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

What if the biggest threat to affiliate marketing right now… is also its biggest opportunity? There's been a lot of noise lately about AI replacing content creators… killing SEO… making affiliates obsolete. But is that actually true? In today's episode, I'm discussing the real impact of AI on affiliate marketing… what's changing, what isn't, and how the smartest affiliates are using AI to grow fas...

If you're looking to grow your audience, boost your credibility, and build your email list in a big way, podcast interviews might just be your secret weapon. In this episode, I'm sharing exactly how I've landed more than 600 podcast interviews… and how I turned those into affiliates who became a huge driver of our company's growth.   Links Mentioned in this Episode ListenNotes MeetEdgar Your First...

Let me ask you something… what if 2026 is the year you stop hoping affiliate marketing works and start treating it like it actually matters? Not more random promos. Not more last‑minute emails. Real commitments that change how you show up, how you promote, and how you get paid. In this episode, I'm sharing the affiliate resolutions that actually move the needle… from building systems and tracking...

What if 2026 was the year your affiliate program finally took off? Today, I'm sharing the resolutions smart affiliate managers are making this year. These are the type of resolutions that lead to bigger launches, more evergreen sales, and stronger affiliate relationships. If you want this to be your best year ever, listen up. Links Mentioned in this Episode Affiliate Email Pro Affiliate Training T...

What does 2026 look like for affiliate marketers? Let's just say… it's not business as usual. From AI taking over the grunt work to virtual influencers and voice-driven SEO, the landscape is changing fast. In this episode, I'm sharing 13 bold, research-backed predictions for where affiliate marketing is headed, and what you can do now to be ready. Spoiler: the future favors the prepared. Links Men...

What if you could turn the busiest shopping season of the year into your biggest affiliate payday? Today, I'm sharing the strategies top affiliates use to make more money in December without burning out, posting nonstop, or guessing what might work. If you want a simple plan to increase your holiday commissions, this episode is for you. Links Mentioned in this Episode Affiliate Promo Warm Up Guide

The holidays are here… which means chaos for most affiliate managers. There are promos flying everywhere, inboxes are packed, and your affiliates? Half of them are over-promoting, and the other half have gone silent. So how do you stay sane and strategic when the whole season is moving at lightning speed? Today, I'm sharing the practical guide to not just surviving December, but actually thriving...

Writing a book is hard. Making real money from it is harder. In this episode, I'll show you how to add affiliate offers to your book so it drives more revenue and creates long-term passive income. Links Mentioned in this Episode The Book on Affiliate Management Affiliate Marketing for Authors Training Resources Page Guide My Recommended Books Page  

If you're serious about affiliate marketing, you'll love this conversation. Today I'm talking with someone who's written for top publications, built affiliate programs from scratch, and approaches every campaign with strategy and intention. We'll break down his process... what actually works... and how you can think more like a strategic affiliate marketer too. Links Mentioned in this Episode Succ...

"If you're launching a book and want more sales, more exposure, and a bigger impact, affiliates are the secret weapon. But most authors screw up the launch because they don't know how to use affiliates the right way. In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact blueprint we've used to launch more than 10 bestsellers: what worked, what didn't, and how you can copy it step-by-step. Links Menti...

So you wrote a book… now what? If you want it to actually, you need affiliates. The truth is, books don't magically fly off the shelves. Even bestsellers usually have a small army behind them. In today's episode, I'll walk you through how I found affiliates for my book… and how you can do the same for your launch, whether it's a book, a course, or anything else. Links Mentioned in this Episode Aff...

What I'm about to share with you might honestly shock you. It used to be the single worst part of my entire business. Something that held me back for nearly three years. I'm ashamed to admit that the worst part of our company was our affiliate management. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on exactly what went wrong, why even I — The Affiliate Guy — struggled with this, and most importa...

Ever feel like your brain is juggling 47 browser tabs—only none of them are loading? That's what it's like trying to stay focused as an affiliate manager. Between answering affiliate questions, navigating fast-changing platforms, staying on top of launches, and replying to Slack messages at all hours… staying focused can feel impossible. And regaining it once you've lost it? Even harder. In this e...

