I have worked with enough D2C brands to see one clear pattern. Most affiliate programs fail at recruitment.
So over time, I built a simple way to think about it.
There are 4 rules I stand by whenever I recruit affiliates.
A. First, I focus on what I call “intent-aligned distribution.”
Look for people who already influence buying decisions in the category.
When I am evaluating a publisher or media buyer, I ask myself where their audience is in the buying journey.
If they sit close to the purchase moment, I move forward.
B. Second, I prioritize “economic alignment over audience size.”
I have seen smaller affiliates outperform large creators because their incentives were structured right.
When I am negotiating, I spend more time understanding how they make money than how many followers they have. If their upside grows with my revenue, I know they will push harder.
C. Third, I look for “creative sovereignty.”
I usually avoid over-controlling affiliates. The best media buyers already understand their audience better than I do.
When I am onboarding someone strong, I give them clear boundaries but full freedom within them. This is where most of the performance comes from.
D. Fourth, I build for “compounding relationships.”
I do not treat affiliates as one-off deals.
When I find someone who works, I invest time in them. I share data, insights, and sometimes even product roadmap context.
Over time, they start thinking like partners, not vendors. That shift changes everything.
This is how I approach affiliate recruitment today.
It is less about finding more people and more about finding the right ones and going deeper with them.
I can share exactly how we recruit affiliates to scale a DTC brand. Book a free strategy call here and let’s talk.
Talk soon,
Fred