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How to Make Money Fast with the Amazon Affiliate Program

Julia McCoy
Tuesday, 1st Aug 2023
Julia McCoy
5 min read · Jan 11 2022

Are you looking for a way to earn passive income? 

Do you have a website or blog with an audience interested in purchasing products online? 

If so, the Amazon Affiliate Program may be just what you need.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways of making money online. In fact, 81% of brands and 84% of publishers do it.

And one of the most lucrative affiliate marketing programs comes from Amazon — the world’s largest online retailer.

How does the Amazon affiliate program work?

The Amazon affiliate program has more than 900,000 affiliates who are able to generate revenue by promoting Amazon products on their website or social media channels. Through Amazon, you gain access to millions of products in categories that suit your niche. 

Amazon allows you to create custom links that match your website while also providing you with reports to help you analyze visitors’ behaviors that lead to sales.

To help you get started, we’ll show you how to create Amazon affiliate links and share some product ideas that could help boost your earnings. Ultimately, this is how you make money from the Amazon Affiliate program.

Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents:

What is the Amazon Affiliate Program?

The Amazon affiliate program is an excellent way to generate income from your website and receive passive earnings. It allows you to promote Amazon products on your own blog or website and earn commission from each sale.

The Appeal Behind Becoming an Amazon Associate

No matter what niche market interests you (or attracts your readers), you won’t have much trouble finding product ideas from the millions of sellable items across numerous categories at Amazon.

Part of its appeal is also Amazon’s global reach. The opportunity to tap into international customer bases can result in increased earnings due to wider exposure.

Becoming part of this lucrative venture also means gaining access to an extensive range of promotional tools and resources designed to help maximize profits, such as banner ads and widgets. This potentially increases your sales and revenue generation opportunities.

Now, before we dive deeper into creating your first-ever set of affiliated links, let’s take a moment to weigh the pros and cons involved in participating in this type of affiliation scheme.

Pros and Cons of Being an Amazon Affiliate

What are the advantages of being part of Amazon’s affiliate program?

  • You can earn passive income: Yes, as an Amazon associate promoting products from your website or blog, you have a chance to make money in your sleep. The trick is knowing which product links will resonate with your audience on Amazon.
  • Easy to join: Signing up as an Amazon affiliate is relatively straightforward, and in many cases, there are no specific requirements to join the program.
  • Wide product selection: Amazon offers an extensive range of products, from books and electronics to clothing and household items, which gives you a wide selection of items to promote to your audience.
  • Trust and credibility: When visitors see recommendations linked back to Amazon — one heckuva trusted source — they’re more likely to click those product links in your content.
  • High sales volume: While the commission rates might not be extremely high, the volume of sales on Amazon can compensate for it. Additionally, if a customer clicks through your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you can earn commissions on other products they buy during that session, even if you didn’t directly promote those items.
  • Performance-based earnings: Your earnings as an affiliate depend on your ability to drive traffic and conversions. If you can effectively target the right audience, you have the potential to earn a decent income.
  • Analytics and reporting: Amazon provides various analytics and reporting tools that can help you track your performance, analyze clicks and conversions, and optimize your strategies accordingly.

Now what are the pitfalls of doing Amazon affiliate marketing?

  • Intense competition: The Amazon Associates program is popular, and many affiliates are promoting the same products. This can lead to intense competition and make it challenging to stand out.
  • Low commission rates: Amazon’s commission rates are generally on the lower side compared to other affiliate programs. This can be a drawback if you’re promoting high-value products with minimal commissions.
  • Cookie duration: Amazon’s cookie duration is relatively short (usually 24 hours). If a potential buyer clicks your affiliate link but doesn’t make a purchase right away, you won’t earn a commission if they return later to buy the product.
  • Product availability: As an affiliate, you have no control over product availability or inventory. If a product becomes unavailable on Amazon, you may miss out on potential commissions.
  • Payment thresholds: Amazon has payment thresholds that must be met before they release your earnings. If you don’t reach the minimum threshold, your earnings will carry over to the next period.
  • Strict rules: The Amazon Associates Operating Agreement has strict rules, and failure to comply can result in termination from the program.

How Much Do Amazon Affiliates Make a Month?

The amount of income generated by Amazon affiliates in a given period depends largely on the kind of products they promote, the size of their target market, and how and where they advertise these products.

Generally speaking, commissions range from 1% to 10%, with higher percentages offered for more expensive items like electronics or luxury goods. 

Some categories also offer tiered commission structures where affiliates earn more as they sell more items within that category.

Here are some of the popular product categories on Amazon and their respective commission rates.

