How to Do Affiliate Marketing with Amazon

Amazon remains one of the largest businesses in the world, with an annual revenue of $574.785B for the year 2023. What’s more, Amazon stocks are expected to soar even more in 2024, with some predicting that the company’s revenue will only increase, possibly by 58%! 

So it's no surprise that so many affiliates are more than welcome to become Amazon’s partners and join the brand’s affiliate program — Amazon Affiliates, also known as Amazon Associates.

This program allows individuals and businesses to earn commissions by promoting Amazon products on their websites, blogs, social media channels, or other online platforms, and it is also one of the most popular affiliate programs in the world. Still though, even though it is very popular, we still feel the need to mention some basic pros and cons of Amazon Affiliates, so you could have a better idea whether this program would fit you:

Thus, after you’ve weighed all the advantages and disadvantages of Amazon Associates and decided to join this program, then here is how you can do affiliate marketing with Amazon!

If You're an Affiliate…

First, let’s start with seeing how to do business with Amazon if you are an affiliate:

Join Free of Charge

The first step is simple: you need to join the Amazon Associates Program, which you can do by heading to Amazon’s official site and clicking “Sign Up”. This process is free of charge, but in order to become an Amazon affiliate you need to have an Amazon account. 

Use Amazon's Account

So, if you have an account, input all the details in the box — you need to type your email address or phone number as well as your registered phone number and click “Sign Up.

If you don’t have an Amazon account yet, then simply click “Create your Amazon Account” and here you need to add the following information:

• Your name;
• Email address;
• Password and then re-enter this password.

Once all that is done, click “Create your Amazon account”. Note that by creating an account, you agree with the Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy of Amazon.

Once you proceed, you will need to input some information about yourself — this is your Amazon Associates application where you add all the details about yourself and also add links to your website, social media etc. Basically, anywhere you are going to be doing the promotion.

Select the Geography

Now keep in mind that there are different versions of Amazon Associates and you need to select one that matches your geography and sign up for it. 

Currently, there are 5 continents and 19 countries where the Amazon Affiliate program is available:

• North and South America (USA, Canada, Mexico and Brazil);
• Europe (the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Poland,  Spain, Netherlands, Sweden);
• Asia (China, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE);
• Australia.

It doesn’t matter what country you are signing up from, the joining process is the same for all of them.

Review the Rules & Policies

Also, don’t forget to read the Associates Program Operating Agreement as well as the Associates Program Policies so you understand all the rules, requirements and know what to expect when you sign up for this partnership. 

Expect a Swift Reply

Once you finish creating your account, you will then be given a unique associate ID. At that point, you are temporarily approved for the Amazon Affiliate program. Your application will be reviewed within 24 hours, and you will get a reply, notifying you whether your application is rejected or accepted. 

Whether you will be accepted or not depends on the links you provided — if you cannot generate sales via the affiliate links you’ve provided, then your affiliate application will be withdrawn in 180 days.

Access Tools and More

In the meantime, you gain full access to the Associates Central. Here, you will find data on your earnings, summary for the month, conversion percentage and so on. There is also a very useful Tools section, where you can access Link Checker, OneLink, Amazon Product Advertising API tools and so on.

If You're a Seller…

Now, if you wish to join Amazon Associates as a seller, then you will need to: 

1. Create a seller account on Amazon. You can do this by visiting the Amazon Seller Central website and clicking on the "Sign up" option. You'll need to provide information such as your business name, address, contact details, and bank account information for payments;
2. Select a selling plan:  Individual or Professional. The Individual plan is good for those who plan to sell fewer than 40 items per month, while the Professional plan is ideal for higher-volume sellers;
3. After selecting your selling plan, you'll need to complete the registration process by providing additional information about your business and verifying your identity. This may involve providing documents such as business licenses, tax information, and bank statements;
4. Once all that is done, and your account is then verified, you’re all set!

2 thoughts on “How to Do Affiliate Marketing with Amazon”

Overall, it’s not hard to join Amazon Associates, what can be harder is to actually generate sales, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience as an affiliate. It’s not a straightforward process, but what we recommend are these two tips that can assist you as an affiliate:

• Understand your audience. 

To sell something, you need to have a clear idea who you will be selling to. Invest some time in deeply understanding your target audience — what are their needs, and preferences? What they are interested in, and what is their buying behavior? All this allows you to understand your audience better so that you can adjust your marketing strategy to resonate with them on a personal level.

• Don't limit yourself.

Don’t just stick to one type of promotion and one channel: experiment with platforms where you’re promoting: for instance, if you are an affiliate who promotes solely on your website, you can also branch out and do a promotional campaign on social media.