The Affiliate Guy with Matt McWilliams: Marketing Tips, Affiliate Management, & More

Legal stuff might not be the most exciting part of running an affiliate program, but it's one of the areas you can't afford to just wing. If your affiliates are making false claims, skipping disclosures, spamming people, mishandling data, or breaking your terms, that can come back on you. In this episode, I'm walking through what every affiliate manager needs to know about legal stuff, including FTC disclosures, email rules, privacy and data protection, fraud monitoring, tax records, cookie consent, and why your affiliate agreement needs to be clear before problems show up. This isn't legal advice, but it will help you know what to watch, what to document, and when to get professional help so your program stays protected. Links Mentioned in this Episode What the 2023 FTC Updates Mean for Affiliate Marketing How to Identify and Stop Affiliate Fraud How to Write a Review Post that Ranks and Converts AffiliateHQ

Affiliates stick around when they know you're not treating them like a name on a spreadsheet. Strong relationships are what keep partners engaged, responsive, and willing to promote again, even when another program comes along with a bigger commission or a flashier offer. In this episode, I'm showing you how to create affiliate relationships that last, whether you're working with experienced partners, brand-new affiliates, or people who haven't promoted in a while. You'll learn where to start, what to focus on, and how to build the kind of trust that turns affiliates into long-term partners instead of one-time promoters. Links Mentioned in this Episode Sample Affiliate Training

Something is going to go wrong in your affiliate program eventually. A launch gets delayed. A tracking issue pops up. A commission changes. A promo doesn't go the way you expected. The mistake most people make is waiting too long, saying too little, or trying to make the problem sound better than it is. In this episode, I'm showing you how to tell affiliates when something goes wrong so you can be honest, protect trust, manage expectations, and keep your partners confident even when the update isn't the one t hey wanted to hear. Links Mentioned in this Episode AffiliateHQ Top 20 Affiliate Program Mistakes How to 10X Your Sales WITHOUT Spending All Day on Social Media or Expensive Paid Ads

Affiliate managers have a lot pulling at their attention: recruiting new partners, activating the ones who signed up, answering questions, checking stats, creating resources, following up, and keeping the program moving. So what should you actually do each day? In this episode, I'm showing you how to plan your day as an affiliate manager so you know what to focus on first, what can wait, and how to spend your time on the work that actually grows the program. If you've ever wondered what the day-to-day role really looks like, this will give you a practical way to structure it. Links Mentioned in this Episode AffiliateHQ How I Built a $1 Million a Month Affiliate Program In Only Two Years Without Any Connections or Credentials Check Out Our Careers Page Find Your First 100 Affiliates

Every affiliate program runs into problems. Some show up before you ever recruit your first affiliate, like choosing the right tracking software, fixing website issues, dialing in conversions, setting commissions, and getting your program policies clear. Others hit once the program is live, like finding the right affiliates, activating them, keeping them engaged, communicating well, and giving them the right promotional materials. In this episode, I'm walking through the common problems every affiliate program faces, including the later-stage issues too: changing technology, fraud, brand reputation, compliance, and the need to keep testing new ideas. You'll learn what usually goes wrong, why it slows down growth, and what to fix first. Links Mentioned in this Episode AffiliateHQ VIDEO – How to Decide the Right Affiliate Commission Structure Your First 100 Affiliates Report Affiliate Activation Email Templates How I Built a $1 Million a Month Affiliate Program In Only Two Years Without Any Connections or Credentials Sample Affiliate Training

Affiliate fraud is rare, but when it happens, it can cost you real money, damage your program, and create a mess you wish you'd caught sooner. The good news is, you don't have to spend hours every week hunting for problems. You just need to know which red flags to watch. In this episode, I'm walking through the signs every affiliate program should pay attention to, including conversion rates that are way too high or way too low, strange click patterns, high refund rates, spam complaints, fake discount codes, cookie stuffing, trademark bidding, and more. You'll learn how to spot potential fraud, how to prove what's really happening, and when to warn an affiliate versus when to remove them fast. Links Mentioned in this Episode AffiliateHQ Your First 100 Affiliates The 3 Secrets of Success Affiliate Programs This Affiliate Program Just Made a Fatal Mistake: Here's What They Should Have Done Instead

