Amazon offers two main ways to help you earn a commission: the Amazon Affiliate Program (also known as Amazon Associates) and the Amazon Influencer Program. Let’s clear up the basics:
- Amazon Influencer Program: This one’s for people with a social media presence (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter). Instead of individual product links, you get a “storefront” where you can showcase your recommendations, organized by categories. The downside? You’ll need decent follower engagement (but not necessarily a huge follower count) to be approved for the program.
- Amazon Affiliate Program: Ideal for bloggers with a website or Facebookers with a Shopping Deals group and it has a relatively low threshold for acceptance. You just need some content and you are ready go. You’ll create product links, which you can sprinkle throughout your site to earn commissions. Here’s the good news: Amazon doesn’t care if your site is fresh off the presses with barely any traffic—they’re just looking for solid content that can drive sales.
Affiliate Program 101: For the Blogger Crowd
If you’ve got a blog, joining the Amazon Affiliate Program might be a great way to start gaining income from your content. Amazon Associates Program doesn’t mind minimal flow of traffic (for now). All you have to do is make three sales in the first 180 days. Simple, right? Once you’re in, you can go wild linking individual products directly within your content.
Pro Tip: Try creating neat comparison tables or product lists to boost conversions.
Influencer Program 101: For the Social Media Stars
Now, if you’re more comfortable with TikTok than WordPress, the Influencer Program could be your best friend. Amazon lets you set up a personalized storefront, where followers can browse categories of products you recommend. The setup is perfect for people who prefer sending their audience to a one-stop shop.
The catch? You’ll need a following that’s at least semi-active on a public profile (think Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.), and Amazon will check your engagement. The better your engagement numbers, the higher your chances of getting in. Shockingly, larger accounts with lower engagement often struggle to be accepted into the program!
Comparing Commissions: They’re (Basically) the Same
Affiliate or influencer, Amazon’s commission rates stay consistent across the board. In general though, if you drive a sale from off of Amazon onto Amazon (Associates) your commission is usually double that of the Influencer commissions. You’ll earn based on product category, with commissions ranging from 1% to 10%. A quick heads-up, though—Amazon likes to change commission rates, so keep an eye on updates to avoid any nasty surprises.
Key Differences at a Glance
So, if you’re still stuck between the two, here’s a quick comparison to help make the choice:
- Ease of Access: Affiliate Program wins here. It’s beginner-friendly, with no major follower requirements. Influencer Program? You’ll need an established audience with good engagement.
- Flexibility with Links: Affiliate Program allows you to link individual products wherever it’s allowed, while Influencer Program sticks you with a storefront. Great for social media users, not ideal for link versatility.
- International Commissions: Affiliates can use Amazon’s geo-tracking feature to earn commissions globally, sending users to their country’s Amazon page. Influencers? You’ll have to set up separate storefronts for each country if you want to do the same.
What About Getting Kicked Out? (Yes, It’s Possible)
Both programs can terminate your account if you don’t play by the rules. Affiliates, for example, need those three initial sales. If you don’t hit that target, you might have to reapply. And Influencers? If your traffic dries up, your storefront might be shut down, though you’ll get a warning first.
What to Do Next: My Two Cents
- For Bloggers: Go with the Affiliate Program. The flexibility it offers lets you turn any piece of content into a money-making machine. Plus, plugins like Lasso can take your site’s look to the next level.
- For Social Media Users: Influencer Program is your best bet if you don’t plan on blogging. The storefront is easy to manage and perfect for directing followers straight to your recommendations.
- For Those Who Have Both: There’s no rule against joining both programs. Use the Affiliate Program for blog content and link your storefront on social media for maximum reach.
BONUS TIME! Amazon Influencers are Automatically Amazon Associates!
That’s right. When you are accepted into the Amazon Influencer Program, you are automatically granted an Amazon Associates account. And here is where the real magic happens! The more places you can post your content, the greater the likelihood you are to make sales.
Amazon Influencers have a distinct advantage, in my opinion! Here you are, with your bank of shoppable videos, a veritable goldmine! Start a YouTube channel where you repurpose your Amazon content into a YouTube Product Review channel. Sprinkling your Amazon Associates links in your video descriptions can drive offsite sales to Amazon and increase your earnings significantly.
Add to that the possibility of monetizing your channel once you gain 1000 followers and 4,000 watch hours (really not all that hard and you can set up automations to do 90% of the work for you), and you have created a significant stream of income from content you have already created that is already earning you money on another platform. GENIUS!
Conclusion? Get Out and Grab Those Dual Opportunities!
Amazon dominates about half of all e-commerce sales, so no matter which program you choose, there’s a world of opportunity. Whether you’re blogging, posting on social, or both, you can turn Amazon’s affiliate options into a viable income stream.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab those links and get to earning. Because, as Amazon’s popularity proves, people will buy anything online.
