Many affiliates jump into promoting products with little or no thought to the niche they are working in. Successful affiliates look for niches with a wide variety of products. It’s even better when the products span both physical and digital goods. This allows you as the affiliate to appeal to a broader base of people without drastically changing your marketing materials.
Not only is the niche you select important but the products you promote within that niche matter. In some niches, you may face stiff competition for certain products, or even lose out due to limited affiliate availability. Likewise, it’s possible to miss out on a good product others are passing over due to following the crowd instead of researching what your audience wants.
With affiliate marketing being largely about getting the right product to the right person at the right time we could all use a little help. Below are some tips to get you promoting the right product.
* Is it right for your niche?
Not just your niche, but your sub-niche, and your audience in that sub-niche. Promoting chicken coop plans to a list about fishing would be a waste of your time and theirs. Not only that, but you could lose some of the trust you’ve built up. However, an earthworm farm might do well as it resonates with a portion of the audience interested in live bait.
Your audience is unique and has unique needs. The hobby woodworker you advertise to might be interested in a guide to modern joining techniques. The same guide wouldn’t sell very well to the person running a factory that makes wood furniture.
While the problems faced by different niches and sub-niches are similar, the right solution varies greatly. This is why you must know your audience and their needs.
* Vendor
Some brand names are known by everybody and some are known by a select few. If you’re trying to sell tickets to a three-day motivational event you’ll do better if Tony Robbins is speaking than if Randy Smith is the keynote.
While there are communities where the vendor or brand doesn’t matter, there are many more where it does. Always know your vendor and how they might be received by your audience. Also, know what to expect from them as an affiliate. A vendor that treats their affiliates poorly isn’t worth promoting, even if their product does a good job of solving your audiences problems.
* Sales page
As an affiliate, you cannot control the sales page, but you can choose products based partially on it. If the sales page is horrible, then you could pass. If the sales page is stellar then promote away without worry. Some things to think of are how convincing the copy is and whether the description lines up with what the product is. If the sales page gets you thinking about the product, there’s a good chance it’ll work for your audience too.
* Does it solve a problem?
If a product solves a problem then it addresses something many people searching online are looking for, solutions to their problem. If the product is more about lifestyle or wants it can be harder to get your audience ready to buy before sending them to the sales page.
* Reviews
 Are there any reviews or testimonials? If not, that’s a red flag. If so, what do they say? Products with good reviews are a safer bet than products with mixed or poor reviews. Digital or physical, it really doesn’t matter. People will seek out reviews. If you can get a review copy that’s even better.
You can ask for review copies of products you’d like to promote. It won’t always work, and you’ll need to disclose that you received a product free if it does work. This isn’t required for you to promote an item, in fact, if you spend your real money on something and still want to promote it that lends more credibility to your recommendation.
* Trends
This is a tough one to get the timing right on, but imagine if you’d already been at the top of search rankings for protective face masks in late 2019/early 2020. The best place to be when a trend hits is in front of it already. The next best is riding right in front of it. Google Trends is a tool that can help you try to catch the waves as they hit. However, this is a high-risk game. A craze can hit and die really fast. fidget spinners were extremely popular for a month or two, then they started to die down. Sticking to products that are evergreen or have predictable (seasonal, think candy canes) trends is safer.
Choosing products to promote isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard. Use these tips in your research and selection. Stick to recommending products that are profitable and valuable for your audience and you’ll almost certainly do well.
Are you struggling to find a good product to promote? I can help you with your evaluation process and matching your audiences need to the products you’re considering Reach out below!