From algorithms to authenticity: How Gen Z is reshaping the future of brand marketing
Gen Z, the digital-native generation born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, is rapidly becoming one of the most influential consumer groups worldwide.
Affiliate marketing – the most competitive industry
If you have chosen to follow the route of affiliate marketing, it can prove to be lucrative and result in a successful career. But, affiliate marketing is not simple, especially due to bountiful competitors in the industry. To be a successful affiliate marketer requires you to put in the work to see the results. Let’s find out what the road to being a successful affiliate marketer entails.
Defining affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is the process of promoting a product or service and receiving a percentage of the sales. Affiliate marketers would have to choose a product or service and promote it to others. This form of marketing is a form of passive income and can pay off greatly after much time and effort.
How to be a successful affiliate marketer
By following these few simple steps, you could be on your way to being a successful affiliate marketer:
- Don’t be put off by the competition. Competition is a good sign as it means that the industry is thriving and provides an opportunity to grow and be innovative. Competition means there will be a wide range of content within the chosen niche that the affiliate marketer can take advantage of. Affiliate marketers can also use this competition to develop uniqueness and create content that is different and attention-grabbing.
- Follow a niche. A niche is defined as a highly specialised market. If you are a starting-out affiliate marketer, it is advised that you find a niche that has less than 30,000 competing in quotes by Google. To find this, you would need to search for a specific quote and place it in quotation marks. When this is done, Google is forced to find results with the exact quote. This will allow you to see how many results there are. It has to be noted that this may be risky, as a quote with low search results may not be a lucrative niche. The perfect niche would be one with minimal competitors that gets high levels of interest from the target.
- Test your keywords. To know whether you’re using the right keywords in your marketing campaigns you would need to know which keywords generate the most amount of interest. Keywords that generally get high amounts of interest are ones that solve an issue or answer a question. Examples of these would be “problem”, “solution”, and “ease”. A smart tip is to avoid the results at the top of the search results as most competitors dominate those results. Scroll down to the middle of the results as those are often used less often and can be dominated by you.
- Increase the website traffic. To do so, you would need to do extensive research. Your research should be into which markets are in demand so that you know where to sell the product or service. You should then use an inbound strategy that determines how many visitors your website will get and how many sales will result from this.
- Create content. Examples of content that are useful by affiliate marketers are blogs and website content. This often results in getting backlinks to the website which are very important.
- Read, read, read. To get inspiration for new content, you should read articles and content that relates to your product or service. You should also read as many books as possible as this will also help stir up inspiration and creativity as you write articles and blog posts for your target audience.
The bottom line
Affiliate marketers can easily become experts in their field and create a stable passive income if they have the correct niche and know what tips and tricks to use. By following these tips and tricks, affiliate marketers will surely be on their way to being successful.
The green supply chain revolution: Turning ESG compliance into a competitive advantage
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance has shed its regulatory checkbox mantle and risen to become a modern-day business strategy.
Bootstrapping in tough times: Smart funding tactics for African startups in 2025
Starting a business is never easy plus uncertainties do not make the situation any easier on the continent.
Quiet leadership: Why soft power is the key to strong teams in hybrid work environments
Leadership styles are changing as corner offices with great city views have ceased to exist, and watercooler chats have been replaced by Slack threads.
The Rise of the Side Hustle Generation: Redefining Work and Marketing
Welcome to the era of the Side Hustle Generation where 9-to-5 is optional and multi-hyphenate careers are the norm. From freelance gigs to fashion reels, South Africans are leading a work revolution fuelled by creativity, autonomy, and AI-driven tools. In this blog, we unpack why this shift matters, not just to the workforce, but to marketers aiming to connect with a generation that craves meaning, flexibility, and purpose-driven brands.
Why AI won’t kill the CEO role — but it will rewrite it
The CEO isn’t dead, but AI is coming for the corner office. As algorithms evolve from tools to decision-makers, we ask: can intelligent systems lead companies better than humans? This thought-provoking read explores the emerging partnership between CEO and AI, and why the future of leadership might be more human than ever.
