Whether you’re looking for new ways to monetize your blog or social media, or you’re hoping to expand your brand’s reach, Amazon Affiliate and Influencer programs can be helpful.
But what does it take to get started? We’ll cover that in more as we break down the two types of programs. Learn about the rules and restrictions and why it’s so important for brands and influencers alike to take advantage of what Amazon has to offer.
What We’ll Cover
- What’s the difference between the Amazon Affiliate and Influencer programs?
- What is the Amazon Affiliate Program?
- What is the Amazon Influencer Program?
- How brands can create Affiliate and Influencer links
- Why brands should participate in these programs
- FAQs about Amazon Influencer & Affiliate Programs
Amazon Affiliate vs. Influencer Program: What’s the Difference?
Both Amazon Affiliates and Influencers are part of the broader Amazon Associates Program.
Affiliates have to work with Amazon for product selection. Meanwhile, Influencers have total control and are able to pick whatever products they like.
With the Affiliate program, anyone can sign up! The influencer program requires participants to qualify by linking their social media accounts with the most followers (or, as Amazon says, “the social media account in which you will have the largest influence on your followers,” which could also translate to engagement and conversions).
As Amazon puts it, “While we look at the number of followers and other engagement metrics of your social media presence, we also look at the type of content you post and the relevancy it has for Amazon customers.”
What is the Amazon Affiliate Program?
The Amazon Affiliate Program is an affiliate marketing program that allows users to monetize their websites, blogs or social media.
Affiliates place links on their websites or blog posts. If people buy the products they link to, the affiliate receives a commission. This is what bloggers and writers use when they take product links and hyperlink them in their articles. These hyperlinks lead to the Amazon product detail pages of different products.
How Does the Amazon Affiliate Program Work?
Associates in the Amazon Affiliate Program earn money through commissions of products they sell using Special Links. Amazon keeps track of each sale by providing the Associate with an Associate ID. Associates must first apply and wait for Amazon to approve their application before being allowed to monetize product recommendations.
Rules and Requirements for the Amazon Affiliate Program
It’s free to become an associate. If you participate in the program, you have to disclose that you may receive a commission from the purchase in whatever content the links are used in. This helps promote transparency for customers.
Here are some more rules:
- All claims regarding products must be 100% true.
- Don’t refer to products’ specific prices because they often change.
- Links can’t be used in offline promotions, ebooks, and emails. You can’t shorten the links.
If you’re interested in potentially joining the Affiliate Program, you can view the full policy list on Amazon’s affiliate website here.
According to Amazon, certain factors can disqualify purchases from earning a commission. This includes:
- “Any product purchased after termination of your agreement.”
- “Any product order where a cancellation, return, or refund has been initiated.”
- “Any product purchased by a customer who is referred to an Amazon site through any advertisement that you purchased through participation in bidding or auctions on keywords, search terms, or other identifiers that include the word ‘amazon’, or ‘kindle,’ or any other Amazon Mark.”
- & more
How to Get Started as an Affiliate
To get started, you must complete the enrollment process. This involves submitting a complete and accurate Associates Program application.
Additionally, your website (or websites) must contain original content and be publicly available using the URL you provided in the application. You must share all of the website links that you plan to use for the Affiliate Program in your application.
An Amazon professional will evaluate your application and let you know if it’s been accepted or rejected.
After you’ve applied to the Affiliate Program, you’ll be able to display Special Links on your website. These Special Links are what allows accurate tracking and reporting—so you can get the right commission income.
How to Get Links & How Much You’ll Be Paid
To get links for products, visit the Affiliate Program Resource Center.
Commission payments vary depending on the items your audience purchases. You can
Once you make an Associates account, you can visit this link that shows you a chart of the commission payments.
How to Partner with an Affiliate as a Brand
Do you run a brand and want to partner with an Affiliate to help bolster your leads? Partnering with an Affiliate makes sense for many brands.
To do so, you’ll need to find affiliates with an audience that you think your product can offer value to or pair nicely with. It can’t be just any product because the audience has to be right. Reach out and form partnerships that can earn both you and the Affiliate income.
Focus on niche websites, blogs, or online communities. Niche sites are a great way to capture a specific audience and see a more significant return. Engagement tends to be a lot higher on niche sites.
Affiliates can also reach out to you to include links to your products on their sites.
What Is the Amazon Influencer Program?
The Influencer Program is an extension of the Affiliate Program, but more exclusive. There are barriers to entry and Influencers have more power to influence an audience than Affiliates do. Participants cannot only use links on their websites or blog posts, but they can also link to their own page on Amazon to showcase products.
How Does the Amazon Influencer Program Work?
Social media influencers with large highly engaged followings are eligible to become Amazon Influencers. They earn a commission on any product they sell to their social media audiences using Special Links. They can also send those links to websites and blogs, so it’s more of an expanded option than the Affiliates Program.
Rules and Requirements for the Amazon Influencer Program
There are some rules that accompany the Amazon Influencer Program, especially considering it’s more elite than the Affiliate Program.
- You have to apply using a social media account with a strong following (qualifying social media platforms to include: Facebook, Youtube, Instagram or Twitter).
- Amazon gives you a unique URL that you can share with your audience. As an Influencer, you get to have full control over that URL.
- You can curate a product lineup based on your own knowledge and experience
- Influencer profiles can be verified.