Affiliate webinars can bring in a flood of leads and still leave a lot of sales on the table. The difference usually comes down to what happens before, during, and after the webinar. In this episode, I'm showing you how to make affiliate webinars convert better, including how to promote an offer that doesn't perfectly match your niche, what to ask affiliate managers and partners for before you promote, and how encore webinars can double or even triple sales. These are practical lessons we've learned from real promotions, including what worked, what didn't, and how to get more value from every webinar you run or promote. Links Mentioned in this Episode ConvertKit

You started an affiliate program, but it's not growing the way you expected. Before you recruit more partners, raise commissions, or start changing everything at once, you need to figure out what's actually broken. In this episode, I'm showing you how to find what's wrong with your affiliate program and fix it by walking through the 14 problems I've seen come up again and again over nearly two decades of working with affiliate programs. Most struggling programs have three, four, or five of these issues, and once you identify yours, you can stop guessing and start fixing the problems that are actually holding back growth. Links Mentioned in this Episode How I Built a $1 Million a Month Affiliate Program In Only Two Years Without Any Connections or Credentials Find Your First 100 Affiliates Affiliate Email Template Get Our Sample Affiliate Training

Affiliates can't promote well if they're guessing. They need more than a link and a login. They need the right tools, the right direction, and the right kind of support from you as the affiliate manager. In this episode, I'm sharing the 5 things affiliates need to succeed, based on nearly 17 years of running and studying great affiliate programs. You'll learn what to provide so your partners know what to say, when to promote, how to get better results, and why they should keep showing up for your program again and again. Links Mentioned in this Episode How to Give Your Affiliates Banners & Graphics How we do affiliate trainings How to Create Mailing Plans for Your Affiliates Affiliate Promo Checklist How to Use Swipe Copy MotionMail

An affiliate program gets fragile when all the sales come from one or two big partners. The goal is to build a deep bench of loyal promoters who believe in what you sell, know how to talk about it, and keep coming back to promote again. In this episode, I'm showing you how to grow an affiliate program without relying on a few affiliates, including how to attract the right partners, turn customers and fans into evangelists, and create the kind of experience that makes affiliates want to stick around for the long haul. Links Mentioned in this Episode Find Affiliates Now How to Turn Competitors into Affiliates Top 7 Mistakes Businesses Make Reaching Out to Prospective Affiliates

Your best affiliate prospects are usually hiding in plain sight... on other people's leaderboards. In this episode, I'm breaking down how to recruit affiliates from competitor leaderboards, including exactly where to find the lists, how to choose the right prospects, and how to reach out in a way that starts real relationships instead of sounding like a spammy pitch. Links Mentioned in this Episode Your Affiliate Launch Coach

Affiliates promote more when you stop asking them to "just send something" and start giving them a clear plan. In this episode, I'm showing you how to create promotion plans for affiliates so they know exactly when to promote, what to say, who to send it to, and how to pace it without burning out their list. I'll share the two types of affiliate mailing plans we use, plus how to use them to move affiliates from two emails to five, from five to twelve, and in some cases up to 15 or 16 emails, without feeling spammy or chaotic. Links Mentioned in this Episode Download the Promo Plan Template Nifty Images Influence Book

Affiliate programs are everywhere now, so if you want the right partners, you can't just be "another program with a link." In this episode, I'm breaking down how to make your affiliate program stand out to affiliates, so you attract quality partners without relying on nonstop cold outreach forever. We'll talk about what affiliates actually look for before they join, what makes a program feel easy to promote, and the simple upgrades that turn your program into one affiliates want to be part of. Links Mentioned in this Episode How to Determine the Right Affiliate Commission Structure PODCAST EPISODE - How to Run Affiliate Contests Without Breaking the Bank PODCAST EPISODE - How to Build Trust and Credibility with Your Affiliates Affiliate Terms and Conditions Template Affiliate Training Template How to Find Affiliates My #1 Affiliate Recruiting Email

