If you check around the web looking for the best affiliate niches in 2020, you get a lot of the same old crap. It’s people who did 15 minutes of research and came up with the same topics last year, and the year before.
Oh — oh — dating is going to be a hot niche in 2020?! OMG. Glad I read that article. How-to-make-money-online is gonna be a big money maker too? Oh gee. Where did you get such a unique idea?!
So I wanted to bring you some more unique ideas to consider for you 2021 niche website. Of course, keep in mind that any niche can make money, and if you don’t work on your website, even the best niche won’t make any money at all. Also, I never try to cash in on a yearly trend just because its hot. Unless you really plan to hit the content production cycle hard, grow the site fast, and flip it, the best strategy is to pick something on the upward trajectory, but with long term potential.
These are the types of ideas I’m trying to bring you today. These niches are not only popular now, but showing signs of growth year over year, and have (what I consider) long term potential.
There are a couple niches in here which could be used as-is, such as podcasting or veganism, and some which could use more digging to get more specific, such as eSports or mental health.
- eSports
- Biohacking
- Podcasting
- Streaming TV
- Joe Rogan
- Electric Cars
- Van Life
- Veganism VS Carnivore Diet
- Sleep
- Mental Health
- BONUS: Prepping (COVID-19 / Coronavirus)
- Evergreen Niches Always Worth Considering
eSports
The next generation of “zoomers” are obsessed with vidya (AKA video games). Playing outside? That’s a thing of the past. In 20-30 years, football and baseball will be just for the creepy people who get vitamin d from the sun. Gross.
But seriously. eSports is a growing industry, and it’s only going to get bigger. Prize money is growing, and sponsorships work similar to how they do in regular sports. Instead of Barry Bonds on a box of Wheaties, now you have Ninja on a bag of Mountain Dew flavored Doritos.
>>> eSports Affiliate Programs
>>> Streamer Affiliate Programs
Biohacking
Biohacking is basically using science to enhance your body or mind in some way. This could be something familiar like the pomodoro technique for productivity, or it could be something new like nootropics. Things like diet change and mental exercises can help you do more, be happier, and live a better life.
This is of course a very broad idea to start with. A niche website take a more focused look at something like “how to get better sleep”, or something super specific like nootropic supplement reviews.
>>> Nootropics Affiliate Programs
Podcasting
Podcasting has really taken off in recent years because it’s so easy to produce and distribute them. Basically, everyone is their own newscaster now. It’s like blogging, but for audio. You can have an opinion on anything, and send it to people’s smartphones automatically.
Obviously, a general podcasting website could promote software and hardware to run your podcast, but you could also promote things related to marketing.
Just like there are specific courses on how to grow a food blog, you could also sell your own course on how to grow your [insert topic] podcast.
>>> Podcast Affiliate Programs
Streaming TV
Netflix revolutionized TV. Now that Disney+ has taken their content, and started their own service, it’s easy to see how the industry is becoming more fragmented, and specialized. There are streaming services just for Anime alone!
You could simply review something like Hulu originals, and make money off of Adsense. At the end of Season 10 of Walking Dead (AMC), there was some questions I had. Well, I turned to the internet and was reading blogs on the topic. Before Game of Thrones (HBO) ended, there are endless amounts of Reddit threads and YouTube videos speculating about what would happen. Not all streaming services have affiliate programs, but you could definitely focus on stuff like speaker equipment, TV, or portable watching devices.
>>> Cable TV Affiliate Programs
Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan is THE #1 podcaster in the world, and shows no signs of stopping. He has a few very specific hobbies. Weed. Bow Hunting. MMA. Nutrition. Comedy. Conspiracy theories.
I’m not suggesting that you do a niche site about the man himself, but he’s so influential, that many people are starting hobbies based on what he talks about on the show. For example, I first started listening to him when he interviewed some keto diet scientists I was interested in hearing about. After listening to a bunch of episodes with people I found interesting, I started accidentally listening to episodes about bow hunting. That seems like a pretty cool hobby, and one of these days I might start learning to do it.
