Affiliate Marketing VS Amazon FBA: Which one is Better?

Making the decision to start an online business can be difficult. There are so many options available, and it can be hard to decide which path is the right one for you.

In this blog post, we will compare affiliate marketing vs Amazon FBA and help you decide which one is best for you.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money by promoting other people's products, while Amazon FBA allows you to create your own product and sell it through Amazon.

So, which one should you choose? Keep reading to find out!

What is the Difference Between Affiliate Marketing and Amazon FBA?

In order to understand the differences between affiliate marketing and Amazon FBA, let's first explore each of these business models.

What is Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a business model where you find a product in a niche, look for a company that has an affiliate program for that niche and you sign up for that program.

You will get a unique link that you use to promote. You can promote the link on blogs, YouTube videos, social media or even with email marketing.

If someone clicks that link and makes a purchase, you'll get a commission for that sale. The amount of commission is anywhere from 4% to even 60%. Amounts will vary depending on the affiliate vendor and how much the product costs. 

Payouts are either done on Paypal or by direct transfer to your bank. On average, it takes between 15-30 days to receive your commission payment.

What is Amazon FBA?

Amazon FBA is a program that allows businesses to sell their products on Amazon.com and fulfill orders through the Amazon fulfillment center. When a customer places an order,

Amazon will pick, pack, and ship the product to the customer's doorstep. In addition, Amazon will provide customer service and handle returns for these products.

This program is beneficial for businesses because it takes away the hassle of fulfilling orders and dealing with returns.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Now, let's explore the advantages and disadvantages of both of these business models. Let's start with affiliate marketing.

Advantages of Affiliate Marketing

Low start-up costs - Affiliate marketing has a very low cost of entry. In fact, you could even start doing it for free by using social media if you don't have a website.

You don't need your own product - With affiliate marketing, you don't need to create your own product. This can save you a lot of time and money because you'll be promoting other people's products.

You have flexibility - There are so many niches to choose from, and you can promote products that fit your interests.

Can be done part-time - Affiliate marketing can be done part-time, so it's a great option if you're looking to start an online business while still holding down a full-time job.

Passive Income - You can literally make money in your sleep. Once you've built up a successful affiliate marketing campaign, it's on full auto-pilot and just needs some minor tweaks once in a while.

You don't need a degree - You don't need a college degree to be successful in affiliate marketing. In fact, some of the top marketers in the world never finished college.

Disadvantages of Affiliate Marketing

Some of the disadvantages of affiliate marketing include:

It can be difficult to find good products to promote - It can be tough to find high-quality products to promote as an affiliate. If you choose the wrong product, you might not make any money.

The competition is fierce - The competition for affiliate marketing is fierce, and it can be tough to stand out from the crowd.

It takes time and effort to build a successful campaign - It takes time and effort to build a successful affiliate marketing campaign. If you're doing paid ads it will require a lot of testing. If you have a blog, your pages will take some time to rank in organic search.

There is no guaranteed income - Affiliate marketing is not a guaranteed way to make money. You could work hard for months and not make a single sale. 

You're at the mercy of the merchant - The merchant can change their terms and conditions at any time, which can impact your income.

Advantages of Amazon FBA

You don't need your own product - Similar to affiliate marketing, you don't have to create your own product to sell on Amazon. You can source inexpensive items from overseas and have them shipped to the fulfillment center without ever seeing them if you wish.

Can be done part-time - You can start small and do Amazon FBA part-time until it becomes a full-time business.

Passive Income - Once you have a successful Amazon FBA business, it can generate passive income for you.

Customer service handled for you - You don't need to worry about customer service with Amazon FBA. Amazon will handle all of the customer service for you.

Disadvantages of Amazon FBA

It can be costly to get started - You'll need to invest in inventory, which can be costly. In addition, there are fees associated with using the Amazon fulfillment center, such as storage fees and picking fees.

It takes time to build up sales - It can take some time to build up enough sales to make a full-time income from Amazon FBA. You'll need to be patient and willing to put in the work.

You're at the mercy of Amazon - Amazon can change its rules and regulations at any time, which could impact your business. For example, they recently changed their fee structure for FBA, which has caused some people to lose money.

Inventory management can be tricky - You need to keep track of your inventory levels and make sure you have enough stock on hand to meet customer demand. If you run out of stock, you'll miss out on sales. Also, if you have too much stock, you'll incur storage fees from Amazon.

So, Which One Is Best for You? Affiliate Marketing or Amazon FBA?

Only you can answer this question. However, if money is an issue, then you'll definitely want to start with affiliate marketing first.

This is because you don't need to buy products as you do with Amazon. If you're on a very low budget, you could do affiliate marketing on YouTube which won't cost you anything. You simply set up a channel and review products. In some cases, you might have to buy the products but there are ways around this too.

Another way is to promote affiliate products on social media. This is also free to do. The best way to do affiliate marketing is with a blog. This is because you are focused on getting free, organic traffic from search engines like Google. This can take some time to get started but it is definitely worth it in the long run.

As for Amazon, it's a great platform but it's not for everyone. If you have money to invest and you're willing to put in the work, then you could be successful with Amazon FBA.

Just remember that there are risks involved with any business, so be sure to do your research before getting started.

How to Get Started With Affiliate Marketing

If you are completely new to affiliate marketing, you are going to want to ensure that you learn from the best. The reason for this is simple. If you spend too much time focusing on the wrong niche, or even the method how you are promoting a product and it fails, you'll get discouraged and quit.

A lot of new affiliate marketers will just try to copy what works for others. The problem with this is that those marketers that you are copying are likely to have a lot more experience than you. This means that they know what works and what doesn't work. You could be copying something that is a complete bust.

The best way to get started with affiliate marketing is to find a program that will teach you to step by step how to be successful. Once you have found such a program, make sure to stick with it until you see results.

A lot of people will give up too soon when they don't see results right away. Remember, it takes time and effort to be successful with affiliate marketing. But if you are willing to put in the work, it is definitely possible to make money with this business model.

How to Get Started With Amazon FBA

If you're interested in Amazon FBA, it's important to also get formal training. Since you'll need to invest money with your first inventory buy, you'll need to know if it's going to work first. A good course will give you the knowledge to do this.

There are so many moving pieces with Amazon FBA and while it's possible to do it without any formal training, wouldn't you want to know what the trade secrets are? It could end up saving you a ton of money and frustration.

So don't risk doing this business without getting formally trained first. Do check out my list of the best Amazon FBA courses to see which one works for you.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you decide which one is best for you - affiliate marketing or Amazon FBA.

Whichever one you choose, just remember that success takes time and effort. Don't give up and keep learning and growing! Thanks for reading!