The Official Amazon Associates Blog

Black Friday 2008 Has Arrived at Amazon.com!

It's that time of year again! Thanksgiving is only a few days away, which means the biggest shopping day of the year is also fast approaching. Be sure to read below and see what Amazon has to offer you and your readers this year!

Great Black Friday Deals. No Black Friday Blues.

Black Friday deals start today!  Don't spend Black Friday 2008 jostling for bargains and parking spots. Amazon will have amazing deals to help you and your site visitors get holiday shopping done for less. Our Black Friday page (www.amazon.com/blackfriday) is the central point to find all our Black Friday deals, including the Gold Box hourly deals featured from midnight to 11pm PST and thousands of products that are on sale for a limited time only.

This represents a tremendous opportunity for you to earn referral fees by sending your site visitors to the deals and events available on Amazon.com. So, let your readers know that this year they shouldn’t fight the crowds when they can shop online at Amazon.com from the convenience (and comfort) of their keyboards. To link directly to this page and earn referral fees on the subsequent qualifying purchases, use the following link format, replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=384082011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

6 rounds. 18 deals. Ready, Set, Vote!

Amazon Customers Vote is back for 2008 and voting has already begun! Customers Vote is a special end-of-year promotion where you and your site visitors can vote for the deal you'd like to buy at an amazing discount. There will be six rounds of voting with three products in each round. Beginning Thursday, November 27, 2008 each day a new winning product will be announced, and randomly selected customers who voted in that round will receive an invitation to participate in the race to buy the winning product.

To link directly to this page and earn referral fees on the subsequent qualifying purchases, use the following link format, replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://promotions.amazon.com/gp/cv?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Take advantage of this promotion but be sure to remove your links at or before 11:59:59 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2008, the day the promotion expires.

We look forward to working with you to make this holiday shopping season a success. Happy Holidays!

Introducing ALDO Brand Shoes & Accessories on Amazon.com!

The Associates program is excited to announce the availability of ALDO brand shoes and accessories for women and men on Amazon.com! The ALDO brand is famous for its selection of high quality, cutting edge fashion footwear at affordable prices. In celebration of the launch of the ALDO brand on Amazon.com, your customers will receive Free Shipping on all ALDO products purchased through Amazon.com through 12/21/08.

Take advantage of the launch of the ALDO brand on Amazon.com and earn up to 8.5% in referral fees. To link to this page directly, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A23P6MBEML8L0W&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

To build a Product Link, simply visit the Product Links page in Associates Central and select “Shoes” in the drop down menu.

We have also made stylish banner graphics available to you in Associates Central like one shown below:

Take advantage of Free Shipping on all ALDO brand products purchased through Amazon.com but be sure to remove your links at or before 11:59:59 p.m. on Dec. 21, 2008, when the promotion expires.

Shop and Play Awhile with the Amazon Holiday Toy List!

The Holiday Toy List lets customers watch hundreds of toys, video games, sporting goods, electronic gadgets, and DVDs in action, and the list can be sorted by age or by price. With Amazon’s easy-to-use video display, customers are just a few clicks away from discovering the perfect gift. This year, offer your customers the hottest holiday toys at outstanding prices with Amazon’s Holiday Toy List.

 
To link directly to this page, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/holidaytoylist?&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Additionally, there are various Holiday Toy List banners created for you in Associates Central, to publish on your site.

You may have also heard the raves regarding Amazon Frustration-FreeTM Packaging. We currently offer 19 best selling products in Amazon Frustration-FreeTM Packaging, including toys from leading manufacturers including Fisher-Price, and Mattel, and other products from Microsoft and electronics manufacturer Transcend.

To build a link directly to this page, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?&docId=1000276271&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Additionally, there are various Amazon Frustration-FreeTM Packaging banners  created for you in Associates Central, to publish on your site.

Don't forget to check back soon for amazing Black Friday Deals.

New and Improved Deals Widget

As you’re gearing up for the holiday season, don’t miss out on the new and improved Deals Widget. Now you can display the hottest deals from Amazon on your web page. The Deals Widget lets your users browse discounted items and ongoing promotions from the Amazon.com product category of your choice.

