Here's the hard truth: you're not going to make millions overnight with the Amazon Affiliate Program (AKA Amazon Associates).
But that doesn’t mean you can’t earn passive income by promoting Amazon products you really love. Are you a food blogger, a TikTok creator, or have a unique platform? Then, affiliate marketing with Amazon is a solid way to cash in on your content.
Now, I know affiliate marketing can seem tricky.
From becoming an Amazon affiliate to figuring out where to put your links, it feels like you're stuck in a never-ending loop. Well, that's why this guide is here — to help you solve those problems and more!
I’ll show you how to get going and give you simple tips to help you earn more with smart marketing strategies and tools for the Amazon affiliate program.
Want an in-depth look at affiliate marketing? Head over to my guide to affiliate marketing.
What is the Amazon Affiliate Program?
The Amazon Affiliate Program, Amazon Associates, lets you earn extra money by recommending products on Amazon.
Here’s how the Amazon affiliate marketing program really works:
- Join the program: Sign up to become an Amazon affiliate. It’s free and simple. Once you’re in the program, you’ll get special affiliate links to use.
- Share links to the products you recommend: Put them in blog articles, Instagram stories, or TikToks. Wherever you chat with your audience. The idea is to recommend products you trust and think your audience will love.
- Earn money: When someone uses your link to buy something, you earn a small piece of the sale. At first, it might seem small, but over time, these earnings really add up!
Let's say you find an amazing spiralizer that turns veggies into noodles in seconds, perfect for that low-carb lifestyle. 🥒 Then, you make a quick video showing how it transforms zucchini into zoodles and share your affiliate link. And guess what happens if the video goes viral?
As more people click your link and buy the spiralizer, your commission grows.
So, how much can you actually make with the Amazon Associates Program? Let me show you the numbers.
Easily Manage Your Amazon Affiliate Links
How much do Amazon affiliates get paid?
I know it's frustrating, but the answer is: it depends.
But it's the truth when it comes to the Amazon Associates affiliate program. Here's why. ⬇️
1. It depends on how much traffic you get.
More clicks = more chances to buy. More purchases mean more money for you. So if you have a larger audience willing to buy, your chances of making more money increase.
2. Different categories have different rates.
For example, Luxury Beauty is a 10% commission for selling fancy skin creams people like. Video Games give about 1%, but lots of gamers listen and buy when you talk about their favorite games. So, picking products that fit your niche and what your audience is into can really help you earn more.
| Product Category | Commission Rate |
|---|---|
| Amazon Games | 20% |
| Luxury Beauty | 10% |
| Music & Digital Video | 5% |
| Physical Books, Kitchen, Automotive | 4.5% |
| Amazon Devices, Jewelry, Handbags, etc. | 4% |
| Toys, Furniture, Lawn & Garden, Headphones, Instruments, etc. | 3% |
| PC, DVD, and Blu-Ray | 2.5% |
| TV and Digital Video Games | 2% |
| Amazon Fresh, Physical Video Games & Consoles, Health & Personal Care | 1% |
| Gift Cards, Amazon Gift Cards, Digital Kindle Products, etc. | 0% |
| All Other Categories | 4% |
You can also earn a little extra when people sign up for Amazon subscriptions like Prime or start a baby registry through your links.
3. It also depends on the prices of the products you promote.
If you're promoting packing cubes for travel, and they're $20 for three, you're not making much money. However, if you promote purses for $200+, your Amazon affiliate income reports look much better.
🚨 What NOT to do: Promote high-priced items just to make a quick buck, especially if you don't own, use, and love the product. If your audience is budget-conscious, they're unlikely to buy expensive stuff anyway.
Ultimately, stick with the stuff you love and that your followers will find useful, and you'll be on the right track to earning honestly.
Average earnings with the Amazon affiliate marketing program
Amazon has a big piece of the affiliate market—35.7%! That means it's a popular choice for making money by sharing links.
Making big money quickly with the Amazon Affiliate Program is tough, though.
More people are doing affiliate marketing now, so there's a lot of competition for clicks. Also, Amazon started paying a bit less for each sale around 2020. Even if the pay isn’t as high as before, you can still earn extra money by being smart.
Here are some handy stats from ZipRecruiter on average Amazon affiliate salaries to help you see:
- Top earners: Some make over $107,500! 💸
- 75th Percentile stars: Others make about $78,500. 🌟
- Average Joes and Janes: Many earn around $77,893.
- Complete beginners: Some start with about $56,500. 🎯
Whether you're just starting out or have been doing this for a while, knowing these numbers helps set goals. Some people only earn a few hundred dollars a month (or less), so get ready for both fun and challenges!
Pros and cons of Amazon affiliate marketing
I've shown you some of the benefits above, but let's dive deeper to give you the full picture.
✅ Amazon affiliate program pros
You make money.
This is the biggest perk, right? You make money, which means you have more to pay bills, invest in your affiliate marketing side hustle, or save!
