The Affiliate Marketing Podcast

Lee-Ann Johnstone - Founder of Affiverse
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We’re on a quest to help the world do affiliate marketing better. Join your host, Lee-Ann Johnstone, Founder of Affiverse, and listen to her podcast series all about Affiliate and Performance Marketing. Learn from an array of digital marketing veterans, business entrepreneurs, SaaS product providers, and more to discover how digital and affiliate marketing are constantly changing. Hear how brands are building successful affiliate programs and driving consistent partner referrals and sales. Subscribe to hear exactly what it takes to launch, scale, and grow a successful affiliate program in this fast-moving digital age. Enjoying what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe for more thought-provoking insights and industry-leading content delivered straight to your inbox. Visit https://www.affiversemedia.com/newsletter-sign-up/ to get started.Visit www.affiversemedia.com for more great content. Interested in media, PR, and content opportunities? >> Book a free call HERE: https://affiversemedia.com/contact/

  1. 2 days ago

    Why Media Buying and AI Help Affiliate Programs Diversify and Thrive

    What happens when affiliate marketing is no longer just SEO, and media buying becomes a core part of user acquisition strategy? Lee-Ann Johnstone sits down with Kamila Łuksza-Szpyt, Managing Director and Marcin Kumięga, Director of Business Development at Voluum to discuss how iGaming and affiliate programs are shifting away from single-channel dependency and into a multi-layered acquisition model driven by affiliate media buying strategy, AI, and real-time optimisation. For years, SEO affiliates and review sites dominated acquisition strategies. But that model is breaking down under pressure from AI search, rising traffic costs, and changing user behaviour. The result is a major shift: brands are now forced to rethink what “affiliates” actually mean, and expand into broader user acquisition strategies. Kamila and Marcin break down what is really changing inside the industry; traffic diversification and testing budgets to tracking, attribution, and why many programs fail in their first 30–60 days of media buying. Affiliate Media Buying Strategy: Key Talking Points  Why SEO-only affiliate strategies are losing visibility in iGamingHow AI search and Google AI Overviews are changing traffic distributionWhy media buying is becoming a core user acquisition channelWhy data tracking and technical setup are critical for successHow AI is changing optimisation and reporting workflowsWhy affiliates and media buying should not be treated as competing channelsThe role of attribution in connecting campaigns across the funnel Why iGaming Is Moving From SEO to Multi-Channel Acquisition The traditional iGaming model relied heavily on SEO affiliates, comparison sites, and review pages to drive traffic. That model worked because search behaviour was stable and predictable. Kamila and Marcin explain that this is no longer the case. AI-driven search, Google AI Overviews, and shifting consumer behaviour are reducing organic visibility and pushing brands to rethink their dependency on SEO. At the same time, media buying channels such as push, pop, native, programmatic, and paid social are opening up at scale. This creates a wider, more competitive acquisition environment but also a much larger opportunity pool. Instead of relying on one predictable funnel, brands now operate across multiple fragmented touchpoints, making diversification not optional, but necessary. The First 60 Days: Where Most Media Buying Strategies Fail One of the strongest insights from the episode is how many programs fail early due to poor setup and expectations. Kamila highlights two consistent issues: Brands expect fast ROI without proper testing phasesBudgets are either too small or too widely spread across traffic sourcesMarcin adds that another major issue is mindset: many operators still treat media buying as a replacement for affiliates rather than a complementary user acquisition channel. The reality is that successful campaigns rely on structured testing, proper tracking setup (UTMs, postbacks, attribution), and a clear understanding of what success actually means before scaling begins. Without this foundation, optimisation becomes guesswork rather than strategy. Listen to Learn More About Affiliate Media Buying and AI  Why SEO alone is no longer a sustainable acquisition strategyHow AI is reshaping both traffic and optimisation workflowsWhat brands consistently get wrong in the first 30–60 days of media buyingWhy tracking infrastructure is critical for performance marketing successHow to properly structure testing budgets across multiple traffic sources Timestamps to Go Direct [03:22] Why AI search is reducing organic traffic[06:55] Biggest mistakes brands make when starting media buying[08:55] Why tracking and technical setup determine success[10:58] Funnel differences between SEO and paid media[15:00] Budget allocation and traffic source strategy[25:50] How AI is changing media buying workflows[32:15] Real-world success case: +30% conversion rate uplift[36:54] Rapid fire: AI, LTV, and scaling mistakes Call to Action Media buying is no longer treated as a side experiment by many affiliate programs. It is becoming part of a broader user acquisition strategy, sitting alongside SEO, partnerships and other performance channels. Kamila and Marcin from Voluum break down exactly how brands can approach this shift with structure, testing discipline, and the right tracking infrastructure to avoid costly early mistakes. If you’re working in affiliate marketing, user acquisition, or performance media, this episode shows what is changing right now — and what you need to fix before scaling. Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming. Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation. Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Send me a text with your questions

