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75 AI Hacks for Authors & Writers to Boost Creativity and Storytelling

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Writing a book is an incredible journey, but let’s be honest—it’s not always smooth sailing. From staring at a blank page, hoping for inspiration to strike, to juggling the countless tasks that come with editing, marketing, and publishing, the process can feel overwhelming. If you’ve ever wished for an extra set of hands—or maybe a whole team—to help lighten the load, you’re not alone. The good news? In 2025, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is stepping up as the ultimate writing assistant, offering tools that can transform how authors create, refine, and share their stories with the world.

But before you worry about robots taking over your creative process, let’s set the record straight: AI isn’t here to replace your imagination or unique voice. Instead, it’s like having a supercharged sidekick that handles the tedious, time-consuming tasks so you can focus on what you do best—telling unforgettable stories. Whether you’re brainstorming fresh ideas, polishing your manuscript, or reaching your ideal readers, AI has something to offer at every stage of your writing journey. Below the Nerdy Novelist explores how AI can support authors at every stage of their writing and publishing journey, unlocking new possibilities for storytelling and audience engagement.

AI Writing Assistants

TL;DR Key Takeaways :

  • AI enhances the pre-writing process by aiding in idea generation, character development, plot structuring, world-building, and timeline creation, providing a strong creative foundation for authors.
  • During writing and editing, AI supports drafting, proofreading, text analysis, dialogue enhancement, style adjustments, and genre-specific writing, making sure polished and professional manuscripts.
  • AI transforms book marketing by automating tasks like audience targeting, SEO optimization, social media content creation, and book launch strategies, helping authors connect with readers effectively.
  • AI serves as a research assistant, offering tools for genre exploration, style analysis, personalized writing schedules, and review summaries to enhance authors’ knowledge and productivity.
  • AI simplifies administrative tasks such as bibliography automation, translation, dictation cleanup, interactive feedback, and image generation, freeing up time for authors to focus on storytelling.

Pre-Writing: Building a Strong Creative Foundation

Before you begin writing, AI can help you organize your ideas and spark inspiration. Whether you’re struggling with plot development or crafting compelling characters, AI tools provide structure and direction to set the stage for your story.

  • Idea Generation: AI can suggest unique story concepts, writing prompts, and character archetypes tailored to your genre or theme, helping you overcome creative blocks.
  • Character Development: Create detailed character profiles, including backstories, motivations, and personality traits, to ensure your characters feel authentic and multidimensional.
  • Plot Assistance: Generate outlines, subplots, and thematic elements to ensure your story flows seamlessly and maintains reader engagement.
  • World-Building: Expand fictional worlds with AI-generated maps, settings, and cultural details, adding depth and richness to your narrative.
  • Timeline Creation: Maintain chronological consistency with tools that map out events across your story, making sure logical progression and coherence.

By using these tools, you can begin your writing process with clarity and confidence, laying a solid foundation for a compelling narrative.

Writing and Editing: Enhancing Your Craft

When it’s time to write, AI can act as a collaborative partner, helping you refine your prose, overcome creative blocks, and ensure technical accuracy. These tools are designed to support your unique voice while enhancing the quality of your work.

  • Drafting: Generate initial drafts or sections of text to jumpstart your writing process when inspiration is elusive, providing a starting point for your creativity.
  • Proofreading and Grammar Checks: Identify and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax with precision, making sure your manuscript is polished and professional.
  • Text Analysis: Highlight overused phrases, awkward sentences, and areas for improvement to elevate the overall quality of your writing.
  • Dialogue Enhancement: Suggest more natural or engaging dialogue for your characters, improving authenticity and emotional impact.
  • Style Adjustments: Modify tone, mood, or character voice to better align with your intended audience or genre, making sure consistency throughout your work.
  • Genre-Specific Writing: Adapt your writing style for specific genres, such as simplifying language for children’s books or creating dynamic comic book scripts.

These tools ensure your manuscript is refined and ready for submission to publishers or self-publishing platforms, allowing you to focus on storytelling without being bogged down by technical details.

How AI Can Help Authors in 2025


Watch this video on YouTube.

 

Browse through more resources below from our in-depth content covering more areas on AI Writing Tools.

Marketing: Connecting with Your Audience

AI is transforming book marketing by offering data-driven insights and automating promotional tasks. Whether you’re launching your first novel or maintaining an established brand, AI can help you connect with readers more effectively and efficiently.

  • Audience Identification: Analyse reader preferences and behaviours to target your ideal audience, making sure your book reaches those most likely to enjoy it.
  • Title and Description Generation: Craft attention-grabbing book titles and summaries that resonate with potential readers and boost interest in your work.
  • SEO Optimization: Generate keywords and hashtags to improve your book’s discoverability online, increasing visibility across search engines and social media platforms.
  • Social Media Content: Write engaging posts, email campaigns, and ad copy to promote your book across various platforms, building excitement and anticipation.
  • Book Launch Strategies: Develop comprehensive plans to maximize the impact of your book release, from pre-launch buzz to post-launch engagement.
  • Author Branding: Create consistent messaging across bios, websites, and promotional materials to establish and strengthen your author identity.

By automating these tasks, you can focus on building meaningful connections with your readers while making sure your book achieves its full potential in the marketplace.

Learning and Research: Expanding Your Knowledge

AI can also serve as a research assistant, helping you explore new genres, analyse writing styles, and develop personalized routines to boost productivity. These tools provide valuable insights that inform your creative decisions and support your growth as a writer.

  • Genre and Trope Exploration: Research popular conventions and trends within your chosen genre to align your work with audience expectations while maintaining originality.
  • Style Analysis: Compare your writing style to other authors or assess your own work for consistency, growth, and areas of improvement.
  • Writing Schedules: Create personalized routines to optimize your writing time, helping you maintain productivity and balance other commitments.
  • Review Summaries: Analyse reader feedback to identify strengths and areas for improvement, making sure your future works resonate more effectively with your audience.

These tools not only enhance your current projects but also contribute to your long-term development as an author.

Administrative Support: Simplifying Non-Creative Tasks

Beyond writing and marketing, AI can streamline administrative tasks, freeing up more time for you to focus on storytelling. From automating bibliographies to generating visual concepts, these tools reduce stress and improve efficiency.

  • Bibliography Automation: Automatically format citations and references for non-fiction works with precision, saving time and making sure accuracy.
  • Dictation Cleanup: Edit and refine transcribed text for accuracy and readability, making it easier to transform spoken ideas into polished prose.
  • Translation: Translate your book into other languages while maintaining its stylistic integrity, expanding your reach to global audiences.
  • Interactive Feedback: Role-play as characters or audience members to test story elements and gauge reader reactions, providing valuable insights for revisions.
  • Image Generation: Create cover art or illustrations using AI-generated visuals tailored to your book’s theme, enhancing its appeal to potential readers.

These applications highlight the versatility of AI, extending its benefits beyond the creative process and into the practical aspects of publishing.

AI is a powerful tool that can assist authors at every stage of their journey, from idea generation to marketing and beyond. By automating repetitive tasks and offering creative support, AI allows you to focus on what you do best: crafting compelling stories. Used thoughtfully, AI complements your unique creativity and expertise, making it an indispensable resource for authors in 2025 and beyond.

Media Credit: The Nerdy Novelist

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There’s a new king of online shopping, and it’s built an unstoppable monopoly

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By Lester Mapp

I have 17.5 billion reasons why you need to pay attention to this new king of online shopping.

There is a new king of online shopping, and I’m pretty sure most people didn’t see it coming (not you, though, since you read ZDNET 🙃).

I know what you’re thinking. It’s Temu or Shein. Nope, not even close!

Before we get into who the new king is, we first need to understand the current landscape.

