A few weeks ago, we ran into a problem with one of our DTC clients.

Their affiliate program was growing fast.

More creators joining, more clicks, more sales. Everything looked great on paper.

Until it wasn’t.

One of the affiliates was driving huge traffic spikes… but the sales didn’t match.
Conversion rates were tanking. CAC was climbing.

At first, the client thought it was seasonal. But when we dug deeper into the data, it was clear: the traffic was low-quality.

Bot clicks, junk audiences, irrelevant placements;  the kind of traffic that just inflates your dashboard.

We had two options:

- Keep the affiliate for short-term numbers.

- Or remove them to protect long-term growth.

We chose the second.

Within a week, the results stabilized.

The program’s AOV increased by 23%, and conversion rates bounced back.

1. Audit your traffic: A spike in clicks means nothing if conversions don’t follow.

2. Set clear performance thresholds:  Every affiliate should know what “healthy” traffic looks like. Build clear benchmarks and remove emotion from the decision.

3. Reward consistency: The best affiliates might not drive massive traffic, but they bring buyers who stay. And they are the ones who generate revenue for your brand.

If you’d like a quick audit to spot low-quality traffic before it costs you, reply “CHECKLIST” and I’ll get in touch.

Now, let me share a brand that is quietly scaling its program, generating great ROI for its partners.

Som Sleep is a drink powder that promises to relax you, reduce feelings of stress, and help you fall asleep. It also enhances the quality of your sleep and can help re-establish a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

+22% average monthly growth in affiliate-attributed revenue

3x–7x ROAS maintained across all channels

<10% cost-to-revenue ratio, ensuring sustainable profitability

+40% lift in conversion rates within six months

80% of total revenue, driven by nine top affiliates

These results positioned the brand among the most efficient emerging DTC programs in its category.

The brand followed a three-phase framework: validate offers with high-intent partners, expand through content and discovery affiliates, and sustain growth via audits and tiered commissions. This disciplined approach turned early testing into a predictable scale.

Reply to this email and I’ll connect you with the brand.

SafeOpt® is a shopper recovery platform that helps brands reconnect with visitors who leave their site without completing a purchase. With access to a network of 175M+ active U.S. shoppers, SafeOpt® sends verified email offers to high-intent users, recovering 3–5x more abandoned shoppers than standard remarketing campaigns. 

Performance & best fit

SafeOpt® campaigns deliver an average 35% open rate, 19.5% CTR, and 12.7% conversion rate, with brands emailing 5–20% of total site visitors. 

Best fit for DTC, eCommerce, and retail brands looking to recover lost revenue, improve conversion rates, and drive incremental sales without expanding ad spend. Works especially well for mid to enterprise brands focused on margin protection and retention.

How to partner

SafeOpt® operates on a pay-for-performance model, meaning you only pay when a sale occurs. Reply to this email to explore Q4 placements with SafeOpt®.

“In many cases, we see the first sales within 30 days. But true scale usually comes around the 3–6 month mark, depending on product fit and conversion metrics.”

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