When it comes to growing your affiliate marketing business, you have to "hit them where they ain't." What this means is you have to go after markets that other internet marketers are overlooking. When you target a niche that is ripe for picking, which others' haven't identified due to lack of research, you have a competitive edge.

What do you look for when seeking out new niche markets? The first thing is to look for a niche that interests you in the first place. You want to focus on this because your unique insight into a niche that shares your interests will help you market to them effectively. You do not want to target a niche that may have sales potential but is a niche that bores you to tears. You will not enjoy marketing within this niche and your affiliate business will suffer. Choose what excites you and your customers will be excited, too.

The second thing to look for when seeking a new niche is one that is a sub-category of a broader group. If you market books, are you going to go after the broad category called "books"? If you do, you will have the mass-marketing big box stores to contend with daily. Better to choose a well-defined sub-group within this larger group. You may want to market books based on your favorite hobby. It's something you're interested in and enjoy. It won't even seem like work, which means you'll enthusiastically devote time and resources to your marketing efforts. In addition, a subject you love will earn you dollars, and hopefully a lot of them.

If your interest is skiing, market every book and guide there is to do with any type of skiing. Write articles for directories on the sport you love. Focus marketing efforts to this group exclusively and be their go-to person for information and books related to skiing. That's framing a narrow target within the sports books category. You'll connect to your customers because you both share a love of the sport. Your marketing efforts will convey this.

The third thing to look for when seeking a new niche is one that has growth potential. It's not enough to focus your efforts on a specific niche. It has to be a niche that wants your special affiliate product. If your affiliate product is rich chocolate, you may want to tap into the high-end elegant gift market. Market your high quality chocolate to elegant gift basket businesses and corporate clients.

Unique gift baskets of top quality are always in demand as are the needs for corporations to provide gifts to employees as well as clients. Marketing your high-end chocolate to a Mom and Pop corner store where discount chocolate bars is the thing is not a growing market for your type of affiliate product.

One last thing to consider when seeking connection with a new niche is to do your homework about that niche. Learn what the latest trends are in that niche. Is there a specific product feature they're after, or a specific price. Is there specific information they need that will help them use the product in unique ways? Find out all these things and modify your marketing efforts accordingly.

Ensure your selling features for your affiliate product match what your niche is looking for. Don't try to connect with your new niche by marketing aspects of the affiliate product that don't interest them. Speak to their interests. That gift basket business may only want to know that your chocolate has a velvety taste that melts in their mouth. They may not care at all about the cocoa or tannin content of the chocolate and how this relates to health. Therefore, do not market these features to this niche. Connect to them by answering their questions about product features that interest them.

Connect to new niches that others may be overlooking. When you do, you gain a captive market that can focus on your affiliate product. Understand your new niche, enjoy your new niche and market your affiliate product to them based on their desires for that product.