Welcome to the last issue of ‘Fredy’s Fast Five’ of 2025.

We started the newsletter in the last quarter of the year. The goal is to create educational content while increasing the visibility of some amazing brands and affiliate partners that I know personally, who are doing incredible work.

Watching us gain each subscriber made me incredibly happy… because this has been a dream project for the last two years.

Thank you if you’re reading this. My team and I invest a significant amount of time and effort in creating these emails. So your positive responses, LinkedIn shoutout, and collaboration requests have validated our efforts.

We are planning even better content for 2026. So keep an eye on the newsletter.

With that said, let's discuss a client we onboarded in June of this year. An 8-figure apparel brand.

However, they couldn't scale beyond $ 22,000 monthly, despite having dozens of case studies and a strong paid ads team.

While reviewing with my Sr. Partner Manager, we noticed something: The program was growing. Sign-ups looked fine. However, top affiliates with large audiences and strong trust remained quiet. Within 60 to 90 days, they stopped promoting.

I asked the CMO: "What did you do about it? You've faced this since March. What's been the plan?"

He said, "I don't know, Fred. We stopped focusing on affiliates and doubled down on paid ads. Maybe our offer isn't good enough, or affiliates don't trust our brand."

However, the truth is that top affiliates often become bored. They've already promoted the offer to their list, and their emails and swipe copy have run their course. Without a reason to stick, they move on to new offers, new brands, and new perks.

We audited their program and found four probable reasons:

1. Same offer, no new angles 

Affiliates trade in attention. Repeating the same offer loses punch. We're creating fresh positioning with new narratives, behind-the-scenes stories, and case studies.

2. No new campaigns to excite them 

The same dashboard with old assets gets stale. We're adding quarterly promotions, seasonal campaigns, bundle deals, and product upgrades.

3. They don't feel special 

If everyone's treated the same, top affiliates feel invisible. We offer a VIP tier that includes early access, custom-branded landing pages, and direct access to Slack channels with managers.

Affiliate relationships aren't just transactional. Affiliates crave recognition and importance. We're implementing four key levers: VIP treatment, exclusive offers, higher commissions through performance tiers, and direct communication via Slack or monthly Zoom meetings.

Audit your top 10 affiliates. 

Create one new angle this month. 

Identify your VIPs. 

Give top performers something nobody else has. A

dd a personal touch with thank-you notes or videos.

Beyond metrics and tracking, what matters is motivating your top 5 percent. If they don't feel valued, no landing page will save your program.

Editorial review site with substantial US traffic and mattress/bedding intent. Their comparison guides and coupon roundups consistently convert last-click buyers.

8.2% CVR on review pages, EPC 1.35 (last 30 days). Best suited for sleep, relaxation, and weighted blanket offers ($80–$400 AOV).

Rev. share from 8% with tiered bonuses for volume.

Reply to this email for an intro. 

Let me share a couple of my favourite content pieces to improve your affiliate marketing strategy and overall business.

How We Find Top Affiliates Without Sending a Single Email

Affiliate Marketing for DTC Brands: Before You Launch an Affiliate Program, Fix This First

Premium weighted blankets and sleep accessories with a strong content moat. Their evergreen sleep angles perform well across SEO and review placements.

The affiliate channel grew by double digits month-over-month, with a rising EPC. Best fit for wellness/sleep affiliates, gift guides, and quality coupon aggregators.

Reply for sample links, assets, and custom codes. Deal terms: competitive rev share with activation bonuses.

“In Rx and telehealth, the main challenge isn’t recruiting affiliates; it’s conversion. With CPAs of $300–$400+ per customer, affiliates won’t risk traffic unless your funnel has already proven itself. The best move is to focus first on tightening your funnel and boosting conversion rates, so you can compete effectively. Once that foundation is strong, affiliates will line up to promote you.

Affiliates don’t create momentum; they multiply it.”

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I hope you enjoyed this week’s issue.

If you have any questions, want to promote your brand/ offer, or would like me to introduce you to any of our partners, please feel free to reply to this email.

I will get back to you ASAP. I would love to help you in any way possible.

Thank you for reading till the end. 

Talk soon,

Fred