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Why the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program Is Highly Underrated

31 points by acangiano 14y ago

stevencorona 14y ago
The net-60 payout is kind of a bummer too
tocomment 14y ago
Relatedly, does anyone know if Facebook allows the Amazon affiliate links in posts? I posted a couple of links but I never saw any affiliate revenue from the purchases.
- davidw 14y ago
  I kind of wonder if, in their scoring mechanism that decides what to show to who, they dock you a few points for product links though. I've been doing "what I've been reading" posts on FB lately, and people don't seem to notice them much.
- timaelliott 14y ago
  Would need to test it to verify but most companies based upon user-generated content will swap out your affiliate ID for their own. If not, they should be starting to do so :)
  - redslazer 14y ago
    Didn't pinterest use to do that and then people got pissed so they removed it? Edit: Yes they did. Source: http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/07/pinterest-affiliate-links/ http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/07/pinterest-affiliate-links/
    - jedberg 14y ago
      Someone suggested we flip out affiliate links for our own on reddit. We thought that would be pretty evil.
- acangiano 14y ago
  Yes, Facebook allows Amazon affiliate links. Just keep in mind that posting a link or two, does not automatically translate into revenue. You can check your tracking id report in Amazon Associates to see how many clicks you received.
richbradshaw 14y ago
Just as I saw this I got this email: Dear Amazon Associate, We're writing to tell you about several important changes to our Operating Agreement, including revised advertising fee rates. All of these changes will be effective July 1, 2012. We will be changing rates for the following product categories within the Amazon Associates Program: * Magazine Products sold on Amazon.com will increase to a 25% fixed rate from a volume-based rate of 4 - 8.5% * Grocery Products sold on Amazon.com will move to a 4% fixed rate from a volume-based rate of 4 - 8.5% * MYHABIT will move to a fixed rate of 8% from a fixed rate of 15% * Industrial Products sold on Amazon.com and all Products on AmazonSupply.com (previously known as SmallParts.com) will move to a fixed rate of 8% from a fixed rate of 15% For more information on the upcoming Operating Agreement changes including a comparison of the advertising fee rates visit https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating/compare https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/oper.... We appreciate your continued support and participation in the Amazon Associates Program. If you have questions, please visit the Advertising Rate Change FAQ at Associates Central. So, if you selling Magazines then it's pretty awesome, everyone else loses out.
- jc4p 14y ago
  So, if you selling Magazines then it's pretty awesome, everyone else loses out. Huh? I got the same e-mail too, all I got from it is that they're increasing incentives for new things they're focusing on (magazines, MyHabit, AmazonSupply) to get people to use the services. Where are you getting the "everyone else loses out" from?
  - richbradshaw 14y ago
    The rates on the others are dropping. MYHABIT and Industrial Products go from 15% to 8%, which is quite a drop.
    - excuse-me 14y ago
      But if the volume of industrial products they sell goes up. then having just discovered that you get a cut of everything the customer buys - not just the book you linked to. This could be good, especially when Amazon start selling 747s
huggyface 14y ago
It is natural for bloggers who start to gather a following to consider revenue opportunities to reward their time and effort. Incidental ads from a third party are one thing, and it's hard to imagine that they coerce the opinions and perspectives of some mid-level blogger. Outright Amazon Affiliate links, on the other hand, are a direct and obvious conflict of interest. Suddenly the author's opinion is rendered self-serving and questionable. I stopped reading or having any faith in the statements by Atwood after he started peppering his entries with Affiliate links. Oh look, he's decided that routers are suddenly a super important topic, and wouldn't you know it the one he likes super best is available via his affiliate link. Who doesn't think he needed to make bank, searched Amazon and then spun an entry around that monetization? It is a tax on the gullible.
- ovi256 14y ago
  >Who doesn't think he needed to make bank, searched Amazon and then spun an entry around that monetization? It is a tax on the gullible. I fail to see how Amazon cannot be replaced with Google and CPM ads in your phrase.
  - huggyface 14y ago
    I fail to see how Amazon cannot be replaced with Google and CPM ads in your phrase. The attachment is dramatically reduced. Talk about routers and your Google ad is just as likely to pitch alternatives as it is to follow your suggestion. Add that the net benefit of a single person buying a router on your advice is dramatically higher for Affiliate links than for basic ads. Amazon Affiliate links are like pitching Amway when you have friends over for dinner -- it sours the entire relationship, even where it's just reader to writer.
    - Kuiper 14y ago
      Amazon Affiliate links are like pitching Amway when you have friends over for dinner Actually, seems more like pitching my favorite book or movie to friends when they're over for dinner--which I do already. If I have a blog where I discuss fantasy novels, it almost seems like a courtesy to readers to link them to where they can buy the products I am talking about. There are a lot of times when I find myself linking people to Amazon product pages even though I'm not part of the affiliate program. (When a friend asks me what earbuds he should buy, giving him a link seems a lot more reliable than giving him a product name like "AKG K271 MK II" and trusting that the message won't get lost in translation as he retypes it into his search bar.)
NonEUCitizen 14y ago
Is the Affiliate Program open to Californians again?
- acangiano 14y ago
  Correct. People from "Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island, or Connecticut" are banned from entering the program. [1] 1. https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/oper...
- dwich 14y ago
  I've seen recommendations to use an affiliate aggregator like VigLink if you're in a restricted state. I don't know if there's legal issues with that, however.
michaelpinto 14y ago
If your site lends itself to selling things that are high ticket items Amazon can be great, but if you don't it becomes a great deal of work for little reward.
dazzla 14y ago
Don't count on being able to use Amazon Associates in a mobile app, mobile formatted site or getting commission for mobile visitors to a regular site. https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/advertising/api/detail/agreement.html https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/advertising/api/deta... 4. (e) You will not, without our express prior written approval, use any Product Advertising Content on or in connection with any site or application designed or intended for use with a mobile phone or other handheld device, or any television set-top box (e.g., digital video recorders, cable or satellite boxes, streaming video players, blu-ray players, or dvd players) or Internet-enabled television (e.g., GoogleTV, Sony Bravia, Panasonic Viera Cast, or Vizio Internet Apps). I have never heard of anyone getting any response for prior written approval. Myself included after many attempts.
nik_0_0 14y ago
"I’ve had visitors buy all sorts of expensive and odd items when they left my site to check out a $10 book on Amazon. And trust me, pink vibrators can add up quickly." I am mostly in the dark on how this program works, does this mean the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program allows the referrer to see exactly what the people who click through their link purchase within the next 24 hours? I assume it would be anonymous, and I guess it makes sense to understand the demographic of your site, but it certainly seems a bit invasive if clicking on a referral link tells that blogger your Amazon purchase history for 24h...
- acangiano 14y ago
  You only get an aggregate view of what people bought and in what quantities. There is no way to know who bought what.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]

