Amazon is a globally renowned e-commerce company with operations in sixteen countries and procurement hubs in thirteen countries. Recently, Amazon has started an affiliate program for small business owners and individual freelancers.
As an affiliate with Amazon, you can rest assured of the quality of products, commission, customer support, and an opportunity to work for the world leader in the e-commerce business.
We will explain every aspect of How to Start Affiliate Marketing with Amazon in the following paragraphs.
You will learn everything about the affiliate program and more through the following pointers:
- What is Affiliate Marketing
- About Amazon Affiliate program
- Steps to onboard
- How to create a link for promotion
- Eligibility
- Pros and Cons
- Commission structure
- Conclusion
Bottomline Introduction
Amazon offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with their affiliate program. Any small business owner and freelancer can register with the Amazon affiliate program and start earning a handsome commission. Amazon has some specific terms and conditions for affiliates, and you, as an affiliate, have to comply with all those conditions.
We will explain Amazon affiliate program, eligibility, benefits, products list, and how this could be amazing for your startup or business.
Stay with us!!!!
Let’s start with today’s article.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate Marketing is a promotional model in which a company pays small business owners and freelancers for promoting their products and services on an affiliate’s website and business page. Companion remains responsible for leads generation and traffic for company products and services. They get an incentive in the form of a commission against the advertising of products.
About Amazon Affiliate Program
Be the part of the world’s most extensive affiliate marketing program from the house of Amazon. Amazon Associates is the best platform for publishers, bloggers, and content creators to get more traffic and monetize their skills. Associates post product links on their website and pages to attract the target audience and earn handsome commissions from conversions.
Amazon functions in three simple steps
Sign up
Bloggers, small business owners, creators can sign up for the Amazon Associate program on the Amazon website.
Recommend
Amazon offers customized link-building tools for individual freelancers, small business owners, creators, bloggers, and social media influencers. You can customize the link and share products with the specific target audience.
Earn
Sign up, recommend products & services to a target audience and start earning a commission. You can make a commission of up to 10 percent on successful purchases and conversions.
The complete process is simple and easy to use.
How to join as an Amazon Associate
To join as an Amazon Associate, you need to have an active amazon account. Type in all the required information and details. Your profile should be complete with all the necessary information.
Steps to get on board
Create a blog or website
Owning a website, YouTube channel, Blog or App is a must to register as an Amazon Associate. Amazon, and your target users, find the website more authentic if it has some existing subscribers, visitors, or customers.
Your goal as an affiliate should be clear because you will need to explain purpose of application at the time of registration. So, give yourself some time for planning, the reason for the website or blog, how you are planning to attract visitors, traffic, etc.
Homepage of Amazon Associate
The next step for onboarding is to create an Amazon Associate account. You need to go to the homepage of Amazon Associate and click “join now for free,” you need to log into your existing Amazon account or create a new Amazon account (if you do not have one).
Click on the New Customer option
After you sign up or sign in to your Amazon account, you need to create your profile as a “new customer.’’
Account information for the profile
You need to enter your information, including the name, contact number of the payee, residence details. This information is required for your profile completion.
Website/App/Blog/YouTube Channel
Next, you need to enter your website or blog, or channel name.
Primary website ID
After the website name, you need to enter the store ID or primary website name. Primary website ID is a significant step of profile creation. Here you are required to enter objectives for the website and intended topics for links.
How you are planning to get traffic?
Planning is the strategy part of the application. Amazon wants to know how you plan to attract more customers and traffic to your website or blog. How many visitors come on your page in a month or a week and your target income as an Amazon Associate, and other specific details.
Contact Details
There is an option on the application page for a callback. Click on call me now. An Amazon representative will get back to you in some time for a four-digit input code. Once you confirm and share that input code, your affiliate account will be approved.
Payment method
The last step for the onboarding process is to enter your payment options. Amazon offers several options to choose from for the procedure.
How to create a link?
The next step in Affiliate marketing with Amazon is to create links to products. After creating your account, you will be redirected to the performance dashboard. You can access the monthly summary, total clicks, and earnings, etc., on the dashboard.
Steps for creating product link:
Sign in to Amazon Associate profile
Products should be relevant to the link generated for promotion.
Product Linking
To create your link for the products you intend to promote, click on the dashboard’s product linking option. Product listing will navigate you to the make your link option.
Add the ASIN of the product
ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN). ASIN is a ten-character alphanumeric product identification code in the products catalog of Amazon. Associates can search the ASIN of the product in the product information section of the Amazon listing.
Go button
After searching your products in the Amazon listing, click on the Go button. You should give proper time for searching suitable products and shortlist products in the result listing. After ensuring that this is the product for your promotional purposes, click Go and move ahead with the process of link creation.
Get Link button
Once you are done with product and ASIN search in Amazon listing, press the Get Link Button. This will copy your Amazon Affiliate link to the clipboard. Copy and paste this affiliate link for your promotions. This link can be used for websites, social media channels, and other platforms allow.
