Are you looking for new ways to make extra money? Wondering how to start quickly to earn a passive income? If you have a blog or social media presence, the answer may be easier than you think!
Affiliate marketing programs are an easy way to generate income online. When visitors on your website click your affiliate links and make a purchase, you earn a commission! Amazon Associates have some of the best-converting links because it is such a known and trusted website.
Wondering how you can be a success with Amazon affiliate marketing? Keep reading to learn more about the Amazon Associates program, how to join, and what to expect!
What Is the Amazon Associates Program?
Amazon is the largest online retailer. With almost a 40% market share of worldwide sales, they ship over $5 billion worth of product each year. It is the third most visited website on the internet, behind only Google and Facebook.
And you can share in that success as an Amazon Associates through their affiliate program. All you need is a website or social media presence.
There’s very little work required by you to set it up. Unlike online courses that require you to create a lot of material before you start, With the Amazon associates program, all you need to do is put links to products on your site and generate traffic to your blog.
With the Amazon associates program, you add links to Amazon products to your site. When a customer clicks on your link and then makes a purchase – any purchase within 24 hours – you receive a small percent of the sale in return. The amount of your commission varies depending on what they purchased.
In some cases, you may even be eligible for a commission after the 24-hour limit. Suppose a customer uses your affiliate link and adds the item to their shopping cart, as long as they complete the purchase before the shopping cart expires (usually within 90-days). In that case, you could still receive the referral fee.
Benefits of the Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program
This is a win-win situation for both you and Amazon. Amazon gets increased sales and expanded reach through its Affiliates website and social media following. And they only have to pay for that marketing with it actually generates a sale.
You get to participate in one of the largest e-commerce sites on the web today. You don’t have to own products or ship merchandise.
Amazon’s sales funnel works to your advantage. They recommend related items to customers on their site, which increases the average purchase. You get credit for everything the customer purchases, not just the item from your link. So, your commission rises with everything they purchase.
How to Promote Your Amazon Affiliate Links
Blogging is the best way to promote your affiliate marketing. But you can also use social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to increase your sales.
Websites and blogs let you write in-depth about the products and provide multiple links. You can write reviews or do comparison articles highlighting multiple products. You can describe the products in detail and offer your thoughts about the items, enticing readers to buy.
Facebook is one of the largest social media channels with over 2 billion active users. You can share product links to family and friends on your feed, who are likely to trust your recommendations because they know you already. Then, you can promote your links with paid ads to increase your reach.
There are a lot of fun ways to share your product links on Instagram. You can create stories, in addition to posts, to engage with your followers. Use hashtags to reach more followers. The more people who can find you, the more opportunities you have to make a sale!
On YouTube, one of the most successful techniques to generate interest is through unboxing videos and reviews. Viewers love to see products in action and are more likely to buy when they see what a product can do. Add your links to the descriptions and encourage people to use them to make their purchases.
With websites and social media, consistency is critical. Set a regular schedule to write posts or upload interviews. You’ll stay fresh in your regular users’ feeds and increase your chances of gaining new viewers and subscribers. More viewers often mean more sales.
The Pros and Cons for Amazon Associates
One of the best things about the Amazon affiliate program is how simple it is. You don’t have to take any marketing courses to start. Just register and add links to your website or social media.
Amazon is a retail giant that is well-known and trusted around the world. Customers are already familiar with them and, most likely, have already purchased from them.
They have a large volume of products available. You will be able to find anything you want to promote. And with the Amazon sales funnel, customers will often find more items to purchase while on the site!
The commission rates vary depending on the product category. While some may have a rate as high as 10%, many items can be as low as 1%. So, it can take some time to earn a reasonable salary.
Amazon affiliate marketing is easier if you already have an established website and social media following. You can easily add include links to posts and videos that you’ve already made. And you’re promoting to readers and viewers that already exist.
If you’re creating a new one, it can take some time to develop a regular audience and increase your reach. You’ll have to put a little more effort into SEO and may even want to invest in ads to expand your reach.
Don’t be intimidated by not already having an established following, however! You can find success by sharing your struggles with your audience. Let people watch and be inspired by how you can start a new site and grow your business.
Generate Income Through Amazon’s Online Program
The Amazon Associates program started in 1996 and has been going strong every year since. Their affiliate program lets you generate an income with the websites and social media you already have.
In order for you to develop your skills, you should consider taking a free or paid marketing course. There are a variety of digital marketing courses you can take from businesses that can help you enhance your skills. As of writing this, over 80,000 new marketers have taken the Online Business Builder Challenge (only $7), and that might be a good starting place for you as well.