“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
— Chinese Proverb
We’ve diagnosed the dead.
We’ve shown how to revive them.
Now it’s time to rebuild.
Because bringing your affiliate program back from the dead isn’t enough.
You want it alive, predictable, and scaling.
This week’s issue is a blueprint for that transformation—from forgotten channel to high-performing revenue engine.
What You’ll Get in Chaos to Grow
- Affiliate recovery frameworks that actually work
- Tactical steps to reactivate, optimize, and scale
- Systems that support long-term, compounding growth
- Case-based insights from real affiliate turnarounds
- A challenge to implement, not just reflect
From the Trenches: 6 Steps to Transform a Zombie Program Into a Scalable Machine
1. Establish a Real Channel Owner
Programs drift when no one owns outcomes.
Make someone responsible for recruiting, activation, and revenue. Internally or externally—just make it clear.
→ A dashboard without ownership is just noise.
2. Clean the Slate
Audit your platform. Remove junk publishers, expired offers, broken links, and passive partnerships.
If they haven’t generated traffic or revenue in 90 days and don’t reply to outreach—they’re dead weight.
→ A clean house attracts better partners.
3. Create a Tiered Commission Strategy
One-size-fits-none.
Segment by partner type, funnel stage, and quality.
Reward creators differently than deal sites. Support high-LTV partners with better incentives.
→ You scale what you incentivize.
4. Launch a 30-Day Personal Outreach Sprint
No email blasts. No generic links.
Identify your top 25 partners and another 50 ideal fits.
Reach out personally with creative, bonuses, and reasons to care.
→ Real programs grow with real relationships.
5. Align with Your Paid Strategy
Affiliate doesn’t sit in a silo. It should echo your paid, social, and email messaging.
→ Partners convert better when your house offer is clean.
6. Track Like a Pro
Weekly KPIs. Revenue per partner. Click-to-conversion lag. Assisted conversion share.
No program scales in the dark.
→ Visibility is oxygen for affiliate growth.
Your Weekly Chaos Challenge
Ask your team:
What’s our 30-day affiliate growth plan?
Who’s the one person owning outcomes?
And how are we measuring momentum?
If those answers don’t come fast, neither will results.
Think Your Affiliate Program Could Be Performing Better?
We built a Free Affiliate Audit to give you a clear, no-fluff look at what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s costing you growth.
You’ll get:
- A performance breakdown across your top partners
- A strategy review across funnel stages
- Tracking, offer, and attribution feedback
- Actionable steps to drive more revenue—without spending more
No cost. No pitch. Just clarity.
👉 Get Your Free Affiliate Audit
Comment or DM with “No More Zombie” and we’ll send it your way.
Until next week—
Dead programs stay dead unless you build the system that keeps them alive.
—Matt Frary
Chief of Chaos