You see a lot of JRE fans do the same thing. Girlfriends hate him.
If you follow the podcast, there’s a lot of bro-niches you could glean!
>>> Hunting Affiliate Programs
Electric Cars
So far, electric cars are not convenient, and not even as environmentally friendly as you might thing. Regardless, they are still popular, and growing in popularity as the kinks are worked out. I don’t think there are any affiliate opportunities to sell Tesla’s…yet, but there are lots of topics related to EVs. Entire websites publish multiple articles per day on various topics like where charging stations are being built, the price of new models, crash statistics, concept cars, buying statistics, and even emerging laws related to electric and autonomous vehicles.
All that information spells opportunity, for someone who wants to take the time to do their own research and publish their opinions on a blog.
For affiliate opportunities, I’m thinking car upgrades, electric bikes, and whatever else related to environmentalism.
Van Life
The term “van life” doesn’t have the same meaning as a couple decades ago. No, I’m not talking about Matt Foley living in a van down by the river. I’m talking about Millennials packing all their stuff into a van and traveling the country in style (of course documenting everything on Instagram and Snapchat along the way, just so everyone can be e-jealous).
Van life is modern lifestyle on wheel. You’ve got your mobile internet connection and your laptop. You might work from the van, on the road, or you might have a job where you work only part of the year, then travel the rest of the time.
People pack dogs, kids, and the least gear possible and hit the road.
Many people customize their vans with DIY organizing systems, or even pop out areas. Vans are smaller than RVs, so cheaper to buy, cheaper to fix, and easier to park.
My best friend watches van life videos constantly, and although most people living van life are cutting costs and living minimally, they still have to buy things. Portable cookers, mobile internet connections, replacement parts, or even something like online courses of how to make money online could be sold to this crowd.
Many people want to be professional YouTubers at the same time, so video recording and editing equipment is another potential path.
You could even sell your own courses on how to fix up, modify, or repair a van!
Veganism VS Carnivore Diet
veganism trend
I say both veganism and carnivore diet because both opposite ends of the spectrum are gaining momentum. I’ve tried the carnivore diet, and it wasn’t for me, but being in the carnivore communities showed me that both camps of these diets are very passionate about their choice.
Veganism has been around for centuries, so as a lifestyle, it isn’t going anywhere. You could consider this an evergreen niche. Veganism is typically understood as an eating habit, but really, you could dig into things like vegan clothes, vegan living with children (toys, games), and other non-edible vegan items.
The carnivore diet is mostly just about eating meat. However, a lot of carnivores also lift weights, or do other “manly” sports, so there may be some crossover there. Carnivore bodybuilding, carnivore sports supplements, or even something like carnivore diet for high productivity people. A lot of carnivores are also very motivated people trying to build businesses and brands online, improve their performance in some way.
Sleep
Sleep is important. Duh. But more people are becoming aware that a high-octane lifestyle of wake up early, go to bed late, and mainline caffeine throughout the day isn’t sustainable, and isn’t healthy.
You can get better sleep in a number of ways, including exercising more, eating better, changing eating habits, drinking less, taking supplements, using electronics less, listening to relaxing much, optimizing your lights, using different alarms, and a bunch of other things. I’ve looked into it.
Plus, mattresses are extremely expensive, and many of the best companies have affiliate programs you can join. They are not shy about advertising!
There are many different angles for the sleep niche!
>>> Mattress Affiliate Programs
Mental Health
Mental health is very much in the public conversation now. Whether it be kids being bullied, or adults screaming on Twitter, Western society as a whole is more aware of mental health issues and the need to address them than ever before.
Of course, “mental health” is a very broad term, so my best advice would be to narrow down to some specific kind of issue and how to address it.