  • Amazon games: 20%
  • Luxury beauty: 10%
  • Digital goods like eBooks: 8%
  • Digital and physical music: 5%
  • Home and garden items: 5%
  • Physical books: 4.5%
  • Automotive parts and accessories: 4.5%
  • Physical goods like clothes: 4%
  • Toys: 3%
  • Grocery and gourmet food: 3%

Depending on the amount and type of traffic they can generate, Amazon affiliates have the potential to earn anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to tens of thousands each month.

Individuals, companies, and organizations can all participate in affiliate programs as long as they have a valid website or blog. 

Once accepted into the Amazon affiliate program, participants can start earning money when visitors click on product links on their website and purchase items from the Amazon store.

Using the SiteStripe Bar

The quickest and easiest way to create affiliate links is by using the SiteStripe bar that appears when you’re logged in to your Amazon Affiliate panel.

how to make money from the amazon affiliate program - create a link from the sitestripe bar

Source: Amazon

On product pages, click the Text button in the Get Link selector. You can choose to generate a short link or a full-length link in the popup. Then copy your new Amazon Affiliate link to your clipboard, and you’re ready to use it for promotions.

get text link - amazon affiliate program sitestripe bar

Exploring the Idea Hub

When you need ideas on what products or categories of products are available through Amazon, head over to their Idea Hub tool. 

From the Promotions banner, scroll down until you find Idea Hub and then click Filter & Sort on its page. This will give you options like featured content, categories, and star rating so that you can narrow down your search results as needed.

idea hub for amazon affiliates

Source: Amazon Associates Central

How to Start Amazon Affiliate Marketing with No Money

Starting an Amazon affiliate marketing venture with no money may seem daunting. But with a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work, it is possible to get your business up and running without spending a dime.

Here are some tips on how to start an Amazon affiliate marketing business.

1. Choose the Right Products for Your Audience

The first step in starting an Amazon affiliate marketing business is knowing your target audience

What types of products are your blog visitors already purchasing? What needs do they have that could be addressed with an affiliate product?

Once you’ve identified these factors, research products that will be profitable for you to promote. 

Look at product reviews, customer ratings, and other factors when deciding which items will make good affiliates for your blog. 

Make sure the products you choose are related to your niche and have enough potential buyers interested in them so that you can make a profit from promoting them as an affiliate marketer.

You also need to think about what kind of commission structure each product category offers. Some programs offer additional perks or benefits such as exclusive discounts or promotional materials that can help boost sales.

Product quality is a major consideration when deciding what to sell. Make sure it’s something people would actually want to buy and use – not just something flashy but ultimately useless. 

Read customer reviews and ratings from Amazon and eBay to get an idea of how well-received the product is.

Finally, look into whether or not there are any restrictions on how you promote your affiliate links such as no paid advertising allowed or certain countries that prohibit earning commissions. 

Knowing this information beforehand will ensure that whatever products you choose for your audience have great potential for success.

Selecting the most profitable products for your target market is just half the battle. To maximize earnings from Amazon’s affiliate programs, it is important to create an effective promotion strategy that draws attention and drives sales.

Screenshot from Amazon

2. Create an Effective Promotion Strategy

A successful promotional plan has several components.

Content Creation

First, create content around your products. Content marketing is key in promoting any product and should include a mix of blog posts, videos, podcasts, and other forms of media that showcase the benefits from a user’s perspective.

When creating content, provide your potential buyers with useful information like how-tos and tips & tricks that show them the awesome features of your new product and why they should buy from you instead of your competitor.

Use conversational language in your content so your audience can relate to you, but be sure to check for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation so you don’t turn off potential buyers with sloppy writing. 

SEO

Include target keywords in your content to boost its rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).

When selecting keywords for SEO purposes related to these product promotions, think carefully about what terms people might use when searching online — both general ones (e.g., “best laptop deals”) as well as more specific phrases (e.g., “Dell Inspiron 15 7000 gaming laptop review”).

Promotion

Once your blog post or video is up and running, start promoting it on social media. 

If you are starting an Amazon affiliate marketing business with no money, you can promote your products on free platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook groups, and Reddit threads. This is a fantastic method to spread the word and connect with customers without having to pay for advertisements.

For those who have an ad budget, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media channels allow you to create ads that are tailored to a particular demographic. 

Adding engaging visuals to your social media posts can draw attention to your product and increase conversions.

Paid advertising campaigns on Google AdWords or Facebook Ads may also prove beneficial depending on where exactly your target market is located.

People love freebies, so why not offer giveaways or run contests that could persuade people to click on your link in exchange for incentives?

Another effective way of promoting products is by reaching out to influencers within your niche and for a collab partnership. These influencers have already established a huge following which you can tap into when promoting your products. Ask them to write product reviews or sponsored posts about particular products that you are selling.

