Affiliate marketing: the true labyrinth of online money-making. And as Joey Matterhorn, myself, would say: there’s nothing more fun than trying to find your way through a corn maze.
For some, it’s a nightmare. And I get it. However, if you know how to walk your way through an affiliate network of a sea of unique offers to choose from, finding your particular affiliate marketing niche would be a no-brainer.
And you get it to be that no-brainer by asking these three questions:
#1: How competitive is the affiliate niche I want to choose?
There are a ton of them. That’s part of the challenge. Of course, the popular ones still stand, albeit those tend to come with heavy competition (beauty, making money, dating, stuff like that).
Here’s advice on whether to pick the “hot topics” or the rare, obscure ones: the more crowded the category, the harder it will be to successfully drive your traffic and leads for conversions.
#2: Do I want to stick with an affiliate niche I know and love?
Traditionally, it’s a lot easier promoting products you love – even better, products you’re an expert in. However, researching and getting involved in a particular niche with a ‘sweet spot’ for a respectable audience and limited competition might be worth your time.
Ultimately, when working on affiliate marketing, you’re best enjoying content crafting and promotion about the stuff you love and know about the most.
#3: How broad or specific do I want to be with an affiliate niche?
Last but definitely not least, this is a critical strategic question that not only must be asked, but answered with an eye for digital marketing metrics. Here’s why:
Less than 10% of affiliates drive 90% of all conversions. I want that to sink in. It means there’s indeed a ‘sweet spot’ to affiliate marketing not only when choosing a niche, but promoting whatever your niche will be.
If you’ve found your ‘sweet spot’, chances are you’ve balanced your affiliate marketing strategy via these three things:
- Competitiveness
- Audience
- And your ability to promote
It’s a dynamic balance with, for example, the beauty vertical. Let’s say you’re knowledgeable about that industry, yet the issue is diving into that affiliate marketing niche means you’re facing a ton of competition.
So don’t go broad. Instead, get specific.
Find affiliate offers that focus on a particular subtopic of beauty, such as “skincare treatments” or “body sculpting.” Sure, your audience gets smaller, but you stand a better chance of ranking better. Your conversion percentage also certainly goes up, so the trade-off is worth it.
In short, don’t cast a wide net, hoping to catch the big whales….
Just go where the good fish are
And catch a ton of them!
Remember, your goal isn’t to explode onto the market with insane commissions. Simply spend $2 to make $4. Then ramp up. At the end of the day, the numbers game will be in your favor.
See what’s out there with the MountainTop Affiliate Network, too, as we can help you find that ‘sweet spot’. Let’s get you started!