by These days, Amazon really is the gift that just keeps on giving. Not only does it arguably sell any product you could ever need, it also offers a handful of programs that can actually earn you money, rather than spend it. Three of the programs that are gaining popularity within the digital space are the Amazon Influencer Program, the Amazon Affiliate Program and the Amazon Associate Program. In this article, we’ll take a look at how they differ and what you can expect from each of them if you sign up.
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Differences Between These Programs In 2022
All three programs that we have discussed have the same goal, which is to give people an extra stream of income by promoting Amazon products online. In a world where consumers are surrounded by digital marketing and advertising every day, it gives those with an online presence an extra opportunity to earn some money, and helps Amazon gain more sales too.
However, as you will have read, the marketing programs do all appeal to slightly different people. The Amazon Associates Program will be best for bloggers or people who have a website with a well-defined audience and a steady stream of traffic. With the Associates Program, you will earn a profit when a customer clicks on your unique Amazon product link, or when they purchase.
On the flip side, with the Amazon Affiliate Program, you will earn a profit only when a customer purchases via your unique link. However, the commission is usually a little higher (but still dependent on the product category).
When it comes to the Amazon Influencer Program, this is where the most difference is seen. As the name suggests, this program is designed for Influencers who generally already have a big social media following and experience using the platforms. And here, the focus is a lot less directed towards blogging platforms or websites. Instead, Influencers are encouraged to create a landing page (known as the Amazon Storefront) where their followers can buy from. Amazon Influencers are also able to post unique product links to their social media sites (just like associates or affiliates).
Changes In These Programs In 2022 (what’s new)
In April 2020, Amazon cut the commission percentage for their advertisers by around two-thirds. Of course this was a major hit to associates and many were greatly affected. The good news is that as of 2022, those rates have crept back up again. Arguably, they are not what they were pre-covid, but they’re better than they were mid-pandemic.
This year, Amazon also changed the process in which you create your product links. Instead of going through the affiliate platform for each product, you now just can generate links in your regular Amazon account by using SiteStripe. Once SiteStripe is enabled in settings, you will be able to generate a unique URL in a matter of seconds. This will make it much easier and quicker to process new links.
What Is The Amazon Associate Program?
The Amazon Associate Program is an affiliate marketing platform that helps affiliates (or associates) make money by recommending Amazon products to their website readers or social media followers.
How Does the Amazon Associate Program Work?
As an Amazon Associate, members are able to generate links to Amazon products that are unique to them. Yes, that means one Amazon product listing can have thousands of associates advertising it, but with their own unique link. That link can be posted on the associate’s website or blog. If a reader of the website/blog buys from that link, the associate earns a portion of the sale. The great thing about the Amazon Associate Program, is that members also earn a percentage of commission even when a customer clicks on the link and doesn’t purchase. It works similarly to a pay-per-click campaign.
Let’s look at an example. Let’s say I run a successful blog where I recommend and review household electronics. I write a blog about a new coffee machine and I post my associate link within, or at the bottom, of the article and my readers click on the link. This will take them to the Amazon product listing of the coffee machine and I will get paid for that click. If a reader of mine goes ahead and makes a purchase of that machine, I also get paid. Generally the profit percentage is usually between 4-8.5% of the product price, but it does vary via product category. The more sales on your link, the more money you make!
Rules and Requirements for the Amazon Associate Program
The only requirements needed to sign up to the Amazon Associate Program is that you have a website/blog/online platform where you will be advertising your product links. You will also need to be 18 and have a registered bank account (in order to be able to receive your payment). Your online platform must be legitimate as it will go through Amazon’s approval process.
You will be most successful within this program if you have already had the chance to build up a good size audience of people who visit your platform. Those people must have a certain amount of trust in you in order to take the plunge and purchase based on the product recommendations or services you share.
A good advantage of this Amazon marketing program is that there is no certain amount of traffic you must send to Amazon. However, we must add you will need to make sales within your first 3-6 months or you’ll risk your account being shut down.
Another thing to consider is that although not a necessity, it will be helpful for associates to have a good basic understanding of digital marketing, especially SEO and keywords, and how they can utilize this when it comes to advertising or promoting certain products online.
An important rule to note is that you will not be able to send your links via email when you are an associate.
Lastly, customers must add a product to their cart within 24 hours of visiting the link in order for you to receive your payment.
How to Get Started In Amazon Associate Program?
It’s really simple to get started as an Amazon Associate. Simply head to the Associate homepage and click sign up. And yes, it’s free to join! You must have a regular Amazon account to join – so go ahead and create one of these if you don’t already have one.
Next, you will be asked to confirm your address and then you will be required to provide URLs and information about the websites/mobile apps you will be using to promote your Amazon links. You are able to add up to 50, but must have at least one.
After this, you will be asked for information in order to complete your profile. This includes things such as what your website/platform is about and who it is aimed at. Additionally, you will be required to let Amazon know what product type you plan to promote. 
The next part of the profile stage will be regarding Traffic & Monetization. As shown in the image below, Amazon will ask how you currently attract people to your platform as well as basic statistics about how many visitors visit your site per month. Google Analytics and your website backend is the best place to find and track this kind of information. 
After completing all of these steps, you will be taken to Amazon Associates Central, which is the dashboard for all the necessary tools you will need to get started creating links and selling products.
What Is The Amazon Affiliate Program?
The Amazon Affiliate Program is an extension of the Associate Program. Similarly to the Associate Program, this program allows members to make money by promoting their own unique product link on their own website/blog or social media platform.
How Does the Amazon Affiliate Program Work?
It works in essentially the same way as the Associate Program: affiliates will earn a commission every time one of their readers/customers/followers purchases an Amazon product from their unique link.