31 points by acangiano 14y ago

The net-60 payout is kind of a bummer too

Relatedly, does anyone know if Facebook allows the Amazon affiliate links in posts? I posted a couple of links but I never saw any affiliate revenue from the purchases.

davidw 14y ago
I kind of wonder if, in their scoring mechanism that decides what to show to who, they dock you a few points for product links though. I've been doing "what I've been reading" posts on FB lately, and people don't seem to notice them much.
timaelliott 14y ago
Would need to test it to verify but most companies based upon user-generated content will swap out your affiliate ID for their own. If not, they should be starting to do so :)
- redslazer 14y ago
  Didn't pinterest use to do that and then people got pissed so they removed it? Edit: Yes they did. Source: http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/07/pinterest-affiliate-links/ http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/07/pinterest-affiliate-links/
  - jedberg 14y ago
    Someone suggested we flip out affiliate links for our own on reddit. We thought that would be pretty evil.
acangiano 14y ago
Yes, Facebook allows Amazon affiliate links. Just keep in mind that posting a link or two, does not automatically translate into revenue. You can check your tracking id report in Amazon Associates to see how many clicks you received.

richbradshaw 14y ago

Just as I saw this I got this email: Dear Amazon Associate, We're writing to tell you about several important changes to our Operating Agreement, including revised advertising fee rates. All of these changes will be effective July 1, 2012. We will be changing rates for the following product categories within the Amazon Associates Program: * Magazine Products sold on Amazon.com will increase to a 25% fixed rate from a volume-based rate of 4 - 8.5% * Grocery Products sold on Amazon.com will move to a 4% fixed rate from a volume-based rate of 4 - 8.5% * MYHABIT will move to a fixed rate of 8% from a fixed rate of 15% * Industrial Products sold on Amazon.com and all Products on AmazonSupply.com (previously known as SmallParts.com) will move to a fixed rate of 8% from a fixed rate of 15% For more information on the upcoming Operating Agreement changes including a comparison of the advertising fee rates visit https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating/compare https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/oper.... We appreciate your continued support and participation in the Amazon Associates Program. If you have questions, please visit the Advertising Rate Change FAQ at Associates Central. So, if you selling Magazines then it's pretty awesome, everyone else loses out.

