March 2025 – Page 7 – BACKSTAGELENSES

Sales Principles Sales Reps Swear By, Plus My Favorite Selling Tips

Sales principles are the fundamental concepts that ring true in every sales process — aka the basics of selling that every salesperson should know. They’re based on customer psychology, marketing science, and human interaction studies.

Mastering these principles isn’t just about closing deals (though that’s a nice win). It’s about earning trust and building real connections. When your prospects see you as their “go-to guide,” the deal practically closes itself. Therefore, they stay loyal and keep coming back, as well as bringing referrals.

Let me share 12 strong sales principles experts swear by to keep you customer-focused and crashing your quotas.

Table of Contents

The Best Sales Principles for Building Relationships and Closing Deals
Sales Strategies for Customer-Centric Companies

The Best Sales Principles for Building Relationships and Closing Deals

1. A little research goes a long way.

HubSpot’s 2024 Sales Trends Report reveals that 96% of prospects research before contacting a sales rep. Since they invest time in learning about your product, you should do the same.

You don’t need to read lengthy business ebooks — 20-30 minutes of research is often enough. Here’s what to do:

Check their website. Get familiar with their business, products, services, and company values.
Review their social media profiles. Understand their content, interests, and customer engagement. Study a company’s profile and a prospect’s alike.
Research recent news or updates. Look for press releases or news about their company or industry.
Understand their pain points. Identify common challenges they might face that your product or service can solve.
Check online reviews. See how customers view their company and identify areas where you can add value. A good source is Reddit, G2, or ChatGPT.
Look at their competitors. Understand who they compete with and how your offering can help them stand out.
Review any shared connections. Check mutual contacts or connections on LinkedIn.

2. Customers buy things that bring them value.

Customers see value in many different ways. A product might be a time-saver, a results-booster, a money-maker, or an insight-bringer. But ultimately, customers will only purchase a product that they think will benefit them. Great sales reps are able to spot the need and tailor their approach to help the customer see that value, too. This is called value-based sales.

Value-based selling focuses on bringing benefits to the customer. Rather than listing features ad nauseam, sales reps who use value-based selling listen to their customers, uncover what they need, and then provide value based on their customers’ individual pain points.

Rain Group’s research shows that sales organizations that prioritize value are more likely to grow revenue, with 90% of value-driven companies seeing year-over-year growth. These organizations also keep their best sellers, with a turnover rate of 27%, while those not focused on value have a 39% turnover rate. Given the high cost of turnover, investing in a team that creates value for buyers makes perfect sense.

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3. Listen at least as much as you speak.

Instead of spending your time convincing the prospect that your solution is the right choice for them, spend time listening to their story and their pain points. By the end of the call, they’ll feel like you really know what they need, and they’ll be more open to listening to your solution.

And what if you’re approaching a prospect at an event? Things are kinda similar — don’t just jump straight into your pitch. Take a moment to scan your surroundings and find something real to connect over.

Whether it’s a comment about their business, a quick chat about their day, or something you both have in common, building that personal connection first opens the door for a more receptive sales conversation.

That’s exactly how Philip Stoelman, Founder of Network Republic, works. Go over his real-life scenario where this technique led to closing a deal:

Philip: [Noticing a framed sports jersey] “Good afternoon! That’s a great Packers jersey you’ve got there. Are you a big fan?”
Prospect: “Oh, yes! I’ve been following them since I was a kid.”
Philip: “That’s fantastic. I’m more of a Bears fan myself, but I have to admit, the Packers have had some incredible seasons lately. Speaking of great teams, I actually stopped by today to talk about how our product has been helping local businesses like yours build championship-level customer service…”

“People are more likely to listen and engage when they feel you’re interested in them as individuals, not just as potential sales targets,” says Stoelman.

4. Show expertise but stay approachable to build trust.

No matter how well you explain the value of your product or recommend a specific solution, if your prospects don’t believe you … you’re facing a losing battle.

But fortunately, there is a way to develop that trust that sales reps so desperately need. Especially when on a call with aggressive or expressive prospects. Consistently demonstrating expertise and sharing that knowledge with your prospects shows that you understand the industry and are empathetic to their challenges.

By positioning yourself as an advocate for the customer and a trusted advisor, you become a team member. Rather than sitting on the opposite side of the table selling to them, you’re sitting on the same side, working with them to solve the problem.

I watched a great interview between Jeff Shore and Michelle Bendien, where they shared three fundamental tips on how to build rapport with customers in the first minute ⬇️

First impressions are everything: Michelle explains that the first goal of any good salesperson is to be liked. If a customer likes you, they’re more likely to trust you, and if they trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you.
The 12-second rule: Trust is built in just a few seconds. That’s why it’s so important to start strong — stand up, move with energy, and show enthusiasm from the get-go.
The right greeting matters: Instead of a bland “How can I help you?” Michelle advises greeting customers in a way that makes them feel welcome and valued. Use their name, engage in some light conversation, and always maintain a positive vibe.

