central and click on the sign-up button. You can either use your existing Amazon account or create a new one. Make sure to use the email linked to your website or social media channels.

Step 2: Add Your Website or Social Media Links

The sign-up process will walk you through a few prompts. You’ll need to share your name, address, and phone number. Then, it’s time to add your “website and mobile apps.” This is where you’ll be placing those Amazon affiliate links.

If you have a website, simply enter its URL. If you plan to promote Amazon products on your social media profiles and don’t have a website, use the public links leading to your social media pages.

Step 3: Create Your Amazon Associates Profile

Next, craft your Amazon Associates profile. Here, you’ll set up an Associates ID, a unique code Amazon uses to track your link referrals. Go for a concise version of your business name or social media handle to easily identify where your clicks are coming from.

During this step, share some insights about your business or focus. Amazon will ask about your target audience, the product types you’ll promote, and how you intend to bring traffic to your website or social media channels.

Step 4: Input Your Tax and Payment Info

The last step involves entering your payment and tax information. This enables Amazon to compensate you when you start earning commissions. Payments can be made via check or as Amazon gift cards, depending on your preference.

Make sure to complete the tax information section, which may require details like your social security number, employer identification number, or another tax identifier. This step is essential for tax reporting purposes.

4. Create affiliate links in your account

Now that your account is all set up, let’s dive into the crucial process of creating affiliate links. This step is vital because if a customer doesn’t use your specific affiliate link, you won’t earn a commission when they make a purchase.

After you’ve logged into your account, you’ll land on your performance dashboard, where you can keep tabs on your earnings.

Step 1: Head to the homepage and click on “Product Linking” and then “Product Links.”

Step 2: You’ll have the option to either search for products based on keywords you want to promote or enter a specific ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) if you have one in mind.

Step 3: Next, click on “get link” and choose the type of link that suits your needs. You’ve got options here: you can go for a Text and Image link, Text-only (with choices like HTML, Standard, or Shortened Link), or an Image-only link.

Step 4: Now, all that’s left to do is paste the link on your website or wherever you’re promoting an Amazon product. That’s the link that ensures you get credited for any purchases made through it.

5. Understand Amazon Affiliate Program Rules and Requirements

Before you start peppering your content with Amazon Affiliate links, it’s crucial to get acquainted with the rules and requirements laid out by Amazon Associates. This knowledge will help you steer clear of potential pitfalls that could lead to your account being suspended.

While Amazon Associates offers a fantastic income-generating opportunity, it does come with specific rules and requirements. These guidelines are designed to promote ethical behavior and prevent the abuse of the program. Here’s a breakdown of some important rules to keep in mind:

• Disclosure: You need to be upfront and clear about your affiliation with Amazon when communicating with your website visitors.

• Accuracy: Avoid making false or misleading claims when recommending products through your affiliate links.

• Pricing: It’s a good practice to steer clear of mentioning specific prices in your affiliate promotions because Amazon’s product prices can change frequently.

• Offline Promotions: Amazon affiliate links should strictly be used for online promotions and should not find their way into offline promotions, eBooks, or emails.

• Link Shorteners: While not explicitly forbidden, it’s generally discouraged to use link shorteners for affiliate links because they can obscure the destination of the link.

To understand why some Amazon Associates accounts are suspended, watch the video below.

 

6. Create original content on different platforms

Content is the backbone of your affiliate marketing business. It’s where you strategically place most of your affiliate links, so it has to captivate and engage your target audience.

In line with your website’s niche, your content should cater to the preferences of your audience. Understanding the types of affiliate content that work best for your situation can give you an edge over your competitors.

Here are some of the most popular content types for affiliate marketing:

• Product Reviews: Offering in-depth reviews of products you’re promoting can be incredibly effective.
• Listicles: Compiling lists of top-rated or recommended products is a hit with readers.
• Tutorials: Providing step-by-step guides or tutorials involving the products can be highly engaging.
• Comparisons: Pit two or more products against each other to help readers make informed choices.

However, these days, it’s not enough to just create original content. You also want to spread your content across multiple platforms. Why? Because omnichannel customers tend to spend two to five times more than those who stick to a single channel.

Currently, it’s essential to tap into the popularity of Instagram Reels and TikTok. These platforms leverage smart algorithms that display the most relevant content to users at the right time, resulting in more clicks for you.

Here’s how you can make the most of these features to boost your referral earnings:

• Create Instagram Reels or TikTok videos showcasing the specific products you recommend. Demo videos and try-on hauls can drive lots of traffic when you showcase products you genuinely love.
• YouTube is also a fantastic platform for going deep with product recommendations. Users on YouTube often seek more in-depth comparisons, demonstrations, and how-to videos. The less restrictive time limits allow creators to provide thorough answers to user queries.

