How a Three Month Affiliate Program Pilot Works

A three month affiliate program pilot is the dating phase. Nobody’s talking about moving in yet. You’re just finding out whether this thing has legs before you commit to anything long term.

That’s why most of our program management work starts with one. Three months is long enough to set a program up properly, get the first partners recruited and active, and see real results. It’s short enough that you’re not tied into a long contract before you know it works.

[Puts the flowers in water]

Before the pilot, agree what success looks like

A pilot needs a clear goal. That might be a number of new paying customers, a target cost per customer or a set number of active partners. Agree it at the start, so the conversation at the end is easy and nobody’s surprised.

Month one, the foundations

• Review the current program, or plan a new one from scratch.
• Choose or confirm the network, set up tracking and test it end to end.
• Design the commission plan and write partner terms people can follow.
• Get a partner brief, links and creative ready.
• Build a target list of partners who already reach your buyers.

Month two, recruitment and activation

• Contact target partners directly with a clear offer.
• Approve applications quickly and onboard each new partner properly.
• Help partners publish, with product access for reviews and quick answers to their questions.
• Check early sales are tracking and being credited to the right people.

Joining a program isn’t the same as promoting it. A lot of month two goes into turning partners who’ve signed up into partners who are actually publishing. Think of it as getting past the small talk.

Month three, optimization and review

• See which partners, and which kinds of content, are bringing in customers.
• Adjust rates, offers and terms where they’re holding partners back.
• Remove partners who break the rules or don’t add anything.
• Prepare the review and a plan for the next six months.

What to measure

• Active partners. Partners who sent at least one visitor or sale, not just the ones who signed up.
• New customers. Sales from people who weren’t already your customers.
• Cost per customer. Commission and fees divided by new customers, compared with your other channels.
• Partner mix. How much revenue comes from content, comparison and creator partners rather than coupon and cashback sites.

After the pilot

At the end of three months you’ve got a working program, real numbers and a plan. Then you decide. Carry on with us, take it in house or pause it. No awkward conversations. Content partners often keep sending customers for months after they publish, so a good pilot keeps paying back long after it ends.

So, shall we move in together? If you’d like to run a pilot, read more about our program management service or get in touch.