Affiliate marketing can turn into a very competitive game really quickly. A common occurrence is as follows: Many people scour affiliate networks looking for the 'next big thing,' and thousands of affiliates start promoting the same offer.

What happens? The market gets saturated and highly competitive immediately. Earl Nightingale stated, "Whatever the majority is doing, do the opposite, and you will probably never make another mistake in your life." This especially holds true to affiliate marketing.

Here are some tips and tricks to avoid following the crowd: