How to Become an Amazon Affiliate Marketer

Content creators and social media influencers looking to monetize their social media accounts and websites can look no further than the Amazon Affiliate Program. By recommending Amazon products and including Amazon affiliate links, the influencers get paid a commission for any sales.

But really anyone can set up an Amazon Associate account for passive income. Suppose you have a hobby as a blogger about e-bikes. As part of your blog, you might review bikes, batteries, motors, parts, and accessories. By adding the Amazon product links to your product reviews, you can earn a commission each time someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase through Amazon.

This article is a step-by-step guide to the Amazon Associates program to help you start earning commissions for affiliate products. But first, let's answer some FAQs about the program.

How Does the Amazon Affiliate Program Work?

If you have a website or a social media account such as TikTok or a YouTube channel, you can recommend specific products sold by Amazon. You include links to products your audience can buy directly from Amazon. You earn affiliate commissions if your audience clicks on the Amazon link and purchases the product.

How Much Do Amazon Affiliates Earn?

You may earn commission rates of up to 10% on qualified purchases.

How Do I Get Paid?

You can receive payouts from Amazon in one of three ways:

• By direct deposit into your account
• By Amazon gift card
• By check

For direct deposit and Amazon gift cards, you must earn a $10 minimum to trigger payment. Payments by check are only issued once a $100 minimum is reached, and there is a $15 check processing fee. You receive payouts about 60 days after the month the commissions are earned.

How Do I Join the Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program?

The application process is easy. But first, you must have a website as the affiliate site that will feature the Amazon links.

1. Go to the Amazon affiliate website called Amazon Associates.
2. Create a new affiliate account and enter the payee's name. If you have an LLC or corporation, enter that as the payee's name. Enter other required account information.
3. Add the URLs of your websites and mobile apps where you will feature the affiliate links. Your store ID is your website name.
4. Verify your account and receive an Amazon Associates ID number.
5. Get approval from Amazon within 1-3 business days.

Next, start blogging away with product referrals and links.

Do I Need an LLC To Become an Amazon Affiliate?

You can be an Amazon affiliate as a sole proprietor, meaning any profits go on your personal tax return. However, if you truly want to monetize and expand your business, a limited liability company or LLC is an excellent option. An LLC is a business entity that gives you the flexibility of a sole proprietorship and the personal asset protection of a corporation. So, for example, if you endorse a skin cream that causes someone to have a severe allergic reaction, that person may want to sue you. If you are an individual, your personal assets are at risk. However, if you operate as an LLC to promote products, the lawsuit can only go after company assets. An LLC shields your personal assets, and LLCs are easy to set up and maintain. You can include LLC profits on your personal tax return, like a sole proprietorship.

7 Tips for Amazon Associates

There are ways to improve your chances of success as an Amazon Associate. Follow these tips:

• Create original content that is authentic and meaningful to your audience. You want your site to be trustworthy.
• Decide what types of products you want to promote. Choose relevant products consistent with your brand. For example, if you like to talk about makeup and skincare, your audience may follow your recommendations for beauty products. But if you have links for bike parts, your audience may not trust your opinions about them.
• Do not hide your relationship with Amazon and that you are a part of their affiliate network.
• Do not use link shorteners to hide the affiliate links.
• When reviewing products, avoid mentioning prices since Amazon may change their prices.
• Use search engine optimization (SEO) tools to drive traffic to your site.
• When promoting products, include image links.

The Amazon Affiliate Program presents a lucrative opportunity for content creators, bloggers, and social media influencers to generate passive income by recommending Amazon products through affiliate links. However, you must set it up correctly and work within Amazon guidelines. You may also consider creating an LLC to insulate your personal assets from your business activity as an affiliate marketer.

Related Resources:

• How Not to Get Sued as a Social Media Influencer (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
• Does a Social Media Influencer Need an LLC? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
• LLC Formation Made Simple (FindLaw's Legal Forms and Services)