    41 min

  2. 24 Jun

    How AI is Democratising and Personalising Affiliate Program Management

    How AI is Democratising and Personalising Affiliate Program Management  What actually happens when AI moves from buzzword to something you can use inside an affiliate program every single day? Today, Lee-Ann sits down with Michael Cole, CMO at Everflow, to break down how AI is already changing the way affiliate programs are tracked, managed, and scaled, not in theory, but in real workflows being used today. Michael shares how teams are moving away from developer-heavy processes and instead building lightweight automations, dashboards, and reporting systems directly through AI tools. The shift in using AI is not about replacing people but instead removing the bottlenecks that stop affiliate managers from doing higher-value work. Michael also explains where AI breaks down, why judgment still sits firmly with humans, and how affiliate managers can finally reclaim time for strategy, partner growth, and relationship building instead of drowning in reporting and admin tasks. You can find a variety of AI Use Case Recipes at https://www.everflow.io/ai-playbook.  Key Talking Points on AI Affiliate Program Management  How AI is enabling affiliate managers to build tools without developersWhy API-first platforms are becoming more powerful in an AI-driven workflowWhere AI fails: judgment, nuance, and decision-making under contextWhy affiliate managers should focus less on admin and more on relationshipsHow “headless” systems are changing how data is used across teamsThe future of affiliate management roles in AI-powered environments From Manual Reporting to AI-Driven Affiliate Program Management  Affiliate management has traditionally been weighed down by reporting, spreadsheets, and manual data pulls. Michael Cole explains how AI is changing that dynamic by allowing teams to build lightweight automation layers on top of existing platforms like Everflow. Instead of waiting for development cycles, affiliate managers can now generate dashboards, connect systems like HubSpot or Slack, and automate weekly reporting using simple AI-assisted workflows. The biggest shift isn’t just speed, it’s control. Managers can finally design reporting structures that reflect how they actually think about performance, not how tools force them to report it. This unlocks a more precise understanding of affiliate performance, including deeper attribution, behavioral signals, and revenue impact beyond surface-level metrics. Why AI in Affiliate Marketing Still Needs Human Judgment  While AI is powerful at processing data and generating outputs, Michael is clear on one point: it lacks judgment. AI can summarize, analyse, and connect systems, but it struggles with context, nuance, and decision-making. A drop in performance might be seasonal, strategic, or completely normal but AI alone can misinterpret that without human direction. This is why the role of the affiliate manager is shifting, not disappearing. The focus is moving away from repetitive admin tasks and toward higher-value work: interpreting insights, managing relationships, and deciding what actually matters for growth. The real opportunity is not automation replacing people, it’s automation clearing space for better decisions. Listen to Learn More About AI for Affiliate Managers  How affiliate managers are building custom tools without developersReal-world examples of AI-powered reporting inside EverflowWhy AI struggles with context and judgment in performance analysisHow headless systems are changing affiliate data accessWhy the future of affiliate management is more strategic, not less human Timestamps [03:47] How AI enables non-developers to build automation workflows[08:40] Why AI coding in spreadsheets is becoming a core workflow[12:38] How affiliate managers are using AI for reporting and CS insights[15:34] What “headless” means for affiliate platforms like Everflow[23:49] Where affiliate managers should start with AI adoption[31:30] The future of SaaS, APIs, and AI-built affiliate systems Listen to the Full Affiliate Marketing Podcast Episode  AI is already reshaping how affiliate programs are built and managed but the real shift isn’t technical, it’s operational. This episode with Michael Cole from Everflow breaks down how affiliate managers can move from manual reporting to intelligent, AI-assisted workflows that free up time for strategy, partner development, and performance growth. If you’re working in affiliate marketing, this is the moment to understand what AI actually changes inside your day-to-day role and where it doesn’t. Learn more about Everflow: https://www.everflow.io. Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming. Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation. Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Send me a text with your questions

