One of the ways I earn money online is with blogs using the Amazon affiliate program. I’ve been running one of those blogs for years and spend VERY little time with now, but it still earns me a consistent monthly income. Oh, I’m not talking rolling-in-dough moola, but a few hundred dollars a month is a nice addition to my multiple streams of income strategy.

Here’s what I’m sure about, though. If I spent more time on those blogs, adding additional content and product ideas, I will earn more, too. And as soon as I have the time, that’s what I will do.

Affiliate marketing with Amazon is such a simple and easy idea. You create a blog and link to products that sell on Amazon. Then you receive a commission. The more you sell, the more you earn. Even though the Amazon affiliate commission rate structure changed recently, there is still good money to be made.

Here are my five top tips for earning an affiliate income with Amazon. It’s a way to make money online that can be done as a side hustle or full time. If I can do it, I know you can, too.

Choose the Right Niche

This is the Goldilocks dilemma no matter what type of blogging you do and it’s the most important decision you’ll make. You don’t want a niche that has so many other bloggers in it that you get lost in the crowd, but you also don’t want a niche that doesn’t have enough buyers. Like Goldie, you want the niche that’s “just right.” And, and Amazon affiliate website that you would be happy to promote.

A good place to start is with Amazon. Search the type of products that people are buying. Checking on the many Best Seller lists is a good place. Also doing random keyword research using the search box will bring up some interesting ideas.

I like using the Amazon Associates Program because… well, buyers like Amazon. That makes it a lot easier to make money because Amazon has such a huge selection of products and a good reputation.

Write Amazing and Useful Content

This is the most important tip I can offer you. There’s generally two reasons why people buy things:

• To solve a problem.
• To satisfy a need.

There are lots of ways to present the information. It could be with a full review of the product or setting up a scenario for the problem or need and then finding the solutions with the right product.

Think about what your audience want and put yourself in their shoes. What would YOU need to read that would make YOU want to buy the product. And then give that to your reader.

Make it Personal

Rather than adding random links, make your content personal. That could be because you’ve used or had experience with the product or it’s something that excites you because of the research you did. Your endorsement is what will generate trust between you and your audience.

Pick the Best Products

If you’re not recommending a product you’ve personally used, then make sure you do your due diligence on the product. Choose products that get high customer reviews on Amazon and then read them. Fortunately, Amazon is getting better at ejecting the trolls in favor of verified reviewers have actually bought the product. Reading those reviews is also a great way to learn more about the product, which can then be added back into your posts.

Use Affiliate Links Within Your Content

Buyers actually do like text links that are placed within the content on the page. In fact, about 50% of completed click-throughs come through those link, especially if they trust the content on your site. A simple text link that takes the reader to the Amazon site can be effective. Then you let Amazon do its job and the hard selling.

There’s also a number of plug-ins in that help link to Amazon products. The one I’ve been using for us is called Easy Azon4. It has a number of features, but the one I use the most is for text linking. On the backend, it’s easy to use and for the reader, it creates a pop-up window within the blog post to view the product. It looks nice and if the reader clicks through, the product goes directly into their cart. This extends the life of the cookie for you from 24 hours to 90 days. If you want to test it, just hover over the link for Amazon’s Dirty Little Secrets: How to Use the Power of Others to Market and Sell for You.

Another way to add an Amazon affiliate sales to your site is by adding a banner to the header, sidebar or footer. Amazon has lots of sizes already made up for you, from specific products to holiday sales to generic ads.

And while you don’t want to come across as a pushy salesman, it turns out putting multiple links to a product within your content is really helpful. But by multiple links, I don’t mean every other line. Using links at the beginning and end of a post are the most important real estate. Oh, and the lnking needs to sound natural.

If you’re talking about multiple products within a post, say for a DIY craft project or recipe, add links for the individual products as you’re talking about them, hopefully within the early middle of the content. Then, in your wrap-up, include all the products and their links in one place.

One last thing. Every once and a while, go through your older post with Amazon links and make sure that the product is available. If it’s sold out or has disappeared from the catalog, find a replacement. That keeps your content fresh and readers happy.

If you’d like to know more about making money as an Amazon affiliate, Carolina King from Mama Instincts has an amazing book that explains her profit making journey. How to Make Money with Amazon Affiliates – Over $1,000 Per Month Even with a Small Blog. It’s jam-packed with information (83-pages), plus worksheets and specific task. And it’s good information. I’m only half way through the books and I’ve learned some new things (native ads… I wish I would have caught on to that idea earlier).

The Amazon Associate Program is one of many ways to make money with Amazon,  and one that I find fun and rewarding. It’s also very easy to join. I’ve said it before. If I can do this, so can you.

Come back soon,