Good morning. Colin McDougall and I are in the Maple Leaf Lounge in Vancouver airport right now, waiting for our flight to Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas.

We’ve been discussing ‘evergreen niches’ for affiliate marketers which traditionally include dating, business opportunites, finance, health and more. The trouble is, finance, and especially credit cards in particular have been taking a BIG dive of late, closing or suspending their programs left right and center. Here are just a few of the companies that have pulled offers recently.

• Chase
• American Express Consumer Cards
• Capital One Travel & Gas

As you may know, one of Colin’s biggest niche markets is the credit card market and yet, he’s seen here smiling his great big grin, despite watching the bottom fall out.

Why?

He knows how to adapt to fluctuating market conditions by taking subscribers on his existing lists and promoting new products relevant to their interests. By doing this, he rarely sees a drop in income.

Stay tuned for more. Gotta run, it’s boarding time!

December’s Secrets to Their Success online magazine features the following successful netpreneurs:

• Online guitar instructor Mike H., who believes it really is better to give than to receive… because the more of his free how-to videos he gives, the more orders he receives — $150,000 worth this year!
• Mark B. — a jolly old soul who earns $500,000 in just two months sending out customized greetings from Santa… and spends the rest of the year making a list and checking it twice;-)

Tony W., who sells interactive Microsoft training programs was this month’s winner of the site and marketing review.

To access these profiles, join Secrets to Their Success.

Each month, Secrets to Their Success members receive an e-mail, letting them know about two 100% brand new success stories that have been posted to the site.

When you join, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the secrets that have made each web site successful and how you can apply these same strategies and tools to build your own fortune.

As a member, you are also given the opportunity to enter a draw for a review of your web site or business plan by Derek and the IMC team (valued at $5,000), who dissect the site and offer tips and tricks that you can use to really accelerate your growth and sales.

Even if your site isn’t chosen for a site review, however, you can still benefit from all of the profitable suggestions that Derek and the IMC team make because all reviews are also posted and archived within the SecretsToTheirSuccess.com Private Web Site.

Here’s a message that I received from CommissionSoup yesterday regarding the Chase affiliate program:

Due to current market conditions, Chase will be pausing the affiliate program indefinitely.

Unfortunately at this time, we have to request that you remove all Chase links and creative no later than Monday, November 24th. Please note that no additional commissions will be paid beyond December 1st, 2008.

Chase is hoping that future credit strategies will enable them to re-enter the channel more fully in 2009.

Thank you for your partnership, support and understanding.

Now there’s a reminder that affiliates who are solidly entrenched in the credit card sector of the financial niche need to stay abreast of market conditions and perhaps broaden their scope to include other financial products, i.e. insurance or credit reports & repair.


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On December 28th, comScore Networks released its estimates of consumer online non-travel (retail) spending at U.S. sites for the 2006 holiday season through Tuesday, December 26.

According to the press release, “total online retail spending reached $23.11 billion, marking a 26-percent increase versus the corresponding days in 2005. Sales during the week prior to Christmas (December 18 – December 22, 2006) rose 38 percent versus the corresponding week in 2005. Importantly, year-to-date non-travel e-commerce spending surpassed the $100 billion mark for the first time ever on Saturday, December 23, 2006“.

If you are looking for a new niche market to work on in 2007, here are the fastest growing online product categories…

If you think those niches are completely saturated with competition and therefore not worth your time or effort, think again.

You can survey your potential competition and then do it better. Go narrower and deeper within the category, sell higher quality goods, or offer better prices. Most importantly, brand yourself in a unique way that makes YOU and your affiliate site memorable in your visitors’ minds.

Don’t run scared from big markets – take advantage of them!