How I Make Money with Amazon Affiliate Marketing (And How You Can Too)
If you’ve ever wondered how to make money with Amazon Affiliate Marketing, you’re in the right place.
I’ve been using Amazon Associates, Amazon’s affiliate program, for a few years now, and in this post, I’ll break down exactly how it works, how much you can earn, and my personal experience—along with tips to maximize your success.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a way to earn money by promoting other people’s product or service using a unique link.
When someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.
The best part?
You don’t have to create or ship products—your job is simply to drive traffic to the brand. Essentially, you act as the middleman between a company and the buyer.
And chances are, you’ve probably bought something through an affiliate link without even realizing it.
This strategy works especially well for podcasters, YouTubers, bloggers, and social media influencers. If you have an audience, you can start recommending products you already use and trust—and get paid for it.
Why Amazon Affiliate Marketing?
Uhhhh pretty obvious, right?
Everyone buys stuff on Amazon. If you live in a household like mine, you see packages show up almost daily (a little dig at my wife, I love you Annemarie!).
Thats the long and short of it. Amazon is the GOAT.
It’s reliable, has everything you’d ever want, has ultra fast shipping, and EXCELLENT return policies. Customers love this, which benefits you as an Amazon Affiliate.
Additionally, Amazon provides solid earnings breakdowns and tracking for affiliates through the Amazon Associates dashboard.
Here’s what you get:
- Detailed Earnings Reports – You can see your total commissions, clicks, conversion rates, and earnings by product category.
- Ordered & Shipped Reports – Amazon shows what products were ordered through your affiliate links and whether they’ve been shipped. You won’t earn a commission until an item is shipped.
- Payment History – The dashboard tracks your past earnings, upcoming payouts, and payment method details. You get paid Net 60.
- Link Performance Metrics – You can track which affiliate links perform best, helping you optimize your strategy.
Amazon Associates Downsides
The downside? Amazon’s commission rates aren’t the highest (ranging from 1% to 20% depending on the category). But the high conversion rates often make up for that.
I also don’t like how you can’t track where the clicks on your affiliate links are coming from. I THINK there’s tools for this that you can use outside of Amazon, but I’m not completely sure how that works.
How I Got Started With Amazon Associates
When I first joined Amazon Associates, I had no clue what I was doing.
I signed up, grabbed my links, and started dropping them into my blog posts, podcast show notes, and my YouTube descriptions. I just hoped for the best.
Amazon requires you to make three sales within your first 180 days to stay in the program.
Instead of sharing my links with friends and family (which, in hindsight, I should have done), I got my first three sales organically—by writing a blog post about the best podcast microphones and linking to the audio gear I personally use.
That post started ranking on Google and brought in consistent traffic, which led to my first commissions.
Pro Tip:
If you’re just getting started, focus on writing content or making videos around products you already use and trust.
People search for reviews before buying, so creating helpful, SEO-optimized content can drive organic sales.
And don’t overthink it—share your links with family and friends to hit that first sales quota quickly.
How To Join Amazon Associates
- Sign up at affiliate-program.amazon.com.
- Get approved and receive your unique affiliate links.
- Make 3 sales in 180 days to stay in the program.
- Start earning commissions based on the product category.
Once approved, log in and search for a product you want to promote. On any product page, you’ll see the Amazon SiteStripe bar at the top.
Click “Get Link” to generate your unique affiliate link—this is what you’ll share in your content.
You can choose a short link or long link. No idea why you would choose a long link! But, that’s an option. Every time someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you’ll earn a commission.
Make sure to track your earnings and performance in the Amazon Associates dashboard for insights on which products are driving sales.
How Much Can You Earn? (Amazon Commission Rates)
Amazon’s commission rates vary by category.
Here’s a breakdown:
Want To Increase Your Earnings?
- Focus on high-ticket items (like cameras, laptops, or studio equipment).
- Write product comparisons to help buyers decide.
- Use video reviews (Amazon loves video content).
Honestly, you won’t make a chunk of money unless you can drive A LOT of traffic to your links. It really is a numbers game.
But hey, you gotta start somewhere and Amazon is a great place to start. Once you get your first sale you’ll be pumped up and motivated to make more, and to keep pushing.