How to Get Started as an Influencer
Here are the main things you should know as you take your first steps to become an Amazon Influencer:
- Registration Information: To register as an Influencer, you must complete all information requirements, including granting Amazon’s requests to access data regarding your social media presences.
- Influencer Page: The Amazon Influencer Program may include an Amazon Site Influencer Page registered through Amazon and assigned to you.
- Special Links: To measure traffic to your Influencer Page, Amazon uses Special Links. The metrics for the Special Links that direct customers to an Influencer Page are measured to start when the customer clicks through to the Influencer Page.
- Marketing: The Influencer may include Special Links to their Influencer Page in emails. However, those emails must be in compliance with the Agreement, the Trademark Guidelines, and the Amazon Brand Usage Guidelines (all of which you can find on their site).
- Compliance: Amazon may ask to see sample materials and written certification that you are compliant with the rules and regulations for the Amazon Influencer Program.
- Commission: As Insider reports, “Commission rates vary from 1% to 10% for items that influencers sell. Amazon’s private-label fashion line earns influencers a 10% commission; furniture is worth 8%; headphones and beauty products are worth 6%; and physical video consoles and video games are worth 1% commission rates.”
How to Partner with an Influencer as a Brand
As a brand, you’re going to want to partner with Influencers who are most likely to have a meaningful impact on your bottom line.
Brands can use Influencers to roll out sales and move products. Meanwhile, Influencers can feature products on their “best lists, favorite lists, must-have lists or top lists” content. They can also run promotions through discount codes.
To search for Influencers you can partner with, start with your own followers. People who are already familiar with your brand are more likely to partner with you. You can also identify your top buyers and people who are pushing branded or industry-specific hashtags.
For a more streamlined approach, explore creators on Amazon and consider third-party tools like Stratusphere to help you find Amazon Influencers.
How Brands Can Create Affiliate & Influencer Links
For brands looking to create Affiliate and Influencer links in Vendor Central or Seller Central, here’s what you do:
Create Affiliate & Influencer Links in Vendor Central
- On the Vendor Central homepage, click the Merchandising tab and click promotions.
- Start a new campaign and enter the details of the promotion (budget, length, discount percentage).
- Make sure the promo type is a “promo code.”
Create Affiliate & Influencer Links in Seller Central
- On the Seller Central homepage, go to the advertising tab and click promotions.
- Create a social media promo code and enter all the details (budget, length, discount percentage).
It’s as easy as that!
Why Brands Should Participate in Amazon Affiliate & Influencer Programs
As a brand, participating in Amazon’s Affiliate and Influencer Programs means grasping the opportunity to expand your reach and increase your sales through easy, affordable marketing.
With the new A10 algorithm, Amazon is rewarding brands that increase external traffic to Amazon. For them, this is an easy, cost-effective way to do so.
Amazon Affiliates and Influencers can help brands build trust with consumers in their niche audience. Consumers are more likely to buy a product from someone they trust and look to for advice. Ultimately, this kind of partnership creates that trust.
Plus, word-of-mouth marketing remains the leading form of advertising for consumers. As buyers, we find the opinions of people we know to be more credible than a stranger on the internet. However, people and pages we have followed for a long time start to earn our trust.
“Eighty-three percent of online respondents in 60 countries say they trust the recommendations of friends and family, according to the Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Report.” – Nielsen
At the end of the day, these Amazon programs result in increased sales, visibility and positive reviews. They lead to lower ACoS (advertising cost of sale). And they beat out competition by ranking higher on search engine result pages.
FAQs About Amazon Influencer & Affiliate Programs
- What are the benefits of being a verified Amazon Influencer?
In addition to a blue checkmark signaling you’re verified, your fans can also follow you right on your Amazon profile. This keeps your audience updated with any new products you may be showcasing.
- How do I become a verified Amazon Influencer?
Amazon Influencer verification is an automatic process. The platform will verify you itself. If you have an account made prior to July 1, 2018, you can manually verify your profile.
- How much do Amazon Influencers earn?
Amazon Influencers earn a commission whenever a follower makes a qualifying purchase through an affiliate link. “The amount you earn is based on the products sold. Commission rates can be found here and will also be visible in your reports,” Amazon says.
- How does the Amazon Associates program work?
Approved Amazon Associates can share products and programs through their audience. Custom links help them earn money via their existing audience channels.
- How do you sign up for the Amazon Associates program?
Start by visiting this site and filling out a thorough, accurate application. Amazon will review your application and let you know if you meet the requirements necessary for acceptance.
- In the Amazon Affiliate Program, can you share links on social media?
Amazon Affiliates can earn commission on social media if they share the blog that includes the affiliate links. They can also share the link directly. Affiliates must be transparent about using affiliate links.
- What’s the best way to maximize your commission from the Amazon Associates Programs?
Share, discuss and promote the affiliate products (including links) on your top-performing platforms. Choose products that people in your audience are actually buying. For brands, maximize sales by monitoring analytics and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
Wrapping Up on the Amazon Affiliate & Influencer Programs
Ready to start monetizing your awesome blog or social media profile? Or would you rather expand your brand’s reach and gain new customers with a strong sense of loyalty? Either way, Amazon’s Affiliate Program and Influencer Program can serve as a gateway to your goal.
Still, have questions about what it all takes and how to best implement it? Ignite Visibility has an Amazon marketing team full of experts on the Influencer and Affiliate Programs. We love helping brands build a presence on Amazon, including on- and off-Amazon expertise.