The new widget lets you display the deals most relevant to your website improving customer retention and conversion

Deals by Category
You can now configure the widget to display discounted items and promotions from any Amazon.com category of your choice! Simply use the drill-down to select a specific category and we’ll keep the widget updated with the latest deals from that category. Remember, that your viewers are more likely to click through a widget when the deals are relevant to the theme and topic of your site. You can now use the ‘Deals by Category’ feature to place relevant Amazon deals throughout your site.

Gold Box Deals
You can continue to display Gold Box deals using the Deals Widget. Gold Box deals are limited quantity offers that run for a specified time. The Gold Box deals widget lets your viewers browse through the latest Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and Our Best Deals.

Multiple Sizes
The Deals Widget is available in a variety of standard sizes and can be placed anywhere on your site. Available sizes include: Sidebar (120x400, 160x400), Large (250x250, 300x250, 336x280) and Banner (468x60, 728x90).

Create a Deals Widget in just a few clicks. If you want to display a list of handpicked products, be sure to try out the My Favorites, Carousel, or Slideshow widgets.

Great Savings on Blu-ray and TV DVD Deals

The Amazon Movies & TV Store is pleased to unveil new shopping and discovery features, as well as fantastic deals just in time for the Holidays. Find out more below, and start earning referrals today!

Blu-ray Deals and Discovery
Amazon and Sony are offering incredible values on high definition products such as Blu-ray players and movies, as well as PlayStation 3 consoles, games, and accessories. New deals will be debut every week through Feb. 7, 2009 so customers will continually find an easy and affordable way jump into high-def. To link directly, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=979943011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

TV DVD Deals and Discovery
Amazon is thrilled to present 500 individual stores for popular TV shows. By linking to a series store, you point customers not just to the latest DVDs in the series, but also to related products such as Blu-ray, Video On Demand, books, music, toys, and more. All the pages include series summaries and cast lists, and many feature video clips, production photos, and exclusive cast interviews. To link directly to the series store page, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?&node=672581011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

To link directly to a specific ASIN, use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Amazon will offer the following TV deals during the holiday season:
1) The TV Holi-Daily Deal (Special one-day deals on favorite TV shows.) Offers posted from 12/4-12/16.
2) TV DVDs as low as $6.99. Offer valid from 11/4-11/28.
3) Save at Least 42% on ABC TV shows. Offer valid from 12/2-12/15.
4) Save up to 55% on Bully, Newhart, and More. Offer valid from 11/10-11/24.

More Great Savings on DVD and Blu-ray:
1) Save up to 60% on over 900 DVD Boxed Sets. Offers posted from 12/2-12/22.
2) Save up to 60% on Over 550 DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. Offer valid from 11/17–12/16.
3) The Big DVD Sale—Great Entertainment as Low as $5.99. Offer valid from 11/17-12/16.
4) Up to 50% Off over 200 Movies—from Shirley Temple to Juno! Offer valid from 11/4-11/24.
5) Over 445 Sci Fi DVDs as Low as $5.99. Offer valid now through 11/17.
6) Save Up to 50% on Kids' DVDs and Toys. Offer valid now through 11/24.

And don’t forget, great gift ideas abound in our holiday store for movies & TV lovers!

Build Links
We have DVD Banners available to you in Associates Central like those shown below:

Save $20 on Outerwear Orders over $100 from Select Merchants

From now until Nov. 23, you will receive $20 off the total cost of your order when you spend $100 or more on outerwear from select merchants at Amazon.com, including Backcountry, Luxury Lane, Karmaloop, The Sportsman’s Guide, and Woolrich..

The outerwear selection featured in this promotion includes everything from stylish leather coats, gear for outdoorsmen, fashionable parkas, edgy new jackets, and your favorite outerwear brands like Columbia, Volcom, Spyder, and Mountain Hardwear. 

To link directly to this promotional page and earn referral fees on the subsequent qualifying purchases, use the following link format, substituting "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=291195011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Take advantage of this promotion, but be sure to remove your links at or before 11:59:59 p.m. on Nov. 23, the day the promotion expires.

Turn Puma Purchases into AmazonMP3 Downloads!

Now through Nov. 18, spend $50 on all qualifying PUMA products direct from Amazon.com and get $5 in AmazonMP3 Downloads. 