We have popular media darlings like Amazon, Walmart, and Target, who are the largest in the space, but there are also platforms that allow smaller merchants to reach a global audience, like Shopify, eBay, and Amazon’s Seller Program.

Internationally, there are huge players like Alibaba, AliExpress, and so on.

For the sake of our conversation, I’ll refer to these guys as “traditional online shopping.” Traditional online shopping is challenging for several reasons, but one of the biggest issues the industry faces, regardless of size, is the rising cost of driving traffic to their online store.

Big or small, it’s expensive. And ultimately, that’s how the business works…

Here’s your crash course on how an online business operates: a merchant buys traffic using ads on platforms like Meta or Google. A customer sees an ad, clicks on it, is taken to your website, likes what you offer, and boom, you just made a sale.

Simply put, blogs, social media apps, and search engines control the flow of online traffic. Basically, they control the internet, and it’s pay-to-play for the most part.

It’s like a toll road for attention. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “attention economy.”

This is what it really means. And this economy is made up of two players: you’re either buying the attention or selling the attention.

Stay with me. I promise this is important.

Back in the day, “traditional traffic,” like blogs and search engines, was the dominant traffic source. Then, social media platforms started making a name for themselves, and consumers started hanging out on these platforms for hours.

Fast-forward a few years, and these social platforms like Meta are the 800-pound gorilla in the room. In other words, Zuck is Deebo from Friday, and the rest of the internet are Smokey and Craig.

These social platforms have completely changed the way we interact with each other as well as the way we shop online, with “social commerce” slowly but surely becoming a thing.

Your favourite influencer talks about a product they like, and the next thing you know, you’ve added it to your cart and you’re waiting for the mailman to drop it off.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest have embraced social shopping on their platforms, allowing merchants to connect and transact in a way that has never been done before.

But the new incumbent has done it in a way no one could foresee.

Enter TikTok Shop, aka the new undisputed king of online shopping… I’m sure you’re thinking, “Huh? How did it become the king?” Grab a coffee, my friend, because this is the plot twist of all plot twists.

This plot twist is so good it makes Christopher Nolan jelly.

Remember how the internet runs on attention and is made up of buyers and sellers of said attention? Well, TikTok owns massive amounts of attention and is selling it to itself.

This puts traditional online shopping in an impossible situation. It’s kinda like you rent a location in a busy mall, and your landlord decides he’s going to sell the exact same stuff as you.

The difference is your landlord gets the best buyers and the best location, while you’re paying top dollar to be in the back fighting for scraps.

TikTok has seamlessly combined content discovery and online shopping and is prioritizing traffic flow within its app.

What makes this move so unique is that when platforms try to do stuff like this, they usually end up pissing off the merchants or the customers… but somehow, everyone loves TikTok Shop.

Sure, it has some growing pains, but most merchants love it, and customers are equally excited.

TikTok Shop via Lester Mapp

TikTok Shop via Lester Mapp

Consumers enjoy a seamless checkout experience while supporting and connecting with the brands they care about. In real-time, customers can see behind the scenes and talk to the brand owners in a way that has never been done before.

TikTok will almost pay you to shop by self-funding deep discounts for customers. In some cases, discounts are as much as 90% off… and that’s not a typo.

TikTok Shop Features via Lester Mapp

TikTok Shop Features via Lester Mapp

TikTok is pulling out all the stops to make its merchants successful. It offers an Affiliate Program that connects creators and brands meaningfully and thoughtfully.

Merchants can see the actual value of a creator with metrics like how much revenue a creator generates for brands so merchants don’t have to guess if creators can move the needle. In return, creators get to see if a brand is worth promoting.

But that’s not all. Creators and brand owners can go live and sell their products directly from the event. It’s like QVC.

They also allow merchants to connect external apps that manage customer service and order management, which is a direct attack on Shopify.

Full Disclosure: I own a TikTok Shop, and I’m here for it. With TikTok Shop, I genuinely feel like I’m a partner, and we’re in it together. Sure, the customer service could be better, but it’s expected at the rate it’s growing.

TikTok Shop Dashboard via Lester Mapp

TikTok Shop Dashboard via Lester Mapp

I know what you’re thinking: “Cool story, Les, but I don’t see how TikTok Shop is the new king…”

I have 17.5 billion reasons why you should be paying attention. 17.5 billion is TikTok Shop’s expected revenue in 2024, but keep in mind that it officially launched TikTok Shop in the US in September 2023. 🤯

Oh, it gets better: about 67% of TikTok users have been inspired to shop for a product they saw on the platform, even when they weren’t initially looking to make a purchase.

Gen Z is particularly active on TikTok Shop, with 52.5% of Gen Z consumers using the platform for shopping or product discovery. It’s also the preferred platform for 29.1% of Gen Z consumers starting their product search.

You heard it here first: Traditional online shopping is in trouble. With TikTok having a chokehold on attention and TikTok Shop being one of Gen Z’s favourite places to shop, TikTok Shop is shaping up to be an unstoppable monopoly, bringing new meaning to vertically integrated.

TikTok Shop isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. As we speak, the US government is pushing for a TikTok ban.

President Biden signed a law in April 2024 requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a complete ban in the US by January 19, 2025.

The concerns are primarily related to national security risks, as the US fears that TikTok, under Chinese ownership, could provide the Chinese government access to vast amounts of personal data on American users.

Federal officials are also worried about potential manipulation of information through the platform.

For now, we’ll wait to see how this one plays out, but from the way I see it, this could be the only thing that saves traditional online shopping from the wrath of TikTok Shop.

😇 Hope this helps; I’m rooting for you.

Feature Image Credit: satori13/Getty Images

By Lester Mapp

Sourced from ZD NET

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40 Years Ago, Steve Jobs Said There’s 1 Simple Habit That Separates High Performers From Those Who Fall Short

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BY MARCEL SCHWANTES

A brilliant Steve Jobs leadership lesson as effective today as it was in 1985.

In a well-documented 1985 interview, Steve Jobs shared his thoughts on hiring the right people. You know, those highly capable, super creative, and smart individuals who will perform well and drive results. The kind of person every leader wants on their team.

But there’s a keen leadership lesson taught by Jobs that, to this day, many managers fail to grasp. Once these smart people are hired, there’s a simple yet rare management strategy that empowers them to become a high performer.

Jobs gives away his secret in that video interview from 1985. He said:

The greatest people are self-managing; they don’t need to be managed.

It’s a bold statement, indeed. But one worth the risk to attract, develop, and keep the people who will drive your company forward.

Jobs believed in surrounding himself with self-motivated individuals who could take initiative, solve problems independently, and drive results without requiring constant oversight.

Let’s bring this closer to home, if you’re a founder or leader of a small business looking to grow. We all dream of hiring and working with people who just get it—the ones who take ownership, solve problems, and make things happen without needing constant hand-holding. I know I do.

You may be sceptical that self-managing workers will work well in your environment. I get it. But creating a team like this is possible, and it starts with how we think about leadership and management.

Hopefully, the rest of this article will shift something in you. I’m about to drop the “why” behind supporting a culture of self-managing employees and how it will benefit your business.

Here are three upsides to doing it effectively. I have more insights and strategies here, if you want to dig further.

1. Self-managing work boosts innovation and agility

When employees have the freedom to make decisions and take ownership, they’re more likely to experiment, solve problems creatively, and move quickly. Self-managing employees don’t wait for a manager’s green light—they trust their instincts and act, which can be a game-changer in fast-moving industries. Research shows that autonomy not only improves problem-solving but also leads to higher levels of innovation. By stepping back, leaders give their self-managing high performers the space to think big and act boldly, just like Steve Jobs did when he famously said:

It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.

