I have been in this space for the last 17 years.
I speak to 50–100 founders and CMOs every year.
There are a few patterns that always repeat.
Brands often think they just need to recruit more affiliates to make more money.
But that’s rarely the real problem.
Recruiting more affiliates will not magically solve the fundamental or infrastructural issues in your affiliate program.
I feel there are 2 core issues that CMOs don’t want to accept:
A. The product itself.
Sometimes the issue is product-market fit.
Sometimes there is no clear brand story, so affiliates don’t understand why you are different from competitors.
When that competitive advantage is missing, affiliates simply don’t see the upside potential.
B. The economic structure.
Many programs lack a proper tiered commission structure.
When affiliates don’t see incremental rewards as they scale performance, there is no real incentive for growth.
And then there is trust.
If affiliates are not paid on time or encounter questionable practices, trust breaks quickly.
When one media buyer or affiliate has a bad experience, word spreads fast.
The best partners stop working with you, and the overall quality of affiliates drops.
Then CMOs start wondering why affiliate marketing is not working for them.
The answer is often right in front of their eyes.
They just don’t want to see it.
I have broken this down in detail and shared a concise action plan in this YouTube video.
Talk soon.
Fred