The Affiliate Marketing Podcast

Lee-Ann Johnstone - Founder of Affiverse
  • 4.7 (12)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We're on a quest to help the world do affiliate marketing, better. Join your host Lee-Ann Johnstone, CEO of Affiverse an award winning Agency and Top 50 UK Affiliate Agency Owner as voted in The Drum Agency Census 2021 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 is 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 or discover our AMPP (Affiliate Manager Performance Program) training program for affiliate  program  managers who want to launch, scale or grow affiliate marketing programs in under 90 days! Need help with your Affiliate Program? Want to launch an affiliate program successfully? Talk to our agency team and find out how our consulting and account management services and how we  can help you drive consistent sales for your business! >> Book a free call HERE: https://affiversemedia.com/contact/

  1. 2D AGO

    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

  2. MAY 7

    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

  3. APR 30

    Diversify or Disappear: How Publishers Win in 2026

    What happens when the biggest threat to your publishing business is also buried inside the data you're not looking at?  Jorge Barbosa of wecantrack, joins Lee-Ann to talk about what is actually happening to publishers right now, why most of them are flying blind without realising it, and what the ones who are thriving are doing differently. The conversation covers HCU updates, AI overviews cannibalising traffic, the overlooked relationship between affiliate managers and publishers, and why EPC broken down by traffic source might be the most important number in your business that you're not tracking. Talking Points Include: The visibility gap most publishers don't know they have and why logging into your affiliate network reports is not the same as understanding your businessHow one publisher shifted from 80 percent organic to 80 percent paid traffic over four years and grew overall revenue in the processWhy AI overviews are changing the user journey in ways that affect affiliate managers just as much as publishers and what you should be doing about it depending on who your audience actually isThe case for affiliate managers paying for their top publishers' tracking tools and the commercial intelligence that comes back in return Listen to Find Out More About: Why EPC by traffic source and landing page is the one metric Jorge always leads with in demos, and what it reveals that network reports never willHow big publishers use automated link testing and monetisation scripts to protect revenue at scale without adding headcountThe LLM tracking feature wecantrack is building that measures how often an AI model is crawling your content, not just mentioning itWhy affiliate marketing as a side hustle is the myth that drives Jorge mad, and what the industry actually looks like when you pull back the lensWhat the successful publisher looks like in 2027, in one sentenceWhy publishers building a brand rather than just a website is the single most important strategic shift happening in the industry right now Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [02:00] The pain points publishers are dealing with right now: HCU losses, AI overview traffic cannibalisation, and why most are still guessing about where their revenue comes from[06:50] A live demo reality check: the publisher who thought YouTube was irrelevant until the data showed it was their best-converting channel[22:08] Pivot or die: real examples of publishers who lost eighty percent of organic revenue and rebuilt stronger by acting on what the data told them[28:00] The rapid fire round: the one metric everyone should track, the best and worst things to happen to publishers in two years, and what 2027 looks like for the publishers who make it Call to Action A big thank you to Jorge for being so generous with what he's seen on the ground. If this episode has made you think differently about the data sitting inside your publishing business or program, that is worth acting on sooner rather than later. Have a look at their Affiliate Dashboard or book a demo if this episode has sparked your interest. KonverJ works with brands and affiliate managers to build publisher relationships and program strategies that are grounded in what the data actually shows. If you want to stop guessing and start making decisions that compound, get in touch with the team here. Rate, Review and Subscribe on Send me a text with your questions

    34 min

  4. APR 23

    From Small Affiliate to Big Audience: Why Ignorance is not Affiliate Bliss!