Ever wonder how a niche audience and the right bonus strategy can put you in the Top 3 of a $5.7 million affiliate launch? Today, I'm bringing back a return guest to show you exactly how she did it. She used prep courses, long-term funnels, and collaborated with other affiliates to absolutely rock this promo and earn nearly $100,000 in affiliate commissions. Listen up to find out how! Links Mentio...

Want to know how someone with a small email list still landed in the Top 10 of one of the biggest affiliate launches of the year using a single social media network? In this episode, you'll hear directly from a social media pro who leveraged Instagram — not ads, not email — to crush it on the leaderboard. Links Mentioned in this Episode Manu's Instagram – @YourSocialTeam How to Start Your Affiliat...

What happens when two marketers team up, run a paid workshop, and use that momentum to finish second in a $5.7 million affiliate launch? In this episode, you'll hear how Justin Demers and Sara Temte built an audience of buyers before the launch even started… then used that list to generate massive affiliate sales, deepen their relationships, and create a winning campaign. If you've ever thought, "...

What if your very first affiliate promotion brought in $18,000... and landed you in the Top 25 out of hundreds of seasoned pros? In this episode, we're talking with someone who did exactly that. No list, no big team. Just a smart plan, a clear voice, and a whole lot of heart. It's proof that you don't need to be a marketing ninja or email wizard to have a massive impact in your first affiliate lau...

What if one simple bonus could double your opt-in rate… and build a list of buyers before the cart even opens? In today's episode, we're unlocking a powerful strategy from a $5.7 million affiliate launch—a strategy that helped dozens of affiliates stand out from the crowd, grow their list, and convert at higher rates. It's time to talk about opt-in bonuses that actually work. Links Mentioned in th...

What if the difference between being a good affiliate and a TOP affiliate...came down to how well you tell your story? Or when you send one single email? In Part 2 of our $5.7 million launch breakdown, we're revealing the next-level strategies that turned browsers into buyers, including what worked on cart close day, how to find your hottest leads, and why your personal story might be your most po...

Big launches create big lessons…and a $5.7 million affiliate launch we ran was no exception. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of one of the biggest promotions we've ever run and share what worked, what didn't, and what you can apply to your next campaign. You'll learn how to deepen connections with your audience, grow your list while promoting, deliver bonuses at the perfect time, and the...

Meet Jason and Cecilia Hilkey. They're not your typical online marketers. They don't sell courses on "how to get rich quick" or promise to teach you the "secrets of internet millions." They're just two parents in the parenting space who, until recently, had a modest email list of 3,000 people. Then they did something that blew my mind: they added 104,000 new subscribers in just two weeks using a v...

Virtual summits are one of the easiest, highest-converting affiliate promos out there. They're free for your audience, packed with value, and loaded with backend commission potential. And the best part? You don't even have to be a speaker to win big. In this episode, I'll show you exactly how to promote virtual summits as an affiliate, even if your name isn't on the agenda, and turn them into seri...

You got into affiliate management because you love it. You believe in what you're doing. You love seeing affiliates succeed. But right now? You're running on fumes. You've got 47 different things on your plate, affiliates texting you at all hours, and it feels like every day brings three new fires to put out. Sound familiar?  Look, if you've ever caught yourself thinking ""I can't keep doing this,...

There was pressure. There were problems. There were moments when it felt like everything might fall apart. But in the end, we pulled off a multi-million dollar affiliate launch that blew past expectations. In this episode, I'm sharing the real behind-the-scenes story—what we did right, where we nearly failed, and the powerful lessons you can use to grow your own affiliate program. Links Mentioned...

Recruiting affiliates isn't rocket science...but it's shockingly easy to screw up. There are five mistakes I see over and over again...and they can completely tank your results before you even get started. In this episode, I'm sharing the biggest recruiting missteps affiliate managers make… and how to avoid every single one. Links Mentioned in this Episode My #1 Affiliate Recruiting Email Your Fir...