Capitalizing on the Top Ten Consumer Trends of 2009

21 Jan 2009

Capitalizing on the Top Ten Consumer Trends of 2009

Author: Jim | Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Observations

It isn’t every day that you get an spam email in your inbox… that is actually useful. When I sift through my email inbox, I typically delete the random newsletter items that come in from the likes of Best Buy and Wal-mart. However, earlier this month I got one of the most clever inbox items from one company that DID have a good Christmas retail season… Amazon.com!

Is it possible to use a message to your advantage, that was only sent out to try and get you to buy something? I thought that it was pretty amusing that Amazon.com would put out a newsletter with the “Top New Year’s Resolutions.” Essentially, this was a top ten list that went out to get consumers to buy into the latest fads that will drive 2009. For affiliate marketers, this is a virtual gold mine of information from the people that know best. Now, we can use what was once a spam message to bring in tons of affiliate marketing cash down the road.

The Top Ten Consumer Trends of 2009

I want to take this post to offer examples of how you can use a “top ten” listing in your favor to predict trends and stay ahead of the curve in affiliate marketing. There are many ways to have success in the internet marketing realm, and having the most demanded product before anyone else is a great start. Here are some trends, as predicted by Amazon.com, that should drive the consumer sector over the next year. You can follow along with the actual excerpt on the left-hand side.

1. Lose Weight
Weight loss is going to continue to be a big trend over the next year or so (at minimum), so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try out some offers here. The consumer brand is discouraging anything with sugar in it, so the fitness trend probably won’t be stopping any time soon. Try your hand at some offers in the “Diet” or “Weight Loss” niche.

2. Get Your Finances in Order
It’s tax season AND we are in a recession… sounds like a pretty good time for you to cash in on the financial services industry. I would suggest sticking to names like “Quicken” and “TaxCut” to rake in money from people filing taxes this spring. Also, you could look into the “Mortgage” or other loan niche for families looking for help online.

3. Go Greener
Many affiliate networks now have entire portions of their websites devoted to the “Green” theme that has hit the nation. You can promote products like green tea, or even the “health” realm. It’s easy to go green, and you can really promote this one many ways.

4. Curb Your Vices
Many people seek out “Self-Help” related products… looking for help to quit smoking, drinking, gambling or just bad habits. I would actually recommend using the Amazon Partner Network to promote their own self-help books, rather than using a standard affiliate network.

5. Get In Shape
Fitness and health are HUGE areas to be exploited now. Plus, many consumers have been drawn into the “Yoga” niche… and there are certainly a ton of products that can be used here. Additionally, the “Diet” area still applies to those looking to get in shape… since everyone is a sucker for a shortcut. Try making a fitness blog to promote these!

6. Relax More
This is a trend that I thought was surprising, but could definitely see picking up traction in a highly stressful world. You could use “Yoga” for this, but an even better idea might be to use actual products from the Amazon Partner Network or seek out some kind of “Music” store that specializes in classical, jazz or alternative songs.

7. Pursue a New Career
The job market is rough, so people are looking to improve themselves. You can actually create entire sites nowadays by using a “Job Board” on your website. An easier path might be to look into the “Financial” niche or try your hand at “Business Opportunities” (frequently “Biz Opps”).

8. Upgrade Your Technology
People like to have the latest gadgets and gizmos, so you can mark up a gain on this one by turning your focus to “Electronics,” “Entertainment” and even “Retail.” Cable networks like the Disk Network are hot right now, so look into that option!

9. Organize and Optimize
From file folders to feng shui, and everything in between… people love to feel organized and on top of their game. Again, this will tie into the “Tax services” niche very well right now, and “Home Related” might be the perfect fit for the more year-round trade.

10. Start a New Hobby
People always like to branch out and find a new hobby of their liking. In this area, it could be fun to tap into “Gardening”… as the barriers to entry are pretty low in my opinion. Additionally, “Travel” and “Sports” can be excellent hobbies that people will trend toward i ntheir spare time (which we have a lot of right now).

Bottom Line: When people “resolve” to do something, they will more than typically be planning on the long haul. Because of this, January through March is an excellent time to catch people that buy products to help them through their resolutions. After all, there’s nothing like having an expense on the books to motivate you to get going!

-Jimvesting