    What happens when your affiliate publisher is a sleep-deprived new mum with 45,000 verified users, a Dragon's Den deal, and strong opinions about how brands treat people? You listen. Olivia Davson is the co-founder of Cubbi, the UK's first discount platform built specifically for verified new and expecting parents. She launched it eight weeks after having her first child, built the first version of the app with her sister who had zero coding experience, onboarded over 30 brands before launch, and pitched her business live on BBC's Dragon's Den at nine months pregnant. She walked out with a 50,000 pound investment. In this episode, Lee-Ann talks with Olivia about what it actually feels like to enter the affiliate industry as a new publisher, why most affiliate managers missed the opportunity she represented early on, and what brands who did show up early gained because of it. The conversation covers the mechanics of Cubbi's verification model, why the parent demographic is unlike any other in consumer marketing, and what the affiliate channel still gets wrong about the publisher relationship. Talking Points Include: What Cubbi actually is and why the parent lifecycle is a marketer's playbook in a way that student discount platforms are notThe outreach reality nobody talks about: Olivia contacted a thousand brands before launch. Around thirty said yes. What those thirty did differently that made them irreplaceable partnersHow Dragon's Den changed everything overnight, from word-of-mouth pockets across the UK to a nationwide spike in downloads and credibility that no paid campaign could have boughtWhy Olivia screens every inbound brand enquiry personally and the red lines that will get a brand turned away regardless of budget Listen to Find Out More About: The exact moment Olivia decided Cubbi needed to exist, standing at a coffee shop counter on maternity pay and doing the mental arithmeticWhat brands Olivia singles out as genuinely getting the parent audience right, and what they are doing that others are notHow Matthew from Cashblack supported Olivia at the moment she was closest to walking away, and why that kind of peer support matters more than people admitThe expansion plan for Cubbi, what comes after nailing the UK, and which markets are already asking when they are nextWhy not everyone needs to understand what you are building, and how that mindset shift changes how you show up as a founderWhat the Dragon's Den investment from Susie Ma has meant practically for the business beyond the headline number Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [07:25] The scrappy startup reality: a thousand outreach messages, thirty brand partners, and what the ones who said yes understood that the others missed [13:00] How Cubbi verifies users, why the verification model matters to brands, and the difference between targeted reach and spray-and-pray traffic [15:37] Dragon's Den: why Olivia went on the show at nine months pregnant, what happened when the episode aired, and what a nationwide audience spike looks like on a growth map [19:00] What the industry gets wrong about new publishers and why the affiliate channel is more transactional than it needs to be Call to Action A big thank you to Olivia for sharing her story so openly. If this episode has made you think differently about how your program handles early-stage publishers, that instinct is worth acting on. KonverJ works with brands and affiliate managers to audit partner recruitment and relationship strategies from the ground up. If you want to build a program that attracts the next Cubbi before th Send me a text with your questions

    25 min

  5. APR 16

    AEO, GEO, SEO: Who, What & Why

    The rules of discovery are being rewritten in real time. Here is what affiliate managers need to understand before the market moves on without them. If you have been half-listening to conversations about AI search and hoping it will settle down before you have to do anything about it, this episode is your wake-up call. Reza Moaiandin, co-founder of SALT.agency, has spent 25 years watching the internet evolve from static HTML to generative AI. He joins Lee-Ann to cut through the noise on SEO, AEO and GEO, explain what the data from his clients is actually showing about shifting user behaviour, and give affiliate managers a clear-headed diagnostic for where to focus right now. Talking Points Include: Why SEO, AEO and GEO are not three separate disciplines -- and the crucial distinction between winning the click, being in the answer, and being part of the answer that every affiliate manager needs to understand right noThe 20% tipping point that changes everything -- Reza's research tracks the mass adoption rate of generative AI globally, and his data suggests the hockey stick moment is closer than most people thinkThe collapsing customer funnel -- how discovery, comparison, evaluation and shortlisting are now happening inside a single AI interaction, and what that means for the partner segmentation models affiliate programs still rely on Listen to Find Out More About: Why Reza refuses to use keyword difficulty as a meaningful metric, and the specific example of a tiny B2B company that outranked international businesses for a keyword rated 99 out of 100The hidden technical trick using Cloudflare and server logs that lets you see which of your pages AI platforms are actually pulling, and what that tells you about how your affiliates' content is being usedWhy ChatGPT and Claude give different answers when Reza is asked to pick a favourite, and which one he recommends for affiliate managers specificallyHow the user journey is being compressed so that discovery, comparison and purchase intent are collapsing into a single AI interaction before a user even reaches your websiteThe generational behaviour shift Reza is tracking using his father and his teenage nephew as a real-world test of when mass adoption has genuinely arrivedKey Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [05:06] Reza breaks down the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO in plain language, and explains why confusing them leads affiliate managers to make the wrong budget decisions [11:00] How the traditional customer funnel is collapsing inside a single AI interaction, illustrated with the running shoe example that makes the shift impossible to ignore [20:40] The diagnostic Reza would run on any affiliate program today: where to start, what to fix first, and why fixing AEO and GEO before your SEO foundations are solid is a waste of time and budget [24:44] The server log technique that tells you exactly which pages AI platforms are pulling from your site and your affiliates' content, and why most affiliate managers are not looking at this data Call to Action A big thank you to Reza for sharing his research and his thinking so generously. If this episode has made you question whether your current partner segmentation still reflects how your customers actually find you, that instinct is worth following up on. KonverJ works with brands and affiliate managers to audit and rebuild partner strategies that are built for where the market is heading, not where it has been. If that conversation is timely for your program, get in touch with the team here. Send me a text with your questions