2. Self-managing employees free up managers to focus on more important work

Obviously, this doesn’t apply to micromanagers who think the role of the manager is to spend their days looking over people’s shoulders, barking orders, and controlling all the decisions. Here’s the thing: Micromanaging takes time and energy, leaving managers bogged down in daily details instead of focusing on the bigger picture. Self-managing employees, on the other hand, lighten the load by handling the “how” so leaders can concentrate on the “why” and “what’s next.” This shift doesn’t just benefit the manager—it also empowers self-managing employees to take responsibility for their work, fostering confidence and competence across the team.

3. Self-managing employees are more engaged and less likely to quit

I sat with a client—an executive—to go over his company’s latest engagement scores. They were dismal, and after inspecting the survey results, I saw one of the key drivers for low engagement: “Managers don’t trust their employees to do the work.” As I explained to my client, autonomy is one of the top drivers of employee engagement. When people feel trusted to manage their own work, they’re more motivated and invested in the outcome. I may sound like an echo chamber here, but I’ll drive home the point again: A sense of ownership also builds loyalty—employees are far less likely to leave an environment where they’re empowered and valued to make decisions without being judged or scrutinized. Companies that embrace a self-managing culture of bright and capable people often see lower turnover, stronger commitment, and better performance overall.

A growing group of Inc.com readers receive texts from me with a leadership or motivational micro-challenge or strategy to implement. Often, they text me back and we wind up in a conversation. Many are entrepreneurs or business leaders, and quite a few are successful CEOs who know how to inspire people to take action. (Want to learn more? Here’s some information about the texts and an invitation to a 14-day free trial.)

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

BY MARCEL SCHWANTES

INC. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, EXECUTIVE COACH, SPEAKER, AND AUTHOR @MARCELSCHWANTES

Sourced from Inc.

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Twitter Is Getting Absolutely Destroyed as Users Flee to Rivals Run by People Who Haven’t Lost Their Minds

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By Victor Tangermann

Twitter-turned-X alternative Bluesky is absolutely buzzing these days.

The platform saw a major influx of well over a million new users in the week following the presidential election, growing from just 9 million users in September to 15 million.

Bluesky even became the number one free app on Apple’s App Store this week, beating out Meta’s Threads — which is also spiking in apparent user count, though in a slightly more dubious fashion.

Meanwhile, X-formerly-Twitter was in the news this week after British newspaper The Guardian announced it would be leaving the Elon Musk-owned platform, which has quickly devolved into a cesspool of hate speech and disinformation since his acquisition.

And given the latest exodus, Trump’s reelection — which has given Musk tremendous amounts of new power to “dismantle” the government from the inside out — seems to have been the final straw even for many X holdouts.

Pulling the Threads

Just last month, half a million users flocked to Bluesky after X announced that the “block” fountain would be rendered useless, opening the floodgates for even more harassment.

And it’s not just Bluesky. Threads, Meta’s algorithmically driven Twitter alternative that actively deprioritizes the news, has also seen a major influx in X refugees. Two days before the election, CEO Adam Mosseri announced that the platform had amassed 275 million monthly active users.

With racism and outright pro-Nazi white supremacy flourishing on X, likely the result of the company abandoning almost all forms of content moderation, the platform looks unrecognizable two years after Musk bought it.

In other words, netizens are desperately looking to jump ship and in search of a platform with leaders who haven’t lost their minds.

According to data obtained by internet traffic analyzer Similarweb, 115,000 US-based web visitors deactivated their X account the day after Election Day, a new record since Musk took over.

Musk’s personal brand of hate speech has also been devastating to the business. As of last month, the platform was worth almost 80 percent less than since the mercurial CEO acquired it.

However, X also hit a new traffic record on Election Day, as approximately 46.5 million users flocked to the site to presumably keep up with the news.

Whether the exodus to less hostile platforms will continue in the coming months, especially after the Trump administration takes over, remains anything but certain. Will X turn into a Musk-branded version of Trump’s atrophying Truth Social — or could the two platforms even merge, as some analysts have suggested?

If there’s one takeaway, it’s that X is a sad husk of what it once was, and many users are done hoping for better days ahead.

 

By Victor Tangermann

Sourced from THE_BYTE

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How to Build a Brand That Connects

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By ROBIN LANDA

Successful brands engage audiences with authentic storytelling, shared values, and emotional resonance to create lasting relationships that go beyond transactions.

The shift from brand-centric to audience-centric communication is transforming how brands connect with consumers. In today’s competitive landscape, success isn’t achieved through flashy, hard-sell campaigns but through fostering  emotional connections built on authentic storytelling and active audience participation. Consumers aren’t merely buying products or services—they’re engaging with brands that share relatable, meaningful narratives.

Brands that thrive in this environment are those with a clear purpose, compelling stories, ethical practices, and transparent communication. The focus has shifted from what brands want to say to what audiences want to hear. Their desires, values, and aspirations must guide every aspect of a branding strategy.

To help elevate your brand in this evolving space, here are five guiding principles:

1. It’s all about your audience.

Every successful brand recognizes that its actions must centre on the needs, desires, and aspirations of its audience. It’s not about the brand or the company. It’s about the people you serve. When consumers encounter your brand, their first thought is, “What’s in it for me?” Answering that question should be the focus of your marketing.

2. Audiences demand the truth.

The 1990 film Crazy People humorously depicted an advertising executive opting for honest marketing—an idea that’s more relevant than ever. Today, especially among Gen Z, consumers are increasingly sceptical of traditional advertising. In fact, only 13 percent of Americans trust advertising, underscoring the critical importance of authenticity. In an age of heightened scrutiny, trust is fragile but invaluable, and brands that fail to maintain authenticity risk losing it permanently.

3. Focus on shared values.

Understanding your audience’s core values is essential. Invest time in research to truly uncover what drives them. Authentic storytelling isn’t just a differentiator. It’s the foundation of creating content that resonates. The most successful brands craft stories that reflect their audience’s shared values and lived experiences. Ultimately, you want your target audience to think, “You know me.”

4. Evoke emotions.

The most memorable stories evoke emotion. When brands become effective storytellers, they go beyond promoting products—they build lasting relationships that extend beyond transactions. Research from  data, insights and consulting company Kantar shows that emotional resonance drives engagement, capturing attention and fostering positive emotional connections. Emotional storytelling isn’t just an option. It’s essential for creating meaningful connections and leaving a lasting imprint.

5. Key into your audience’s obsessions.

What is your audience obsessed with? In advertising, insights go beyond basic demographic knowledge. They reveal the underlying reasons behind consumer behaviour. A great way to identify an insight is by understanding what your audience is truly passionate about. For example, cosmetics brand e.l.f. found tremendous success on TikTok by tapping into their community’s obsession with the sticky texture of its Power Grip Primer makeup. As Patrick O’Keefe, vice president of integrated marketing communications at e.l.f. Beauty, explained, “Our campaigns are built on community insights, like our Big Game spot, created based on our community’s obsession with Power Grip Primer. They loved its stickiness and even coined it ‘Sticky AF.’ ”

Recognizing the viral potential of this obsession, e.l.f. leaned into the energy surrounding the product, and it paid off.

Emotionally resonant stories have the power to elevate brands beyond their products and services, forging meaningful connections. In marketing, where audiences hold the power, brands must shift their focus from self-promotion to genuine engagement. Building an audience-centric communication strategy means prioritizing authenticity, shared values, and emotional resonance. It’s about understanding what truly matters to your audience and crafting stories that reflect their lives and aspirations.

The brands that rise above the competition are those that listen, adapt and actively engage with people. By aligning your branding efforts with your audience’s passions and values, you’re not just selling a product or service. You’re creating a relationship that transcends transactions. In this new era of branding, success belongs to those that inspire, resonate, and connect.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

By ROBIN LANDA

PROFESSOR, KEAN UNIVERSITY @RLANDA

Sourced from INC.

