Just because you're operating within a highly competitive, super niche sector doesn't necessarily mean that you can't develop a multi-million dollar affiliate channel. It just means that you'll have to think about things a bit differently than you otherwise would.

In this particular scenario, your goals will be specific. You're trying to amplify your brand. You need to increase your audience reach. You need to do both of these things at the same time - all while still growing the business you've worked so hard to build in the first place.

Obviously, emphasizing creativity and "thinking outside the box" are a foregone conclusion. But if you truly want to tackle the acquisition of mainstream affiliate coverage while working in a niche industry, there are a number of additional things that you're definitely going to want to keep in mind.
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Using Your Niche to Your Advantage

By far, one of the most important things that you can do when working in a niche industry involves coming to a better understanding of who you are, what you do and why that will ultimately matter so much to people.

A niche is only a liability if you allow it to be. What do you do that is different from everyone else? What makes you special that nobody else can match? These are the questions that you need to answer not only in an effort to better resonate with customers, but to also resonate with affiliates as well.

Make the Right Connections

Along the same lines, you also need to make an effort to reach out and make the types of connections that you'll need to get your messaging - and your products and services - in front of the widest possible audience. Get in communication with some mainstream brands that not only fit your ideals, but also your long-term vision for your company. Make mutually beneficial partnerships and strike deals that work equally well for both of you - that way, you'll be able to take a little bit of their audience and peel it off for yourself.

In addition to being a way to "normalize" your brand, so to speak, it's also a perfect chance to amplify your campaigns - thus maximizing your reach as much as possible.

Work with New Partners

Finally, when working in a niche industry, you want to always remember that reach is one of the most important goals of all. That means always working with (and testing) new affiliates who have a trajectory similar to your own. Yes, this means that you're going to have to spend a fair amount of time figuring out what works and, more importantly, what doesn't. But all of this effort will bear fruit by way of a network that amplifies your own messaging far and wide.

You'll win. The affiliates will win. You'll have a steady stream of new customers coming right to your (virtual) door. That in and of itself may be the most important benefit of all.