Customers that spend $50 on qualifying PUMA shoes or bags on Amazon.com will receive $5 in AmazonMP3 downloads.  Customers can prepare for the holidays by downloading some instant cheer or selecting from over millions of songs from their favorite artists — all in MP3 format, which means the songs can play on any digital media player, including the iPod™.

Popular Puma products include:

Puma Men's Voltaic Running Shoe and Puma Women's Sabadella SL Sneaker.

Learn more.

To build a link directly to the main promotional page, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?node=672123011&brand=PUMA&emi=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Take advantage of this promotion but be sure to remove your links at or before 11:59:59 p.m. on Nov. 18, when the promotion expires.

November is Stuffed with Great Deals!

The holidays are fast approaching and Amazon has prepared many offers for you and your readers. Read on for great promotions to share and instructions on how to build links to earn money!

Kitchen and Home Holiday Markdowns
As your family and friends gather for the holidays, you’ll want to have on hand all the essentials for entertaining and preparing memorable meals. Save big on thousands of products for your kitchen and home in Holiday Markdowns. Also, you can start browsing the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide for everyone on your list, from the master chef to the entertainer. To link directly, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?node=172145011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Gift Guide for Music
Make sure you set the mood for your get-togethers with holiday music. From now until Dec. 25, celebrate the Holidays with unbeatable deals from Amazon Music! Throughout the season, we'll be featuring deep discounts on your favorite Music, and launching unique events and promotions – all in our Gift Ideas for Music Lovers store. From Nov. 24 through Dec. 1, we'll showcase daily deals during Cyber Week; in December Amazon Music will present '12 Days of Holiday' - a gauntlet of contests, exclusive videos, and music offers that you'll only find here. To link directly, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?node=116860011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Capture Your Favorite Moments
While gathering with your family and friends this month, make sure you capture each and every moment with a FREE 4 GB SD memory card with the purchase of select digital cameras from Canon, Nikon, Pentax and others from Amazon.com. This offer is valid only through November 22, 2008. To link directly, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000286301&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Please remove the links at or before 11:59:59 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, on which the promotion expires.    

Holidays are Just Around the Corner
Get ready for the holidays and save on trees, lights, ornaments, décor, and more. Amazon has all your holiday necessities, from Christmas movies and music to winter boots and cozy clothes. To link directly, just use the following link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?node=237796011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Build Links and Make Money
There are several simple ways for you to earn referral fees on any of the above promotions:

•    Browse our banners page in AC and select from several different categories. There are many new banners that have been created with various sizes for you to easily publish on your site
•    Text links are also an easy way to link to these promotional pages
•    Visit product links and select the category you want from the drop down menu
•    Widgets provide rich content and an interactive experience to people visiting your web page

More Ways Than Ever to Link to Amazon.com

Now there are more ways than ever to link to Amazon.com and earn referral fees. Whether you’ve been an Amazon Associate for twelve years or two months, we are constantly updating our product selection to make it easier for you to monetize your web property, so there’s always something new for all Associates to learn.

Here’s an overview of ways to link to Amazon.com:

•    Site Stripe: The new Site Stripe feature allows you to create text links directly from the Amazon.com without having to visit Associates Central. This makes adding links from any page or to any product much easier than before, all while you're browsing the Amazon.com site.

•    Widgets: Widgets are attractive, customizable mini-applications that provide a window into Amazon product from the convenience of your site. In the past year, we’ve rolled out several new widgets including our MP3 Clips widget and Carousel widget. Stay tuned for an enhanced, more feature-packed Deals widget, which will be released this holiday season.

•    Product Links: Product links allow you to build text, image, or text plus image customized links. You can also add product previews to your product links to enhance your product links. Product links are often included contextually on your web property so you can easily reference your favorite Amazon products with a link or image within your website copy.

•    Banners: Primarily used for promotions or general category awareness, banners are offered in a variety of sizes and styles to attract your readers’ attention and encourage them to click through to the Amazon sites.

We hope this overview was helpful and that you’ll continue to explore the many ways to link to Amazon.com. As always, we want to hear your feedback so be sure to tell us what you think.