David has often said that Amazon Associates is the best place for new affiliates to get started, and therefore a very accessible way for musicians to get up and running as an affiliate as well. Is that still the case?
In this video, David shares an update on the Amazon Associates affiliate program.
Transcription:
It’s getting harder than ever to send traffic where you want it to go. And Amazon is constantly changing the terms on you. So, is the Amazon associates program still worth it for musicians?
Amazon Associates Update
Hey, it’s David Andrew Wiebe. And today I want to give a bit of an update on the Amazon Associates Program, which I’ve been a proponent of and have relied on for many years.
It’s not the only affiliate program I use. In fact, there are many others, because I don’t like single source dependency. And I take advantage of different affiliate programs because there are better ones out there. But Amazon has long been sort of a great catch-all solution, which is one of the reasons I still utilize it.
The Decline of Affiliate Commissions
Now I used to get checks for 100 bucks, 200 bucks every two to three months on Amazon at its peak. And now I’m down to… I’m lucky if I get maybe two or three checks per year, which really prompted this question, is it even worth sending that much traffic to Amazon anymore? Does it even convert? What are some of the issues surrounding this?
Honestly, I think there are a lot of factors. And I think there are some factors specific to me and my situation and my whole ecosystem, my websites, my platforms, my social media, following… all that is a factor.
But of course, there’s also SEO, and that’s getting harder than ever. There’s Facebook ads, and those are costing more than they ever were. And of course, the YouTube algorithm, which is not exactly in favor of creators, it’s a bit of a seesaw. Sometimes they like you. And sometimes they don’t.
If things keep going at this rate in the future, the only ones that will even benefit from the Amazon Associates program will be big companies, because they’re the only ones with massive traffic enough to support all those clicks and getting conversions on those sales.
Changes to the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program
In the beginning of this video, I hinted at the fact that Amazon constantly changes the terms and conditions of their programs. As the pandemic emerged, Amazon suddenly slashed commissions on a variety of products, whether it was luxury beauty, furniture, digital music, physical books, or otherwise, anywhere from about three to 10%, depending on the category.
You know what this is – it’s a good reminder that building on rented land is a challenge. It’s not always safe, it can be dangerous, things can change on you, you could get banned, the terms and conditions could change. And suddenly, it’s not as good as it once was, or it doesn’t offer the same benefits it did before. We’ve seen this before many times whether it’s with MySpace or Facebook, or otherwise.
And Jeff Bezos’ wealth only skyrocketed during the pandemic, you can look this up yourself. So why is it that we can’t reward affiliates with more commissions, or a higher percentage rate given that Bezos is only getting wealthier, and affiliates aren’t rewarded as handsomely for their hard work? It doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense and it doesn’t sound like something a company that really cares would do.
Amazon – Still a Good Catch-All Solution?
I still must admit, Amazon is still a good catch all solution for a lot of people. If there’s certain products that you want to promote, and you can’t find them anywhere else, then you can take advantage of the Amazon affiliate program. That’s always the way I’ve thought about it.
I talk about a lot of books. And honestly, there’s not a lot of commissions in promoting books unless you get a lot of traffic to your website already. But there aren’t that many affiliate programs that allow you to do that. So, it made sense to take advantage of Amazon.
Explore Affiliate Opportunities & Diversify
But I think when and where possible, it’s probably a good idea to look at affiliate programs on a product-by-product basis. There is the opportunity to be rewarded with better commissions if you go looking for them. And Amazon’s rates aren’t that great, really.
Personally, I’m not giving up on Amazon, but my portfolio is diversified already. And if I’m thinking about adding another affiliate program to my already long list, generally I must give it a little bit of thought because it means that I’m going to have to add more to my promotional calendar.
Basically, unless you’re able to direct a lot of traffic through your affiliate links, I’m not sure the Amazon Associates program is going to be worth it for you. You may as well take the same amount of traffic and put it into promoting an offer where you get paid a higher rate of commissions.
Closing Thoughts, Amazon Associates
But I would love to hear how things are going for you. I can only share from my own perspective and how things are going on my business.
Have you been seeing higher payouts on Amazon Associates, or no? I look forward to hearing from you, and wherever you happen to be watching this video, there’s the option to like the video most likely, and if you haven’t followed or liked or subscribed or whatever the case might be, go ahead and do that. Thanks so much.
Subscribe to the Music Entrepreneur HQ YouTube channel.
- 297 – How to Build a Magnetic Reputation as a Musician - June 2, 2023
- 296 – Investing in Yourself to Grow Your Music Career - May 26, 2023
- Moog 70th Anniversary & The Return of the Minimoog Model D - May 23, 2023
