After eleven episodes dissecting partnership dynamics from every conceivable angle, this season finale doesn't just recap — it crystallises the precise tactical moves separating forgettable affiliate relationships from decade-spanning strategic alliances.

Industry veterans have shared frameworks that actually work in the trenches, not theoretical models that collapse under real-world pressure. Their insights reveal how data transparency reshapes power dynamics, why treating affiliates as vendors guarantees eventual churn, and the micro-moments that compound into sustainable competitive advantage.

Who should listen to this episode?

This wrap-up serves affiliate managers tired of surface-level networking advice and operators questioning why their partnership retention resembles a leaky bucket.

If you've built programs that plateau after initial wins, or wonder why competitors maintain relationships you can't seem to sustain, these consolidated lessons expose what's missing from your approach. Program directors evaluating their 2026 strategy will find tactical adjustments that don't require massive budget increases — just sharper execution on overlooked fundamentals that compound over time.

Talking points include:

• Data as the New Trust Currency: Why visibility into metrics, transparent tracking systems, and real-time reporting have evolved from nice-to-have features into non-negotiable foundations for building sustainable affiliate partnerships that withstand market volatility.
• From Vendor to Strategic Partner: The mindset shift required to transform transactional affiliate relationships into co-marketing alliances where both parties actively contribute to strategic planning rather than executing predefined promotional calendars.
• The Retention Blueprint: How leading operators moved beyond acquisition metrics to build comprehensive player lifecycle strategies, recognising that understanding traffic source quality determines long-term profitability more than initial conversion rates.

Listen to find out more about:

• How Leanna Klyne's "five P's" flywheel transforms social media profiles into partner acquisition engines that consistently attract aligned affiliates without cold outreach.
• Why Tero Paivarinta's approach to nurturing smaller, high-growth affiliates delivers better long-term results than chasing established "whale" partners who demand disproportionate attention
• The specific tactical adjustments affiliate managers can implement within existing programs to shift from transactional relationships toward the strategic partnerships that weather market changes and platform policy shifts

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.

Send me a text with your questions

Building successful affiliate partnerships isn't just about sending cold emails and hoping for responses. In this episode, Lee-Ann sits down with Leanna Klyne, Affiverse's Head of Agency and an 18-year veteran of affiliate marketing, to reveal the exact five-step framework their agency uses to build lasting partnerships that actually convert.

This isn't theory—it's the battle-tested system they use daily to connect brands with high-performing affiliates, and they're sharing it all, from LinkedIn profile optimisation to why your first email line is make-or-break.

Talking points include:

• The five P's flywheel: Profile, Pitch, Publish, Productise, and Partnerships—and why each stage builds on the last.
• Why 120+ daily emails mean your cold outreach needs to hook affiliates in the first line or get deleted.
• How to segment onboarding experiences by affiliate type and generation (Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennials don't communicate the same way).

Listen to find out more about:

• The exact tools Affiverse uses in their agency (hint: reach out on LinkedIn for the "MoFo tools list")
• Why Leanna keeps partners in her database for years, and how one four-year-old relationship just delivered results on a new program
• The Nike approach to becoming an industry voice: just do it, and post consistently

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

[13:25] The cold email problem: breaking through 120+ daily emails and why your first line is everything

[19:48] How to become a trusted industry voice through authentic publishing and thought leadership

[38:33] The one action to start today if you want to attract affiliates instead of chasing them

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.

Send me a text with your questions

Get ready for an insightful conversation about the evolution of affiliate marketing from the operator perspective to the affiliate side. Tero Paivarinta, Business Development Lead at humbl.ai joins host Lee-Ann Johnstone to share his fascinating journey from iGaming customer support in 2006 to becoming a key figure in affiliate relationship management. With nearly two decades of industry experience, Tero reveals how data transparency is revolutionising partnerships and why authentic relationships remain the cornerstone of successful affiliate programs.

Talking points include:

• How humbl.ai's data platform is cutting through industry misinformation by providing accurate SEO and PPC insights
• Why building personal relationships with affiliates goes far beyond business transactions
• The shift from chasing big-name affiliates to identifying and nurturing smaller, high-growth partners

Listen to find out more about:

• How to identify high-growth small affiliates using month-on-month data analysis
• Why paying affiliates early can accelerate partnership growth and loyalty
• Tero's upcoming platform developments that will further revolutionise affiliate marketing insights

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

[02:17] Tero's iGaming journey from 2006 and first glimpse into affiliate marketing

[23:00] Finding quality affiliates: why the ones who find you aren't always the best

[28:08] A round-up of top tips shared

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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Send me a text with your questions