How to Make Money on Amazon without Selling

With over 2 billion active customers worldwide, Amazon is the world’s leading e-commerce store and provides a platform for sellers to reach an enormous amount of audience. Thereby, it becomes the go-to destination for online shopping with its vast product selection and competitive pricing, attracting more sellers and customers alike.

However, there is a common misconception that making money on Amazon is only possible through selling products on the platform. This is not at all true. The following opportunities will help you earn money from Amazon without any products:

• Amazon Affiliate
• Mechanical Turk
• Kindle Direct Publishing
• Merch
• Handmade
• Influencer
• FBA
• Appstore

With these opportunities, anyone can make use of Amazon’s vast customer base and infrastructure to make money through various channels.

Option 1: Amazon Affiliate Program

The Amazon Affiliate Program allows individuals to earn money by promoting Amazon products on their website or social media channels. This program is free to join, and affiliates can earn up to 10% commission on purchases made through their unique referral link. Amazon provides affiliates with a wide range of marketing tools, including product links, banners, and widgets, to help them promote products effectively.

Follow the steps below to sign up for the program:

• Visit the Amazon Associates website and click “Join Now for Free.”
• Log in or create a new Amazon account.
• Fill out the application form with personal information and website details.
• Enter your preferred payment method and tax information.
• Review and accept the Operating Agreement and Program Policies.
• Create your unique affiliate links and start promoting Amazon products.

Once approved, you can access tools and resources like link generators, banner ads, and real-time reporting to boost your promotion.

Reaching out to Audience and Grow your earnings

To reach the customers, you can try the following ways to promote Amazon products:

• Product reviews: Write informative reviews of Amazon products on your website.
• Social media post: There are approximately 5 billion social media users as of March 2023. If you possess a good number of followers, you can post an interesting content on an Amazon product on your social media channel.
• Email marketing: Promote Amazon products to a group of email addresses and include affiliate links.
• Comparison charts: Create comparison charts that showcase the benefits of different Amazon products.
• Product-specific websites: You can create a product-specific website that focuses on a particular product category and promote relevant Amazon products there.
• YouTube videos: Over 122 million people visit YouTube every day. You can target this customer base and create product review videos or tutorials on your YouTube channel.
• Paid advertising: Use paid advertising platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads to promote Amazon products and drive traffic to your website.

When any customer makes a purchase after going through an affiliate link shared in your social media post or YouTube video description, you will earn a commission. So, the more traffic in your website or social media, the more is the chance to maximize your income from above methods.

After initiation and earning some money, you should be looking forward to increasing your returns. Here’s how you can maximize your earnings from Amazon Affiliate Program:

• Choose high-demand products that are more likely to be purchased
• Create high-quality and informative content that encourages people to click on a given link
• Place affiliate links in locations hard to miss, on your website
• Utilize social media platforms to promote your content.
• Use Amazon’s marketing tools, such as product links and banners, to promote products
• Promote higher-priced products to earn higher commissions
• Stay up-to-date on Amazon promotions and seasonal events

Estimated Return

All of the above strategies may not always work based on various factors. You should thereby monitor your performance regularly and adjust your strategy accordingly. As an information, the top earners of Amazon affiliate earn $100,000 annually. So, if you have the time, you can obviously consider this option to earn from Amazon.

Option 2: Amazon Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk is a crowdsourcing platform to outsource small, repetitive tasks to a global workforce. It provides access to a vast pool of workers who can complete tasks known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) for a small fee.

These tasks can range from simple tasks such as data entry and image classification to more complex tasks such as transcription and content moderation. Businesses and individuals use this tool when there is a need to complete large volumes of repetitive tasks within a short time.

Here are the steps to get started with Amazon Mechanical Turk:

• Sign up for an account: Visit the Amazon Mechanical Turk website and sign up for a free account.
• Create a requester account: If you’re a business or individual looking to outsource tasks, create a requester account and provide the necessary details.
  • Create a HIT: Create a HIT by providing details about the task, such as the description, payment, and requirements.
  • Launch the HIT: Once you’ve created a HIT, launch it on the platform and wait for workers to accept and complete it.
  • Review completed HITs: Review completed HITs and approve or reject them based on the quality of work.
  • Pay workers: Pay workers for completed HITs through the platform.
  • Build a reputation: Build a positive reputation as a requester by providing clear instructions, fair payment, and prompt feedback.
• Become a worker: If you’re interested in becoming a worker on the platform, create a worker account and start browsing available HITs.

It’s important to provide clear instructions and fair payment to build a positive reputation as a requester.

Tasks available on Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk offers a variety of Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) that cover a wide range of skills and interests. Some examples of tasks include, but not limited to:

• Data entry
• Content moderation
• Transcription
• Image classification
• Surveys
• Sentiment analysis
• Language translation
• Research
• Website testing etc.

Workers can choose tasks that match their interests and skillset, while requesters can create tasks that meet their specific needs and requirements.