Expanding your affiliate program internationally can unlock growth you'll never get if you only recruit in one country, but it also comes with a few practical wrinkles that catch people off guard. In this episode, I'm breaking down how to expand your affiliate program internationally, including where to find overseas partners, what to think through with tracking and payments, and the small adjustments that make it easy for international affiliates to promote and get results. Links Mentioned in this Episode 2023 FTC Endorsement Guide Updates: What Affiliates and Affiliate Programs Need to Know Affiliate Program Terms and Conditions Template Gmass

Most affiliate programs don't lose affiliates because the product is bad... they lose them because it's harder to promote your offer than someone else's. In this final episode of the 6 C's series, we're covering the last three C's: Competitive Commissions, Customization, and a Centralized Hub. I'll show you how to set commissions that attract the right partners, how to create custom assets like landing pages, swipe copy, and graphics without drowning in requests, and how to build one simple place affiliates can grab everything they need and start promoting fast. Links Mentioned in this Episode Your First 100 Affiliates Your Affiliate Launch Coach Affiliate Communication Calendar Affiliate Commitment Plan Affiliate Terms and Conditions Template

One of our clients did about a $5 million affiliate launch and he estimated roughly 40% of that came from one thing... coaching the affiliates. Not "here's your link, good luck" coaching, but real training: what to say, what to send, how to position the offer, and how to avoid the little mistakes that kill conversions. In this episode of the 6 C's series, we're talking about the third C: COACHING, and I'm going to get practical with how to run trainings, what to put in cheat sheets, and how to teach affiliates in a way that actually changes their results. Links Mentioned in this Episode Affiliate Commitment Plan Your First 100 Affiliates Your Affiliate Launch Coach

Most affiliate programs communicate in a way that makes affiliates tune out... or walk away. Too many emails, not enough clarity, missing details, last-second requests, and "helpful" messages that don't actually help anyone promote. In this episode of the 6 C's series, we're talking about the second C: COMMUNICATE. I'll show you what great communication looks like from an affiliate's point of view, what to send (and what to stop sending), and how to make it easier for affiliates to say yes and promote. Links Mentioned in this Episode Affiliate Communication Calendar Affiliate Commitment Plan Your First 100 Affiliates Your Affiliate Launch Coach

Most affiliate programs look different on the outside... but the ones that win year after year all have a few fundamentals in common. This episode kicks off my 6 C's series, and we're starting with the first C: CONTESTS. I'm going to show you how to run an affiliate contest that gets affiliates engaged, drives real sales, and doesn't turn into a messy spreadsheet nightmare. Links Mentioned in this Episode Your First 100 Affiliates Your Affiliate Launch Coach George W. Bush Announces Affiliate Prizes John Morgan's site

Choosing an affiliate manager can feel like a guessing game... until you know what to look for. In this episode, I'm breaking down the traits and skills that actually matter, where great affiliate managers tend to come from, and how to tell the difference between someone who "knows affiliates" and someone who can build, grow, and manage a real program. If you're about to make a hire, this will help you choose with confidence and avoid an expensive mismatch. Links Mentioned in this Episode Your Affiliate Launch Coach Interested in Working with Us? Get Your First 100 Affiliates

Got a promotion coming up soon? In this episode, I'm breaking down how to get affiliates excited to promote and keep that energy building right up to launch day... using the exact pre-promo strategy we use with clients to turn "I might promote" into planned emails, scheduled posts, and a strong first day. Links Mentioned in this Episode Free Masterclass - How I Built a $12.6 Million A Year Affiliate Program In Only Two Years Without Any Connections or Credentials Affiliate Warm Up Plan and Promo Plan