    31 min

  6. APR 9

    Is Your Affiliate Program Sick? How to Triage It

    The diagnostic framework that 20 years of affiliate program management built - and why most programs are not broken, just badly diagnosed. If your affiliate program is underperforming and you are not sure where to start, this episode will change how you think about the problem. No guest, no interview, just Lee-Ann, her two decades of affiliate marketing experience across e-commerce, SaaS, B2B, retail and iGaming, and the step-by-step framework she uses with clients to diagnose exactly what is wrong and what to fix first. This is one of those episodes you will want to listen to with a document open and a pen in hand. Talking Points Include: Why fixing everything at once is the fastest way to fix nothing -- the triage mindset borrowed from medicine that stops affiliate managers from burning through resources on the wrong problems at the wrong timeThe five vital signs of an affiliate program and how to read them -- from active partner rate to communication cadence, the diagnostic checks that give you a clear picture of program health before you touch a single commission rateThe four root causes behind almost every underperforming affiliate program -- and why each one requires a completely different prescription Listen to Find Out More About: The efficiency logic behind why one focused priority per month beats a 20-point action plan every timeHow to use conversion rate by partner type to spot traffic that looks good on paper but is costing you moneyThe void and reversal rate threshold that signals something is seriously wrong with either traffic quality or your returns processWhy tracking problems are the silent killer of affiliate programs, and the one test you should run this week if you cannot remember when you last did itThe three honest truths Lee-Ann shares at the end of the episode that rarely get said out loud in affiliate marketing Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [01:00] Why most underperforming affiliate programs are not broken, just badly diagnosed, and the triage mindset that changes how you approach a fix [04:14] The five vital signs of affiliate program health and how to read each one using data you already have access to [13:25] The four root causes behind underperformance and the specific prescription for each one [18:08] How to build a triage action plan using the one priority, one metric, four weeks rule [21:49] The three hard truths about affiliate programs that do not get said often enough, and what acting on them actually looks like Call to Action If this episode gave you a clearer picture of what is holding your program back, the next step is making sure you have the right support around you. The KonverJ Agency works with affiliate program managers and brands who are ready to stop guessing and start building programs that perform. Find out how we can help at Konverj.io and start the conversation. Send me a text with your questions

    26 min

  7. APR 2

    Mastering The Art of Difficult Conversations With Affiliate Partners

    The coaching framework that helps affiliate managers navigate commercial conflict, set boundaries, and lead with confidence even when the conversation gets uncomfortable. If you have ever walked into a partner meeting already dreading it, or sent a reactive email on a Friday evening and regretted it by Sunday, this episode is for you. Tara Alvarez Garcia, performance and leadership coach with over 15 years in marketing and commercial roles, joins Lee-Ann to break down why difficult conversations go wrong, and what you can do differently before you even open your mouth. From handling underperforming affiliates to managing burnout in a permanently switched-on industry, this is the practical coaching session affiliate managers rarely get. Talking Points Include: The one mindset shift that changes every difficult conversation -- why reframing from "you versus the problem" to "we versus the problem" transforms the tone before anyone has said a word, and how proper preparation makes difficult meetings far less dauntingWhy being always on is not a strength, it is a liability -- how the pressure to respond instantly to Slack, WhatsApp, and emails is quietly eroding performance, and the practical techniques Tara uses with senior leaders to reclaim thinking spaceThe difference between managing and leading in affiliate marketing -- using the engine and the driver analogy, Tara and Lee-Ann unpack why technical competency gets you to manager level but an entirely different skill set is required to lead a team or a partner program effectively Listen to Find Out More About: Why Tara recommends using AI tools like ChatGPT to role-play difficult conversations before they happen, and exactly how to prompt it to push back on youThe three practical leadership principles Tara leaves listeners with, and why they apply at every level of the industryWhat Tara does when a coaching client comes to her already at rock bottom, and why she gets better results from the ones who arrive before the crisis hitsThe special offer Tara has put together exclusively for listeners of this episode, and the link where you can claim itWhy the affiliate manager skills most at risk from AI are not the ones people think, and which human capabilities are genuinely irreplaceable Key Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [02:45] The managing versus leading distinction explained: the engine gets the car moving, but who decides where it goes? [06:25] How to enter a difficult commercial conversation prepared, collaborative, and clear on the outcome you actually want [08:40] What to do when the conversation heats up: the case for controlled silence and slowing down before reacting [13:00] Why thinking time is not a luxury in a leadership role, it is the job, and how to carve it out in a reactive industry [18:30] Tara's blueprint for handling any difficult conversation, walked through step by step Call to Action Thanks to Tara Alvarez Garcia for such a grounded and genuinely practical episode. Tara has put together an exclusive offer for listeners, including a free downloadable blueprint for handling difficult conversations and a limited number of discounted one-off coaching sessions. You can access both at tyscoaching.com/affiliate-marketing-podcast. If your affiliate program needs more than a listening session, the KonverJ Agency team works directly with brands to build, audit, and scale affiliate programs. Find out how we can support you at Konverj.io Send me a text with your questions