Email Marketing

Don’t forget email marketing! If you have already built a mailing list through your blog, you could send them newsletters that highlight your new products or offer discounts on specific items at different times of the year.

Starting an Amazon affiliate marketing business with no money is a great way to begin earning income online. With the right strategies and dedication, you can make fast profits as an Amazon affiliate.

Getting Paid as an Amazon Associate

If you’re going to make money with the Amazon affiliate program, it’s important that you understand how their payment process works. It has its unique nuances and is not immediate like a typical job paycheck.

You see, when customers click through your Amazon affiliate links and buy products on Amazon, you earn referral fees. 

But here’s the catch: those earnings don’t instantly appear in your account balance. There’s usually about a 60-day waiting period before they are finalized and credited into your account.

This delay takes care of any returns or refunds processed by Amazon within their standard return window. If someone buys but later decides to return them using your link, then sorry mate. Those sales won’t count towards earning commission.

Payment Methods Available

The Amazon Associates program offers several options which include direct deposit (for U.S Associates), check payments, or even Amazon gift cards depending on where you are located.

  • Direct deposit: This method allows for automatic transfer directly into bank accounts provided during registration once the minimum threshold ($10) is met. It’s speedy and effortless.
  • Paper check: If you prefer traditional methods, paper checks can be issued but require higher payout thresholds ($100) and might incur a processing fee too.
  • Gift card: This is a popular option among affiliates who regularly shop at Amazon themselves. It doesn’t have any minimum payout requirements unlike other methods listed above. However, this is currently available only to affiliates in the United States.

Amazon Affiliate Tips and Tricks

Using multiple affiliate links in your content is a great way to get more people to click on them. This will increase the chances of making money from your Amazon affiliate program.

For example, if you’re writing an article about a specific product, you can include several different affiliate links within that article which link directly to that product page on Amazon. 

Not only does this make it easier for readers to find what they’re looking for, but it also increases the chance of someone clicking through and buying something – resulting in more commission for you.

When using pictures of products inside your content, make sure these images are clickable so people can easily buy them. Studies have shown that click-through rates can increase by as much as 30% when pictures are made into clickable links.

The holiday season is one of the busiest times for businesses selling physical products online – particularly around Christmas time. Search traffic and conversion rates are higher than ever during this period so it pays off if you prepare ahead of time and start getting ready two months before Thanksgiving arrives.

Your website layout and design plays an important role when running an Amazon affiliate business. There are certain things you should keep in mind when creating or updating your blog, such as:

  • Including visuals like photos or videos to capture attention.
  • Ensuring all navigation menus and affiliate links work correctly.
  • Ensuring that all the elements on a page load quickly.

FAQs – How to Make Money from the Amazon Affiliate Program

Can you really make money with the Amazon affiliate program?

Yes, you can learn how to make money from the Amazon affiliate program. It is a great way to earn income by promoting products from the world’s largest online retailer. 

By joining the program and becoming an affiliate partner, you’ll be able to access promotional tools and resources that will help you drive traffic to your website or blog where visitors can purchase items directly from Amazon.

By executing a well-thought-out content marketing approach and optimizing your website for higher search engine rankings through SEO techniques, it is possible to generate substantial earnings with this influential platform.

How to start Amazon affiliate marketing with no money?

Starting an Amazon affiliate marketing business with no money is possible. 

First, create a website or blog and produce high-quality content to draw in visitors.

Next, sign up for an Amazon affiliate account and add affiliate links to your content that link directly to products on Amazon.

Promote your website through various social media platforms to attract visitors and maximize traffic.

Through effort and commitment, you can start a successful affiliate marketing business without huge capital.

What pays most on Amazon affiliates?

The highest-paying products on Amazon affiliates are typically digital goods, such as software and e-books. Other high earners include electronics, home appliances, fashion items, and health and beauty products.

To maximize earnings with Amazon Affiliate Programs, research the hottest-selling products in each category and promote them on your blog. Implementing SEO techniques can help drive more visitors to your blog, which could boost your chances of gaining greater payouts from the program.

How to Make Money from the Amazon Affiliate Program: Get a Strategy

Amazon affiliate marketing is a promising avenue for earning passive income. It’s all about promoting products and reaping the benefits of your referrals.

The journey begins with understanding how Amazon’s affiliate program works, from its commission-based structure to different product categories’ rates.

Becoming an Amazon Affiliate isn’t rocket science but it does require some groundwork.

The keys to success are 1) finding the most profitable products for your target audience, and 2) creating an effective promotional plan to get your product in front of thousands of eyeballs. 

With hard work and dedication, it is possible to generate a good income from the Amazon affiliate program.

Written by Julia McCoy

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