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

Hosted by Matt McWilliams, Award-Winning Affiliate Manager

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723

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Affiliate Guy Podcast is your source for affiliate marketing news, tips, and strategies to take your online business to the next level. Learn how to boost your commissions, manage affiliate programs, and so much more. More information at theaffiliateguy.tv and mattmcwilliams.com.

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60 recent

September 7, 202640 min

How to Create Affiliate Relationships That Last

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

August 31, 202625 min

How to Tell Affiliates When Something Goes Wrong

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

August 24, 202626 min

How to Plan Your Day as an Affiliate Manager

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

August 17, 202647 min

How to Fix the Biggest Problems Holding Back Your Affiliate Program

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

August 10, 202621 min

Affiliate Fraud: Red Flags Every Program Should Watch

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

August 3, 202650 min

How to Make Affiliate Webinars Convert Better

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

July 27, 202628 min

How to Find What's Wrong with Your Affiliate Program and Fix It

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

July 20, 202628 min

Affiliate Program Support: 5 Things Your Partners Need

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

July 13, 202635 min

How to Recruit Affiliates Who Keep Promoting

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

July 6, 202617 min

How to Recruit Affiliates from Competitor Leaderboards

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