5. Be helpful.

Rather than looking at sales as pushing one specific agenda, focus on understanding what your customer’s needs are — and then give them what they need.

There are many ways to be helpful to prospective buyers, such as;

Introducing prospects to people in your network.
Forward interesting articles that might help them solve a pain point (even if they have not been written by your company).
Connect them with opportunities to promote their own brand.
Refer others to their business, or leave reviews for their products that you use and love.

As Jill Konrath said in her book More Sales, Less Time, “The best salespeople are those who make the customer feel understood.” So, make sure they feel that you are in their shoes. Make your intention to help them appear sincere. Only then will you succeed.

6. Momentum closes deals.

People are busy. Without momentum, deals will drop to the bottom of priority lists for prospects, stakeholders, and even sales reps. But with momentum, there’s always a next step ready to be worked on and energy to get the deal closed.

At all steps of the sales process, keep the momentum moving forward. Set up workflows in your CRM to notify reps when leads need follow-ups.

Use sales tie-downs in presentations to keep the conversation moving and work towards an agreement. Uncover what needs to happen on the prospect’s side in order to close the deal, and be proactive to get them what they need.

A webinar with Mark Hunter and Meredith Elliott Powell can teach you how to keep momentum in sales.

TL;DR

1. Sales should be mission-driven. When you‘re driven by a mission, your motivation becomes automatic, and you’re naturally more engaged in your work.

2. Track your metrics. If you notice a decline, it’s a sign you need to reassess your approach and try something different. Understanding the “why” behind your sales efforts is key to maintaining momentum and long-term success.

3. Stay in the game, even when things feel slow. “Sometimes, in order to reach the next peak, you’ve got to go down into the valley first before climbing back up.” — Mark Hunter

4. Reflect on past wins, no matter how small. Momentum is built on persistence, not instant results. Even when the results don’t show right away, sticking with it and keeping that momentum going is crucial.

7. Persistence pays off.

80% of sales require at least 5 follow-up calls. But sadly, 44% of salespeople give up after only one follow-up call.

One of the fundamental truths of being in sales is that you can’t give up easily. Getting your messages in front of prospects takes time and persistence, and it will pay off.

Need proof? Belkins’ data shows the first follow-up email boosts response rates by a whopping 49%.

In the top 20% of cold outreach campaigns, the first follow-up emails drove a 120% increase in replies!

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Using a sales tracking platform like HubSpot can help you by logging all of the calls and emails you make. You can also queue up your list of prospects to reach out to each day. HubSpot tracks all of your prospects’ actions, including website visits, email opens, and content downloads, so even if you’re not connecting with the buyer, you’ll still know they are listening.

A caveat: Don’t be that salesperson who doesn’t know how to back off. Persistence doesn’t give you an excuse to be relentless. When someone tells you to stop contacting them, or they aren’t interested, then it’s time to move on.

8. Selling is all about relationships.

I used to start demos with:

“Hi Mike, before we jump into the product’s demonstration, I’d like to set clear expectations. I’m no ordinary sales rep who will tell more about the product’s features, and that’s all. First and foremost, I would like to dig into all the “whys” and challenges that brought you here today, and based on them, we will see if our product may be of help and how. How does it sound to you?”

Without any exaggeration, prospects opened up about their business needs, hidden objectives, real budgets, etc. Plus, the prospect turned out to be more proactive in closing deals.

That said, sales reps with a short-term mindset probably don’t care much about forming relationships with their prospects. But they probably don’t have a lot of repeat customers either. Without building a long-term relationship with your prospect, you’ll be unlikely to see many referrals, achieve upselling targets, or increase your customers’ lifetime value.

Being nice to people isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also an essential business principle. Taking the time to care (such as being flexible with meeting times, checking in on how things are going with them, and sending thoughtful gifts) will mean that your customers will stick with you for the long run.

9. Be honest.

Being honest about your product’s flaws can actually give you an edge. When you point out a potential downside, you’re showing the prospect you care more about finding the right fit for them than just closing a deal.

For example, you can tell that ‘feature X’ might not be for them, but some clients reap the following benefits (call them out). And ask if a prospect would love to do a walkthrough. It’s okay if they won’t. But most of the time, such a trick sparks interest in learning more.

10. Know your product inside and out.

70% of sales performance is linked to product knowledge, showing how important it is for salespeople to be well informed.

The study surveyed 65 out of 72 salespersons to explore the connection between product knowledge, attitude, and performance. The results showed high scores in both product knowledge (3.69) and attitude (3.89), suggesting that most salespeople are knowledgeable and confident.

