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What is the best niche for affiliate marketing?
The best niche for affiliate marketing would be in the categories of Health & Fitness, Personal Finance, Parenting, Home Improvement, and Travel. These tend to have active buyers willing to spend money.
When researching the best niche for affiliate marketing, consider everything including average commissions, level of effort, trends, frequency of sales, and more.
Average Commissions
The best-paying affiliate programs will be digital products, subscription services, and big-ticket items over $100. Products under $50 tend to pay smaller commissions of 5-15% on average.
It’s a good idea to choose a niche with a mix of high and low-commission opportunities. Promote big ticket items for larger payouts, supplemented by lower-cost impulse-buy products.
- Personal Finance: 25-60% commissions. Financial products tend to pay very well. Up to $400+ for credit cards, 60% for insurance plans.
- Health and Fitness: 30-50% commissions. The higher end is for supplements and specialty products. Lower end for gear/apparel.
- Home and Garden: 8-15% is typical. More for big-ticket items like furniture or appliances. Lower for accessories.
- Parenting: 5-15% on average. Baby products pay up to 20%. Toy subscriptions pay recurring commissions.
- Travel: Hotel bookings pay 5-35%. Vacation packages 10-20%. The higher end for cruises or bundled deals.
- Education and courses: The upside here is 50-75% commissions in many cases. Especially for online info products or training programs.
Another way to do a check would be to look at seller fees from Amazon, Walmart, or other platforms. These are what the sellers are paying to the marketplaces. While you won’t get those exact commissions it will give you a general idea of what categories can pay higher and help you think about finding different niches.
Source: Amazon
Seasonal Trends
Consider seasonal shopping trends. Depending on the niche there could be different times of the year that will have elevated traffic (i.e. Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.). During those high shopping periods, this product category will become the best niche for affiliate marketing.
Frequent Shoppers
Consider niches where people need frequent or repeat purchases. For example, supplements, SaaS products, web hosting, and skincare require regular repurchasing which is great for affiliate commissions.
Finding Affiliate Programs
Not all brands have an affiliate program. The easiest way is to go to Google and type in the “brand + affiliate program”. This will give you a general idea of the brand is working with any networks. Some of these brands could have a hidden program and if your content is very relevant for them they may work with you on an individual basis. Ensure the niche has plenty of affiliate programs and products to promote. You can also research affiliate networks like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, Shareasale, Impact, etc to see what’s available on their platform. Many of the brands could surprise you because of what they are offering.
Higher Commission
Not all affiliate programs are created equal. Look for niches with high-commission structures. Typically information products, online courses, and software offer commissions of 50-75%. This maximizes your earnings potential while at the same time not having to put in as much effort to make money. Some programs even offer recurring commissions if the user ends up staying with the subscription. That is a win-win situation and could possibly be the best niche for affiliate marketing.
Untapped Niches
Find untapped or less competitive niches. Avoid oversaturated markets like wealth/make money online as they will be harder to penetrate. There are a lot that are out there and in many of the sub-categories. For example, a site that promotes truck parts and gears can earn a healthy commission since the average order size of the items is well over $200. A few other examples include: Pet Insurance, Translation Services, Self-Improvement Courses, Ancestry Products, Meal Planning Services, etc.
Pick Your Passion
Pick a niche you’re genuinely interested in or have expertise in. Your passion and knowledge will make creating content easier. Researching what people are looking for on Google will give you an idea of what other types of content you can produce. This will help you determine what the best niche in affiliate marketing would be.
Competitors
Ensure the niche has an audience that is willing to spend money on solutions to their problems. Survival, gaming, and technology are examples. Find other competitors that have done it within this niche so you will know if it is sustainable.
I’d recommend starting with a more general, high-interest niche at first as you build experience. Over time you can specialize further once you find a specific niche product or audience that resonates well. Maintain focus on finding the best niche for affiliate marketing. You will only know by testing. Good luck!