Users can also opt for Amazon Associate SiteStripe to get Amazon Affiliate links for promotions. Amazon Associate SiteStripe is a much simpler form of getting links on the Affiliate dashboard.
You need to click on the text option in the get link selection. Simple copy and paste the link in popup, use as per your requirements.
Use links as per Amazon’s terms and conditions
Amazon has given several guidelines for posting the link for promotional purposes. Associates cannot use links for offline promotional modes such as e-books, PDF, and emails. Content is always the king. Your content should be engaging as well as relevant for the potential customers. Always share quality content and affiliate links for an audience on the website and YouTube channel.
Amazon approves associate accounts for six months. In this period, the Associate has to make at least one sale. If an Associate fails to do any closure, his/her account will be closed. So make a proper strategy, plan for affiliate marketing with Amazon.
Amazon also offers to re-apply for the Associate program. Users can re-apply and make some changes to the website or channel for better performance and, eventually, better returns.
Eligibility
Amazon Associate needs to fulfill the following eligibility criteria for doing affiliate marketing with Amazon.
You must have a functional website.
Amazon has a list of unsuitable websites. Your site should not fall under any unwanted website, and else you can not participate in the affiliate program.
Content on the website or YouTube channels should be relevant and user-specific. Focus on high-quality content that attracts more customer engagement.
Amazon needs at least ten articles or blog posts on your website in the last month. This makes your website or channels active and relevant for potential customers.
Website or channel should be open to the public. Private member’s group, social media private groups are not permitted.
Pros and Cons
Pros of Amazon Associate Program
The enormous size of Amazon Group
Amazon is one of the biggest business group in the world. Amazon is highly trusted and enjoys high traffic on all of the platforms. The valuation of 356 Billion US Dollars is equal to Wal-Mart, Macy, Best Buy’s Target, Kohl’s, Sears, and JC Penney combined. Amazon Prime membership has crossed 100 million subscribers, and they most likely to do shopping on Amazon to get free shipping.
People know and trust Amazon, and hence it will help associates in selling more. Affiliates get more options and opportunities when they do business with Amazon.
Use of AI and modern techniques for better customer targeting
Amazon has been serving customers for more than 20 years. They have added several features such as “frequently bought together,” “recommended product,” customers who bought this item also bought” based on their artificial intelligence techniques.
An associate will get more potential buyers and prospects with AI-based product listing.
Commission of everything within 24 hours
The Associate gets a commission on everything a customer clicks within 24 hours after clicking on your affiliate link. This is an amazing and kind of unexpected bonus for Amazon associates.
Free to join for anyone
Anyone with a website can join the Amazon Associate program free of cost.
Expert Customer support
Amazon provides expert customer support for a complete customer journey. The Associate can focus solely on promoting their products and services while Amazon takes care of the customer support part.
Amazon reporting tools for tracking
The Associate can track traffic and other customer vitals for a better report on the customer journey. Each affiliate link comes with a tracking ID which can be used for tracking purposes.
Direct payment
Amazon offers multiple payment options. You can opt for direct payment, too though a cheque is an option, but you will have to pay the processing fee.
Cons of Amazon Associate program
No Email Marketing
The Associate can not use the Amazon affiliate link in their email marketing plan. So if email marketing is your primary mode of promotion, either you have to change your marketing plan or look for some other affiliate program.
Low commission
The most common criticism about the Amazon Affiliate program is its low commission. But if you consider their brand value, position, and recall prospects, it seems pretty acceptable.
Commission structure
To understand clearly, please follow the product-wise commission of Amazon Associate
Electronic items such as video games and consoles- 1 percent
Electronic items such as TV- 2 percent
Software such as games downloaded on digital devices percent
Computers, accessories, DVDs, etc. – 2.5 percent
Toys- 3 percent
Amazon devices including kindle, tablets, luggage, handbags, shoes, and alike products- 4 percent
Personal care, books, sports kits, kitchen appliances, car, healthcare, and baby products- 4.5 percent
Grocery items, handmade good, musical items – 5 percent
Outdoor activities tools- 5.5 percent
Beauty products, branded musical instruments, industrial supplies, headphones, business products- 6 percent
Amazon TVs, Amazon jewelry, clothes, and Echo items- 7 percent
Lawn items, home renovation items, decoration, pantry products, furniture- 8 percent
Amazon fashion accessories and coins- 10 percent
With this, we have reached the concluding part of the article. We have discussed step by step process, pros and cons, commission rates, products wise, and others in this article on Starting affiliate marketing with Amazon. Amazon is an excellent platform to be part of because of its gigantic size, user base, and more than 3 billion products on sale for associates.
So, be an Amazon Associate today and enjoy all the advantages of Amazon. It is one of the best ways to earn a handsome passive income without investing much.
We wish you all the best of luck with your affiliate business with Amazon.