It goes without saying that to sell effectively, you’ve got to have a deep understanding of your product or service — its features, benefits, limitations, and use cases. Being knowledgeable serves your ability to answer questions, handle objections, and tailor your pitch to meet each prospect’s needs.

Conversely, a sales rep doesn’t have to know all the technical specs. And it’s fine to say, “I’ll double-check with my product team and come back to you with the accurate answer.”

11. Use indirect questions to overcome objections.

One of the main reasons many salespeople quit their careers is when they face constant rejections due to price. It happens, and it will happen again, but the key is knowing how to handle these situations and turn them in your favor.

Instead of directly countering a prospect’s concerns, ask them thoughtful questions that make them rethink their initial objections. Thus, you lead the prospect to reflect on their decision, encouraging self-persuasion.

Note: The best way to drive sales is to help prospects see the value of your offer through their own thought process.

A prospect once told Kris Flank, head of growth at LunarLinks, that they were happy with their current setup.

“Instead of diving into why we were better, I asked, “What’s something you wish your current setup could do better?” Their answer opened the floodgates. Suddenly, we weren’t competing with their existing solution; we were solving what it couldn’t. The sale? Closed. The client? Thrilled,” Flank says.

Lesson: People don‘t mind switching if you can show them why it’s worth it. Master the Awkward Silence. If you‘re uncomfortable with silence, you’re probably talking too much. Sometimes, the best thing to say is … nothing.

12. Say no to close more deals.

“As a sales leader, I’ve learned that saying “no” can actually help you close more deals,’ says Brandon Batchelor, head of North American sales and strategic partnerships at ReadyCloud.

“I remember this one time a potential client was nickeling and diming us on pricing and demanding a ton of custom work. My gut told me it wasn’t the right fit, so I politely declined. It was a tough call, but it ended up being the best decision. It freed me up to focus on another opportunity,” Batchelor says.

Sometimes, saying “no” is the best way to say “yes” to success. It’s all about being selective with your time and energy. Instead of chasing every single opportunity.

Sales Strategies for Customer-Centric Companies

Sales principles help you develop better sales strategies. Keeping the basics of selling in mind when you’re building workflows, designing presentations, and writing scripts will ensure that you’re heading in the right direction — toward long-lasting, profitable customer relationships.

Make your customer your number one priority, and build everything else on that foundation. Think about yourself as the person you’re selling to, not the one selling. What would you want to hear? What needs does the product or service need to fulfill? Ask yourself these questions as a buyer, and then, as a salesperson, provide the answers.

Learn everything you need to about the product, but don‘t just rattle off memorized facts. Be warm, approachable, and open to conversation — even ready to have a healthy debate if needed. That’s how you’ll earn your prospects’ trust and get that long-awaited “yes.”

Amazon Affiliate Program: How to Become an Amazon Associate to Boost Income

“Click the link in my bio to visit my Amazon storefront.”

That’s a line I hear a lot on TikTok. So, it wasn’t too surprising to discover that Amazon’s Affiliate Program is the leading affliate program by market share.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: can I actually make money from selling my favorite Amazon finds? And the answer is yes, if you do it correctly. Below, I’ll walk you through the process of becoming an Amazon affiliate, how the program works, and tips to hit the ground running.

Table of Contents

How much does the Amazon Affiliate program pay?
How to Become an Amazon Affiliate
How to Create an Amazon Affiliate Link
What is the Amazon Affiliate program?
Eligibility Guidelines for the Amazon Associates Program
Amazon Program Requirements and Rules
How to Make Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program
Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program FAQs
Not Ready to Join Amazon Associates? Other Ways to Make Money on Amazon

What is the Amazon Affiliate program?

The Amazon Affiliate program, or Amazon Associates, is an affiliate marketing program. Anyone with a website, blog, or social media account (TikTok and/or YouTube) is welcome to apply.

Once you‘re approved, you can start advertising products from Amazon by sharing affiliate links. When customers click your links and make a purchase from Amazon, you’ll earn a referral commission.

Still not sure what affiliate marketing is or what it’s all about? Or unsure whether it’s right for you? I’ve got you.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a marketing tactic where an online retailer gives niche website owners the ability to create unique product links (called affiliate links). The website owners must promote the link; in exchange, when someone visits the link and makes a purchase, the website owner automatically receives commission. As an affiliate, you only make money once the link is used in a transaction.

In the United States alone, affiliate marketing spending is forecasted to grow to 13.2 billion U.S. dollars by 2026.

Affiliate marketing is right for you if you already own a website or blog and your content offers opportunities for product mentions. For instance, if you own a recipe blog, you can create links for product ingredients.

It’s not the best fit for you if you sell products directly on your website, although you can use a mixture of product selling and affiliate selling to earn money.

