One of the most common goals for food content creators is to make money through sharing recipes online. And one of the best ways to monetize your content? Affiliate marketing! Affiliate marketing is a great, passive way to earn revenue and can be an especially valuable source of income before you meet the criteria for major ad networks.
But first, what is affiliate marketing? Affiliate marketing is when a third-party (you!) promotes a company’s products, services, or even courses, and earns a commission every time someone uses your link to complete a purchase.
Amazon’s affiliate program, Amazon Associates, provides an especially easy way to monetize your content by recommending products you already use and love. Because Amazon is such a widespread shopping platform, most of your readers will likely be able to easily shop these links.
Notice we say “products you already use and love” here? This is a critical component of successful affiliate marketers. By directly linking products you genuinely use and recommend, you’re building trust with your audience and providing them with tools to make your recipe.
Below we’re diving into five creative ways to incorporate Amazon affiliate links into your content to increase revenue.
1. Link Kitchen Tools in Recipe Blog Posts
One of the easiest ways to include Amazon affiliate links is by linking your favorite kitchen tools directly in your recipe blog posts or when you share content on social media. You can share the exact tools and gadgets you use to make specific recipes with your readers.
For example, if you’re writing a recipe post for a soup recipe, you can link to a pot you love to use or an immersion blender you swear by.
Be sure to be specific about why you recommend these items, whether it’s their durability, ease of use, or other features.
Curious to see how Pinch of Yum incorporates affiliate links into their blog posts?2. Create a “Shop My Favorites” Page
Lots of food content creators dedicate a page on their blog specifically to product recommendations. This “Shop My Favorites” page can serve as a go-to area where your audience can find all of your favorite cooking essentials in one place.
Make sure to embed Amazon affiliate links for each item and write a brief description explaining why you love it or how you use it in your recipes.
This makes it easy for your blog visitors to see all of your favorite product recommendations, plus you can organize your affiliate links by category (i.e. baking essentials, pantry staples, etc.).
3. Make “Essentials” Lists for Different Types of Recipes / Diets
Having “essentials” lists on your food blog is a great idea for food bloggers who cater to audiences with specific recipe or diet preferences . By creating curated Amazon shopping lists, you can give your audience exactly what they need for each category, such as:
- A “Vegan Baking Essentials” list with ingredients like coconut oil, vegan chocolate chips, and almond flour.
- A “BBQ Master’s Toolkit” featuring essential grilling equipment, from skewers to a thermometer, and ingredients like specific BBQ sauces or spices.
You can create these lists as a blog post or a page on your blog. Or, you can even send out an edition of your newsletter that goes over these essentials and links back to your Amazon storefront.
4. Share Amazon Product Roundups on Social Media
Social media platforms are perfect for sharing “roundup” posts that showcase multiple products at once. These can be structured as themed lists, such as “10 Must-Have Baking Tools” or “Best Pantry Staples for Quick Meals,” with each item linked to your Amazon affiliate account.
Tips for Social Media Roundups:
- Instagram/Facebook: Create a Reel that features your favorite products/staples and why you recommend them. You can then direct followers to the link in your bio or a blog post that contains the affiliate links.
- Pinterest: Create graphics with product images and link them back to a blog post or a dedicated shopping page.
- Stories: Use Instagram stories to showcase individual products with direct links or send followers to the link in your bio.This is a great way to share more “casual” recommendations with your followers and show your recommended products in action in your kitchen!
Social media roundups can be a super engaging and immediate way for your audience to discover new products.
5. Create Gift Guides for Food Lovers, Home Cooks, and More
Gift guides are a fantastic way to use Amazon affiliate links, especially during the holiday season or for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
By creating a gift guide with Amazon affiliate links, you can help your audience find the perfect gift while earning affiliate income!
Tips for Creating Gift Guides:
- Choose a Theme: Create guides with specific themes like “Gift Ideas for Vegans,” “Holiday Gift Ideas for Bakers,” or “Essential Tools for the Chef in Your Life” These themes allow you to organize items based on interests and make it easier for readers to find something that fits what they’re looking for!
- Highlight Diverse Finds: Showcase a wide range of items that are a mix of price points, from budget-friendly finds to high-end gifts, as well as unique gifts to trending ideas, this will help your list appeal to a wide range of individuals.
- Include Descriptions and Personal Recommendations: Make sure to write short descriptions explaining why each product is a great gift. If it’s an item you have, or have bought as a gift, make sure to mention why you love it and recommend it.
Gift guides provide value to your audience by taking the guesswork out of gift shopping, while also giving you a chance to earn affiliate revenue. Plus, they can be evergreen or updated each year, depending on your preferred content strategy.
Ready to get started? To apply for the Amazon Associates Program, just visit the Amazon Associates website and click “Join now” to create an account. Make sure to fill out the required details about your website or social media platforms and wait for Amazon’s approval (which usually takes a few days!).
As always, make sure to be genuine in your recommendations to foster trust with your audience. By integrating affiliate links thoughtfully—through recipe posts, shopping pages, curated lists, and social media roundups—you’ll be able to boost your earnings while also offering value to your followers.
And, don’t forget to include a disclosure policy in each blog post where you include affiliate links. If you’re not sure exactly what to write, you can start with something along the lines of:
“This post may contain affiliate links. This means we will receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links will be noted in the content. For more information on this type of content, please see our disclosure policy.”
If you’re looking to learn more about affiliate income, Food Blogger Pro members have a whole course on affiliate marketing here!