The Affiliate Marketing Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Lee-Ann Johnstone sits down with Dennis Yu, CEO of BlitzMetrics and co-author of bestselling books on Facebook and TikTok advertising. With a billion dollars spent on social ads and clients including: Nike, Starbucks, and the Golden State Warriors, Dennis brings battle-tested insights on what actually works when technology threatens to commoditise every tactic. 

This conversation is essential listening for affiliate managers navigating the tension between bringing capabilities in-house and maintaining profitable partnerships, as well as performance marketers seeking sustainable competitive advantages in an AI-saturated marketplace.

Talking points include:

• User-Generated Content as Affiliate Strategy: Why authentic customer content outperforms professional creative and how to activate non-traditional affiliates
• The Conversion API Advantage: How brands controlling conversion data can outperform traditional affiliates in paid social campaigns
• Relationship-Driven Marketing in an AI World: Why genuine connections represent the only defensible moat against algorithmic competition

Listen to find out more about:

• How to identify and activate non-traditional affiliates from your existing customer base who create more authentic content than professional marketers
• Why controlling conversion data through proper API implementation gives brands a decisive advantage over traditional affiliates in paid social campaigns
• What Dennis learned spending a billion dollars on social advertising for brands like Nike, Starbucks, and the Golden State Warriors

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [01:30] Dennis Yu's background: From Yahoo! search engine engineer to spending a billion dollars on Facebook ads
• [06:38] Why user-generated content from actual customers outperforms traditional influencer marketing
• [14:00] The uncomfortable truth about affiliate margins as AI and algorithms become more sophisticated

Would you like to talk about sponsoring our podcast, or gaining a brand mention? Take a look here.

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What happens when passion meets persistence in affiliate marketing? 

George Sullivan turned repeated program rejections into fuel for building The Sole Supplier—a content-first publisher that now drives millions in sales across Europe's biggest fashion retailers. In this candid conversation with host Lee-Ann Johnstone, George reveals the brutal early days of building an affiliate business, the moment everything changed, and why the industry's future belongs to publishers who can make people feel something.

This episode is essential listening for affiliate managers who want to understand what life looks like on the other side of the partnership—and for aspiring publishers who need proof that starting with nothing but conviction can lead somewhere extraordinary.

Talking points include: 

• The psychological impact of program rejections on early-stage publishers (and how managers can turn gatekeeping into guidance)
• Why putting a human face to your brand remains the most powerful growth lever in an AI-saturated landscape
• The shift from siloed marketing departments to integrated teams—and what it means for partnership budgets

Listen to find out more about: 

• Why George believes purely transactional affiliate models face existential risk from AI—and where the sustainable opportunity lies
• The specific moment when The Sole Supplier's revenue scaled beyond George's recruitment salary (and why he still waited to quit)
• How treating affiliate managers as friends rather than vendors creates compounding advantages over time

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct: 

[03:03] The backstory: from ten failed jobs to founding The Sole Supplier at 22

[13:28] The post-COVID shift that killed top-of-funnel budgets—and why brands are reversing course now

[26:10] The five things every affiliate manager needs to hear about building genuine partnerships

Would you like to talk about sponsoring our podcast, or gaining a brand mention? Take a look here.

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From the "wild west" days of online sports betting to today's heavily regulated landscape, few have witnessed the industry's transformation like Dimitry Voelkle. Host of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann Johnstone is joined by Dimitry, Founder of Zelda Consulting and one of the original architects behind Tipico, Germany's first major sportsbook. 

In this fascinating episode, Dimitry shares hard-won insights on building trust-based partnerships that survive decades of industry upheaval, revealing why the fundamentals of relationship building matter now more than ever.

Talking points include:

• How to build lasting trust with partners when starting with nothing - including Dimitry's bold approach to securing enterprise deals.
• Why treating failure as "death by a thousand cuts" creates stronger partnerships than avoiding mistakes altogether.
• The evolution from unregulated "wild west" betting to today's compliance-heavy environment and what it means for affiliate relationships.

Listen to find out more about:

• The four pillars of partnership trust and how to implement them systematically in your affiliate program, from creating feedback loops to thinking beyond short-term commercial gains.
• Why affiliate managers "own" relationships and what this means for operator retention strategies, including how to protect your business when key relationship holders leave your company.
• How the shift from 20-person industry events to 8,000-attendee conferences changes relationship dynamics and why the personal touch becomes even more valuable in crowded markets.

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct: 

[05:40] The “wild west” origins of online sports betting and what operators could offer in the early 2000s before regulation changed everything

[24:00] Handling million-dollar mistakes: When decimal point errors go wrong and trust gets tested in high-pressure situations.

[33:20] Why partnership skills become more crucial as competition intensifies.

Our thanks go to Mate Affiliates as this season's sponsor. Would you like to talk about sponsoring our podcast, or gaining a brand mention? Take a look here.

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We have a very special episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast for you this week. Last month, Lee-Ann sat down with Cellxpert Founder, Assaf Dor, to discuss the impact that third-party cookie deprecation will have on the affiliate marketing industry. It was one of our biggest webinars yet and we received so much positive feedback that we have decided to share it right here on the podcast. Let’s discover more about what cookie deprecation is, how it has come about, and the measures you should take right now to be ready…

Listen to find out more about:

• Predictions for how and when Google Chrome will roll out cookie deprecation in 2024.
• Clarity on who all the different players are that need to be engaged.
• What will change and the tactical tips you need to remain proactive to these changes. 