As you begin this journey, remember that presenting your affiliate links on a well-designed website can make a big difference. HubSpot’s drag-and-drop website builder is a great tool to effortlessly create a professional-looking site to showcase your affiliate products.

How does the Amazon Affiliate program work?

In the Amazon Affiliate program, associates earn commission by creating unique product links, promoting the links on their website or social media, and driving referral traffic back to Amazon. Here’s how it works:

Website owners create an Amazon Affiliate account on the platform.
Amazon gives each website owner a unique Associate ID.
Once the application has been approved, associates can begin creating affiliate links in their Amazon portal.
Associates then share the links.
Once someone clicks a link and makes a purchase, the associate earns commission.

Amazon Associates led globally as the most-used affiliate program among the top one million websites by traffic in October 2024, with 1.37% of them using it.

Here’s something that surprised me when I first joined the Affiliate program: not all products offer the same commission rate. The rate changes depending on the product category and can jump from anywhere between 1% to 20% of the sales price.

For instance, if I sell a hair dryer on Amazon, I can earn 10% from each sale. But if I sell an Amazon Fire Tablet, the commission rate drops to 4%. You can see a complete breakdown of Amazon’s product category commission rates below:

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At the beginning of your Amazon Associate journey, the numbers can skew on the low side, so I recommend having another form of income in addition to being an Amazon Associate.

Eligibility Guidelines for the Amazon Associates Program

Although it is free to join the Amazon Associates program, you need to meet certain criteria in order to be eligible. To state the obvious, you need to have a valid Amazon account. You also need to promote products through an active channel, such as a website, blog, or TikTok account.

Let’s dive into the eligibility guidelines for each medium.

Website

Most Amazon Affiliates promote Amazon products through their website or blog. To be eligible, websites must:

Be owned by the applicant.
Have a minimum of 10 original blog posts, with the most recent one published within the last 60 days.
Be publicly available (no closed groups or paywalls).

Mobile App

App versions of websites are also eligible for the Amazon Associates program. However, your app must:

Be available for free in the Google Play, Apple, or Amazon app stores.
Provide original content.
Look and function differently from Amazon’s shopping app.

Social Media

Influencers are also eligible to participate in the Amazon Associates program, but there are entry requirements.

You must have:

An active and public Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitch.tv account (Note: Applicants using Facebook and Instagram are required to use a business account).
An established following with substantive engagement.

It‘s important to note that Amazon Associates’ eligibility requirements may vary by country. So, I’d make sure to check the specific requirements for your region.

Amazon Program Requirements and Rules

Being an Amazon Associate is a great way to monetize passion projects or make supplemental income from your brand. However, Amazon has requirements for associates to follow once you are accepted into the affiliate program, so it’s best to understand those before you dive in.

After you sign up, you’ll need to think about the requirements for the application review process. Amazon requires new affiliates to make a minimum of three sales during their first 180 days. If you fail to do this, your account will be closed. However, you can reapply for the Amazon Associate program after you’ve made adjustments to your site.

The Associates team also reviews websites, mobile apps, and social network accounts. They’re looking for consistent, fresh, and original content that brings value to Amazon customers.

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Other requirements are in place for ethical promotion to prevent associates from gaming the system. Don’t skip over this — noncompliance can result in being banned from the program.

Here are some of the big ones to keep in mind:

You must disclose on your site or in your communication that you may be eligible to earn from your recommendations.
You must not make false or deceptive claims in your recommendations.
Your website must not contain unsuitable, explicit, or harmful content.
Avoid referring to prices (with some exceptions) since prices frequently change.
Do not use Amazon affiliate links in offline promotions, eBooks, or certain emails.
Do not use link shorteners on affiliate links.
Do not use unapproved Amazon trademarked materials that may misrepresent your relationship with Amazon.

You can read Amazon’s full policy here. It’s also a good idea to review the operating agreement for associates for other requirements.

Note: Amazon’s affiliate program is one of the most popular programs, but it isn’t the only one. There are other affiliate programs out there that are worth trying if you don’t qualify to become an Amazon Associate.

1. Create a website or blog.

To start, you must have an active website, blog, app, TikTok account, or YouTube channel. Don’t have a website yet? No worries. You can easily create and customize one using HubSpot’s free drag-and-drop website builder.

To take it one step further, I recommend pre-populating your site (or social media channels) with content. That way, it appears active and authentic to both users and Amazon. HubSpot’s Content Hub can lend a helping hand, with its blog capabilities and SEO recommendations.

Get started with HubSpot’s CMS to build your blog and website for free.

Remember, you must be able to describe the purpose of your website as part of the application process. So, have a firm idea of why you‘re creating your site, the audience you’ll target, and how you’ll bring in traffic.

