Is Affiliate Marketing Oversaturated? (No and This is Why)

It’s very hard to turn your head these days without coming across someone who is involved in affiliate marketing. And because there are so many affiliate marketers out there, it can be very tempting to think of the market as oversaturated. But is it oversaturated? The answer may just surprise you.

No, affiliate marketing is not oversaturated.  Even with markets like fitness and personal finance being highly saturated, there is still room for people to make money with this amazing opportunity.

Are you interested in becoming an affiliate marketer? Are you only stopping yourself because you are worried about what the industry currently looks like? Or maybe you are reading this because you are a business and want to use an affiliate marketing campaign for your product.

Well, continue reading to learn more about how there is definitely a spot for you to become an affiliate marketer or use it to boost your company to new heights.

Is Affiliate Marketing Oversaturated?

Many people who are interested in affiliate marketing look at the numbers and balk.

And this isn’t surprising, according to Supermetrics there are currently…

• 900,000+ affiliate marketers for Amazon
• 700,000+ in Shareasale
• Awin has 205,000 affiliate marketers
• ClickBank has over 100,000+
• and the numbers go on and on.

The truth is, there are probably millions of affiliate marketers out there.

But don’t let these numbers scare you, as affiliate marketing is actually growing at a rate of over 200%. This means there is definitely room for you or your company to use affiliate marketing.

In fact, currently, 84% of online publishers (think bloggers) use affiliate marketing to make some extra cash.

And more and more companies are choosing to affiliate with Amazon over the smaller boutique shops as this drives their sales higher at a lower cost than other marketing strategies.

Research has shown that the best affiliate networks are those which are large and contain over 100,000 marketing affiliates.

This means that there is always room for more marketing affiliates no matter what business you are trying to break into.

Why Affiliate Marketing?

With so many people in the industry, you may be wondering just why you should even strive to be involved in affiliate marketing. And this is because affiliate marketing is a billion-dollar business

. That’s right, you read that correctly. In the US alone affiliate market spending is estimated to reach $8.2 billion by 2022. And if you are looking to become an affiliate, this is good news for you as 35% of affiliates make over $20,000 dollars a year according to one report.

So, whatever you may currently believe, there is absolutely money in affiliate marketing.

And if you’re a business looking into affiliate marketing, you should be aware that affiliate marketing drives sales, brand awareness, and customer engagement all without the usual cost of customer acquisition.

Gone are the days where each customer was expensive to nail down, thanks to affiliate marketing it can now be done very inexpensively.

You may also think that just because you are a small business that affiliate marketing isn’t for you. The opposite is true.

Most small businesses can’t afford the cost of using the internet to acquire customers the old-fashioned way and you’re much better off investing in affiliate marketing.

The barrier to entry for affiliate marketing is very low, making it a great idea for large and small businesses alike.

Are There Markets Which Are Oversaturated?

Sometimes people may think that a market is oversaturated just because there is competition. But it’s time to be clear if a market has competition, that means there is money to be made in that market.

Getting into a market where there are no competition likely means that there isn’t enough search traffic in that market to make a profit anyway.

Although competition should be seen as good, this doesn’t mean that you don’t enter the market prepared for a “fight.”

The best affiliate marketers get to the top by bringing their “A” game to the table—so make sure yours is ready to go before you start.

This is especially true if you plan to enter one of the following markets, which while they have the biggest money, also have the most competition.

These markets are…

• health & fitness
• personal finance
• and business

This doesn’t mean you won’t find success in these markets, but it means you will definitely have to try harder to achieve success in these markets than you would in one elsewhere.

How To Get Started In An Oversaturated Market

So, if you’ve decided to conquer health & fitness, personal finance, or business as your market, then you will most certainly need to develop a strategy.

And it’s important to note that this strategy will have to be unique to be able to rise above the big players currently operating within your chosen market.

Instead of just diving in headfirst, you need to develop a marketing game plan. Below are some tips to help you get started in an oversaturated market.

1. Everyone Is Going For The Same Keywords

This is a common problem in affiliate marketing—too many people vying for the same highly important keywords.

Instead, do your research, and find keywords that are still searched frequently but have fewer companies trying to rank for them. You might be surprised by some of the terms which could have space for you.

For example, one of the most common keywords people go after is best x for y keyphrases. Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about.

• Best dog leash for new dogs
• Best laptop for the money
• Best credit card for college students

Instead go for keyphases that are little bit off the beaten path. Here a few examples…

• should my dog wear a collar all the time
• what if my laptop doesn’t have an HDMI port
• are credit cards good for college students who travel

These keywords are not going to be as hard to rank for and the best part is that they still give you a way to share value and add an affiliate link to your article as well.

2. Find Your Niche

Even if you pick one of the oversaturated markets above, you likely have your own unique take on it.

Or if you haven’t found your niche yet, now is the time to discover it. Once you have your niche, it’s time to make it work for you.

Highlight why your take is unlike anyone else’s and you’ll be surprised by the amount of business you can generate.

Think about the people you follow, the blogs you read, the YouTube channels you subscribe to. Why do you follow them?

When you look at the most successful people they don’t just follow them because of the information they know but because of who they are, their personality, and how they are as a person.

For example, I personally only take courses, read blogs, and watch videos from people who are like me who have a family because they are going through the same things I am going through and I identify with that.

If I come across a blog from a single guy living the laptop life living on a beach it almost a complete turn off for me because that’s not what I want in my life.

In the end everyone has all the same information but nobody has your personality, so use it to your advantage.

3. Create A Private Community

Another tactic when entering an oversaturated market is to create a private community that supports your endeavor.

Then encourage them to tell their friends and so on and so forth. This will help generate a buzz and a following for you specifically which other affiliates in the same space may not have.

For example, for Side Hustle Academy I started a private Facebook group called Side Hustle Mastermind where I post a few times a week.

The great part about this is that I can learn more about my audience and what they are dealing with.

Why Should You Worry About Search Rankings?

You may be reading this article and wondering why search rankings make any sort of difference in your affiliate marketing.

And this is because in one study it was found that 85% of shoppers check Google before purchasing a product to make sure they have the best price for their item.

This means a high ranking could possibly snag you a sale from another site, especially if your item is a dollar or two cheaper than the competitors.

And the best part about these customers searching google is that they are doing so because they intend to purchase the product. This means they aren’t just browsing and this could be an easy sale to snag from another company.

Don’t Be Afraid To Try Different Things

One of the most critical things to remember when starting with affiliate marketing, especially if you are starting out in an oversaturated market, is that something which works for others may not work for you.

Don’t be afraid to explore other tactics or something new which you may or may not know if it works or not. And if something doesn’t work, then you definitely need to change your tactics, and as soon as possible.

However, if the reverse is true, and you find something which works, then it’s time to pour your heart and soul into that method.

And don’t stop the method, but consider implicating others on top of it. Basically, when something is working, let it keep working!