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Spotify’s New AI Bet Could Be a Game Changer for Podcasting

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By Ryan Henderson

If successful, this new technology could help Spotify rapidly grow its roster of podcast listeners.

Since 2019, the world’s largest audio streaming company, Spotify (SPOT 1.78%), has been pouring money into the podcasting space with hopes of diversifying its business away from purely music streaming. These investments have included acquiring podcast studios, paying for exclusive shows, and even buying entire podcast distribution platforms like Megaphone and Anchor in an effort to bolster its advertising revenue.

However, Spotify’s podcast initiatives have drawn plenty of criticism from investors because the company’s strategy has continuously shifted and the gross margin has remained negative across its advertising division.

But despite these lackluster results, the company continues to believe there is a large opportunity in the podcasting industry. And last week, Spotify introduced a new program that could have big implications in the long run.

AI voice translation

In a press release from the company’s blog, For the Record, Spotify announced that it is leveraging new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to test voice translations for some of the world’s most popular podcasts. Thanks in part to OpenAI’s new voice-generating technology, the company says it has developed a tool to convert a podcast into several different languages while “keeping the speaker’s distinctive speech characteristics.”

Though Spotify is testing this new technology by translating only three episodes from English to Spanish, the company says it is planning to roll out French and German versions in the coming weeks. It will gauge whether to keep investing in the project based on the feedback from this pilot program.

Spotify playing across multiple mobile phones.

Image source: Getty Images.

The big picture

While a three-episode experiment might not feel like ground-breaking news, if the program is successful, it could certainly have a big impact on Spotify’s overall business. According to its latest quarterly results, Spotify is home to 551 million total monthly active users. Just 20% of those users are located in North America, and that percentage has been shrinking.

Over the last four years, Spotify’s fastest-growing markets have been Latin America and the rest of the world, which account for the majority of Spotify’s non-English-speaking geographies. In contrast, it’s estimated that roughly 60% of the world’s podcasts are produced in English.

With more than 300 million users located in markets where English isn’t the first language, eliminating or even reducing the language barrier could drastically open up the pool of potential podcast listeners. This would not only benefit Spotify’s original and exclusive podcasts but could help its advertising network as well.

Through the Spotify Audience Network, advertisers of pretty much any size can run a campaign that targets specific audiences instead of specific podcasts. That means instead of signing deals with a couple of individual shows, a sponsor can tell Spotify that it wants to target certain listeners based on individual characteristics like age, gender, or location. If the pool of listeners gets bigger, that provides advertisers with more prospective customers.

Is it time to buy Spotify?

Although it feels as if this announcement could have big implications for Spotify’s podcasting initiatives, investors should be cautious about buying on the news. The company has acquired and introduced lots of new products over the years, including live audio, audiobooks, and a self-serve advertising platform, and none have really moved the needle financially.

Despite strong growth in its advertising business and management estimating that podcasts will have higher margins than its music-streaming operation, Spotify’s gross margins haven’t budged. In fact, in the most recent quarter, Spotify reported a 24.1% gross margin compared to 25.8% in the same period five years ago.

SPOT Revenue (TTM) Chart

SPOT Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts.

While the company has seen remarkable success over the last decade by becoming the largest audio streaming platform globally, Spotify still hasn’t demonstrated that it can consistently generate strong cash flow for shareholders. Over the last 12 months, Spotify produced less than $30 million in free cash flow, which is far lower than previous years and is a long way from justifying the current market cap of $31 billion.

Until the company shows that its investments in podcasting can really improve its profitability, I think it’s best for investors to wait on the sidelines.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images.

By Ryan Henderson

Ryan Henderson has positions in Spotify Technology. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Spotify Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Sourced from The Motley Fool

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13 AI-Powered Websites To Help You Work Faster

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By  C. James

Let’s be real, it’s AI’s (Artificial Intelligence) world and we are living in it. Or at least that is what it seems like recently. Will AI replace your job? Maybe, but probably not. But you could potentially become a much more productive employee thanks to AI. Or maybe you can start leveraging websites powered by AI to help you make money online in a more efficient way.

From ChatGPT to Scribe to Stock images made completely from AI, the world is being taken by storm and it’s time to either ride the wave or get out of the ocean. With that, below are 13 products and tools the use AI to save you hours of work each day. Who doesn’t want that?

13 Websites Powered By AI That Can Save You Time At Work

WriteSonic

We have all heard of ChatGPT by now. And it is great, but WriteSonic puts ChatGPT in the yesterday’s news category. Why? Well, instead of being stuck in 2021, WriteSonic has all the relevant information you need, right now.

CutOut Pro

Cutout.Pro is one of many AI-driven photo and background editing tools. It can save a person time by accurately removing backgrounds from images, which obviously make editing easier and faster. With Cutout.Pro, users can create perfect photo montages, remove backgrounds in a single click, and perform a range of other tasks. It’s a great tool for photographers and the like.

Scribe

Scribe

Making tutorials and guides is a laborious process (See also: boring and annoying). That’s where Scribe comes in. In literally seconds, Scribe can make an step-by-step guide to any process.

Murf AI

Murf AI

Hate the idea of having your voice on video? No problem. Murf AI can turn your text into human-sounding voices that are very, very realistic. This is ideal for creating videos for YouTube, Instagram or anything else that requires an actual human to speak.

Glasp

Glasp

Glasp has a number of logical uses, but its ability to generate text summaries of any YouTube video might be our favourite. When people talk about how AI can save you hours and hours of work, this is what they mean.

TLDR This

We live in the “Too Long, Didn’t Read” era. With so much information, it can be overwhelming sometimes. That is where TLDR This comes in, by preventing an overwhelming amount of information. The site can remove ads, popups, graphics, and other distractions to provide a clean and focused reading experience. *Chef’s kiss*

DALL-E 2

StockAI

This image was created with AI. Is it as real-looking as a actual dogs? No. Is the woman’s hand extraordinarily long? Yes. (Wow, that is SOME hand). That all said, stock images generated using AI are only going to get better and more life-like. This will be a huge benefit to bloggers and creators who are constantly looking for unique images to use.

That is where DALL-E 2 come in. It is a powerful artificial intelligence system developed by OpenAI. It is designed to generate images from textual descriptions, and it can generate images of never-before-seen objects based on the text input. The images generated by DALL-E 2 can be surprisingly detailed and accurate, and the system can learn to generate images of abstract concepts, such as feelings and environment. Now if they could only perfect creating human hands to scale.

Runway

Runway allows you to take any idea you have and make it real just by writing it. What does that mean, you ask? It means you can use Runway’s 30+ AI Magic Tools, and real-time video editing, to make amazing content. Content like your own AI-powered videos or movies. Whoa.

Supermeme AI

Supermeme AI

The name Super Meme says all you need to know. Memes made using AI and zero cleverness on your part. Super!

Jasper AI

Jasper.ai is an AI copywriting tool that helps users create content faster. It is trained with direct-response marketing frameworks and real high-converting ad copy, so it is able to generate content that can effectively engage users. It also includes a Chrome extension that allows users to quickly write emails and create content directly in their browser. With its AI-generated content, users can save time and produce better copy in a fraction of the time.

Avatarai

Avatar AI

Avatarai.me is an AI-powered avatar maker that allows users to easily create digital art from selfies or images. It uses NVIDIA’s foundational graphics, simulation, and AI technologies to generate realistic avatars in a variety of styles, such as anime or fantasy. The avatars are generated quickly and efficiently, saving both time and energy. Lensa AI, which is built on Avatarai.me, went viral recently for its AI-generated digital art. While the pictures could be considered pieces of digital art, many are concerned about the ethical implications of free, readily available AI tools like Avatarai.me.