    37 min

  3. 17 Jun

    How Affiliates Can Spot Casino Fraud and Build Trust in Online Gaming

    How Affiliates Can Spot Casino Fraud and Build Trust in Online Gaming Welcome back to a brand new season of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast! In Season 26, Episode 1, Lee-Ann Johnstone speaks with James Elliott, founder of Gamecheck, about casino fraud, cloned casino games, and the growing need for trust in online gaming affiliate marketing. As fake casino content becomes harder to spot, affiliates face a bigger responsibility when choosing which operators and games to promote. James explains how Gamecheck identifies cloned games, verifies casino content, and helps players, affiliates, and operators make safer decisions in a fast-moving iGaming market. The conversation also covers regulatory compliance, emerging market risks, AI-driven game production, and the practical steps affiliates can take to protect their audiences, strengthen credibility, and promote genuine online casino experiences. Casino Fraud and Affiliate Trust Talking Points: How cloned casino games affect players, operators, and affiliates.The history and mission of Gamecheck in identifying fake games.Methodologies for investigating casino websites and verifying authenticity.The importance of trust, transparency, and compliance in affiliate marketing.How emerging markets and AI-driven content are accelerating the challenge. The Rise of Fake Casino Games and Cloned Casino Content James explains that cloned casino games have been a persistent problem in the online gaming industry for years. These fake sites can replicate graphics and gameplay but often misrepresent outcomes or exploit players’ personal information. With the growth of white-label casinos and emerging markets, affiliates and operators must remain vigilant. Gamecheck aggregates intelligence from multiple providers to create a single, reliable source for checking legitimacy, reducing duplicated efforts, and protecting the ecosystem. How Affiliates Can Promote Verified Casino Content Gamecheck empowers both players and affiliates by offering tools to verify casinos before depositing. The Gamecheck Seal, a QR code on approved sites, allows instant verification of authenticity. Affiliates can now promote only verified operators, ensuring consumer trust and protecting their own reputations. James emphasises that even in regulated markets, vigilance is crucial, and collaboration between affiliates, operators, and providers is key to sustaining trust in the industry. Listen to Learn How Affiliates Can Reduce Casino Fraud Risk: How Gamecheck detects cloned casino games and protects the ecosystem.Why affiliates should care about authenticity and consumer trust.The growing challenge of AI and rapid game replication.Best practices for building credibility in online gaming affiliate programs.Real-world impact: reducing fraud, protecting players, and promoting trusted operators. Key Timestamps to go Direct:  [01:50] The problem of cloned casino games in the industry  [06:33] How Gamecheck identifies fake games and investigates URLs  [08:37] Gamecheck Seal and tools for affiliates and players  [23:25] AI, rapid game production, and emerging market risks  [31:30] How affiliates can engage with Gamecheck and promote trusted content Get More Affiliate Marketing Podcast Insights Protect your players and build credibility by promoting verified casino content. James Elliott shares how Gamecheck is helping affiliates, operators, and players navigate a complex, fast-growing market. Visit Gamecheck to verify casinos, access tools, and ensure your affiliate campaigns promote trustworthy operators. Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming. Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation. Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Send me a text with your questions

    34 min

  4. 3 Jun

    The Reddit Effect: Driving Brand Awareness with Affiliate Marketing in the Age of AI