Estimated Returns

The income potential of Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) depends on several factors, such as the number and complexity of tasks, efficiency, and qualifications. Payment per HIT ranges from a few cents to a few dollars depending on these factors. Bonuses may also be available for quick and accurate completion.

There are mixed reviews on MTurk as some workers complain about poor payment and issues with their account. Still, workers receive $50 on an average weekly basis which some feel to be a decent amount of side income.

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Option 3: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

If you have a knack for writing fictions, you may find Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) very much worth your attention. Amazon KDP is an online self-publishing platform that enables authors and publishers to publish and sell their e-books on Amazon. It also offers print-on-demand services for paperback books. Besides them, necessary marketing tools are available to promote these books and increase the revenue from its sales.

Every year Amazon releases 1.4 million self-published books through KDP and makes revenue around $28 billion from its sales. This is quite an astounding number, isn’t it?

To publish your book on KDP, you need to follow the below steps:

1. Prepare your manuscript in a supported file format
2. Create a KDP account
3. Enter book details such as title, author name, and pricing options
4. Upload your formatted manuscript
5. Preview it using the KDP previewer to double check the formatting
6. Click “Publish.”

After publishing the book on Amazon marketplace, promote it using KDP’s promotional tools, like discounted pricing and Amazon Ads.

Reach more to earn more

If you are able to fine tune your book according to requirement of audience, it will translate into more number of audience. Here’s how to publish a successful book on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP):

• Use Amazon Ads, promotions, and outreach to bloggers and book reviewers to promote your book.
• Your book cover is the first thing readers will see, so invest in a design that captures their attention and accurately represents your book’s content.
• Include relevant keywords in your book description so that your audience will find it without much searching.
• Share your book with beta readers and ask for feedback to improve it before publishing.

Estimated Returns

KDP offers two royalty options: 35% and 70%, with the latter available for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. The price of your book affects earnings, with lower-priced books selling more but offering lower royalties. It is worth mentioning that Amazon pays $250 million in royalties to self-published authors each year. Sales volume is also crucial, and Amazon promotions can help in this regard. Authors have reported significant earnings through KDP, with some making a full-time income from book sales.

In view of global distribution, KDP offers a simple and affordable way for writers to reach readers worldwide and earn money from their work, without the need for a traditional publishing contract. But, success on KDP requires writing skills, marketing strategy, and persistence.

Option 4: Amazon Merch

Amazon Merch is a print-on-demand service offered by Amazon that allows users to create and sell custom t-shirts, hoodies, and other apparel. Users can utilize the built-in design tools to create original designs or upload their own ideas. Afterwards, Amazon handles the printing, shipping, and customer service, making it easy for users to start their own clothing business without having to invest in inventory or logistics.

To get started with Amazon Merch, simply follow the steps below:

• Sign up for an account on the Amazon Merch website and submit your application
• Once approved, you can create and upload your designs and choose the products on which you want to print them. Adobe Photoshop and Canva are two popular design platforms used for this purpose.
• When the design is fully ready, you can upload it on Amazon Merch and it will handle the printing, shipping, and customer service for you. Alternatively, you can also work with a local printer to produce your merchandise.
• Finally, promote your merchandise and encourage people to buy it from Amazon.

Estimated Returns

Just like KDP, Amazon Merch offers two royalty options, a standard royalty rate of 10% and a higher royalty rate for branded products that meet certain requirements. Your earnings will also depend on the quality and popularity of your designs, as well as your marketing efforts.

As of January this year, Amazon Merch has an active audience of 2.6 million per month. So, if you can maintain the quality at the right pricing, you will get a handsome profit out of it. You should also take into account that you don’t need to manage an inventory for this, making it a t-shirt business without any cost.

Option 5: Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade is an online marketplace for selling handmade goods to a global audience. It features a wide variety of handmade products, including jewelry, home decor, clothing, and more. Similar to Merch, Amazon handles the payment processing, shipping, and customer service of the products after registering them for sale.

To register your business in Amazon Handmade, you need to follow the process below:

• At first, apply to become a seller on the platform. To do this, you will need to provide information about your business, such as your contact details and a description of your products.
• Once your application is reviewed and approved, set up your shop on Amazon Handmade with product listings.
• Remember to fix the prices and upload high-quality images of the products to attract interest from customers. Amazon Handmade has specific guidelines for product images and descriptions, so make sure to review these carefully.

When all of this is done, you are ready to promote your products to your desired audience. 

Estimated Returns

Amazon Handmade charges a 15% referral fee on each sale, which includes payment processing, marketing, and customer service. This fee is lower than the referral fees on other Amazon selling platforms, which can be as high as 45%. In order to increase your earnings, you should try to put a justifiably competitive price tag on your products.

If you are a specialist in handmade products and still not motivated enough to look for opportunities on Amazon Handmade, here’s one quick stat to catch your attention: according to a report published on 2023, 33% of sellers on Handmade enjoy profit margins above 20%.

Option 6: Amazon Influencer Program

The Amazon Influencer Program is a platform tailored for social media influencers to earn money by promoting Amazon products to their followers. Influencers are given a unique URL that they can share on their social media platforms. When a follower makes a purchase through that link, the influencer earns a commission. As simple as that.