If you’re still figuring it out, these resources can help you make these important decisions:

2. Navigate to the Amazon Associates homepage and click “Sign Up.”

In order to become an Amazon affiliate, you’ll need to create your Amazon Associates account. To do that, visit the Amazon Associates homepage and click Sign Up. From there, you’ll be prompted to log in to your existing Amazon account or create one.

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3. Enter your account information.

Next, enter your account info (including the name, address, and phone number of the payee).

4. Enter your website address.

Enter your website address(es), apps, etc.

5. Enter your preferred store ID.

Enter your preferred store ID (usually the same as your primary website name) and elaborate on the content you produce.

6. Choose your payment method.

Choose whether to enter your payment (credit card) and tax ID information now or later. Then proceed to your dashboard.

7. Create Amazon Affiliate links.

Once you‘ve created your account, you’ll be sent to your personal Associate homepage. This is where you’ll find your performance dashboard (including an earnings overview, monthly summary, and total clicks).

This dashboard is also where you’ll search for relevant products to link to from your content.

1. Log in to your Amazon Associate account.

Doing this ensures that the link text is generated in a way that associates the product you’re promoting with your account.

2. Search the Amazon website for the product or page you want to link to.

Open the Amazon website and look for the product or page for which you want to generate an affiliate link.

Why a page sometimes and not just a product? In my experience, targeted content has been a game-changer. Essentially, I can create links for a specific keyword within a product category.

For example, if I’m running a spooky lawn decoration promotion for Halloween, I can post a link to that specific search. This lets me highlight many great options for my audience at the same time.

3. Use SiteStripe to generate an affiliate link.

If you’re on a desktop or laptop, use the SiteStripe bar that shows up on the top of product pages when you’re logged in to your Amazon Associates account to generate an Amazon affiliate link.

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From here, I click the Get Link button Then, I can choose to generate a short link or a full-length link in the popup. Now I can use that link in my promotions.

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If you’re on the mobile app, take advantage of Amazon’s Mobile GetLink tool to create an Amazon affiliate link. Learn more here.

4. Use the generated link on your site or other promotional materials according to Amazon’s standards.

Just remember that Amazon‘s guidelines prohibit the use of the link in offline promotions, certain emails, eBooks, or PDFs. As with most marketing and sales, quality content is at the heart of success. Ensure you’re attracting your audience with quality content and share relevant affiliate links with them on your site or YouTube channel.

Each link you generate will have a cookie that will then follow your website visitors after they click on the link. This is highly beneficial to you because it increases the likelihood of you receiving a commission for the sale. The only problem is that it only lasts for a limited amount of time.

How long does the Amazon Affiliate cookie last?

The Amazon Affiliate cookie lasts for 24 hours after a website visitor clicks on the affiliate link. The cookie stays in their browser for that entire length of time. If they check out at any time in those 24 hours, the purchase will be credited to you.

The Amazon Affiliate cookie is just one of the ways that the Amazon Affiliate program can help you make money. But first, you must get visitors to click on the link — and to do that, you need visitors in the first place.

How to Make Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program

From my experience, applying for the Amazon Affiliate program and becoming an associate isn’t really the hard part. The problem is making enough sales to turn your passion project into a source of income.

Here are a few tips on how to make money from the Amazon Affiliate program.

1. Choose a niche for your website.

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As someone who’s been in the ecommerce space for years, I live by this key principle: “The riches are in the niches.”

Becoming an Amazon Associate isn’t a good idea if your website is about home improvement, beauty products, and novel writing all at the same time. To ensure you can make the most out of your affiliate partnership with Amazon, choose a single ecommerce niche for your website.

For instance, check out the Amazon storefront from lifestyle influencer Brooke Schofield. Schofield positions herself as an expert on all things beauty and style, and the products in her storefront reflect this. Odds are, her audience will be interested in these products, too.

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P.S. Here are 101 niche ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Whether you specialize in paleo cooking or DIY educational activities for teachers, your niche must be of interest to you — something you can constantly post about without getting tired. This gives you plenty of opportunities to naturally insert product links without being overly salesy.

By choosing a niche, you also make your site look more authoritative to visitors, because talking about one thing all the time makes you look like an expert. Touching upon a wide breadth of topics could make it seem like you’re writing content for the sake of writing content. You’ll also typically have less competition if you focus on a highly specific topic that not many others have touched upon.

Helpful resource: Have an existing website and want to see how it stands in terms of page performance, SEO, mobile experience, and security? Check out HubSpot’s free website grader.

2. Write product reviews and comparison posts.

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I’ve discovered that one of the best ways to make money as an Amazon Associate is by writing product reviews and posts comparing two or more products. This gives you the opportunity to link to the products you’re reviewing.

The best part? These are usually high-intent posts, meaning that the person looking for a review is close to purchasing the product (if not ready to buy). After all, no one would look for a review of a product that they have no intention of buying.

