Affiliate marketing trends – 2021 Edition

2020 was a record-setter year for almost every online business, especially affiliate marketing. So, if you hold the title of an affiliate as we speak, we want to say congrats – 2020 must have been a great year for you! But what awaits us in the new year? Will affiliate marketing continue to evolve? Which affiliate marketing trends are ahead of us?

If you’re interested in getting answers to these and many other questions, read on. Our blog is here to keep you updated about affiliate marketing news, trends, and best strategies to increase your ROI and earnings.

Will affiliate marketing still be profitable in 2021?

The global pandemic has affected everyone and everything. Our everyday lives have drastically changed. Although some areas of our lives have faced a stronger impact than other areas, we can confidently say that no one has been spared. After seeing everything that’s been going on in 2020, it’s perfectly normal to be a little afraid of the changes 2021 will bring.

If you have been trying to find out whether affiliate marketing will still matter in 2021, you’ve probably found tons of articles that claim it will be out of the picture. Yes, coronavirus introduced a new way of living but that doesn’t mean it has affected affiliate marketing negatively. Although some affiliates had lower commission rates, it would be wrong to claim affiliate marketing won’t matter anymore.

If you take a look at different affiliate marketing analysis, you’ll see that investments are still going up firmly. More importantly, these researches show that now, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, more than 80% of brands think of affiliate marketing as one of their major sale modes. So, not only will affiliate marketing be alive in 2021, but it will also be profitable.

Technology is evolving and more and more activities are moving to online platforms. Big brands have decided to follow current affiliate marketing trends to increase their earnings and make their companies stronger. Because of this, we are witnessing growth in the number of affiliates and affiliate programs. This industry is booming. You just need to follow the right trends and use the right strategies to become successful.

Affiliate marketing niches worth checking out in 2021

If you have been reading our blog carefully, then you already know what niches were the best affiliate marketing niches in 2020. But what about 2021? Which niches will be the best ones this year?

Although there are a couple of niches that will be profitable for at least ten more years, there are some that won’t be popular in 2021. For example, online learning is now more popular than ever. Quarantine made all of us move our lives online. This goes both for education and work. That’s why affiliates should focus on home office equipment, online communication software, and gadgets.

In addition to this, many have started working out at home because gyms were closed and group classes were canceled. Indoor sports and sports equipment are also niches that will be profitable in 2021.

Other niches, such as pet products and life and beauty products, have managed to stay among the top ones. But, if you choose some of them, you’ll need to keep one thing in mind. These niches are quite popular and many affiliates have already mastered them. So, if you’re a total beginner, consider finding other niches. Beginners should go for profitable niches with low competition. These are only some of the things you need to know before becoming an affiliate.

Hot 2021 trends for affiliate marketers

When it comes to affiliate marketing trends, 2021 is going to see some changes. Data-driven marketing and voice-search optimization are still something you’ll want to keep an eye on. However, we can’t say the same thing about trends that were among the most popular digital marketing trends in 2020.

This year is going to be a big one, that’s for certain. And, you need to prepare yourself for this in order to be one step ahead of other affiliates. To help you achieve this, we’ve written about new trends. Check them out and see whether you can use them to increase your revenue.

Some of the hot trends for 2021 are:

• Video content
• Native advertising
• Seasonal advertising
• Using Quora as a source of information

Video content

Consumers love videos! And not just that. Thorough research shows that people are more likely to remember the call to action if they see it in a video than in a blog. More importantly, more than 80% of consumers opt to buy a product after watching a video about it. Videos are really powerful and you can put them to good use. However, you’ll have to learn about product placement and creating quality video content first.

Native advertising

Banner-ads aren’t a thing anymore. Now, you’ll get better results by carefully slipping ads into the content. That’s what native advertising is all about. Consumers are so sick and tired of seeing banner-ads that they aren’t paying any attention to them. It’s something we like to call “banner-blindness”. So, instead of using them, consider placing ads inside the content itself.

Seasonal advertising

Forget about the days when you could advertise the same products until the end of time. Seasonal advertising is a new trend you need to check out. This new trend is all about shifting the advertised products according to the shift in seasons. This is especially important for major holidays, such as New Year, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.

Using Quora as a source of information

If you’re in search of some topic ideas for your content, Quora will help you. This website is where you can see what people are talking about, what questions they ask, and what kind of things they need. Quora is a source of information that can easily inspire you. The great thing is that you can use it for finding topics for your new articles. Simply look for questions that haven’t been answered and create articles about them.

Final thoughts

Whether you already are a part of the affiliate marketing world or you plan to enter it, it is important to understand one thing. Affiliate marketing changes all the time, it is constantly evolving. Every ear is different and that’s why you need to get informed about new affiliate marketing trends ahead of time. You need to always be aware of the current trends and follow them if you want to stay in the game and become a successful affiliate marketer.