Odds are you found this article after watching my video on YouTube! If that’s not the case, I highly recommend watching the video below, so you can get a better context of this method before diving deeper.
Create a Website
Even if you don’t plan on using this website and would rather post your links through YouTube videos or through some other social media, you’ll need a website to get approved for the program.
In my opinion, it’s best to use a website and then help promote your site through social media and other means. It’s great for the long term and you’ll probably be more successful this way.
If you don’t know how to create a website, that’s not a problem either. Start with an easy to use site builder like Wix, Weebly, Blogger, etc.
I suggest building with WordPress. It’s really easy to learn, allows you tons of flexibility, and there is a ton of information online to help you build with it. There is a learning curve, so allow yourself at least a week or two to get used to the platform.
If you’d like to invest a little bit of money, purchase a domain and hosting plan for your site. For example, I own this domain: BrianMFischer.com. I pay about $12 a year for it and about $100 a year for the hosting.
You should be able to get hosting from Namecheap.com for $10-$35 for the first year to get you started.
Start Posting Content
I plan on creating another video and writing another article on how to create great content, but in the meantime… it’s all about just doing it. You don’t have to have a specific topic or reason to write, just write about anything and consistently post it every day.
I can already hear some people saying they can’t write, they’re going to sound stupid, or whatever other excuse they can come up with. If that’s the case and you really believe that, then quit reading now and leave my site. It’ll save you a lot of time in the long run because a lot of these methods require you to do things that make you uncomfortable.
If you’re stuck on ideas, start writing about the things happening in your life. Maybe you’re currently a biology student in your senior year. Write about how much time you should spend studying, how to balance that with a social life, the most interesting things you’ve learned, etc. It can literally be just about anything.
If you browse through some of the articles on my site, I write about everything – using my cast iron skillet, carry on luggage, meal preparation, car maintenance.
If you’re a Mom or Dad, write about your kid, tips and tricks you’ve learned to get them to stop crying while out in public, or the best toys to keep them entertained. Some of these topics have generated thousands of dollars for people just because they kept doing it.
At the end of the day, just write, write, write. Make sure you have good grammar; proofread it once or twice before posting, and disregard what anyone else thinks.
This should go without saying, but your content needs to be original. No copy and pasting. There’s no shortcuts on the road to success.
Sign up for Amazon Affiliate Program
After you’ve established your blog and posted 5-10 good articles, the second step is to sign up for Amazon’s affiliate program which can be done through this link here (Opens in New Tab). Go through the sign-up process and answer everything to the best of your abilities. 95% of the time you’ll be accepted without question as long as you’ve published a decent amount of content on your site.
Although this video below is older, it’ll give you a good idea of what you need to do to sign up and walk you through the process. You only need to watch the first five or so minutes.
However, in the event you are not accepted, it’s best to contact Amazon directly and simply ask what the problem is. It could be your site doesn’t receive enough traffic, or the topics you’ve written about are deemed inappropriate.
It will take a day or two for them to approve your account and you may need to provide some more information. Once you’re approved and in the dashboard, you can start sharing your links.
A Few Extra Notes
Since you probably didn’t read the Terms and Conditions on Amazon, there are a couple rules you’ll want to follow so you don’t get kicked off the platform. I highly suggest going back and reading through them here (opens in new tab).
- Don’t be spammy with the links
- Identify yourself as an Amazon Associate
- Make sure your readers know you participate in this program
- Only use the “buy” buttons they provide
- Don’t show the price, unless it’s created through the API
- You need to make a sale within 180 days or your account will get rejected
- Don’t share links in areas where the content is inappropriate (i.e. sexual, violent, promoting harmful substances, gambling, pharmaceutical, etc.)
These are just a few things you should be sure to follow so you stay within the program’s guidelines. Again, read through the entire thing you so you know what you’re getting into.
I will continue to update this article as I get more time, but this is just to give you the 20,000ft view of how it’s all going to work. Yes there are some more technical aspects of the program and method, but you can have most questions answered with a quick Google search.