Keep in mind that YouTube may be more competitive depending on your niche. However, it offers more opportunities for bottom-of-the-funnel users who are ready to make significant purchases, potentially yielding higher long-term earnings.

Pinterest is a go-to platform for users looking for inspiration in various niches, be it fashion, crafting, or interior design. This makes it a hotbed for curated product recommendations put together by savvy shoppers like you.

The beauty of sharing your Amazon recommendations on Pinterest is that you don’t necessarily need to create video content (though it can earn you more clicks). Designing eye-catching static Pins that link back to your website, blog, or social media channels can do the trick.

7. Start a blog

Starting a blog is similar to crafting content on other platforms, but it comes with added benefits. The primary goals of posting content on your blog are to:

• Establish your expertise in a specific subject.
• Boost your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
• Direct visitors toward the products you promote.

If your aim is to attract people to your website via Google or other search engines, SEO is crucial. SEO involves optimizing your website so that it ranks well in search results.

However, remember that SEO isn’t about stuffing your content with keywords. So, how can you optimize your website for search engines? By crafting content that helps search engines understand your site better.

Here are some content ideas that serve both your audience and SEO:

Product Reviews

These serve a dual purpose. They provide social proof for potential customers and enhance your SEO by keeping your content fresh and current. Honest, unbiased product reviews, whether your own or from customers, can build loyalty and boost conversions.

According to Northwestern University’s Medill Spiegel Research Center, a product with five reviews has a 270% higher likelihood of purchase compared to a product with no reviews.

Gift Guides

You can create buying and gift guides for the products you recommend as an affiliate. Many affiliate marketers include gift guides in their content strategy, complete with Amazon affiliate links. When a reader decides to make a purchase, they can simply click the link and buy it on Amazon.

Product Comparisons

Whether as blog posts or dedicated web pages, product comparisons are an excellent way to boost SEO. This is especially important as 60% of customers start their product search on Amazon. Offering comparisons between similar products aids customers in their research.

TechRadar, a tech news and review publication, provides a great example of product comparison articles. They include Amazon links and make it clear to readers that they can make purchases on Amazon. This transparent approach builds trust and can improve conversions. Each “View deal” button contains an affiliate link, earning the publication referral fees within their valuable content.

Starting a blog not only enhances your online presence but also creates opportunities to educate, inform, and guide your audience, all while boosting your affiliate marketing efforts. For more guidance, check out our guide on how to build a WordPress blog.

8. Use Search Engine Optimization For Site Promotion

After you’ve begun publishing content on your site, the next critical step is to start building links to it. Most search engines perceive links from other sites to your site as a form of voting for its credibility and relevance. By accumulating high-quality backlinks to your affiliate marketing content, you can elevate your search authority and attract more visitors to your website.

Link-building remains one of the most essential SEO ranking factors, so prioritizing the acquisition of these crucial backlinks is key to your affiliate marketing success. Here are some smart approaches to enhance your link-building profile:

• Write Guest Posts: Contribute articles to relevant and reputable industry blogs and publications. This not only broadens your exposure but also allows you to earn backlinks.
• Collaborate on Affiliate Content: Partner with relevant brands or publications in your niche to cross-promote each other’s content and exchange links. It’s a win-win situation.
• Leverage Trusted Affiliate Partners: Reach out to your trusted affiliate partners and request them to include backlinks to your content or website from their platforms.

To achieve success with affiliate marketing SEO, your content must provide direct value to your audience. In an era where consumers are impervious to flashy sales pitches, creating content that aligns with user intent and addresses specific pain points is paramount.

Failure to deliver on your content’s promises can result in search engine penalties and poor rankings. In such cases, it’s unlikely that your content will be discovered, and even if it is, visitors may quickly bounce before engaging with your affiliate links.

Regardless of your chosen content approach, it’s imperative that you prioritize offering value over closing sales. Content should read naturally, engage the reader, and serve a genuine purpose. If your content fails to do this, your affiliate strategy may end up draining your budget instead of generating income.

Closing Thoughts

Getting into affiliate marketing is easy and free, thanks to the Amazon Associates program. You just need a website, app, or YouTube channel, sign up with Amazon, and create content where you can add affiliate links smoothly.

If you want to step it up, you can link your Amazon affiliate account to your Shopify store using the Amazon Associate Connector app. This handy tool lets you display Amazon product listings and affiliate links right on your store while keeping your branding intact.

Starting with Amazon Associates is a quick way to make money online. Once you’ve set up that first affiliate link, you can start earning passive income by recommending great products to your loyal followers. 

If you need more guidance, sign up for my online business coaching.