Rules and Requirements for the Amazon Affiliate Program
One rule that is unique to the Amazon Affiliate Program is that affiliates must make at least one sale within the first 180 days of signing up to the program. If you do not make one or more sales in that time frame, your account will be shut down. If you already have a well-built website or online platform that attracts the right target audience, then you should not really run into that issue. Like the Associate Program, it is free to join but in order to receive your payment, you must be 18 or older and hold a registered bank account.
How to Get Started as an Affiliate
To become an Amazon Affiliate, simply head to the Amazon Affiliate Program’s homepage and click Sign Up. Again, you will need a regular Amazon account to continue so make sure you have that before continuing.
After this, you will be directed to fill in your address and phone number. You will also be asked if you are U.S citizen or resident, and this is for tax purposes. 
Following this step, you will be directed to the Amazon Associates Program sign up process, which is the same as what we discussed above. You will be required to provide information about what platforms you plan to use to advertise on, what sort of visitors you attract, and what type of products you plan to start promoting and selling. Once your profile is complete, you will be able to start generating your unique product links and begin making money!
What Is The Amazon Influencer Program?
The Amazon Influencer Program is another branch of the Amazon Associates Program that we discussed earlier. Similarly to the Associates and Affiliate programs, the Influencer Program enables members to make money and earn commission on products they promote. The program is the newest of the Amazon marketing programs, as it was established in 2017.
How Does the Amazon Influencer Program Work?
One difference between Amazon Influencer Program vs the Amazon Associate Program, is that the Influencer program is mainly targeted towards people who have a larger following on social media on sites such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. As with the previously mentioned programs, Amazon Influencers earn money every time one of their followers purchases from their links.
Rules and Requirements for the Amazon Influencer Program
It is a little more tricky to become an Amazon Influencer than it is to be accepted into the Associates or Affiliate Programs. When you sign up, your highest followed social media account will be analyzed to ensure you are suitable for the program. Don’t panic! It doesn’t always mean you have to have 100s of 1000s of followers in order to be accepted.
In fact, Amazon will go more in depth than this when deciding on the status of your application – they will also look into your engagement on each post and your consistency of content. In short, having a social media profile that your audience engages with is key as this tells Amazon that your followers trust you, and therefore will be more likely to buy from you.
A good way of ensuring your audience interacts with you is to post content in the niche that they are most interested in. Asking yourself, ‘why do they follow me?’ will help you to narrow down the kind of content you should be creating.
How to Get Started as an Influencer?
If you have already built up a good social media presence and your audience engages with you well, then now is the perfect time to sign up to the Amazon Influencer Program. You are already promoting and advertising anyway on these platforms, so you may as well monetize it if you can!
To sign up to the Amazon Influencer Program, you will have to head to the Amazon Affiliate site and navigate to the Influencer homepage. 
You will be required to log in to your regular Amazon account and provide your social media information ready for review. If you choose to sign up with a YouTube or Facebook account, then Amazon will give you an approval or denial instantly. However, if you want to sign up with your Instagram, then it can take up to 5 days to hear whether or not you have successfully been approved into the program. You can also choose to join with TikTok if you prefer. We suggest you choose the platform where you have the best content and highest engagement.
There are two things to keep in mind: 1) your profile on any platform must be a business or creator account and it must be public and 2) you must follow the Amazon Influencer Program’s own account on Instagram and your application will not be approved until you do so.
You will be required to create an Amazon Storefront, which is your own unique URL where you are able to store all your recommended Amazon products in one place. For ease, you can separate the products into categories so your customers can shop quickly and efficiently. It’s super simple to share your storefront link on social platforms including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, as well as on your website or blogging site. In addition to making money when people purchase from your storefront, you will also earn commission if a customer purchases from the actual product link as well (such as with the other programs).
You are able to start building your storefront page by adding products even while you are waiting for your account to be approved. 
FAQ
How much can you make as an Amazon Affiliate?
As an Amazon Affiliate, you can expect to earn anywhere from 4-10% on each product you sell. The amount of profit is dependent on both the product price and the set percentage of commission for that specific product.
The more products your customers/readers/followers buy, the more your profit will increase. One great thing about this program as well is that even if a customer clicks on your unique link for a certain product, but then goes off and buys another product (still via the same link), you will get a commission for that purchase too.
How much can you make as an Amazon Associate?
The amount varies from product to product but if you are willing to put in the work to build a reputable online presence or brand, then those payments can really add up as long as customers are visiting your link and/or purchasing. For an Associate, the commission percentage is generally between 4-8.5%.
How much can you make as an Amazon Influencer?
Again, as an Amazon Influencer vs an Amazon Associate/Affiliate, commission ranges and you can expect anything from 10% to 1% depending on what product you are selling. For example, products in the furniture category are worth 8% in commission, and a private-label fashion product is worth 10%. Things such as beauty products are worth 6% and video games come in much lower at 1% commission.
Definitely do your research when it comes to what kind of products you want to promote so that you know how you can make the most profit. You can track your sales and commissions within the dashboard section of the member login.
Can I Use All Of These Programs At The Same Time?
You are able to sign up to all three programs and use them all. Although, using them all at the same time would be fairly ineffective. It’s best to try them all and choose which program works best for you and your customers.
Is One Better Than The Other?
That is entirely subjective. Each program is aimed at slightly different types of digital marketers and each person will probably take a liking to one more than another. Of course if you have a large social media following and your followers find you trustworthy and reliable, then you will probably benefit more from the Influencer program. If you run a high-traffic blog, then the Associate or Affiliate Program is probably a more suitable choice.