My Earnings: Real Amazon Affiliate Marketing Income
At this point, I have hundreds of affiliate links out on the web, living in my podcast show notes, YouTube descriptions, and blog posts. Below is a screenshot of my Amazon Associates earnings for all of 2024.
This isn’t life-changing money, but it’s largely passive income—and it keeps growing as I create more content.
Where To Promote Amazon Affiliate Links
Wondering where to put your links?
✅ Blog posts – Write product reviews, tutorials, and comparisons.
✅ Podcast show notes – Mention gear and tools used in your episodes.
✅ YouTube descriptions – Link to products you discuss in videos.
✅ Social media posts & stories – Share affiliate links on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
✅ Email newsletters – Send recommendations directly to your audience.
Amazon Affiliate Marketing Tips for Success
To make the most of Amazon’s affiliate program, focus on creating valuable content rather than just dropping links. When you recommend a product, explain why it’s useful, how you use it, and what makes it stand out.
Readers are more likely to trust and act on your recommendations when they see the value behind them. Next, optimize your content with high-converting keywords to attract search traffic.
Phrases like best podcast microphones or Amazon affiliate marketing tips help your posts rank higher on Google and drive targeted visitors who are already interested in making a purchase.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket—diversify your affiliate links across multiple blog posts, YouTube videos, social media platforms, and even email newsletters.
A single article might bring in sales, but spreading your links across different channels increases your earning potential.
Lastly, track your performance using Amazon’s tracking IDs. Assign unique IDs to different content sources to see which links drive the most sales. This data helps you refine your strategy, double down on what’s working, and cut out what’s not.
By combining helpful content, smart SEO, link diversification, and tracking, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success with Amazon Associates.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Staying Legal
The FTC requires you to disclose that you use affiliate links. Amazon also has a strict rule stating that you must include this disclaimer on your website or social media profiles:
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
In addition to this required statement, you can add a more personalized disclosure, such as:
I usually write something like this – “If you choose to buy through my links, it won’t cost you extra, but I may earn a small commission. This helps support my content creation.”
Failing to disclose affiliate links can result in penalties from the FTC or removal from the Amazon Associates program, so make sure your disclosure is clear and visible wherever you share affiliate links.
Things to Watch Out for as an Amazon Affiliate
While Amazon Associates can be a great way to earn commissions, there are risks to be aware of.
One major concern is that Amazon can lower commission rates at any time.
For example, in April 2020, Amazon drastically reduced commission rates in several categories, slashing some affiliates’ earnings overnight.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I started my Amazon Affiliate Marketing journey after these cuts.
Since I never experienced the higher commissions, I didn’t feel the loss—but I did have to adapt to the lower rates from the start. Either way, it’s a bummer.
Amazon affiliate links track user activity for 24 hours after a click. If the user makes a purchase within that time, you earn a commission. However, if they add an item to their cart within the 24-hour window, tracking for that specific item extends to 90 days, allowing you to earn a commission if they buy it later.
If the user clicks another affiliate link before purchasing, that new link overrides yours. If they don’t purchase within 24 hours and don’t add the item to their cart, you won’t earn anything.
Likewise, after 24 hours, any new purchases won’t count unless they click your link again.
Amazon also has strict policies, and violating them can lead to account termination. Common mistakes include cloaking affiliate links, misleading promotions, or failing to disclose your affiliation. If your account gets banned, you lose all unpaid earnings and may not be able to rejoin the program.
Don’t rely entirely on Amazon for affiliate income. Diversify by joining other programs with higher payouts, such as Best Buy, B&H, or niche-specific brands related to your content.
Having multiple revenue streams protects your income if Amazon makes changes.
Is Amazon Affiliate Marketing Right For You?
Amazon Associates is a great starting point for affiliate marketing, especially if you’re already creating content and recommending products. It’s easy to join, and the sheer number of people shopping on Amazon increases your chances of earning commissions.
However, the program has its downsides—low commission rates, strict rules, and the risk of changes that can impact your earnings.
If you’re willing to put in the effort to create valuable content and drive consistent traffic, Amazon’s affiliate program can be a solid way to generate passive income.
That said, it shouldn’t be your only affiliate strategy. Exploring additional programs with higher payouts can help you build a more sustainable income over time.
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