Amazon is the most popular online shopping portal worldwide. It would be hard to find a person in the world who doesn't know Amazon. Because of its popularity, it would be pretty easy to recommend products from this online shop. People who purchase from Amazon rarely worry about their financial or personal information getting stolen, so there is less friction when encouraging users to buy there.

But did you know that you can earn money when people purchase on Amazon based on your recommendations? You can do so by joining Amazon' very own affiliate program -- the Amazon Associates.

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Affiliate Marketing Amazon: How to Start


Just like with any affiliate program or network, you need to apply first to be a part of Amazon Associates. The qualifications are pretty straightforward. If you know what you are doing, getting approved is pretty easy.

First, you must have an established online presence. Amazon wants to know where you will be promoting their products. Since their brand will always be attached to the products and the ads, they want to make sure you will be placing these in reputable venues.

You can have a website, an app, or a social media presence (such as a Youtube channel or a Facebook page) with enough followers. Amazon does not accept most paid traffic sources, so you canā€™t use PPC, social media ads and the rest here.

Second, you must know exactly how you'll be driving traffic to your website, app or page as you will be describing these methods during your application. If you plan on using a website, make sure it has enough content to prove that it is already active and is already receiving traffic, no matter how little.

The purpose of your website or app must also be clear since Amazon would like to know about that too, to make sure it fits their policies.

Once you are confident that you have what you need, you can then apply at Amazon Associates Central. You will immediately have access to the platform's dashboard after signing up.

You will be given 180 days to send at least one qualified sale to Amazon. If you fail to do so, your affiliate account will be closed. Once you get your first referral sale, your application will be evaluated, so make sure you place the correct information during the application, else your account will also be terminated.

Earning from Amazon Associates


You earn from Amazon purchases on a referral basis. When someone purchases using your link, you earn a percentage of that sale. You don't earn from leads or impressions -- just from sales.

Amazon Associates' cookie duration lasts for only 24 hours. If the user you directed to Amazon purchases after the cookie expires, you will not be credited for that sale.

The percentage that you earn from a sale depends on the category of the products sold. See table below for the rates: (source: Amazon Associates)

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You will be paid when you reach the threshold of payouts. The minimum is $10 for Amazon gift card or bank deposit and $100 for cheques. Amazon Associates follows a Net-60 payment schedule, which means your earnings for the entire month of January will only be paid out by the end of March.

Final Thoughts in Promoting Amazon Products


There are many kinds of affiliate programs available online, and affiliate marketing Amazon-style sure is different from the rest. There are a lot of doā€™s and donā€™ts and you have to learn them properly if you donā€™t want to get booted out of the program.

Unlike typical affiliate networks, Amazon Associates does not provide affiliate managers, so you are left to your own devices. But itā€™s a pretty profitable program from a very stable and reliable company, so you wonā€™t be afraid of not getting paid for your valid referrals. Plus you can be confident that this program will be here even for years to come.

So should you do it? Yes, it is definitely worth a try.