jc4p 14y ago
So, if you selling Magazines then it's pretty awesome, everyone else loses out. Huh? I got the same e-mail too, all I got from it is that they're increasing incentives for new things they're focusing on (magazines, MyHabit, AmazonSupply) to get people to use the services. Where are you getting the "everyone else loses out" from?
- richbradshaw 14y ago
  The rates on the others are dropping. MYHABIT and Industrial Products go from 15% to 8%, which is quite a drop.
  - excuse-me 14y ago
    But if the volume of industrial products they sell goes up. then having just discovered that you get a cut of everything the customer buys - not just the book you linked to. This could be good, especially when Amazon start selling 747s

huggyface 14y ago

It is natural for bloggers who start to gather a following to consider revenue opportunities to reward their time and effort. Incidental ads from a third party are one thing, and it's hard to imagine that they coerce the opinions and perspectives of some mid-level blogger. Outright Amazon Affiliate links, on the other hand, are a direct and obvious conflict of interest. Suddenly the author's opinion is rendered self-serving and questionable. I stopped reading or having any faith in the statements by Atwood after he started peppering his entries with Affiliate links. Oh look, he's decided that routers are suddenly a super important topic, and wouldn't you know it the one he likes super best is available via his affiliate link. Who doesn't think he needed to make bank, searched Amazon and then spun an entry around that monetization? It is a tax on the gullible.

ovi256 14y ago
>Who doesn't think he needed to make bank, searched Amazon and then spun an entry around that monetization? It is a tax on the gullible. I fail to see how Amazon cannot be replaced with Google and CPM ads in your phrase.
- huggyface 14y ago
  I fail to see how Amazon cannot be replaced with Google and CPM ads in your phrase. The attachment is dramatically reduced. Talk about routers and your Google ad is just as likely to pitch alternatives as it is to follow your suggestion. Add that the net benefit of a single person buying a router on your advice is dramatically higher for Affiliate links than for basic ads. Amazon Affiliate links are like pitching Amway when you have friends over for dinner -- it sours the entire relationship, even where it's just reader to writer.
  - Kuiper 14y ago
    Amazon Affiliate links are like pitching Amway when you have friends over for dinner Actually, seems more like pitching my favorite book or movie to friends when they're over for dinner--which I do already. If I have a blog where I discuss fantasy novels, it almost seems like a courtesy to readers to link them to where they can buy the products I am talking about. There are a lot of times when I find myself linking people to Amazon product pages even though I'm not part of the affiliate program. (When a friend asks me what earbuds he should buy, giving him a link seems a lot more reliable than giving him a product name like "AKG K271 MK II" and trusting that the message won't get lost in translation as he retypes it into his search bar.)

NonEUCitizen 14y ago

Is the Affiliate Program open to Californians again?

acangiano 14y ago
Correct. People from "Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island, or Connecticut" are banned from entering the program. [1] 1. https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/operating https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/oper...
dwich 14y ago
I've seen recommendations to use an affiliate aggregator like VigLink if you're in a restricted state. I don't know if there's legal issues with that, however.

michaelpinto 14y ago

If your site lends itself to selling things that are high ticket items Amazon can be great, but if you don't it becomes a great deal of work for little reward.

dazzla 14y ago

Don't count on being able to use Amazon Associates in a mobile app, mobile formatted site or getting commission for mobile visitors to a regular site. https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/advertising/api/detail/agreement.html https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/advertising/api/deta... 4. (e) You will not, without our express prior written approval, use any Product Advertising Content on or in connection with any site or application designed or intended for use with a mobile phone or other handheld device, or any television set-top box (e.g., digital video recorders, cable or satellite boxes, streaming video players, blu-ray players, or dvd players) or Internet-enabled television (e.g., GoogleTV, Sony Bravia, Panasonic Viera Cast, or Vizio Internet Apps). I have never heard of anyone getting any response for prior written approval. Myself included after many attempts.

nik_0_0 14y ago

"I’ve had visitors buy all sorts of expensive and odd items when they left my site to check out a $10 book on Amazon. And trust me, pink vibrators can add up quickly." I am mostly in the dark on how this program works, does this mean the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program allows the referrer to see exactly what the people who click through their link purchase within the next 24 hours? I assume it would be anonymous, and I guess it makes sense to understand the demographic of your site, but it certainly seems a bit invasive if clicking on a referral link tells that blogger your Amazon purchase history for 24h...

acangiano 14y ago
You only get an aggregate view of what people bought and in what quantities. There is no way to know who bought what.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]