So, you have decided that you want to take a crack at affiliate marketing, and are looking for promising niche site ideas.
Hopefully you have done your research, like reading our guide on How To Start Affiliate Marketing. By now, you probably know the basics (and the not-so-basics) of how to start a site, choose an affiliate program, and create good content.
You have probably read the blogs of self-proclaimed affiliate marketing rockstars. They will claim to have transformed their income into a set-it-and-forget-it dream, and now split their time between Bali and Bora Bora.
Before you worry too much about being like them, remember that starting in affiliate marketing takes a lot of preparation.
I hope we didn’t scare you off! This knowledge isn’t supposed to turn you away from affiliate marketing. Its purpose is to underscore the importance of niche selection.
Let’s talk more about how niche selection works.
Niche Selection
Choosing your niche will be one of the most important decisions you make during your affiliate marketing journey. It’s like choosing your college major – except you can’t switch halfway through with some transfer credits when you have a change of heart.
Keep these ideas in mind when you are researching your niche:
Don’t Follow the Money
Don’t choose a niche because you heard there is money in it. Affiliate marketing is about having good content. It is very difficult (and exhausting) to create content about something you don’t care about.
Do Your Homework
Follow our process for researching your niche, using the tools at your disposal. This will ensure you are making an informed decision.
Find Inspiration
Look for existing bloggers and affiliate marketers in the space to see how they create content. This will give you ideas on ways you can make your mark in the niche.
While you are thinking about the niche you are going to choose, you may find yourself wondering what a niche really is. Is a popular activity like baseball or self-help books really a niche?
This is a great question, and it is one we will answer before we share our list of the best niches for 2020.
Defining a Niche
Acclaimed marketer Neil Patel does a great job of defining what a niche really is.
According to Neil, a niche is a highly-specialized market. A more specific example that he uses is an organic bath soap product.
You wouldn’t want to compete with the giants of the soap world, and the same goes for any general interest, hobby, or sport.
The key is finding your niche differentiator, whether it be “organic,” “independent,” or anything else that defies the norm.
This is defined as “finding the niche within the niche.” All it means is that you need to discover a community that is looking for engaging content.
Established Niche vs. New Niche
Another decision you need to keep in mind while determining your niche is whether to focus on an established or a new niche.
Established Niche
An established niche is one where you know there is earnings potential right now. This is based off of historical data or success stories from other affiliate marketers.
If you are confident that there will continue to be interest in a niche like archery, feel free to carve out your place online.
New Niche
Do you consider yourself someone who keeps their ear to the ground? Think you can forecast which trends in music, film, or fashion will be big next year?
This means you should consider niches where you see earnings potential in the future.
This often takes more research and effort.
You will be blazing a trail that other affiliate marketers will follow when they realize that money is being made. But you can make more money by being the first in the game.
Niche Research
Now that you know the basics of niche selection, we want to mention how we determine which niches are “best.”
The first step to determining whether a niche is promising is by figuring out audience size. You need to know whether people are searching for a niche, but not too many people. Some niches already have plenty of competition, which isn’t great if you are just starting in affiliate marketing.
So, why are we telling you about how to conduct niche research? Isn’t this list supposed to take care of that for you?
We want to help you along your affiliate marketing journey, and give you the tools and skills that will come in handy later.
This list may give you ideas on niches that you have an interest in, so keep this in mind as you read.
Also, Brand Builders offers niche websites for sale in a range of great money-making niches. We validate them for you, create the brand, and include several pieces of content to get the ball rolling. We even have a unique free coaching calls service to answer your questions about getting started or growing your affiliate marketing business. Sign up for your first call today!
Now, back to niche research tools.
Tools for Audience Size
Quantcast
Neil Patel recommends using Quantcast. This audience insight website tracks the top websites for a particular search term. It also shows monthly traffic for the site.
Google Trends
Use Google Trends to check how search volume for topics changes over time. Although it is vague when compared to other tools, it is a great way to measure seasonality and geographic clustering for your niche.
Quora
Neil Patel’s other hot tip is to use Quora to further drill down a niche. After measuring the niche in Quantcast, use Quora to find questions that people are posting. This can be used to find out problems that people are having right now, and whether there are solutions.
Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
Although it is a paid tool, Ahrefs is a favorite for affiliate marketers. It is used to determine search volume and keyword difficulty for topics. Use this as a starting point, and always conduct more research to ensure that your niche is favorable.
Niche List
Enjoy this list of qualified niches for 2020. We have linked out to one reputable affiliate program for each, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
We chose to link to specific affiliate programs instead of affiliate networks so that you can compare commission rates for each.
Affiliate networks are another way to go, and they give you access to many programs under their umbrella.
Always continue to research your niche using the tools above, and be on the lookout for new affiliate network opportunities.
1) Presentation Coach
Here’s a question: How many hours of your life do you think you have wasted sitting in boring PowerPoint presentations? Watching people read information off of overcrowded slides isn’t fun – and it’s something we all get stuck doing at some point in life.
This niche is all about helping people create more effective and interesting presentations. It’s also about helping them become more confident public speakers.
You can monetize this by promoting presentation templates and tips, and by providing online courses. The best part about this service-based niche is that you can cater content towards smaller groups.
Think about presentation tips for engineers or small business owners or members of a wedding party!