Play HT

Play.ht helps users create professional voiceovers in minutes without the need for expensive recording equipment. It offers over 570 AI voices in over 60 languages to automatically narrate written content. Play.ht also provides a comprehensive dashboard to manage audio files and podcast hosting. With Play.ht, users can create audio content in a fraction of the time, while also increasing their reach potential.

Unscreen

unscreen

Unscreen is a (free) online video background remover that uses AI technology to quickly and easily remove the background from any video. With Unscreen, users can cut costs and save time, as well as customize videos with a library of various backgrounds to choose from. It enables users to take a single piece of footage and transform it for different purposes, making video creation faster and more efficient.

Benefits Of Using Websites Powered By AI To Do Your Work

AI technology has obviously revolutionized the way businesses and individuals carry out their work. That much has been made clear over the last 12 months. And it’s also obvious that it has the potential to help people save time, money, and effort by providing powerful automated solutions. That all said, Here are some of the main benefits of using AI to help with work:

  1. Increased Efficiency: AI can automate mundane and time-consuming tasks, freeing up workers’ time for more important activities. On top of that, AI can also analyze and process large amounts of data quickly and accurately, cutting down on the need for manual input and increasing overall organizational efficiency.
  2. Improved Accuracy: Nothing against humans, but AI can process data with a greater level of accuracy than we can, which will reduce the risk of errors and inaccuracies.
  3. Cost Savings: AI can automate processes that would otherwise require a human workforce, saving businesses money in the long term. Is that dollar signs you’re seeing? Yes, yes it is.
  4. Enhanced Customer Experience: By using AI, businesses can be used to provide personalized customer experiences, helping businesses increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. And, believe it or not, AI can also be used to anticipate customer needs and provide fast, efficient customer service.

Overall, AI can provide powerful solutions to help businesses and individuals carry out their work more effectively. And if you’re not using AI, in a few years you will be lightyears behind your competition.

Feature Image Credit:  Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

By  C. James

C. James is the managing editor at Wealth Gang. He has a degree in finance and a passion for creating passive income streams and wealth management.

Sourced from WEALTHGANG

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100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

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By Kanishka Kumawat

Elevate Your Affiliate Marketing Strategy With 100 Niche Ideas To Boost Your Income.

The first ever e-commerce company was launched in 1969 and it’s safe to say that we’ve come a long way since then—we can even get our groceries delivered to us now.

E-commerce is an ever-evolving space and choosing a niche for affiliate marketing is a pivotal determinant of your success. Trends are going to come and go, but the holy grail lies in the untapped market of underserved niches that have huge potential because of their audience.

Look for areas that have both– an enthusiastic audience and a clear demand.

It can be confusing to know which niche is the best for you and how to ace your affiliate marketing strategy. That’s why we’re providing you with 100 ideas of underserved niches that you can tap into.

Best Niche For Affiliate Marketing: Picking The Best Niche

As of 2023, about 218.8 million people in the US are online shoppers, spending an average of $5,381 per person per year. What is it that connects with people and influences them to buy a product?

Discovering the best niche for your affiliate marketing strategy requires an approach that connects your passion with these market trends.

To start with, ten main categories are directly linked to basic human needs and hence, are the best niches to pick up when it comes to affiliate marketing:

  1. Health and Wellness
  2. Sustainable Living
  3. Personal Development
  4. Home and DIY
  5. Travel and Adventure
  6. Education and Learning
  7. Technology and Gadgets
  8. Parenting and Family
  9. Food and Nutrition
  10. Financial Services and Planning
100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

What Is the Best Niche To Choose in Affiliate Marketing?

The best niche is one that resonates with your content and passion while addressing the needs of a target audience. Balancing profitability with authenticity is the key here.

Questions To Ask Yourself To Find Your Niche for Affiliate Marketing:

What Are You Passionate About?

Affiliate marketing requires consistent effort and engagement. Are there niches that genuinely interest you? Passion will drive you to create content while putting your heart and soul into it.

Who Is Your Target Audience?

Look out for the demographics, interests, and pain points of your potential audience. Is there a significant as well as sustained demand for products or services within your chosen niche? Keyword research tools and SEO optimization can be extremely helpful here to gauge search volumes and trends.

What Is the Profit Potential?

Research affiliate programs within your niche that have long-term revenue potential. What are the commission rates and conversion rates? Are there opportunities for recurring revenue?

Are There Upsell Opportunities?

Is the niche helping you with opportunities to promote complementary or higher-priced products/services to increase your revenue?

What Is the Best Niche for TikTok Affiliate Marketing?

“Don’t Google it, TikTok it” 

TikTok’s audience is young and trend-conscious. Niches related to fashion, beauty, tech, and gaming have gained enormous traction on the platform over the past couple of years. The formula is simple–

Short-form videos + catching up with popular trends + a dash of personal style = Success

“TikTok Made Me Buy It”  is the influence of TikTok on consumer behavior.

100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

Here’s a breakdown of this trend and how to utilize affiliate marketing on TikTok:

Viral Product Endorsement: Ordinary products turn into trends because of the power of virality. From feta pasta recipes to trying out new skincare products and home cleaning supplies, TikTok makes products cool and desirable.

Engagement and Sales: Videos that talk about the products and give in-depth reviews generate millions of views and likes. 49% of TikTok users admit that they buy the products that they see on the app.

Short-form Attention: The video format aligns with the dwindling attention spans of Gen Z. Ads need to be short and attention-grabbing to resonate with users who are accustomed to quick content consumption.

How to Utilize Affiliate Marketing on TikTok:

Authenticity is Key: Create content that resonates with your target audience’s interests and values. Authenticity builds trust and fosters genuine engagement.

Product Reviews and Demonstrations: Showcase products in creative and relatable ways. Product reviews, demonstrations, and personal experiences can capture viewers’ attention and drive interest.

Short and Impactful Content: Keep your content concise and attention-grabbing. Highlight the benefits of the products you’re promoting in a short span.

Disclose Affiliate Links: Be transparent about your affiliate relationships by clearly disclosing them in your video descriptions. Honesty builds trust with your audience.

Best Affiliate Marketing Niches: 100 Options

These 100 niches are not just about catching up with the trends but are based on people’s habits, choices, and the way they will shape the future. From sustainability to fitness products, we’ve covered them all below:

1. Vegan Cooking Supplies

Vegan cooking supplies like alternative flours, plant-based protein sources, dairy-free cheeses, nutritional yeast, and more, play a big part in the vegan diet picture.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global vegan food market is projected to grow to $61.35 billion by 2028 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.95%.

100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

What cannot be missed is the engaged and ethical audience base, as veganism extends beyond dietary choices, it is also about its ethical and sustainable value.

2. Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable fashion is a pivotal aspect of the broader ethical fashion market, which includes fair trade, sustainable practices, and supply chain integrity. From 2021 to 2025, the ethical fashion market is predicted to increase by over three billion U.S. dollars, reaching a value of 10 billion dollars.

Consumers making informed choices prioritize sustainability in their clothing purchases and this is where you know they are passionate about it.

3. Home Workout Equipment

With the modern lifestyle, working from home has a natural extension of workout from home. Walking pads are the best example of this. The home fitness equipment market is on a trajectory that is projected to surge to $16.56 billion by 2030 at a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.2%.

The desire for fitness isn’t a fad—it’s a consistent and evergreen demand. Fitness is a way of living and at some point, everybody wants to focus on it.

4. Language Learning

The Language Learning Market isn’t just a niche; it’s an ecosystem with a trajectory that is set to skyrocket to USD 191.06 billion by 2028, boasting a CAGR of 18.3% during this transformative period.

From online courses to personalized modules, the language learning market offers a diverse range of products and services to cater to people’s learning preferences.