    Have you ever wondered how brands can improve AI visibility without relying solely on traditional SEO or paid ads? In this episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, we sit down with Mary Cooper, Co-Founder at Nicely Network, to explore how Reddit marketing is becoming part of modern brand awareness and affiliate strategy. Mary explains how Nicely Network helps brands build AI visibility by using Reddit alongside authoritative channels such as Yahoo and Business Insider, positioning them as trusted references in search, AI-driven discovery, and consumer decision-making. Mary also discusses the shift from traditional search behavior toward AI-assisted answers, and why Reddit has become a valuable platform for brands seeking long-term visibility and credibility. From software products to direct-to-consumer campaigns, Nicely Network has built a methodology that blends authenticity, niche targeting, affiliate strategy, and AI awareness to drive measurable results. Reddit Marketing and AI Visibility Talking Points The evolution of Nicely Network from a traditional affiliate agency to a Reddit and AI visibility specialist.Why Reddit is now a vital channel for brands, with its content being used to train AI and large language models.Case studies showcasing measurable results, including AI visibility gains and direct sales impact for clients like McAfee and Walmart.How Nicely Network balances brand guidelines with Reddit community authenticity to maximise performance.The long-term benefits of evergreen content that compounds over time and strengthens AI visibility. Why Reddit Marketing Matters for AI Visibility Mary explains that Reddit has grown into a powerful platform for brands seeking long-term AI visibility. Thanks to partnerships between Reddit and Google, Reddit content is now frequently cited in AI-driven search results. Nicely Network positions brands within niche communities and ensures posts are authentic, organic, and highly relevant to target audiences. By focusing on AI visibility rather than short-term metrics alone, brands gain a durable presence that continues to drive traffic and recognition over time. Reddit Campaign Case Studies and Affiliate Strategy Nicely Network’s approach is both strategic and tactical. For McAfee, they increased AI visibility share from 6% to 17% over four months. Walmart campaigns focused on bottom-of-funnel keywords, generating over $30 million in sales over multiple years. Campaigns are pre-planned with clear objectives, niche keywords, and pre-approved copy when necessary. Evergreen content ensures that initial campaigns continue to deliver value long after the launch, making Reddit a high-impact investment for long-term brand authority. What This Affiliate Marketing Podcast Episode Covers: How Reddit content is now being cited in AI models and why this matters for brands.The step-by-step approach Nicely Network takes to maintain authenticity while achieving visibility.Key considerations for selecting keywords, subreddits, and creating evergreen content.The measurable impact of Reddit and AI visibility campaigns on both awareness and sales.Lessons from working with global brands across software, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer sectors. Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [03:10] The importance of AI visibility for modern consumer behaviour [13:48] Reddit and authoritative media placements for AI citation [21:58] Case study: McAfee and driving measurable AI visibility [31:15] Rapid-fire insights: authenticity, AI visibility, and Reddit strategy Get More Affiliate Marketing Podcast Insights If you’re looking to increase your brand’s presence in AI-driven search and improve long-term visibility, this episode is a must-listen. Mary Cooper provides actionable insights into authentic Reddit marketing, evergreen content creation, and strategic AI citation. For more details on how Nicely Network helps brands with AI visibility through Reddit, have a look at HERE. Interested in their services? Affiliate Marketing Podcast listeners can get a $1,000 saving for any brand that launches a campaign with them (onboarding fee waivered). Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate manager who has ever wondered why their network feels like it was built for everyone except the partner. Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation. Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Send me a text with your questions

