When lenders launch new affiliate partnerships, they often treat them like new Google Ads campaigns.

They launch small. They collect early performance data. They iterate slowly.

That works fine when you’re buying clicks from a faceless platform like Google. If your first campaign flops, nobody notices. You tweak it. You try again. No harm, no foul.

Affiliate marketing partners are different.

You’re not buying impressions from an algorithm. You’re working with real people — publishers — who have to bet on you.

And their patience is limited.

If you show up half-ready, you might not get a second chance.

The antidote is "playing the game in reverse." And it’s critical if you’re new to a publisher and you need them more than they need you.

Here’s the shift:

Don’t tiptoe in with a mediocre payout and a half-baked funnel, hoping to fix it later.

Show up with your absolute best foot forward — even if it feels unsustainable.

Because with new affiliate partners, first impressions aren’t just first impressions.

They might be your only impression.

Let’s make this real.

A few years ago, I watched a lender try to launch with a major publisher.

The lender needed new customer growth. They needed to diversify their acquisition mix. This affiliate partnership seemed like a great way to hit both goals.

It took months of convincing to even get the publisher to agree to a test (yellow flag).

When they finally launched, the lender brought:

• A mediocre payout (half of what they paid in other channels)

• A middle-of-the-pack conversion funnel (not terrible, not great)

• A long delay between lead generation and payout (30–90 days)

Predictably, the test started soft.
Conversions lagged. Revenue wasn’t compelling.

The publisher pulled the plug.

No second try. No optimization phase. No "tweak and retest."

They just pulled the offer and moved on.

The lender tried to re-pitch. Tried to renegotiate.

But the window had closed.

Why?

Because to the publisher, the lender looked like a bad bet.

And they had better bets already working.

Getting this lender to “work” was the 38th thing on their priorities list.

This is why you should consider playing the game in reverse.

When you launch with a new affiliate partner, bring:

• Your highest bounty (even if unsustainable)

• Your cleanest, smoothest conversion funnel

• Your best product (don’t save it for the 4th iteration)

• Your fastest payment terms (per lead or click if possible)

When you play the game in reverse, you’re not just buying traffic.

👉 You’re buying conviction.

You’re giving the affiliate a reason to believe you’re worth displacing an incumbent offer that already works for them.

Once you’ve earned that trust — once they see your offer drives incremental revenue — then you can start to optimize for sustainability.

But not a minute before.

If you’re a big brand with massive pull, you can ignore this advice. Affiliates will bend over backward to onboard you.

But if you’re a regional bank, a fintech, or a new category entrant?

You’re the underdog.

And underdogs don’t get 10 bites at the apple.

They get one.

Maybe two if they’re lucky.

Make them count.

About Us

Welcome to The Free Toaster! The newsletter for marketing pros at fintechs, banks, and lenders. 

Inspired by the free toasters banks used to give to each new customer, we’re here to help you acquire more customers at scale. We deliver fresh news, data, and insights to help you acquire more customers—minus the breadcrumbs.

Want to follow the authors on social media? Find Nick Madrid and Carlos Caro on LinkedIn.