Product comparison posts offer an even greater opportunity to sell because if the visitor decides one product isn’t for them, you’re offering them several alternatives to choose from. It’s a win-win all around and a sure way to drive more referrals toward Amazon.

3. Blog consistently.

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At the core of a strong Amazon Affiliate strategy is a blog that gives you plenty of opportunities to include product mentions and links. For that reason, I recommend blogging consistently.

A global survey in July and August 2023 showed that almost one in four bloggers post a blog weekly. And, the most popular types of blog content among bloggers include how-to articles and lists.

Try to go for one blog post per week, but quality does matter more than quantity. If you write two well-researched posts per month, you may drive more qualified traffic to Amazon than if you wrote eight poorly-written posts. (If you need inspiration, here are six blog post templates you can use to get started.)

Additionally, implement a content marketing strategy that will help you create blog posts that are topically relevant. And SEO is vital — a survey by Authority Hacker revealed that 78.3% of affiliate marketers use it as a primary traffic source, with organic social media coming in at a distant second with 35.5%. You’ll want to learn SEO basics to make sure you’re optimizing your site for online search.

4. Create a storefront.

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I highly recommend creating an Amazon storefront that acts as a one-stop shop for all your content and product recommendations.

They require minimal upkeep and content writing. Once visitors get to your storefront, it’ll be simple and easy for them to browse through the products. Another benefit is that the links aren’t buried within other content.

The one thing you’ll need to do is check the links on a monthly basis to ensure your Amazon affiliate storefront drives referrals. Sometimes, product pages move, or products are removed entirely from Amazon. You want to make sure every product is still available on the retailer’s website.

Additionally, you can share your social media links, curate idea lists (with product links), create shoppable images and videos, and allow people to follow you.

Here’s a guide on setting up your storefront, whether on desktop or mobile. However, note that to create a storefront, you need to be eligible for the Amazon Influencer Program (more about the program below).

5. Become an Amazon Influencer.

The Amazon Influencer Program is an extension of the Associates program for social media creators, influencers, and managers. It works in the same way, but you earn commission by sharing URLs and affiliate links on your social media channels and also driving traffic to your Amazon storefront.

You can create your page to showcase your favorite products for people to browse through and buy from. The image below is an example of an influencer storefront from Hailee Catalano, a chef and food influencer.

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Best for: This program is best for content creators who have a social media following and are looking for more ways to earn. You need to have a YouTube, TikTok, Facebook business, or Instagram business account, and Amazon will review your follower count and other engagement signals when making approvals.

6. Share promo codes.

Promo codes inspire a sense of urgency as people don’t want to miss out on deals, which makes Amazon’s promo code tool a great opportunity to make money as an Amazon Affiliate. You can search for active and upcoming codes and by category to find deals that align with your niche.

Best for: Any Associate or Influencer can take advantage of promo code opportunities.

7. Join Creator Connections and partner with brands for extra commission.

Creator Connections is a new program for influencers and associates to partner with brands, promote their products, and earn extra commission.

You have complete control over your partnerships, so you can opt-in to brand campaigns that align with your niche and audience interests. The expected deliverables are content featuring the product(s) brands are promoting.

Brands set the non-negotiable commission rates, but anything you earn is added on top of the standard influencer and associate rate. If you’re interested in the program, I recommend reading the Creator Connections guide for a full breakdown of how it works.

Best for: Influencers and associates who can find participating brands that align with your niche. If there aren’t any relevant opportunities, another revenue stream might be a better option because you risk turning audiences away by sharing irrelevant content.

8. Create shoppable videos.

A great way to drive commissions is to create videos. You can create new content, upload your existing product-related content, and even livestream.

My recommendation is to champion your favorite products in all video content. You can create unboxing videos, share honest reviews, and tell audiences how they can make the most out of the products you’re recommending to get the same benefits you have.

You can include shoppable links in your videos and earn commission on qualifying purchases attributed to the in-video links.

Best for: This is best for associates and influencers who regularly create video content and have an audience of followers who have shown interest in video.

9. Promote Amazon’s subscription services.

Amazon has 40+ different subscription offers you can promote to your audience to earn special commission income. For example, you can advertise Amazon Prime and earn a commission for anyone who uses your link to sign up.

To see available bounties, sign in to your seller account, click Help, then Commission Income Statement, then scroll to Bounty Events to find active opportunities.

Earrings for successful sign-ups are called bounties, and you earn a fixed fee for every qualified bounty action. Commission starts at $2 and goes up to $25, and you can find the complete list of bounties and rates by clicking here.

Best for: I recommend this option for all associates and influencers looking to earn extra commission.

10. Advertise your website on social media and search engines.

Without traffic, you won’t be able to drive referrals to Amazon and earn commission — 45.3% of affiliate marketers report getting traffic as their top challenge. Writing good content, learning SEO, and creating a content marketing strategy will get you far. But you want to make sure you’re covering all your bases.