To be eligible for the Amazon Influencer Program:

• You must have a qualifying social media presence, such as a large following on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter.
• You must also regularly produce contents relevant to the products.

Once you meet the eligibility criteria as a social media influencer of note, you can apply for the program through the Amazon Influencer Program website. You will need to provide the below information at this step:

• The number of followers
• Engagement rates of your posts
• Information about your desired products

Amazon will then review your application and notify you via email if you have been accepted into the program. Once accepted, you will be given a unique URL. You can use this URL in your social media posts to promote Amazon products.

Expand your outreach

To promote Amazon products as an influencer, you can try to do the following:

• Create content around the products you recommend, such as photos, videos.
• Feature the products in your social media posts or stories and include your unique URL for followers to make a purchase.
• Be authentic and transparent in your promotion and recommend only those you trust yourself.
• Collaborate with other influencers or brands to cross-promote products.
• Encourage your followers to leave reviews on the products, as this can help boost sales.

Along with these, you should also try to utilize Amazon’s affiliate marketing tools, such as widgets and banners, to promote the products on your website or blog, if you have any.

Estimated Returns

Influencers earn a commission on every purchase made through their unique URL. This ranges from 1-10% depending on the product category. For example, the commission rate for luxury beauty products is 10%, while the commission rate for video games is 1%.

The commission percentage increases as the number of sales made through the influencer’s unique URL increases. The more an influencer promotes and recommends products, the higher the chances are of earning a substantial income.

Although the earning potential for influencers is based on several factors, collaborating with them gains focus day by day. At present, 12% of 3^rd party Amazon sellers are hiring influencers to brand their products.

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Option 7: Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is a program from Amazon designated for sellers to store their products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Once the product is sold, Amazon will pick, pack and ship the item directly to the customer. This means that sellers don’t need to handle storage, packing, and shipping themselves, which can save them time and money.

FBA also provides access to Amazon Prime customers, which can increase the visibility of the seller’s products on the Amazon platform. Additionally, FBA takes care of customer service and returns management, providing sellers with a high level of support.

To get started with Amazon FBA, follow these steps:

• Create an Amazon seller account or upgrade to a professional account.
• Set up your FBA account and create product listings.
• Prepare your products for shipment to an Amazon fulfillment center.
• Print and apply Amazon FBA labels to your products.
• Ship your products to Amazon’s fulfillment center.
• Monitor your inventory levels and restock when necessary.
• Optimize your listings for maximum visibility and sales.
• Take advantage of Amazon’s advertising tools to promote your products.
• Monitor your sales and adjust your pricing and inventory levels as needed.
• Use Amazon’s analytics tools to track your performance and identify areas for improvement.

Estimated Returns

The profitability of Amazon FBA depends on factors such as your profit margin, the volume of sales, and your ability to manage your inventory and expenses efficiently. Additionally, Amazon charges fees for their services, including storage and fulfillment fees, which can impact your profit margin.

In a survey conducted in 2023, it is found that FBA sellers earn more than $100,000 per year. So, it is quite apparent that the revenue from it far outweighs the cost of running it, if done right.

Option 8: Amazon Appstore

The Amazon Appstore is a platform with a wide selection of mobile apps and games compatible with Fire devices such as Fire tablets and Fire TV. It also features Amazon’s “Free App of the Day” program, allowing developers to offer their apps free of cost for a limited time.

The Appstore provides developers with access to Fire OS and Alexa Voice Services. It is further equipped with parental controls and personalized recommendations based on previous app usage.

Getting started with the Amazon Appstore is easy. Simply create an Amazon account and download the Amazon Appstore app onto your device. Once downloaded, you can browse through the various apps and games available on the platform, and download them directly into your device.

If you’re a developer, you can create an Amazon Developer account to access the tools and resources available for app creation and distribution. The Amazon Appstore also offers a relatively easy submission process for app approval, making it easy to get your app published and available to users.

How to publish your own app

Here are the steps to create and publish your own app on the Amazon Appstore:

• Create an Amazon Developer account
• Select “Add a New App”
• Choose the app type
• Provide necessary information, such as app name and description
• Upload the app’s APK file
• Add screenshots for the app store listing
• Submit the app for review
• Wait for approval

Once approved, your app will be available for download on the Amazon Appstore.

Estimated Returns

Developers earn 70% of the list price for their app or in-app purchase on the Amazon Appstore. The list price is the amount the customer pays for the app, excluding any taxes and service fees.

Amazon takes a 30% revenue share from the developer’s earnings. But, they also offer a program called “Amazon Underground” which allows developers to earn money based on the amount of time their app is used by customers.

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Conclusion

In 2023, Amazon’s net revenue amounted to $514 billion U.S. dollars. This enormous amount of earnings is a testament to its potential as a proven money making system. All of the options have their respective pros and cons, so you should consider your available time and effort before deciding on a single or multiple streams of income from Amazon.