    27 min

  8. MAR 26

    Why Traction Beats Perfection: Unveiling the Power of HerPlay

    From Casino Dealer to iGaming Exit: What Hustle Actually Looks Like You've heard people credit their success to luck. Karolina Pelc doesn't buy it. The founder of BeyondPlay, who built and sold her gaming software startup to FanDuel in 2024, traces every "fortunate" moment back to a decision, a risk, or a leap taken before she felt ready. In this episode, she joins Lee-Ann to talk about building a business in a male-dominated industry, the lessons that only come from failing, and her new book Her Play, which challenges the narrative that success is something that happens to you. About Karolina Pelc Karolina Pelc has spent over 20 years in gaming, starting as a casino dealer in Poland before working at London's most prestigious clubs and spending three years on cruise ships. She moved into online gaming as it was emerging, held roles across marketing, product, and business management, and was part of the LeoVegas team during its most exciting growth phase. She went on to found BeyondPlay, a software-as-a-service company specialising in multiplayer and jackpot products, which was acquired by FanDuel in February 2024. She now mentors early-stage founders and has channelled her journey into her debut book, Her Play, which publishes on 9 June in the UK & Europe and on 8th September in the USA & Canada. Talking Points Include: Why luck is a byproduct of motion, not a personality trait — the phrase at the heart of Her Play, and why Karolina developed it in response to a question she kept getting asked after the saleWhat a cruise ship taught her about multiplayer gaming — and why the product idea she eventually built and sold wasn't random at allThe three moments she knew she had outgrown the room — from leaving a cruise ship job without a plan, to founding a startup in a 43-square-metre apartment during COVID lockdownHow failure compounds into advantage — why the jackpot product that got BeyondPlay acquired only existed because the original product wasn't getting traction fast enoughBuilding confidence in a male-dominated industry — Karolina's honest take on gender dynamics in gaming and the startup investment world, and why she sees her experience as a superpower rather than a disadvantage Listen to Find Out More About: What Karolina actually took away from her two visits to Necker Island, and how the experience shaped the book and her decision to mentor foundersHow she navigated the identity crisis that came after selling BeyondPlay, and what helped her work out what she wanted to do nextThe specific moment during COVID that convinced her to found the company rather than take a permanent job, despite every rational signal pointing the other wayWhy she believes your past experience is never a liability, and how that thinking connects directly to what affiliate managers do every dayThe five key takeaways Lee-Ann pulls from the conversation — including a fifth one Karolina adds herself, live on micKey Segments of This Podcast and Where You Can Tune In to Go Direct: [01:38] Karolina's introduction and the story behind HerPlay — from land-based casino dealer to iGaming exec to founder [05:37] "Luck is a byproduct of motion" — where the phrase came from and what it actually means in practice [18:15] The three defining leaps in Karolina's career, and what finally made her take each one [25:00] Necker Island, Richard Branson, and the full-circle moment that launched the book [32:00] Lee-Ann's four-point summary — and Karolina's fifth, which might be the best of all Send me a text with your questions

    34 min
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About

We're on a quest to help the world do affiliate marketing, better. Join your host Lee-Ann Johnstone, CEO of Affiverse an award winning Agency and Top 50 UK Affiliate Agency Owner as voted in The Drum Agency Census 2021 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 is 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 or discover our AMPP (Affiliate Manager Performance Program) training program for affiliate  program  managers who want to launch, scale or grow affiliate marketing programs in under 90 days! Need help with your Affiliate Program? Want to launch an affiliate program successfully? Talk to our agency team and find out how our consulting and account management services and how we  can help you drive consistent sales for your business! >> Book a free call HERE: https://affiversemedia.com/contact/

Information

  • Creator
    Lee-Ann Johnstone - Founder of Affiverse
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    291
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AffliateInsider Limited - T/A Affiverse Media
  • Show Website
    The Affiliate Marketing Podcast

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