Every year, at the end of the astronomical year, we turn to our in-house astronomer (who strictly forbade us from calling him “astrologer”) for a forecast of affiliate marketing trends. And every time, he gets very annoyed that we’re distracting him from observing the personal lives of the gas clouds in the constellation Cygnus.
This year, we went even further and summarized his predictions from last year. Naturally, he wasn’t happy about it. Persuading him to give his forecasts isn’t easy, and this time it was even more difficult. So, we’ll skip all the long-winded bickering (and believe me, there was plenty of it) and get straight to the point. That is, the trends.
- Personalization through next-generation AI models
Affiliates are using AI systems to generate hyper-precise content tailored to specific users. Just imagine, automatically tailoring landing pages, headlines, and visuals to a buyer’s behavior and interests! It sounds fantastic, but I don’t care. And without having to get up from my AI chair twice, here’s another AI prediction that has already essentially become reality: products “for AI” are becoming a separate niche. This includes subscriptions to AI services, models, plugins, automation tools, and other AI-related B2B solutions.
- Video and shortform content are the main promotion formats
Oh, I can already hear you complaining that I predict the rise of video content every year. But persistence is key. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are becoming the main traffic channels. I’ve been saying this for years, but finally, technical tools allow you to track conversions directly within videos. Checkmate.
- Building trust through UGC and “real reviews”
Users expect a “real experience,” not just sales copy. Affiliates will be creating UGC content (purchases, reviews, reactions) en masse as the core of their strategy. So what if I’m just wishful thinking? Can’t I dream a little?
- Focus on first-party data and eliminating cookies
Increased privacy is forcing affiliates to build their own databases and communities. Thus, email marketing, private Telegram channels, and Discord communities are becoming key assets. This isn’t even a dire prophecy; it’s more a statement of fact. We have to live in this world.
- Growing Role of Localization and Niche Regional Programs
Brands are targeting local markets: Latin America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe. And accordingly, content is adapted to the local language, culture, and consumer behavior. Ah, see how cleverly I told you about micro-niches again?! Yeah, so you can’t argue with that. Okay, get out of my observatory and don’t bother me while I’m looking at the gas clouds!
We obey with feigned humility, and having written down all the predictions, we head off. Well, we’ll meet this arrogant celebrity and trend expert in a year and see how wrong he was.
