How Does Amazon Vet Publishers for Onsite Associates?

The Amazon Onsites Associates program has been around for a while now. It began as an extension of the site’s affiliate program, in which blogs or other parties would be able to earn money by posting links to the company’s products offsite. However, this original program’s success and other factors led the company to begin its new program. Today, the company posts Editorial Recommendations on its sites where it lists various products. A publisher writes each Editorial Recommendation. These publishers are invited by Amazon to be a part of its program, which often makes many wonder how Amazon vets these publishers for its program.

The company does not provide much information about this on its site, which makes things a bit confusing for those interested in the program and where an Editorial Recommendation actually comes from. Those publishers who are interested in working with the Amazon Onsite Associates program may be especially confused. Unfortunately, the program is quite an exclusive club, and it is still only a rare few who have the opportunity to join in.

Onsite Associates: An Exclusive Club

The Amazon affiliate program, known officially as Amazon Associates, has hundreds of thousands, if not millions of participants. However, of those who participate in this program, perhaps only 200 are involved in the Amazon Onsite Associates Program, making this a particularly exclusive club. Those who do participate in the Amazon Onsite Associates Program benefit from the increased visibility of their articles, as over half of purchase searches begin on Amazon in this day and age. However, not just any publisher can work with the Amazon Onsite Associates Program. In fact, not just any publisher can apply to participate in the program. Participation is by invitation only, which acutely limits the number of publishers able to work within the program.

Who Gets Invited to be in the Amazon Onsite Associates Program?

Each Editorial Recommendation posted on Amazon is expected to be written by a true authority, which means those invited to work within the Amazon Onsite Associates Program have deep expertise within some niche area. Amazon also invites publishers to its program who have an established presence in their field, another factor able to give them more credibility with each Editorial Recommendation posted within the program.

Additionally, the revenue a publisher is already bringing in typically plays a tremendous role in whether they are invited to join the Amazon Onsite Associates Program. A publisher already bringing in millions of dollars in sales through the Affiliate program through their links has proven they have the ability to reach people and has shown they have the authority required to make sales. Hence, they are more likely to be invited to the program.

Finally, among those most likely to be invited to participate are trusted publications with well-known brand names. Any publisher with an identifiable name is likely to have automatic authority with their readership. Therefore, they will connect with them and get them to click on the links in an Editorial Recommendation and make sales.

What is the Process for Securing Entry to the Amazon Onsite Associates Program?

While difficult, it is well worth the effort to attempt and join the Amazon Onsite Associates Program. There are many benefits to be gained, from the profitability of working within the program to the exposure of putting an Editorial Recommendation in front of such a large audience. However, there is much to do in the process of working to get into the program.

Among the first things to note is the importance of working to build a relationship with Amazon. Those who are already working within the Amazon Associates Program as an affiliate must leverage this relationship to their advantage and do everything in their power to become noticed by the company. After all, it is those who can build themselves up as an authority and who can bring in sales for the company who are invited to the program. It can sometimes take years of networking and relationship building with the affiliates team to receive an invitation to the Amazon Onsites Associates Program, so it’s also important for a publisher not to become discouraged if they do not receive an invitation immediately.

Another thing to note is publishers may not have an Editorial Recommendation published immediately upon invitation into the program. Amazon has strict guidelines for publishing, and it can take time to understand how to work within these guidelines. Among the things a publisher will need to learn include formatting guidelines and technology integrations. On top of all of this, Amazon does not provide much in the way of guidance when it comes to how each Editorial Recommendation is performing. This makes it especially difficult once a publisher begins getting more of their articles posted on the site and makes it challenging to know how to get their articles promoted.

So What Should a Publisher Do?

If a publisher is interested in eventually working with the Amazon Onsite Associates Program, there are many things they can do. Among the most important things, and a vital first step is to begin relationship building right away. Having a relationship with Amazon is an essential stepping stone when it comes to working within the program due to its invitation-only nature.

Another important factor for any publisher to begin working on as soon as possible is to begin expanding their participation within the Amazon affiliate network. It is important for any publisher interested in working with the Amazon Online Associates Program to first show they can bring in revenue through the affiliate program. Even those who are already participating need to be sure they are keeping up with the program and regularly posting new content.

Finally, among the most important factors is for a publisher to know what their needs are regarding success within the Amazon Onsite Associates Program. One of the things a publisher will need to be able to do is carefully select products for each Editorial Recommendation. These are products potential customers will truly be interested in and willing to buy. They will also be products leading to a good amount of revenue for both Amazon and the publisher.

Additionally, while Amazon does not provide the best information on how to do so, publishers will need to learn the best ways to monitor the performance of the articles they post. Doing so can be a driving factor in ensuring they continue to keep those articles updated and allow them to continue writing high-quality and successful Editorial Recommendations as they continue to work within the program.

Exclusive as it may be, there are still ways for publishers to become a part of the program. While it certainly takes plenty of time and effort to receive an invitation, working within the affiliate program can also have plenty of benefits, so there may be good reason for a publisher to start building their relationship with Amazon today.

How Does Amazon Vet Publishers for Onsite Associates?