    36 min

  5. 27 May

    The Power of Relationship Management in Affiliate Marketing

    Can the fragility of relationships become a strategic advantage in affiliate relationship management? In this episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann sits down with Tali Chester, Senior Director, Account Management at Semantic Labs, to explore how performance-driven affiliate marketing intersects with human relationships, sensitivity, and trust. Tali shares her journey from fundraising at Greenpeace to leading high-impact digital marketing campaigns, showing how empathy, accountability, and clear communication support stronger affiliate partnerships. The conversation looks at the balance between analytical precision and authentic relationship-building. Tali explains why, even in a more automated and AI-driven marketing environment, the human side of affiliate program management remains critical for long-term success. From managing performance-only campaigns across hundreds of clients to building trusted affiliate relationships, this episode explores the balance between metrics, strategy, and personal connection. Affiliate Relationship Management Talking Points: Tali’s unconventional path into affiliate marketing and how human connection guided her journey.How Semantic Labs approaches performance-only campaigns across multiple verticals without cannibalising clients’ paid search efforts.The role of sensitivity and fragility in maintaining long-term, trusting relationships with affiliates and partners.Key strategies for balancing AI-driven tools and human judgment in decision-making.Lessons from running large-scale campaigns and handling high-stakes client relationships with accountability and transparency. Performance Marketing Accountability at Scale Semantic Labs operates with a performance-first model, managing hundreds of clients while focusing on paid search to drive leads and revenue. Tali emphasises that accountability is built into the culture: her team reviews client campaigns monthly, monitors spend versus performance, and actively optimises traffic and keywords to ensure results. This rigor allows clients to scale without upfront risk while maintaining low operational costs. The conversation highlights how performance-focused strategies require detailed attention, strategic planning, and a commitment to metrics, proving that strong results come from persistent, hands-on management. Trust and Human Relationships in Affiliate Partnerships Tali shares a powerful perspective on the fragility inherent in affiliate relationships: sensitivity and empathy are not weaknesses but forms of intelligence that build trust. Even in an AI-driven landscape, success depends on authentic human connections, vulnerability, and humility. By nurturing these relationships, her team strengthens engagement, fosters collaboration, and ensures that performance campaigns succeed while sustaining long-term partnerships. This approach illustrates that in affiliate marketing, the human element remains a decisive factor, complementing technology and analytics. What This Affiliate Marketing Podcast Episode Covers: How performance-only campaigns are executed without cannibalizing client efforts.Balancing AI tools and human judgment in affiliate management.Why fragility and sensitivity are critical for building trust and maintaining relationships.Lessons from managing high-volume campaigns and fostering accountability across teams.Practical advice for new and experienced affiliate managers on combining strategy with humanity. Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [10:00] Performance-only campaigns and operational transparency [14:48] Sensitivity and fragility as intelligence in partnerships [20:40] Paid search evolution, AI, and the changing affiliate landscape [28:28] Rapid-fire insights: relationships, accountability, and humility Get More Affiliate Marketing Podcast Insights Discover how to combine performance metrics with authentic human relationships in your affiliate programs. Tali Chester shared practical strategies for running performance-only campaigns, maintaining accountability, and nurturing sensitive, trust-based partnerships that drive results. If you are interested in finding out how Semantic Labs can help your business, check them out HERE. Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate manager who has ever wondered why their network feels like it was built for everyone except the partner. Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation. Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Send me a text with your questions

