Affiliate trends in the post-Covid era

The year 2022, marked by Covid, is now behind us. However, a return to normality in terms of consumption still seems a long way off. The current geopolitical situation has led to a shortage of certain resources, resulting in an unavoidable rise in product prices. While it remains uncertain whether this phenomenon is truly due to inflation or profitflation, the fact remains that the rise is palpable. It translates into an erosion of purchasing power and, consequently, a reduction in consumption. It's therefore a good time to save money on most products.

In 2023, affiliation seems to be the right answer to this consumer problem. It offers a panoply of tried-and-tested web marketing techniques: special offers available online only, coupons, cashback, reconditioned or second-hand products. Spending-conscious consumers will do anything to lighten their bills.

For staple products, grocery delivery programs could gain momentum and generate attractive commissions. Supermarkets will be competing to offer consumers competitive prices.

We can expect a reduction in the budget allocated to consumption in certain sectors, for example :

• High-tech: for many French people, their smartphone is their only access to the Internet, making it indispensable. Top-of-the-range products will probably be the first to be affected, to the benefit of mid-range and entry-level models, which should see their popularity increase. In this sector, where spending is not always necessary, second-hand or reconditioned products should also attract more interest.
• Leisure: vacations, outings and culture are likely to suffer the effects of the current situation. VOD platforms in particular are likely to experience high attrition rates. With so many different platforms available, users are likely to have to juggle several offers, depending on the new films and series on offer.

The rise of affiliate marketing on social networks

The year 2022 marked a significant turning point in affiliate marketing for influencers. The professionalization of the activity is growing, accompanied by a progressive evolution of French legislation. This progress means that the practices of influencers can be more effectively supervised, reinforcing web users' trust in affiliated content.

The aforementioned economic dynamics have also paved the way for a resurgence in the popularity of tutorials. Videos offering practical tips seem to be gaining in popularity, for example :

• Cuisine: The appeal of inexpensive recipes is growing, as illustrated by the example of this culinary youtuber.
• DIY: Tips on how to repair a leak, a car or a piece of clothing yourself are particularly popular.
• Activities: Fewer outings mean more time spent at home, time that can be used to keep the kids busy, for example.
• Gardening: Faced with rising fruit and vegetable prices, more and more people are choosing to grow their own produce.

There are a multitude of examples, and each sector offers its own themed affiliate programs. It's up to you to make the most of them to generate commissions on sales of the advertisers' products that you promote on your website or social networks. Each audience favors certain networks, as thisecommerce-nation article on the use of social networks in 2023 shows.

The emergence of AI in affiliation and marketing

We're at the dawn of a major technological revolution, that of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT, Midjourney... Generative AI is revolutionizing the way content is produced. From copywriting to IT development, medical diagnostics, illustration and even video creation - the results are generally astounding.

However, many details reveal the limits of AI, especially on specific subjects.

First of all, AI generates content from existing corpora, which confines it to an established (re)production framework.

If we look more specifically at its use in affiliate marketing, how can it help? Affiliate marketing requires a significant amount of content creation. Certain repetitive and time-consuming tasks can already be delegated to artificial intelligence, such as SEO optimization of a text. Tomorrow, the machine will undoubtedly be able to take on even more tasks.

Faced with this automation, what will be left for humans? There are still some things that AI can't do:

• Product testing: a machine can't handle an object. It can't judge whether a smartphone is comfortable to hold, or whether a cream is pleasant because it penetrates easily without leaving the skin greasy. It can repeat this information, but it can't see it for itself.
• Building a community: the relationship you have with your readers or subscribers is tangible. The spontaneous reactions you get, the responses to comments from your community are aspects that AIs can't perfectly imitate.
• Subtlety: machines are fundamentally logical. They are incapable, for example, of conceiving a poem.

In conclusion, artificial intelligence is an unavoidable evolution that will continue to progress. As Shakespeare said,"What cannot be avoided, must be embraced."

It is undeniable that AI will mark a rupture in the way we create and consume content. Current opportunities to facilitate content creation are not an end in themselves, but rather a means of streamlining the production process. It is therefore imperative to start learning now about generative AI and the tools that will become inevitable in our daily lives. In addition, the first affiliate marketing programs dedicated to AI services are beginning to emerge.

💡 The human vs. AI contingency: 100% AI content is flooding the internet. Google is already starting to penalize it, and it's certainly not going to stop. Let's keep in mind that, with or without AI, we still need to prove to search engines and readers our added value, our expertise, our honesty. Look for the highlight, the surprise, so that people remember and take note that yes, you do know your stuff, and that it's worth coming back to you.