Invest in paid social ads, as well as pay-per-click ads on Google. While advertising may sound expensive, the investment can be quite affordable, especially if you’re using the PPC model.

You only pay when someone clicks on your ads, and the best part is that you can set a budget so that you’re not overcharged. It’s an easy way to drive traffic to your site; all you need to do is create ad imagery with a tool such as Canva.

Helpful resource: Here are some guides to get you started with paid ads:

Amazon Affiliate Marketing Program FAQs

Now that you’ve created a strong strategy for getting your Amazon Affiliate website off the ground, it’s time to get paid.

Can anyone be an Amazon Affiliate?

Yes! However, acceptance into the program is subject to meeting their eligibility requirements and adhering to their policies and guidelines. As long as you have a suitable platform, such as a website, mobile app, or YouTube channel, and comply with Amazon’s terms.

Do Amazon Affiliates make money?

Amazon affiliates have the potential to make money through commissions earned on qualifying purchases made by visitors who click on their affiliate links. However, it‘s important to note that success as an Amazon affiliate depends on factors such as the quality and relevance of your content, the growth of your website’s traffic, the level of engagement with your audience, and the effectiveness of your promotional strategies.

According to a survey by Authority Hacker, 67.2% of affiliate marketers earning an average monthly income between $100 and $500 use Amazon Associates. This reduces slightly to 62.5% for those making an average between $500 and $2,500 monthly. Finally, among the high earners, i.e., those with average monthly earnings of over $10,000, a substantive 48.7% use the platform.

How do Amazon associates get paid?

Amazon associates get paid by direct deposit. You’ll automatically receive the funds in your bank account. Alternatively, you can opt to receive an Amazon gift card or a check by mail.

When do Amazon associates get paid?

Amazon associates get paid monthly, but there’s a catch: You get paid 60 days after the end of the month. For instance, you’ll get paid at the end of March for the commission you earned in January.

When does commission get officially attributed to Amazon associates?

Amazon associates officially earn commission when the order has shipped. If the customer cancels the order before it’s shipped, you won’t receive commission. If the customer returns the product after purchase, the commission will be deducted from your earnings.

How long do Amazon Affiliate links last?

Amazon affiliate links can last indefinitely as long as your affiliate account remains active and in compliance with Amazon’s terms and conditions. Once you generate an affiliate link through the Amazon Associates program, it remains valid until you deactivate or delete it.

However, you can only earn commission on an item placed in a customer’s shopping cart within 24 hours of them clicking on your affiliate link. If it takes longer than 24 hours for a customer to make a purchase from your affiliate link, you will not be granted commission.

Not Ready to Join Amazon Associates? Other Ways to Make Money on Amazon

Not ready to join the Associates program but still want to use Amazon to generate income? No problem — here’s how to make money on Amazon.

1. Sell handmade items with Amazon Handmade.

Amazon Handmade is a great option for anyone creating handmade and homemade items. You have to be approved to be part of the market community, but acceptance is a stamp of authenticity that tells buyers you sell genuine, quality handmade products.

You’ll list your goods in a Handmade storefront, and the accepted product areas are:

Accessories, jewelry, handbags, and watches
Artwork
Baby items
Beauty and personal care
Clothing and shoes
Home, outdoor, and home care products
Kitchen and dining
Pet supplies
Sporting goods
Stationary and party supplies
Toys and games

To make sure you can spend as much time as possible making your goods instead of admin work, you can use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to store your products at fulfillment centers and have Amazon Associates handle packaging, shipping, and customer support. It is a paid service, and you can click here to find a breakdown of costs.

How much money can you make with Amazon Handmade?

Amazon takes a 15% referral fee from every sale.

In terms of costs to you, the $39.99 monthly fee for a professional selling account is waived after the first month if you’re an approved Handmade seller. If you use FBA, you’ll have additional costs for shipping and storage.

2. Publish your books with Kindle Direct Publishing.

Kindle Direct Publishing lets you publish print books and eBooks. It’s a self-publishing tool, so you have full ownership of your book content and control over your book design, price, publishing schedule, and advertising. It’s an appealing option for those who don’t want the more strict process of a publishing house.

If you own the rights to an already published book, you can still use KPD and the same ISBN, so long as you maintain the same title, author, and binding type.

I do have to note that self-publishing means that you have to handle the promotion that a publishing house or agent would typically do. The tradeoff with KDP is that you have more creative freedom.

How much money can you make with Kindle Direct Publishing?

Books are printed on demand, and you earn royalties based on format minus printing costs:

60% royalty for paperback books
Up to 70% royalties for eBook
Fixed 60% royalties for hardcover

Source

You can also opt-in to Kindle Unlimited, where you get additional royalties based on the number of eBook pages read during first-time reads.