It's easy to join the Amazon affiliate program.
Any bloggers, publishers and content creators with a qualifying website or mobile app are free to be an Amazon affiliate!
Everyone uses Amazon.
If you're in the United States, Amazon packages are more common than pigeons. They have every product you can think of, so it appeals to everyone.
People trust it, too. Amazon is well-known and trusted. So, when people see they can buy from somewhere they trust, they're more likely to.
🔴 Amazon affiliate program cons
Your earnings can change.
How much money you make depends on how many people buy through your links. Some months might be great, but others might not. Get ready for those changes!
Low pay rates.
Amazon doesn’t pay a lot for most products. If you want to earn more, you might want to check out more brand-specific or some of these alternative affiliate programs to Amazon.
Rules to follow.
Amazon has a bunch of rules and policies you need to know. For example, putting affiliate links in emails is a no-no. 🙅🏼 So, make sure you understand these rules before you start so you don't end up getting tossed from the program.
How to become an Amazon affiliate
Ready to turn your favorite products into a paycheck?
Let me show you how to set up your Amazon affiliate account and start earning with Amazon's affiliate marketing program.
1. Head over to Amazon Associates and click Sign up.
2. Login or create your Amazon affiliate account.
If you already have an Amazon account, great! If not, creating one is easy. Just share a few details like your name, email, and website or social media platform.
3. Add your platform.
Whether you’re a blogger or have an app or YouTube channel, you’ll need to share the URL of where you’ll post your links.
After adding your URLs to the right spots, hit Add.
4. Tell Amazon about your content.
Type in an Affiliate ID that reflects your brand or niche. Then, Amazon will ask about the type of content you create and your audience.
What qualifies you to be an Amazon affiliate? Be real about who you’re creating for and what kinds of products you plan to recommend.
Also, when asked, “Which of the following best describes your content?*” pick the best option, like “blog” if that's your platform.
5. Set up payment and tax info.
Next, let Amazon know where to send your earnings (cha-ching 💵). Add your bank account and fill out the tax form. This step is quick but important, so don't forget it!
5. Test out the Amazon affiliate dashboard and start sharing your links.
Once approved, you’ll have access to your Amazon affiliate dashboard. From there, you can generate affiliate links, track your clicks, and start making money as an Amazon associate.
Interested in Tasty Links?
Monetizing your site shouldn’t be hard. Tasty Links makes it easy by managing all your affiliate links and magically inserting them into your posts.
Don’t forget about our 14-day money-back guarantee! Trying out Tasty Links is risk-free!
How to make money as an Amazon affiliate
Welcome to the Amazon affiliate program! Now, it's time to make money off your Amazon affiliate links.
1. Choose your niche.
Choosing your niche is one of the most important steps in Amazon affiliate marketing. Pick something that matches your interests, knowledge, and ideal audience.
Combining these three things means you:
- Stay interested in the topic
- Help the community
- Make some money
So, go with something that also has high demand but low competition.
With this method, you reach a large audience but don't get drowned out by larger companies.
If you haven't learned Search Engine Optimization (SEO) yet, definitely start. You can use a YouTube channel, follow people on social media, or take a course to help fill in your knowledge. Or, if you're a food blogger, use my guide to SEO for food bloggers.
Once you've learned a bit, do keyword research to find popular searches related to your niche. Search for long-tail keywords (very specific and long keywords). These keywords help you reach your target audience with lower competition.
They also help by getting product links in front of customers.
2. Decide how you’ll make money with the Amazon affiliate program.
What platform will you use to reach your audience?
Some of the top choices include:
- Blogging
- Social media
- YouTube
- Product comparison sites
- Amazon affiliate website
- A combination of all the above
Your approach to promoting your Amazon links will vary depending on your platform.
For example, if you start a blog, you must learn SEO. You can focus on commercial keywords to get products in front of customers. Plus, you need to write engaging content, develop a user-friendly experience, and more.
Going with Instagram? Your Amazon affiliate strategy must change.
Focus on creating engaging Stories, Reels, and posts. Add a Linktree link to your IG bio. And don't you dare forget to comment on others' posts to add to your reach.
So, research the best practices for your platform and dive in!
3. Explore your Amazon Associates dashboard.
You can access your Amazon Associates dashboard to view things like:
- Your store ID
- Purchase and conversion rate tracking
- More affiliate income reports
So please get familiar with this dashboard because you'll be checking it a lot.
4. Find what people want to buy.
You probably figured out some of this while you were researching your niche.
But the hunt for trending products must continue. So, do keyword research to find what products or topics people are looking for. Tools like Semrush and Ahrefs show you search volume and competition data.
This information helps you adjust or create content that ranks higher in search results so more people see it.
Also, pay attention to niche trends.
Is there a hot new product everyone is talking about? What questions are popping up in forums or on social media?
Identifying these trends helps you pick the best products for you AND your audience.