5. Pet Tech and Gadgets

The Global Pet Tech Market size was valued at USD 1809.57 million in 2021 and is poised to grow to USD 6880 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 14.3%.

Be it smart collars or automated feeders, there’s so much that can help make the process not only easier but also enhance their pet’s life.

6. Outdoor Adventure Gear

The global hiking gear and equipment market size was estimated at USD 4.5 billion in 2019. Equipment is a growing product, thereby exhibiting a revenue-based CAGR of 7.0% in the market for hiking gear and equipment from 2020 to 2027.

It can all be diverse, from sleeping bags to tents, and hiking poles. It is a human tendency to seek more and explore what the world has to offer. As more individuals embrace outdoor lifestyles, your promotions can resonate with adventure-seekers ready to invest in reliable and travel-friendly gear.

7. Natural Skincare

The global natural skin care products market size was valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% from 2022 to 2030.

With the growing demand for clean beauty, affiliating with natural skincare products aligns you with conscious consumers. Your affiliation can be about the benefits of non-toxic, eco-friendly skincare routines, appealing to those seeking healthier, ethical choices.

8. Personal Finance for Millennials

A 2020 survey by Bank of America found that millennials’ top financial priorities are–

  • Retirement (75%)
  • Emergency fund (51%)
  • Life milestones and future goals (73%)

Millennials seek financial literacy and affiliating in this space positions you as a resource for budgeting tools, investment advice, and debt management strategies.

9. Health Supplements for Specific Needs

The Dietary Supplements market size is estimated to hit approximately USD 240.90 Billion by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.50%. 

Andrew Huberman is an American Neuroscientist and has been affiliating with supplement brands for his podcast (He only promotes the products if he has used them for 6 months and likes how it works).

If your focus is health, longevity, or body optimization– this is the niche for you.

10. Digital Marketing Tools

Solopreneurship is on the rise and work is being outsourced and delegated. This leads people towards finding tools that can make their workflow more efficient. Say notion, chatGPT, beehiiv.

As businesses embrace online strategies, affiliating with digital marketing tools will help you to be a valuable partner in their growth journey. From SEO software to social media management platforms, your promotions can cater to the needs of these businesses.

11. Eco-Friendly Products

The global green technology and sustainability market size was valued at $10.32 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $74.64 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 21.9% from 2021 to 2030.

From reusable products to zero-waste solutions, your affiliate promotions can resonate with individuals committed to reducing their ecological footprint.

12. Remote Work Tools

COVID made us all shift to working remotely and now it has become a culture that is not going away.

Remote work tools are in demand, with the market poised to grow USD 109.1 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 23.4%.

With remote work as the new norm, affiliating in this niche caters to people seeking productivity-enhancing solutions. From communication software to project management tools, you can target a diverse range of remote workers– Founders and employees alike.

13. DIY Home Improvement

The sense of building a home and putting it together is a part of most people’s lives. IKEA’s business model is enough to give proof of that.

The DIY Home Improvement Market size is estimated at USD 773.90 billion in 2023. Affiliating with this niche taps into the trend of homeowners taking on DIY projects.

From tools to tutorials, you can empower DIY enthusiasts to transform their living spaces while you earn affiliate commissions.

14. Meal Prep and Planning

Is there a better example of TikTok made me do it, than the meal prep and planning market?

We have all found ourselves dialled into a fridge ice tray restock or weekly meal prep video on TikTok. When you need to balance work and life, meal prepping can help you save time to focus on better things.

From meal kit subscriptions to recipe apps or even storage containers that help you keep your meals fresh, your affiliates can help people get better at their meal prep mastery.

15. Vintage and Retro Fashion

Take a look at Rolex and Louis Vuitton, their original value as well as secondary market value, cannot go unnoticed. Vintage and retro fashion are making a comeback.

Thrifting has become a fruitful activity with many retro styles resurfacing. There’s also no better feeling than discovering a good second-hand find.

Affiliating with this niche taps into the nostalgia-driven trends of the fashion industry.

16. Indoor Gardening

100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

Be it for commercial or residential use, you can never go wrong with plants. COVID made people realize how important it is to be around nature. The indoor gardening market is flourishing and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% by 2030.

As more individuals embrace plant parenthood, affiliating in this niche offers opportunities to cater to both beginners and experienced indoor gardeners.

Promote a range of products, from planters to grow lights and smart indoor gardening systems (self-watering or pest management systems), that enable people to build green spaces indoors.

17. Minimalist Lifestyle Products

Living off a suitcase can seem daunting, but choosing a minimal lifestyle is something that many people try to seek. It is not scalable to a large extent, but it is going to make an impact on your audience.

Promote products that enhance simplicity and decluttering, resonating with consumers seeking to minimize possessions and focus on quality over quantity.

18. Craft Supplies

The Global Arts & Crafts Supplies Market is estimated to be USD 43.54 Billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 63.49 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 7.84%.

From DIY kits to specialty materials, you can cater to a diverse audience passionate about handmade projects.

19. Parenting Tips for New Moms

As parents-to-be, new moms want to make sure they are well prepared when it comes to taking care of themselves during pregnancy and their child, post-pregnancy.

Affiliating in this space can allow you to offer guidance and resources to new mothers navigating the challenges of parenthood. Be it about baby care products or advice about the advancement towards parenthood, if there are affiliate products you trust, it can be a helpful resource for moms-to-be,

20. Travel Accessories for Backpackers

While traveling, especially backpacking— people want to travel light. If your focus is travel and lifestyle, you can recommend what has worked for you.

The market for travel accessories is projected to reach $95.7 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2022 to 2031.

Affiliating in this niche can help you to connect with an audience of adventure-seekers seeking practical and innovative gear for their journeys. Say lightweight, durable products that enhance the backpacking experience.

21. Online Learning Platforms

If you want to learn Spanish, you don’t need to be in Argentina or Mexico, because you quite literally can do everything online.

There can be language learning courses paired with skill development workshops and statistically, the e-learning market was valued at $399 billion in 2022 and is supposed to grow at 14% CAGR by 2032.

22. Smart Home Technology

Smart home tech is not limited to smart lights, it can be thermostats, security cameras around the house, and even voice-controlled assistants.

There are so many new products rolling out by the tech giants out there that cannot be overlooked. The smart home technology market is expected to be around USD 581 billion by 2032.

Maybe 10 years down the line, along with flying cars, we will get to witness how smart home tech can change the way we park our cars, connect with people, or enhance security.

23. Mindfulness and Meditation

Being in this niche, you can affiliate with meditation apps, relaxation tools, and mindfulness resources that resonate with a health-conscious audience.

The mindfulness and meditation market is expanding, from USD 522.21 million in 2022, and is predicted to reach USD 7586.45 million by 2031 at a 34.90% CAGR during the forecast period for 2023-2031.

If your audience is the people who put their mental health first, this could also be a great recommendation from your end to help them better themselves.

24. Tech Gadgets for Gamers

100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

Everybody knows how big Twitch and Discord are, and a huge portion of that accomplishment goes to the gaming industry. COVID has given a boost to the industry and now it is predicted to reach $166.9 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 12.7% from 2022 to 2031.

Mechanical keyboards, mouse pads, gaming setups, and with the AR and VR space booming, 5 years down the line, there’s only going to be more added to the list.

25. Zero-Waste Living

Creators promote zero-waste living by sharing what they do with their leftover meals or even not-so-fresh groceries.

Zero waste living can be about the small actions we choose to take in our everyday lives like choosing honey wax paper wraps over foils to wrap our meals!

The global zero waste packaging market size was valued at USD 1.9 billion in 2021 and it is expected to reach around USD 4.1 billion by 2030, poised to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.92%.

26. Vintage Home Decor

With interior design trends constantly recycling themselves, vintage home decor is a super niche and valuable market.