Affiliate Program: Presentation Process
2) 3D Printing
It seems like every week, someone on the homepage of Reddit makes a 3D print of something awesome. Oftentimes, it’s also something that is usually more expensive to produce, and helps other people in need.
The market for 3D printers is still in its early stages, but there is incredible interest in the topic. The only barrier to entry is that you will likely need access to a 3D printer to create meaningful content.
However, if you can create this content, you can become an affiliate to sell 3D printers. Many are listed on Amazon.com at high prices ($1000+).
Affiliate Program: Autodesk
3) Music Production
The market for at-home music production is huge right now. Think of all the mainstream music artists who got their start by releasing songs that they made in their bedroom?
There are two distinct sides to this niche. One is the never-ending supply of how-to videos showing people how to make beats. The other is the hardware market, as any amateur producer needs a full set of equipment at their disposal.
You can make an impression with tutorials that focus on a specific sub-genre of music. There is plenty of content showing people how to make a beat like Calvin Harris, but not for your favorite local artist.
Give reviews of products and software, because this is what you will be able to monetize through an affiliate.
Affiliate Program: Noiselab Training
4) Investment
Know a thing or two about the financial markets? Commissions for stock market trading services and apps have been known to be the highest in the affiliate marketing game.
Always find your niche in this space. Look to promote trading in an oft-forgotten industry, or promote an up-and-coming trading app.
This is a niche that is built highly on trust. You will need to prove to your audience that you are worth their time and that you are proficient enough to make reliable financial recommendations.
Affiliate Program: Ally Invest
5) Trail Running
Increasingly, new runners and seasoned vets are signing up in droves for races on the trail instead of the pavement.
Running is one of the most popular activities that people do outdoors, which means there’s an incredibly large market. This makes up for the fact that runners spend less money than their mountain biking or skiing friends.
However, there is still demand for training programs, gear reviews, and even e-books that combine the two for a first-time trail runner! Running relies on community and support more than exclusivity, so the best way to succeed is to be down-to-earth and offer practical advice.
Affiliate Program: Atmosphere
6) Sneakers
This niche always has great potential for several reasons. It’s not seasonal, as there are new sneaker releases year round. Also, “sneakerheads” are among the most obsessive hobbyists out there.
It’s common for sneakerheads to spend several hundred dollars on a limited edition pair of kicks.
Your success will depend on staying relevant with content, as it is not evergreen. You will also need to know the ins and outs of the market, and be able to speak to different styles. Then, you can monetize the niche with links to sneaker brands or resellers (the reselling market for sneakers is massive).
Affiliate Program: Sneaker Don
7) Eco-Conscious Beauty
The beauty market always seems to make it onto a list of the best affiliate marketing niches. This is due to the size of the market, and people’s willingness to spend their disposable income on everything from makeup to anti-aging serum.
A high-growth segment of this market is eco-conscious beauty. Consumers are increasingly made aware of the environmental impacts of their products.
How-to’s and videos are king in this market, especially by using YouTube alongside your blog. Once you have a stable following, you will have no problem securing samples from new brands.
Affiliate Program: Juice Beauty
8) Video Marketing
Hubspot called video one of the “defining tactics of the last ten years,” thanks to its accessibility and affordability.
Both businesses and personal users are looking to use video more, and this means there is an opportunity to help people on this journey.
Offering tutorials on video techniques means you can share your favorite products. This includes information products like software and apps. These will carry higher commissions and can give you a strong mix of affiliate income sources.
Affiliate Program: Wideo
9) Vegan
How many more of your friends or family identify as vegan, compared to ten years ago? Chances are, the number is significantly higher.
Climate change, animal rights, and other movements continually push more people towards veganism. Just look at how the Game Changers documentary has helped push a whole new group of people – athletes – towards the plant-based lifestyle.
New players are constantly entering the plant-based food, beauty, and supplement industry every day. Look to make noise in this industry with recipes, meal planning guides, and product reviews.
Affiliate Program: Green Chef
10) Luxury
Do you have an interest in the finer things in life?
Luxury is an industry with countless niches. If you can think of a product or service, there is most definitely a luxury version of it for those who are willing to pay more.
Affiliate programs for luxury pay more for sale, but making those sales can be difficult. Be sure to focus on the following skills:
- Be a master of beautiful content. Make your product reviews or tutorials with high-quality photos and language.
- Find your luxury network through Instagram or industry publications. Ensure that your site visitors are those who may actually buy, not people ogling things they cannot afford.
Affiliate program: Puffy Mattress
11) Cannabis
Now that cannabis is legal for recreational use in 11 states (and Canada), the opportunity for affiliate marketing is huge. This will also continue to grow as other states ponder legalization.
The other advantage in this niche is that the industry is tightly regulated. This means that businesses often advertise their products through affiliate marketing programs.
You can create content focused on using cannabis products. This extends to a neverending list of accessories, foods and beverages, and health products.
Affiliate Program: Bloomgrove
12) CBD
The legalization of cannabis has birthed other industries, like CBD-based products. This industry focuses on the health benefits of CBD products, which do not include THC.
Look for growing companies and networks that create products for a wide range of prices.
Affiliate Program: Just CBD
13) Photography
Much like golf, photographers who are anywhere from amateurs to professionals spend a lot of money on their gear.
The other great thing about photographers is that the majority of photographers are getting started. There is a large market for how-to content. Find your photography niche and promote any of the new gadgets and accessories that release every year.
Affiliate Program: Creative Live