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$100 in 30 Days Challenge – What Forums & Reddit Tell Us About Our Market

Here’s something a lot of people overlook when doing affiliate research: forums, Quora, and Reddit are goldmines of real customer insights.

Why?
Because they’re filled with real people asking real questions, often in their exact words, with no marketing fluff. And these platforms are getting more attention from Google, meaning they frequently show up in search results.

So as part of my keyword research process, I checked out some of the search terms we uncovered earlier. One that stood out was:

👉 “Chess gifts for boyfriend”

What caught my attention was that several Quora and Reddit threads were filled with girlfriends and wives looking for gift ideas for their chess-playing partners. Here are a few actual posts:

💬 Real Forum & Reddit Posts on Buying Chess Gifts

“Thinking of getting my boyfriend a nice chess set as a gift but I know absolutely nothing about chess/how to pick one out…help!”

“My boyfriend has been really into chess ever since quarantine. He plays on chess.com every day, reads books about it, and loves watching tournaments. I’d love to get him a great gift, but I don’t know much about chess myself. Any ideas?”

“My husband is a big chess fan and a solid player. What would be a good gift for him?”

“The guy I’m dating is a hottie little nerd who loves chess, anime, comic books, super heroes, and crystals. I found a really nice marble chess set, but is it weird to get him one if he already has a board?”

🔍 What This Tells Me About the Market

1️⃣ There’s clear demand from non-chess players looking to buy gifts for chess enthusiasts.

  • Many of these people don’t know much about chess themselves.
  • They’re actively asking the chess community for recommendations.
  • That’s a huge opportunity to provide helpful content.

2️⃣ A chess t-shirt could work for this audience—but is it “special” enough?

  • A t-shirt is easy, fun, and wearable—but is it memorable enough for a gift?
  • Some posts suggest that people are leaning toward higher-value gifts like chess sets.
  • The risk? We attract traffic, but visitors leave if they feel a t-shirt isn’t “enough” for a meaningful gift.

3️⃣ Could Zero Blunders create a design tailored to this market?

  • The Zero Blunders site mentions they’re open to new t-shirt ideas.
  • Maybe a chess t-shirt with a relationship-themed chess joke could work?
  • Example: “You’ll always be my Queen’s Gambit” (romantic and chess-themed)

4️⃣ A longer-term strategy might include partnering with other chess affiliate programs.

  • If I wanted to fully serve this audience, I’d ideally offer a range of chess gifts at different price points—t-shirts, mugs, chess sets, etc.
  • This way, visitors can choose a gift based on their budget.
  • BUT—for the $100 in 30 Days Challenge, I need to stay focused and just promote Zero Blunders for now.

💡 My Next Steps

✅ Decide if I should target this “chess gift for boyfriend” market or look for a stronger angle.
✅ Think about whether I should suggest a specific t-shirt design to Zero Blunders.
✅ Keep this broader strategy (gift guides, price brackets, multiple chess affiliate programs) in mind for the future—but keep the challenge simple for now.

🤔 What Do You Think?

Would a chess-themed t-shirt work as a gift from a girlfriend or wife to a chess-loving partner? Or do you think people looking for “chess gifts for boyfriend” want something more valuable?

Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your take! 🚀

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