Americans are now investing about $415 billion per year on furnishings, and this is expected to top $477 billion by 2027 the vintage industry makes up for nearly 30% of the segment.

You can put forward vintage furniture, home decor, and even retro-inspired accessories that enhance the charm of homes.

27. Sustainable Kitchen Utensils

With the shift towards eco-conscious living, the demand for kitchen tools that align with ethical and environmental values can be seen if we notice the small changes around us.

This niche has a diverse range of products, from reusable bamboo cutlery sets to eco-friendly silicone cooking tools and compostable dish scrubbers.

The appeal of these products goes beyond their functionality, as they contribute to a greener lifestyle.

28. Yoga and Wellness Retreats

While we have started focusing more on mental and physical health in our everyday lives, working on those aspects in a fast-paced life isn’t achievable on most days.

This niche transcends traditional travel, catering to individuals who seek more profound connections and meaningful experiences.

Firstly, the market growth and increasing demand for wellness-focused getaways ensure a stable and growing audience base. Secondly, not only is this going to be valuable but it also offers a long-term profit to you as an affiliate.

29. Ethical Jewellery

Ethical jewellery is crafted with attention to detail and quality, ensuring that a piece of diamond is polished to last. This contrasts with mass-produced jewellery that might be of lower quality and built upon unfair labour practices.

This purpose stems from knowing that the jewellery they wear has been sourced responsibly, thus contributing to positive social and environmental impact.

The narrative of each piece becomes a story of sustainability, conscious choices, and meaningful expression. In an era where transparency and ethical considerations matter deeply, this niche allows affiliates to bridge the gap between luxury and responsible practices.

30. Men’s Grooming Products

While women’s beauty has always been a booming industry, men’s skincare, beard care, and haircare, have started to see a large increase over the past few years.

The market’s growth potential, coupled with the cultural shift towards embracing self-care, ensures a stable and expanding audience.

Affiliating in this niche goes beyond marketing – it’s about empowering men to embrace self-care, confidence, and a more contemporary understanding of grooming.

31. Healthy Snack Subscriptions

100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)

Be it while traveling frequently or maintaining a nutritious diet amidst busy schedules. Your affiliation can become a bridge between brands that prioritize health and consumers seeking vitality.

As an affiliate, you’re fostering a connection between conscious brands and individuals who are dedicated to making health-conscious choices.

The healthy snack subscription market is expected to grow from $16.4 billion in 2021 to $29.7 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 8.6%. This niche offers opportunities to cater to health-conscious consumers seeking convenient and nutritious snacks.

32. Sustainable Office Supplies

Think about your workspace – whether it’s a bustling office or your cosy home desk. Now imagine it equipped with supplies that not only boost productivity but also contribute to a more sustainable planet. That’s where sustainable office supplies step in.

Sustainable office supplies offer more than meets the eye. Your affiliation plays a part in the shift towards eco-friendly workspaces. The market growth, coupled with the ongoing drive for sustainability, ensures a dedicated and expanding audience base.

33. Eco-Friendly Baby Products

As parents increasingly prioritize the health and well-being of their little ones, the demand for baby care products that are kind to both babies and the environment continues to surge.

In the world of eco-friendly baby products, affiliation is not just about transactions; it’s about nurturing. By endorsing products that resonate with parents’ desires for safer and more sustainable choices, you play a crucial role in shaping a more eco-conscious generation.

34. Digital Nomad Gear

Digital nomads are united by a common thread – a thirst for work flexibility and the freedom to explore. As an affiliate, you’re a bridge between the gear that facilitates this lifestyle and the individuals seeking it.

By endorsing products that resonate with the challenges and aspirations of digital nomads, you’re cultivating connections that extend beyond transactions.

It can be as niche as a portable washing machine and all the things that make traveling as a remote worker a lot easier.

35. Handmade Artisanal Goods

100 Best Niches for Affiliate Marketing (And How To Choose One)
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By Kanishka Kumawat

Sourced from beehive Blog

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Does PR Actually Help Increase Sales? Yes — Just Do It Right and Be Patient

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BY IRINA PROSKURINA 

The value of PR extends beyond immediate numbers, emphasizing long-term brand reputation and loyalty, which ultimately contribute to sustained business success.

Should PR serve the purpose of boosting sales along with other strategies? This question has long been a subject of discussion among business experts. While PR professionals traditionally focus on brand awareness, reputation and media exposure, business owners want to see these factors reflected in increased revenue.

PR is an invaluable tool that becomes an integral part of many business processes, from shaping consumer perceptions to influencing people’s purchasing decisions. Although PR emphasizes brand image and visibility first and foremost, its ripple effect extends to consumer behaviour, which ultimately translates into increased sales figures for businesses.

In this article, you’ll learn how PR can positively influence sales when implemented as a long-term strategy and get tips on maximizing this effect.

Perceive PR as part of the business ecosystem

PR is part of a larger chain reaction in your company. Product quality, marketing strategies and customer service all shape the image and value of a business, and PR can amplify their impact through media storytelling. In other words, don’t expect PR to create a strong brand narrative out of nothing. Build it into the fabric of your company’s culture, values, and actions. PR is most effective when it aligns with the authentic identity of your brand, highlighting and amplifying the inherent strengths that already exist within your business.

To leverage this ecosystem, you need to encourage your sales, marketing, and other specialists to use PR as an extra asset in their work.

Make sales reps and PR professionals work together

Incorporating PR into sales will boost the effect of the former by highlighting brand credibility. It leads to enhanced customer confidence and increased conversion rates.

Here’s what sales managers can do in conjunction with PR:

  • Provide potential customers with a media list that reflects the company’s recognition and reputation as an industry leader;
  • Use media publications to create branded presentations that align with the overarching brand narrative;
  • Browse publications for comments and identify potential leads among commenters, etc.

This collaboration works wonders. PR itself doesn’t have immediate ROI because it takes time to build a solid brand reputation and boost the SERP ratings of your web pages. However, sales managers can leverage PR’s groundwork right away in their strategies.

Marry PR to marketing

PR and marketing have essentially the same goal – to attract and retain customers and drive business growth. That’s why it’s only natural that the two should work in tandem.

While marketing can quickly and powerfully impact sales, PR is a long-term game. Luckily, marketing managers can tap into PR to make it instantly valuable and important for sales growth. For instance, marketers can:

  • Use PR insights for targeted ad and marketing campaigns. PR-generated data, such as media coverage analytics or customer feedback obtained through PR efforts, helps marketers refine and adjust their strategies. This information can help tailor marketing campaigns to cater to the audience’s preferences and trends observed in PR engagements.
  • Enhance influencer collaborations. PR experts know how to find celebrities and influencers to endorse your brand and expose it to their followers and fans. Marketers can work with PR to identify the best potential collaborators, initiate contact, and score a great deal to boost your product promotion, leading to more sales.

Choose the right media outlets to generate quality leads

Don’t go random when you want to secure publications about your business in media. Selecting the appropriate outlets is crucial for generating high-quality leads through PR strategies. Choose the media that resonates with your niche and target audience — this way, your message will reach the right demographics.

For instance, if your product caters to tech-savvy consumers, collaborations with tech review websites or guest features in relevant industry online magazines can yield valuable leads. These leads can then be further nurtured through engaging content tailored to the specific audience’s interests and pain points. Tech-savvy consumers often seek in-depth information and insights, so providing them with detailed guides or informative articles that bring real value. The leads will associate this value with your brand and be more likely to turn into paying customers.

Engage in industry events to communicate with your target audience directly

PR is not just about media engagement. Active participation in industry events provides a direct line of communication between a business and the target audience. This creates fruitful opportunities for lead generation and reputation building.

