Last week, I was on a call with the CMO of a lifestyle brand making $12M ARR.
The holiday season is here. Everyone wants to take advantage of the peak buying time.
“How do we finally get our affiliate channel to perform?” He asked.
We spent the next 25 minutes finalizing our Q4 strategy.
Here’s the Plan We’re Rolling Out Over the Next Week:
1. Active affiliate recruitment
Instead of waiting for affiliates to find us, we’re hunting the ones who can truly drive sales. We’ve mapped out a list of 80 high-intent affiliates and boutique media buyers and are reaching out directly. The goal is to accelerate holiday revenue without relying on generic coupon traffic.
2. Prioritizing proven results
Not every affiliate delivers. We’re filtering for partners with a documented record of $10K+ monthly ROI. This means less time wasted and more guaranteed lift in conversions.
3. Creative collaboration
Affiliates are your creative partners. We’re sharing holiday-specific campaigns, content bundles, and exclusive offers to make it easier for affiliates to promote effectively.
4. Real-time tracking & accountability
The brand struggled with delayed payouts and unclear reporting. We’re implementing a tracking dashboard so every affiliate sees exactly what they earned and what’s working. Everyone gets paid on performance. That will incentivize the affiliates even more.
5. Timing the surge
Holiday shoppers start early. We’re launching the first wave of affiliates four weeks before peak season, then rolling out a second wave during early-December to capture the last-minute buyers. Timing will turn effort into actual revenue.
With these five pivots, the brand is projected to generate $180K–$220K in affiliate-driven sales this holiday season…without overloading the team or wasting ad spend.
If you want, I can share exactly how we structure this system for lifestyle brands to hit these numbers. Book a free strategy call here and let’s talk.
Now, let me quickly introduce a brand that’s crushing its affiliate marketing campaign.
Brand Spotlight:
Who they are & why it works
Founded in 2015 in Southern California, Koi CBD is one of the most trusted names in hemp-derived wellness. Their products are crafted from USA-grown hemp, manufactured in cGMP and ISO-certified facilities, and third-party tested to ensure purity and consistency.
Performance & best fit
Top-performing offers such as Dragon Blend and Extra Strength Delta 9 Gummies drive exceptional conversion rates through proven direct-response funnels and standout creative angles like “The World’s Strongest Gummy.”
Average Order Value: $110
Conversion Rate: 2.8%
300+ daily sales with CPA $90–$110
Flexible bonuses for top-performing partners
Koi is a strong fit for affiliates in wellness, lifestyle, or performance supplement verticals looking to promote premium cannabinoid-based products with proven conversion metrics.
How to partner
Koi operates through Impact, offering clean tracking, mapped customer data, and transparent reporting.
Affiliates gain access to pre-approved copy, ad templates, suppression files, and campaign guidelines.
To explore partnership opportunities, reply to this email to connect with Koi CBD.
Content Resource For The Week:
Let me share a couple of my favorite content pieces to improve your affiliate marketing strategy and overall business.
Affiliate Spotlight:
Who they are & why it works
It is a content-driven eCommerce publisher that helps millions of readers make smarter purchase decisions through expert reviews, Top 10 lists, and buying guides.
Their editorial model blends data-driven product scoring with customer insights, ensuring each recommendation aligns with what buyers actually want.
Performance & best fit
450K monthly active users and 15K daily active users.
Average time on site: 1.5 minutes.
50,000+ email subscribers with 23%+ open rates for newsletter promotions.
Best suited for consumer brands in pet care, home, electronics, health, beauty, finance, and travel categories. Their audience is primed for top-of-funnel awareness and mid-funnel conversions through trusted recommendations.
How to partner
They offer sponsored placements, content integrations, and banner campaigns across high-performing product review pages and newsletters.
Reply to this email to explore Q4 placements and collaboration
Your Question & My Answer:
“What are some of the best affiliate tracking software options for different types of programs, that you use personally?”
“Choosing the right platform depends on the type of affiliates you want to recruit and the scale of your program. Some of the top options include Impact for large-scale programs, Everflow for media buyers, and Grin for influencer-driven programs. “
That’s it for this issue. If you want intros to any of our partners, reply today and I’ll connect you personally.
And if you have any questions for me, feel free to ask.
I read all of the emails. (Even the spammy ones!:)
Thank you for reading till the end.
Talk soon,
Fred