- how to gain more confidence at work
- how to deal with divorce
- recovering from loss of a child
- how to find a job with autism
- solutions for erectile dysfunction
- trans dating
OK, to be frank, I really don’t know exactly what a specific mental health issue would be, but that where your creativity comes in. You don’t have to make your site so obvious like, “how to deal with mental health issues”. Pick a problem people are having that may negatively affect how they interact with society, and help them fix it.
>>> Mental Health Affiliate Programs
BONUS: Prepping (COVID-19 / Coronavirus)
Where there is chaos, there is opportunity. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic, and people are starting to freak out in the USA. It’s also a massive opportunity for anyone who can figure out business models where you can profit from helping people (not taking advantage of them).
Though hopefully the coronavirus disappears or fades relatively quickly, I still think there will be an aftershock effect. Everyone is going to turn into preppers.
I’m pretty shocked at how fast people started hoarding stuff, and we might not even be at peak hoarding yet. Hand sanitizer. Toilet paper. Bottled water. It’s all gone from store shelves.
While you won’t be able to make much money off of that stuff, helping people prepare for the next global health crisis is where the money making opportunity exists. If buying 800 rolls of TP is a waste, what should they get? Which food lasts longest in storage? What medicine should you have on hand, and how long does it stay good? Is a .22 strong enough to defend your home from someone raiding your bathroom cabinets for hand sanitizer?
All good questions to answer on your blog.
>>> Medical Supply Affiliate Programs
>>> Disaster Prep Affiliate Programs
Evergreen Niches Always Worth Considering
There are, of course, some topics which are always worth considering. Some folks will tell you to not enter competitive niches, but I call BS on that. My example is always, why would anyone open up a coffee shop if there’s a Starbucks already in town?
Well, it’s because you think you can do better than Starbucks, or, at the very least, offer something different. Maybe you just print Merry Christmas on the coffee cups year round. I wish there was a local coffee shop around here that was any good, just so I could get away from corporate coffee, but I’m still waiting!
Anyway, the point is that if you think you can offer something to a niche, go for it. It might take longer to get ranked for competitive keywords, but there will always be hyper-focused, longtail keywords you can rank for, even in competitive niches. For example, if you go for weight loss, even if you specifically do keto weight loss, don’t set your heart on a post title “How To Lose Weight On The Keto Diet”. Try something more specific, like “Top 10 Keto Friendly Cocktails”, or “How To Bake Keto Banana Bread”.
- Health
- Weight Loss (anyone getting fat in quarantine?!)
- Weight Gain (anyone bought some home gym equipment they need to use?)
- Wealth
- Make Money (anyone get laid off or furloughed?)
- Get Out Of Debt (great opportunity to help families get back on their feet?)
- Happiness
Long term, it makes sense to have at least one broad niche on the back burner that you can grow over multiple years. Imagine if 10 years ago you started a tech review site like The Wire Cutter, or a recipe website like Damn Delicious. Holy smokes. You’d be rich.
These types of websites don’t happen over night. Pick something you like, write a post or two a week, and aim for a 10-year goal instead of 10 months. OK, so maybe you don’t have time for that if you are still working a full time job, but it’s something to keep in mind as you grow your business. What type of website would you like to be working on in retirement? What would you enjoy researching and writing about in your mansion, with your Lambo in the garage ready-t0-go?
Sometimes, I find that I avoid certain niches because I don’t want to create too much work for myself. I want to find the “easy” ones, which will yield quick results. The trouble I keep running into, is that as I cut corners, and work on stuff with the goal of making money, instead of enjoying myself, building affiliate websites feels like work. A personal goal of mine in 2021 is to enjoy my business more, whether that be enjoying publishing higher quality content than any other competitor, or enjoy writing articles myself, about topics I know about (as I’m doing now).
We’ll see how it goes. Money is pretty seductive, and inspiration comes in bursts
What’s up ladies and dudes! Great to finally meet you, and I hope you enjoyed this post. Sign up for my #1 recommended training course and learn how to start your business for FREE!