    33 min

  6. 21 May

    Understanding World Cup Marketing: Where Attention Doesn’t Mean Performance

    Today we go behind the scenes of one of the most high-stakes periods in sports betting marketing: the World Cup. Joining Lee-Ann is Vitaliia Pohrebniak, Team Lead of Influencer Marketing at PIN-UP Partners, who shares her insights on how brands can effectively convert attention into real performance during major sporting events. Vitaliia walks us through the meticulous preparation that goes into planning campaigns months in advance; from pre-testing creatives and defining KPIs to briefing and training influencers across multiple geographies. Why can’t the World Cup be treated like a regular marketing season? User behaviours shift dramatically, traffic heats up, and attention alone does not guarantee conversions. Vitaliia explains how content creators act as both strategic partners and cultural guides, helping brands connect with local audiences and respond quickly to real-time events, trends, and fan emotions.  Get ready for an episode that offers a lesson into how preparation, localised strategies, and influencer collaboration can ensure campaigns not only reach audiences but deliver measurable results during the most competitive periods of the sports calendar. Talking Points Include Why the World Cup should be treated as a separate marketing season.How influencer and content creator campaigns are structured to maximise performance.Strategic preparation, testing, and localisation for high-intensity marketing periods.Lessons on converting attention into real user actions and FTDs.Common pitfalls brands encounter and how to avoid them during major events. Listen to Find Out More About Why the World Cup creates a unique, high-intensity marketing environment.How pre-testing and localised content improve influencer performance.The difference between generating attention and delivering actual performance.Key strategies for contingency planning and managing influencer campaigns in real time.Common mistakes brands make during high-visibility events and how to avoid them. Key Segments and Where to Tune In [04:54] Why the World Cup is treated as a separate marketing season [06:40] Pre-tournament preparation: testing, templates, and KPIs [14:35] Influencer content strategies for engagement and conversion [20:38] Common mistakes brands make and how to ensure performance over attention Never Miss a Conversation Like This One If you’re managing campaigns around major sporting events, this episode is a must-listen. Vitaliia Pohrebniak reveals actionable strategies for converting attention into performance and maximising the impact of influencer campaigns.  New episodes of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast drop every week, with guests who are in the trenches of affiliate and performance marketing. Subscribe wherever you listen so the next one lands without you having to go looking for it. Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast to stay ahead of the latest event-driven marketing trends. Rate, Review and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts If the Affiliate Marketing Podcast is part of your regular listening, please take a moment to leave a five-star rating and a review. It helps more affiliate managers and e-commerce brands find conversations like this one. Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate manager who has ever wondered why their network feels like it was built for everyone except the partner. Send me a text with your questions

    30 min

  7. 14 May

    What Happens When You Turn Affiliate Marketing Into a Games League

    Why Most Affiliate Networks Are Built for the Brand, Not the Partner Dorin Boerescu has been in this industry since 2009. He started as an affiliate, bought a network that was turning over next to nothing, and has since facilitated more than 828 million euros in GMV. But the number that matters most to him is not the revenue figure. It is the question nobody asked when they built every traditional network before his: who actually has the right to decide how the marketing budget gets spent? What followed that question is Business League, a full-transparency affiliate ecosystem built around one metric, the number of sales. No branded traffic allowed. No hidden rankings. No six-month approval chains. Just a live leaderboard, gamified performance tiers, and a platform that treats affiliates like the traders they actually are. Lee-Ann sat down with Dorin to find out how a concept born in Romania is now live in Ireland, why complete transparency makes programs stronger rather than more vulnerable, and what happens when you build an affiliate network from the affiliate's point of view rather than the advertiser's. Talking Points Include Why affiliates are traders, not content creators and why the best performers in Business League have never read a Kotler textbookThe leaderboard that embarrassed a client who thought he was number one and why seeing the real ranking changed how he ran his program from that day forwardFull transparency as a fraud deterrent and why making all data visible to everyone keeps bad actors out and drives up quality across the entire ecosystemHow gamification goes beyond commission from speed contests to conversion rate competitions, and why affiliates compete even when the prize money is only 25 eurosThe case against budget caps in performance marketing and why capping spend in a cost-per-sale model is one of the most counterproductive things a brand can do Listen to Find Out More About How Dorin went from selling his agency shares in 2009 to building a network that outperforms traditional media channels on ROASWhy Business League launched in Ireland first, what he found when he got there, and which market is nextHow a branded traffic ban is enforced technically and what happens to affiliates who try to get around itThe five performance tiers from freelancer to unicorn and what it actually takes to move between themWhy Dorin would have dinner with Jeff Bezos and what Amazon's affiliate program did for this entire industryWhat an ROAS of 11.9 from non-branded traffic looks like in practice across 900 e-shops and 5,700 affiliates Key Segments and Where to Tune In [10:25] The Business League model explained: Premier League for marketing, 28-day rounds, five tiers, and why the only metric that matters is the number of sales[19:10] Full transparency as a competitive moat: why showing everyone the data keeps fraud out, makes brands better, and builds genuine respect between partners at different levels[24:30] Gamification in depth: the First 100 speed contest, conversion rate competitions, and why Dorin used the same system on his kids to get them to brush their teeth[33:20] Rapid fire round: affiliate marketing in three words, the one thing e-commerce brands get wrong when they launch a program, and who Dorin would have dinner with Send me a text with your questions

