Every day, millions of websites send traffic to Amazon, from comparison sites to review blogs that link directly to product pages. Many of these sites are incentivised through Amazon’s affiliate commissions, making it a win-win for marketers to drive traffic to Amazon listings and get paid in return. By encouraging these affiliates to place your products on their sites, you can generate additional high-quality traffic to your listings and boost sales.
Understanding Amazon’s Affiliate and Influencer Programmes
Amazon offers two primary pathways for sellers to connect with affiliates and influencers:
Amazon Associates Programme: One of the most well-known affiliate programmes, Amazon Associates allows individuals and websites to earn commissions by promoting Amazon products through unique links. This programme is ideal for bloggers, comparison sites, and niche websites that want to monetise their traffic by recommending products.
Amazon Influencer Programme: This programme is specifically for social media influencers who create content on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Influencers approved for this programme can earn commissions by promoting products to their followers through shoppable storefronts, bridging Amazon sellers with audiences actively looking to buy.
For sellers, partnering with affiliates from these programmes means gaining a steady stream of traffic from trusted sources, which can increase brand visibility and drive more conversions.
How to Find Affiliate Influencers
Amazon Sellers can find affiliate marketers and influencers through a variety of platforms:
Amazon Influencer Programme: Connects sellers with influencers directly on Amazon.
Influencer Platforms: Use AspireIQ, Upfluence, or Influencity to filter influencers by niche and audience demographics.
Social Media: Hashtags like #AmazonFinds on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok are effective for finding influencers who already promote Amazon products.
Influencer Agencies: Agencies like Viral Nation, Trove, and HYPR can match sellers with influencers suited to their brand.
Affiliate Networks: Sites like ShareASale, Impact, and CJ Affiliate allow affiliates to promote Amazon links directly.
An easy way to find affiliate marketers in your niche is by searching Google for “amzn.to + [your product type]” (e.g., “amzn.to + dog + collar”).
How to Drive Cheap Traffic to Amazon Using Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can be a cost-effective way to drive new audiences to your product listings. By working with affiliates, Sellers can tap into high-quality traffic sources without the high costs associated with Amazon PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns. Here’s how:
Content-Tailored Promotions: Affiliates can create niche-relevant content (blogs, product round-ups, etc.) with backlinks to your product detail pages.
Retargeting Advertising: Once traffic is directed to the product pages, Sellers can use Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) to retarget visitors, effectively keeping the product visible to them after they’ve left Amazon.
Leveraging Affiliate Networks: Affiliates on networks like blogs and media publications can place links that direct potential buyers to your Amazon listing, lowering your CPC (Cost Per Click) significantly.
On average, Sellers partnering with affiliates report paying around £0.17 per click, about a fifth of the cost of a typical Amazon CPC. This strategy allows sellers to pay less to get potential buyers to product pages, all while bypassing the competitive PPC landscape.
Optimising Audience Targeting and Content Types
Not every influencer or affiliate will be the right fit. For the best results, consider the following:
Audience Fit: Choose affiliates whose followers match your target demographic. Influencers who are genuinely passionate about your product category tend to have higher engagement.
Platform & Content-Type: Certain platforms and content types convert better for Amazon listings. Instagram Stories, TikTok reviews, and YouTube unboxings often perform well due to their visual and interactive nature. Look for influencers with experience creating these types of content.
Engagement Rates: Choose influencers with high engagement rather than simply high follower counts, as these audiences are often more likely to convert.
Leverage DSP for Retargeting and Amplify Your Results
DSP (Demand-Side Platform) enables sellers to serve ads to audiences across the web, including those who have already visited their Amazon listings. By combining DSP retargeting with affiliate-driven traffic, you can capture and convert more customers.
Here’s how DSP can boost your results:
Ad Retargeting: With DSP, you can show tailored ads to people who visited your Amazon listing but didn’t purchase. This keeps your product at the top of their mind, encouraging them to come back and make a purchase.
Custom Audiences: DSP allows you to target custom audiences, such as those interested in specific categories or brands, amplifying your reach beyond just affiliate-driven traffic.
Track Campaign Effectiveness and Optimise for Success
Tracking and analysing your affiliate campaign performance is essential. Use Amazon Attribution tags or third-party analytics tools to measure the impact of affiliate traffic on key metrics like sales, click-through rates, and organic rankings. Here’s a quick guide on monitoring results:
Amazon Attribution: This tool lets you create unique links for each affiliate, helping you see which sources drive the most conversions.
Analyse Keyword Rankings: Keep an eye on your keyword rankings. Amazon tends to reward listings with high-quality external traffic, so you may see an organic ranking boost over time.
Evaluate Sales Impact: Look at metrics such as conversion rates and the percentage of organic versus paid traffic. This can help you assess the quality of traffic affiliates send your way.
Monitoring these key performance indicators allows you to make data-driven adjustments, ensuring that your investment in affiliate marketing consistently delivers a positive return.
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