6. Create content with your Amazon affiliate links.
Now that the hard part is over, it’s time for the fun part! Create helpful content featuring products you love and believe your readers will too!
Create blog posts or write product reviews. Talk about why you like the product and how you use it. Then, add your Amazon links in a way that makes sense.
Love gardening? 👩🌾
Then why not write about how a “Garden Hose Nozzle” helps water your plants perfectly? Then, put the Amazon link in so people are only a click away! 🖱️
When you write about it, remember to use words people would search for!
For this hose, try out phrases like “top gardening tools” or “how to water plants.” You could also create a landing page listing all your favorite gardening tools. Just make sure to use keywords that help people find your reviews.
And here's one thing you must always remember: you need to disclose your affiliate links.
You can do this by adding an affiliate disclosure that lets your readers know you earn money if they buy through your links. If you need more help with this, head to my guide, which is all about Amazon affiliate disclosures!
Want to make all of this even easier? ✨
Try out a WordPress link plugin like Tasty Links! Use it to auto-link to affiliate products with the freshest images and even auto-add disclosures.
Content tips to increase your Amazon affiliate sales
Whether you’re creating Amazon affiliate links for your blog or using social media platforms, these tips will help you turn clicks into commissions
1. Use in-content links.
Links don’t have to be obvious or visual.
They can be simple in-content links to your favorite products and brands. But don’t overdo it! Focus on linking to items that truly add value to your readers.
Want to save time? ⏱️
Use Tasty Links to create Amazon affiliate links automatically. Just add a keyword and product URL, and the plugin sprinkles your affiliate links across your posts — old and new!
Here's another reason Tasty Links is perfect for Amazon sellers. It connects to your Amazon API, so you get the latest product info and Amazon product images on your blog.
🚨 Make sure to add the right tag to your rel attribute so Google knows exactly what kind of outbound link it is!
Don't understand the different links? That's okay! Check out the link below after you're finished here!
Read more from the WP Tasty blog
Understanding Outbound Links: rel=nofollow, sponsored, and ugc
2. Compare like products.
People love options, and they want to know why one product is better than another.
Help them narrow down their options by creating comparisons of products you use and recommend on your blog.
For example, Backyard Smoke Master compares the Weber Summit Kamado and the Weber Kettle in a detailed side-by-side review. Plus, he includes affiliate links for both products, helping readers make an informed decision.
Readers are in the market for the product, and you’ve done the research for them. So they’re more likely to click on one of the links.
3. Dedicate posts to the best uses of a particular product.
Pinch of Yum has done an excellent job of showcasing products in a way that feels natural, helpful, and engaging.
Lindsay uses posts like “20 Magical Ways to Use Your Instant Pot” to share affiliate links while sharing actionable tips.
After seeing how useful a certain tool or product can be, people are more likely to check it out on Amazon!
And remember — your affiliate cookie works for any product on Amazon for 24 hours. So even if they don’t buy the product they clicked on, you might earn a commission on anything they buy during that time.
Getting clicks is still worth it!
4. Link images to Amazon.
Seeing a product is enough to pique the curiosity of site visitors.
If you’ve got an image of a product that earns you affiliate fees, link it to the product page on Amazon. That being said, Tasty Links also makes it easy to add Amazon product images and featured link blocks to your site!
Want more plugin info? Be sure to check out my blog posts on the best WordPress affiliate plugins and the best WordPress Amazon affiliate plugins.
Read more from the WP Tasty blog
Best Practices for Using Amazon Images on Your Blog
5. Create tutorials and reviews.
Tutorials and reviews show your audience how a product works, why it’s awesome, and how it fits into their lives.
Plus, you can take that content and repurpose it across your brand's channels!
For example, you could:
- Create a Pinterest pin for a blog post about how your favorite air fryer simplifies weeknight dinners.
- Record a TikTok showing step-by-step how to organize a pantry using Amazon products.
- Shoot a YouTube video review of a new kitchen gadget, highlighting its features and benefits.
Are you part of the Amazon Influencer Program? For more exposure, upload your videos directly to Amazon’s product pages or your Amazon storefront.
💡Here's a tasty tip: Add affiliate links to your tutorials so readers can easily shop your favorite products. Don’t forget to include a disclosure — it’s the law and helps build trust!
6. Tap into trends (But not TOO trendy).
People love items that are popular AND practical.
Instead of jumping on a short-lived gadget craze, go for timeless tools with a trending twist, like an updated version of a classic stand mixer or a best-selling cookbook.
To stay on top of the trends, stay connected with Amazon sellers in your niche. They can help you find trending items that stick around so you’re not scrambling for new products every month.
Start earning with the Amazon affiliate program
As I said in the beginning, affiliate marketing isn’t about getting rich overnight.
It’s about earning a little extra while:
- Building trust by sharing what you love
- Helping your audience discover products that make their lives easier and more fun
What about you? How do you use Amazon affiliate links? Share your tips in the comments. I’d love to hear them!
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