Avoid This Common Mistake with Amazon Affiliate Links
Affiliate links have gained significant traction among internet content creators, often supplementing or even replacing traditional advertising and sponsorship models to support online publications and productions. Recently, I added affiliate links to my newsletter and YouTube channel, but a crucial oversight on my part led to missing out on a lucrative holiday opportunity. I'll explain the mistake and how to avoid it, but first, let's delve into understanding affiliate links.
Understanding affiliate links
Affiliate links, as often disclosed at the start or end of articles, generate revenue by earning a commission when a purchase is made through these links. These links enable websites to earn commissions while maintaining ethical standards of supporting sellers.
Essentially, when a reader clicks a product link with a special code, identifying the affiliate, and makes a purchase, the referring site gets a commission. Notably, this transaction does not affect the consumer's purchase price; instead, the seller, such as Amazon, shares a fraction of the sale.
My decision to add affiliate links
Although I initially refrained from using affiliate links in my content, the growth of my newsletter and YouTube channel warranted a shift. Producing high-quality content required extensive infrastructure investment, including tools like video robots for production, necessitating a way to cover such expenses by adding Amazon affiliate links.
Integration seemed straightforward, yet I discovered Amazon's rules to be stringent. Amazon's Associates program, which I enrolled in, requires participants to drive three organic purchases through their links within six months to gain acceptance.
Amazon has strict rules
Amazon enforces strict criteria to safeguard vendor interests and prevent fraud, requiring three organic purchase referrals within the initial six months of joining the affiliate program. It is critical that neither the affiliate nor their family and friends contribute to these purchases, as Amazon vigilantly monitors such transactions.
Furthermore, Amazon prohibits using links in non-public platforms like email newsletters and closed social media groups, prompting the need for solutions such as GeniusLink, which provides services to create public landing pages for these links.
Where I went wrong
The urgency to hit the three sales threshold turned into an obsession. I shared links to various tools, hoping to incite customer interest. However, following my initial newsletter campaign, Amazon's dashboard showed no activity, despite clicks being recorded by GeniusLink. After extensive back-and-forth with support teams, a realization hit: the dual layer of shortened URLs possibly interfered with Amazon's tracking capabilities.
The URL conundrum (and its solution)
The issue stemmed from using Amazon's short links, accessed via the share button on product pages, in conjunction with GeniusLink. This setup apparently hindered Amazon's ability to track affiliate traffic. Upon switching to full Amazon URLs, rather than shortened a.co links, tracking resumed smoothly.
After altering all associated URLs and reposting, my links finally registered clicks and resulted in hitting Amazon's quota by garnering several purchases. This change confirmed that using the browser's full product URL, coupled with a tracking ID, properly registers referral traffic.
In conclusion, to ensure your affiliate traffic is accurately tracked, avoid using short links provided by Amazon's share button when setting up affiliate systems with external services. Instead, rely on full URLs integrated with tracking IDs. This policy keeps referrers in Amazon's good graces, ensuring fair recognition and compensation for sales.