The Saturation Myth: Is Affiliate Marketing Actually Dead in 2025? I am sure you have thought about this or been asked so let’s find an answer
blog by Peter Hanley coachhanley,com
“Affiliate marketing is dead.”
I’ve been hearing this since 2019. And yet, here we are in 2025, and people are still making money.
So what’s the truth? Is affiliate marketing dead, dying, or just different?
Let me give you the answer nobody wants to hear: It depends on how you’re doing it.
The “It’s Too Late” Mentality
Every single affiliate marketing forum has that one person who posts:
“I’m thinking about starting, but isn’t the market too saturated? Haven’t all the good niches been taken?”
Here’s my response: Yes, it’s saturated. It’s been saturated since 2010.
But you know what else is saturated? Restaurants. Coffee shops. Gyms. Literally every profitable business model.
Saturation doesn’t mean opportunity is gone. It means lazy approaches don’t work anymore.
What Actually Changed
Let’s be honest about what’s different in 2025:
1. Amazon Slashed Commissions (Again)
Remember when Amazon affiliates earned 8-10% on most categories? Yeah, those days are long gone.
Now you’re looking at 1-3% for most products. Which means you need to sell a LOT more stuff to make the same money.
Is this a death blow? For people relying solely on Amazon, maybe. For everyone else? It’s just a reason to diversify.
2. AI Content Flooded the Internet
Google is drowning in AI-generated garbage. Every niche is now polluted with thin, repetitive, keyword-stuffed content that all sounds the same.
This makes it harder to rank. But it also creates an opportunity: actually good content stands out more than ever and good content is written by AI
3. Google Got Pickier
The days of ranking a new site in 3 months are mostly over. Google wants to see experience, expertise, authority, and trust.
Translation: Generic review sites don’t work like they used to. You need to actually know your stuff.
4. Users Got Smarter
People can smell a fake review from a mile away. They’re skeptical of listicles. They check multiple sources.
You can’t just slap up “10 Best [Product]” posts anymore and expect commissions.
But Here’s What Didn’t Change
While everyone’s panicking about saturation, they’re missing what’s still true:
People still need recommendations.
Every day, thousands of people search for:
- “Best laptop for college students”
- “Is [product] worth it?”
- “[Product] vs [Product]”
- “How to choose [product type]”
They’re not going to stop asking these questions because there are already articles about them.
They’re looking for the answer they can trust.
The Real Question Isn’t “Is It Dead?” It’s “Can YOU Compete?”
Market saturation doesn’t kill opportunity. It just raises the bar.
Michael cheney teaches these things in his Millionaires Apprentice program . I am a top ranking member and have used the product for over two years with great success.Yes the commissions are high so you can enjoy big ticket deals like I do