Have a PR specialist you work with track relevant industry events and pick those that will best align with your brand’s goals and target audience. It may be trade shows, conferences, or exhibitions that allow brands to engage with potential customers face-to-face, showcasing products or services in a personalized manner.

For instance, hosting a booth at a beauty expo enables cosmetic companies to offer live demonstrations and active engagement with attendees. This exposure translates into potential leads and increased sales prospects.

Last but not least: Don’t chase (just) numbers

Remember: PR is not directly responsible for sales. It deals with building relationships, enhancing brand perception, and shaping public opinion. While sales metrics are important, PR primarily focuses on fostering trust, credibility, and goodwill among stakeholders.

The value of PR extends beyond immediate numbers, emphasizing long-term brand reputation and loyalty, which ultimately contribute to sustained business success. Prioritizing meaningful connections and a positive brand image over solely chasing numerical metrics allows PR efforts to lay a solid foundation for future growth.

If you want to track the specific metrics pertinent to PR campaigns and their impact, pay attention to:

  • Media impressions. Measure audience reach through media coverage
  • Sentiment analysis. Assess public perception (positive, negative, neutral)
  • Website traffic. Monitor increased visits due to PR efforts
  • Lead generation. Measure leads attributed to the campaign

If all these metrics demonstrate positive trends, you can be sure that PR is working in your favour and contributing to sales growth, even if this correlation is not immediately obvious.

BY IRINA PROSKURINA 

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This Is the Secret Marketing Tool Your Small Business Needs to Compete With the Big Brands

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By Jordan Glazier, Edited by Kara McIntyre

Here’s how one type of affiliate marketing tool offers smaller online retailers an effective way to drive sales and compete with larger brands without substantial upfront costs.

Key Takeaways

n today’s digital-first retail environment, smaller brands often face an uphill battle when competing with industry giants’ massive marketing budgets. Advertising costs on most platforms continue to escalate, making it difficult for smaller ecommerce business owners to drive sales and scale cost-effectively.

One effective and cost-effective strategy that empowers upstart brands to drive sales without the hefty upfront costs associated with traditional advertising is affiliate marketing. In this model, online retailers partner with website publishers that feature content and have an audience that is also relevant to the online retailer. The retailer only pays publishers when a sale is actually completed, typically as a commission represented as a percentage of that sale, making affiliate marketing a low-risk, high-reward marketing strategy.

Cashback rewards programs such as Rakuten, PayPal Honey and Capital One Shopping, which operate as publishers in the affiliate marketing model, incentivize customers by delivering a small percentage of their earned commissions as cashback on consumers’ purchases. These programs, and others like them, are used by millions of online shoppers. By working with cashback browser extension publishers through an affiliate program, smaller retailers can tap into the potential of this performance-based marketing channel, and reach value-conscious consumers without overextending their budgets.

But, smaller online retailers may have concerns about browser extensions and their impact on a brand. They may have concerns about margins or of losing control of pricing and the discounts they offer or if their customers will value their products less because they’re getting cashback. But if a brand offers an affiliate program, they are already paying commission rates on sales which should be reflected in their margin calculations. The cashback rewards are paid to the customer from the commissions the publishers earn on sales. And retailers concerned about whether customers will value their brand less for offering cashback rewards through a browser extension can take heart in knowing even some luxury brands are beginning to offer cashback rewards.

The truth is, cashback browser extensions have evolved into a powerful marketing tool that benefits both consumers and merchants. They can drive sales, increase average order values and help independently-owned ecommerce businesses reach new customers.

Why consumers love browser extensions

The consumer appetite for savings is bigger than ever. In a consumer survey commissioned by Wildfire and conducted by the research firm Big Village in May 2024, we examined consumer attitudes towards various savings tools, including cashback and coupon browser extensions, that online shoppers are using. In one finding, 77% of consumers said they are more interested than ever before in earning cashback rewards for shopping, and 72% said they are more interested in using online coupons and discounts for shopping.

These tactics were second only to shopping during sales and promotional events. In fact, these tactics were ranked higher than shopping at discount retailers or buying generic products.

Wildfire’s report also shows that nearly one in three consumers (27%) use browser extensions to earn cashback more this year than last, and that 70% of consumers who have ever installed a browser extension use it frequently for cashback rewards.

These findings highlight that savings-focused shopping tools are becoming integral to the online shopping experience. However, browser extensions are not just about discounts — they boost consumer confidence. Respondents in the Wildfire survey gain many benefits from cashback browser extensions, including:

  • 86% find offers in their extension to be valuable
  • 84% trust the offers they get through their extension
  • 83% report they save time by getting coupons in their extension

For small to mid-sized retailers, offering deals through extensions can help ensure consumers feel they’re making the right choice in their purchases, which can translate into higher conversion rates.

Understanding the impact of browser extensions on merchants

One of the most common concerns among smaller, niche brands is that offering deals through cashback browser extensions will reduce the perceived value of their products. However, the data tells a different story. Cashback browser extensions don’t just deliver consumers discounts — they help merchants expand their reach and increase sales in several important ways. Wildfire’s 2024 survey, as well as a landmark 2023 study conducted by CJ and Namogoo across 67 million shopping journeys, focused on the business value of browser extensions, illustrating some of the impacts on merchants.

  1. Improved merchant preference: The use of cashback browser extensions influences online shoppers’ choice of retailer: 88% of respondents in Wildfire’s survey who use a cashback browser extension choose to shop at merchants that offer deals.
  2. Increased conversion rates: Conversion rates are critical for any ecommerce business. Wildfire’s survey showed that the use of cashback browser extensions can positively affect merchant conversion rates. In fact, 93% of respondents using extensions are more likely to complete their purchase. The CJ/Namogoo report illustrated that extensions increased conversions by 25% even for shoppers whose carts contained no discounted items;, and further, that shoppers who received a pre-checkout alert from their cashback browser extension were 64% more likely to complete a purchase compared to extension users who did not see an alert.
  3. Higher average order values: Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of cashback browser extensions for merchants is the increase in average order value (AOV). A total of 60% of consumers in the Wildfire survey reported spending more when they knew they were getting a deal through their extension because they believed they were maximizing value through cashback or coupon offers. Further, the CJ/Namogoo report showed shopping browser extensions resulted in a 38% increase in shoppers’ “add-to-cart” rates, and 65% more revenue per shopping session when an alert from the extension appeared.

The upside to understanding browser extensions

It’s understandable that independent retailers might be cautious when it comes to allowing their affiliate offers to be featured in browser extensions. Concerns about pricing control and margin compression often arise. However, cashback browser extensions are not about slashing prices or devaluing your brand — they’re about creating a win-win situation for both brands and the consumer.

Three key reasons why browser extensions make sense are:

  • Increased visibility: Being featured in a cashback extension can introduce a brand to new customers who might have otherwise shopped elsewhere. Many extensions can trigger notifications on a Google search results page, helping retailers in the results stand out with a cashback offer alert.
  • Low-risk: Unlike traditional advertising, retailers only pay when a sale is made, ensuring they get tangible results from your marketing efforts.
  • Ability to compete with larger brands: Cashback browser extensions help level the playing field. Larger brands often have more resources for extensive marketing campaigns, but smaller retailers can leverage extensions to display their own cashback offers, too. This can help smaller retailers enter the consideration set for value-minded shoppers.

Conclusion

The ecommerce landscape is increasingly competitive, and retailers that don’t have the global customer reach of a Walmart, Target, Amazon or Temu need every advantage they can get. Embracing cashback browser extensions as part of an affiliate marketing strategy can be a smart move that not only boosts the bottom line but also builds long-term customer loyalty. In a world where shoppers are continually searching for the best price and value, your brand can be the one they turn to when their browser extension alerts them to your next great offer.

By Jordan Glazier 

Edited by Kara McIntyre

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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