    36 min

  8. 7 May

    When Creators and Affiliates Stop Being Different Budget Lines

    What happens when a 26-year performance marketing veteran looks at the creator and affiliate divide and says the industry is solving the wrong problem entirely? If your affiliate program and creator program sit in separate budget lines with separate managers measured against completely different success metrics, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar. Todd Ulisoe, Chief Revenue Officer of Nomix Group, has spent 26 years watching brands unknowingly build the same problem into their marketing structures over and over again. The solution, he argues, is not better technology. It's better people alignment. Todd's career reads like a history of digital marketing itself: Amazon in its early days, building one of the world's second-largest ad networks, marketing for Dane Cook before influencer was even a word, building and selling three separate businesses. Now at Nomix Group, overseeing a portfolio that processes three billion monthly queries, he's seeing exactly where the creator and affiliate worlds are colliding and how brands can stop treating that collision like a problem. Talking Points Include: Why the creator versus affiliate budget battle has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with how people are compensated, and what actually has to shift at C-suite level before any of it changesHow unified measurement frameworks work in practice, and why brands that reconcile creators and affiliates against the same verified transaction outcomes will outperform those that keep them siloedWhat three billion monthly queries tells you about where consumer intent is moving right now, and which channels are capturing purchase signals before Google even gets involvedWhy Todd believes the label affiliate marketing is holding the channel back, and what calling it performance-based media would actually unlock for brands trying to build market shareThe crawl, walk, run approach to integrating creators into your existing affiliate program without breaking the economics that are already working Listen to Find Out More About: Why Todd refuses to call it affiliate marketing anymore, and what renaming the channel to performance-based media would do for how brands budget and value itThe distinction between transparency and brand safety that changes how you should be questioning your publisher partners entirelyWhat the Target creator program restructure signals about where the rest of retail is heading with its partner mixClicks without context: the metric Todd says performance marketers are most consistently wrong about right now, and what to focus on insteadThe rapid fire round: one channel to back for the next five years, CPA versus revenue share, and the best conference opener after 26 years in the industry Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [06:25] Where the affiliate and creator worlds actually break down: different budget owners, different success metrics, and why forcing both into the same operating logic creates friction before a single campaign launches [18:31] What three billion monthly queries actually tells you about consumer intent in 2025 and which channels are picking up purchase signals before Google is even in the picture [24:15] CPC to CPA: why Todd says it is just math, how Shopnomix runs 90 to 95 percent CPA, and the four-step framework for proving out the economics before you scale [29:41] Rapid fire: creators or traditional affiliates for the next five years, the metric everyone gets wrong, and the line Todd uses at conferences after 26 years in the game Send me a text with your questions

    30 min
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We’re on a quest to help the world do affiliate marketing better. Join your host, Lee-Ann Johnstone, Founder of Affiverse, and listen to her podcast series all about Affiliate and Performance Marketing. Learn from an array of digital marketing veterans, business entrepreneurs, SaaS product providers, and more to discover how digital and affiliate marketing are constantly changing. Hear how brands are building successful affiliate programs and driving consistent partner referrals and sales. Subscribe to hear exactly what it takes to launch, scale, and grow a successful affiliate program in this fast-moving digital age. Enjoying what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe for more thought-provoking insights and industry-leading content delivered straight to your inbox. Visit https://www.affiversemedia.com/newsletter-sign-up/ to get started.Visit www.affiversemedia.com for more great content. Interested in media, PR, and content opportunities? >> Book a free call HERE: https://affiversemedia.com/contact/

Information

  • Creator
    Lee-Ann Johnstone - Founder of Affiverse
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    297
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ace Alliance OÜ Kotkapoja tn 2a-10, Kristiine Linnaosa, 10615 Harju, Tallinn, Estonia
  • Show Website
    The Affiliate Marketing Podcast