3. Help shoppers create custom goods with Amazon Custom.

Amazon Custom lets you create custom products for customers. Your products will appear on the custom products storefront, and you can gain exposure with sponsored product advertising.

You can customize products in three ways:

Text customizations, where buyers choose text, color, and font for embroidery, printing, painting, engraving, etc.
Image and logo customizations, where customers upload images to add to your products.
Product configurations, where customers can build their own products from a drop-down list of options

You can offer customizations to any product category you’re authorized to sell, except for media categories and personal electronic devices like laptops and consoles.

How much money can you make with Amazon Custom?

Income from Amazon Custom depends on the type of product you sell and Amazon’s referral fee.

Associated costs for you are the Professional Seller account monthly fee ($39.99) and shipping and handling costs (FBA is unavailable for customized products). The more customizations you offer, the more work you’ll have to do.

4. Deliver with Amazon Flex.

With Amazon Flex, you use your own car to deliver Amazon packages.

Hence the name; it’s a highly flexible income-earning opportunity, as you set your own hours by reserving time blocks. You can schedule your shifts in advance or pick up time slots based on your in-the-moment availability.

It does have strict participation requirements. You must be 21+ years of age, have a valid driver’s license for the country you’re driving in, and have a social security number (U.S. drivers, check requirements for other countries). You’ll also need access to a mid-sized or larger car, auto insurance, and a smartphone to access the app.

Flex is also committed to driver safety by offering safety recommendations, an anti-harassment policy, and a dedicated support team for you to surface any safety issues while delivering, and an Amazon Emergency Helpline.

How much money can you make with Amazon Flex?

Flex drivers earn between $18 and $25 per hour, but total payouts will vary based on location, tips, and how long it takes to complete deliveries. Since pay is hourly, you’ll know how much you make before starting each shift.

The flexibility also shines in terms of how you get paid. You can choose to get paid every day, once per week, or whatever best aligns with your schedule. You can also choose how you get paid, either through direct deposit or an Amazon Flex Debit Card, which gives you cash back and various savings opportunities.

All drivers can also earn Flex Rewards, which build up as you make more deliveries. Perks include discounts for car maintenance and gas, and you can level up to get Preferred Scheduling for even more control over your working hours.

5. Amazon Merch on Demand

If you’re an artist or designer, Merch on Demand is a great option for making money on Amazon. You simply upload your unique artwork and designs, the product you want it on, and desired colors, add a product description, and get ready to sell.

I think that the on-demand aspect is really the selling point — you do the designing, and Amazon does the producing. Every time an order is placed, Amazon prints the unique order, ships it out, and covers customer service.

How much money can you make with Amazon Merch on Demand?

You can suggest a list price, but there’s no guarantee that Amazon will go with it. Either way, you’ll earn a royalty for every sale, and you can find a full breakdown by clicking here. As an example, a standard shirt sold for $15.99 earns a royalty of $1.93.

The five opportunities I mentioned above are the most common ways to make money on Amazon; most people can take advantage of them. There are additional unique opportunities that I’ll list below, but they have more specific requirements.

6. Amazon Business

Best for: Businesses that want to sell B2B

Amazon Business helps you sell B2B. You can directly connect with relevant businesses, and since many buy in bulk, you can increase your revenue share by selling in larger quantities with bulk order pricing models. You need a professional selling account ($39.99/mo), and Amazon takes a referral fee for every purchase.

7. Amazon Hub Delivery

Best for: Established small business owners looking to increase revenue

Amazon Hub Delivery is a new program for established local businesses to deliver packages to their surrounding community. Amazon brings packages to your business. You and your staff handle delivery, and you’re paid for every package you deliver.

You can earn up to $27,000 annually in extra income through the program, and you don’t need any previous delivery experience to participate. Click here to check if Amazon Hub Delivery is available in your area.

8. Professional Services

Best for: Assembly and installation experts

Professional Services lets you offer assembly service and appliance installations to customers who have purchased a qualifying product from the Amazon Store. You need to apply and be approved, and you can click here to learn about the application and selection process.

9. Amazon Developer

Best for: Experienced developers and engineers

Amazon Developer is an opportunity for experienced developers and designers to build apps and games for the Amazon App Store. You can earn money by choosing a monetization model that aligns with your needs, and small business developers (those who earn less than $1 million in annual revenue) earn an increased 80/20 revenue share.

Get Started with the Amazon Affiliate Program Today

In my opinion, the Amazon Affiliate program is an excellent way to turn a side passion into a source of passive income. Looking for a place to start? I recommend choosing a niche first, writing product-centric content, and including contextual affiliate links — and you’ll be sure to grow your Amazon Affiliate income to astronomical levels.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in May 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.