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [5:50] A look at the browser market share and their approach to cookie deprecation, to date.
• [8:38] Why it’s important to engage in conversations on program tracking NOW!
• [11:00] How Cellxpert are currently advising clients – an insight into the conversations that are happening.

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“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.”
If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

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On this week’s episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann is joined by Simon Kingsnorth to talk about how to do Affiliate Marketing strategically. Not only is Simon the founder and CEO of SK, a strategic marketing agency, but he’s also the author of Digital Marketing Strategy. This is a book that grabbed Lee-Ann’s attention and one that she thoroughly enjoyed reading. Let’s join them as they discuss some of the hottest industry topics…

Listen to find out more about:

• What does the desire for growth actually mean?
• How to avoid burnout by placing strategy at the epicentre of your Affiliate Program.
• Why Affiliate is the place to be and the channel to focus on over the next few years.

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [11:22]: Don’t get pushed into a panic – develop a strategy.
• [13:30]: The mistake of “looking for the fun” – don’t forget the data.
• [16:30]: The hot topic of AI – room for improvement? 

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.”
If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

Subscribe to our podcast HERE!

Send me a text with your questions

On this week’s episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann is joined by Co-Founder and Director of BrandSwap, Ryan Kliszat. Building successful B2B partnerships is a hot topic right now and Ryan offers insight on how BrandSwap will make these partnership journeys easier…

Listen for more discussion topics:

• Affiliate Managers – discover the easiest way to explore partnerships as part of your performance ecosystem.
• Ecommerce integrations that will make your job easier.
• The excitement of this emerging category and advice on when is the right time for businesses to join.

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [8:00]: The two sides of: Host or Advertiser
• [12:00]: Some of the ways that current advertisers are achieving success metrics 
• [19:30]: Does it matter what technical platforms clients are working on to get the brand partnerships going?

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.”
If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

Subscribe to our podcast HERE!

Send me a text with your questions

This week on the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann continues the conversation with Declan Dunn on the topic of AI and Affiliate Connections and How to Remain Authentic in Your Outreach. Let’s join them both for Part Two and discover more about the future of affiliate marketing and how AI can be used by affiliate managers to accelerate performance…
If you missed Part One, you can catch up here.

Listen to find out more about:

• How to have faith in yourself – when your self-belief is high, so too are your achievements
• Allowing AI to challenge your thinking and to save you time
• How to navigate corporate structures

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [03:50]: How to spot a good affiliate manager
• [07:00]: There is no single decision-maker anymore 
• [21:23]: Optimism surrounding AI and what the future holds

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.”
If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

Subscribe to our podcast HERE!

Send me a text with your questions

This week, Lee-Ann welcomes industry OG, Declan Dunn, to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast. Declan is a growth developer and the founder of the AI Optimist Podcast. There was so much to cover in this episode that we have decided to make it a two-parter! Let’s begin with Part One – join us same time, same place next week, to tune in to Part Two.

Listen to find out more about:

• Affiliate Gold and the importance of failing in order to succeed
• Epistemic Curiosity
• Pet peeves from affiliate managers that still resonate - this industry is about relationships!

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [11:55]: Learning from a new generation
• [14:24]: The importance of a good subject line
• [21:23]: Time to go back to basics?

Don’t Forget! Tune in next Thursday to listen to the second part of this conversation with Declan. In the meantime, you can subscribe to Declan’s channel The AI Optimist here

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.”
If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

Subscribe to our podcast HERE!

Send me a text with your questions

This week, on the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann is joined by Naomi Barton. Naomi is Portfolio Director for Clarion Gaming, which is the company that runs iGB Affiliate Events around the world. Naomi and Lee-Ann discuss the important topic of women in leadership roles and how Imposter Syndrome can be handled for those working in the affiliate marketing industry – both women and men…

Listen for more discussion topics:

• You already have a seat at the table – there is nothing to prove to anybody
• Lessons learned from failure 
• The importance of mentorship

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:

• [09:00] People before profit: A good mantra for any affiliate manager
• [16:28] Imposter syndrome – advice for men and women 
• [23:30] The importance of peer networking  in this industry\

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.”
If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

Subscribe to our podcast HERE!

Send me a text with your questions

We are back with Season 14 of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast and this week we are joined by Kevin Edwards. Kevin is the Founder and Director of the Affiliate Performance Marketing Association (APMA) and he joins Lee-Ann to explain more about this exciting launch.

Kevin is no stranger to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, having been behind our mic before. But, this time he is talking about the recent launch of the APMA. Lee-Ann begins by asking Kevin to talk us through what some of the fundamental projects will be for the APMA.

Listen to find out more about the APMA and what it means for the industry:
• You pay for what you get in the Affiliate Channel – placing your program in safe hands
 • The importance of training
 • And finally…. Kevin’s “one word we should all be thinking about as we head into 2024” 

Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:
 • 03:50: How the APMA was born
 • 24: 00 Tech partners – a look ahead to future growth
 • 28:00 The issue of payments

Rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
“I love Affiverse’s Affiliate Marketing Podcast.” <– If that sounds like you, please give us a 5 Star rating here! Taking the time to do that, helps us support more people in our community to access digital and affiliate marketing insights, expert lead learnings and allows us to share the latest online marketing tactics that help Affiliate programs and businesses to grow.

Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on FREE insights and training.

Subscribe to our podcast HERE!

Send me a text with your questions