The Affiliate Marketing Podcast

Paid media is changing quickly. With AI in paid media reshaping how campaigns are created, analysed, and optimised, advertisers have more opportunities than ever but also more questions around how to use these tools effectively.
In this episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann Johnstone is joined by Andrei Blosh, Business Development Team Leader at PropellerAds, to discuss the evolving world of paid acquisition, AI-powered marketing, and what advertisers need to consider before investing their budgets.
With 15 years of experience in the advertising space, PropellerAds works with performance marketers across multiple verticals, including iGaming, finance, mobile apps, utilities, and lead generation. Andrei shares his perspective on how advertisers can build an effective paid media strategy rather than treating campaigns as a simple “turn on and wait” process. 
The conversation explores how AI is helping advertisers analyse performance, optimise campaigns, and make faster decisions, while also discussing why human creativity and preparation remain essential. From spotting AI-generated creatives to understanding the importance of testing budgets, tracking, and localisation, Andrei shares practical advice for businesses looking to scale their acquisition strategies.

AI in Paid Media: Key Talking Points

How AI is changing paid media optimisation and campaign management
Why AI-generated creatives still need human input and strategy
The importance of preparation before launching paid campaigns
Why paid media is not a quick-win channel
How advertisers should approach testing budgets and optimisation
The role of multi-format campaigns in acquisition strategies
Why tier-three markets are becoming increasingly attractive
How localisation impacts paid media performance across different regions

How AI Is Changing Paid Media Strategy and Optimisation

AI in paid media is becoming increasingly important, helping advertisers analyse data, identify patterns, and optimise campaigns faster.
Andrei explains that AI has already changed how teams work by reducing the time needed for tasks that previously required hours of manual analysis. Advertisers can now use AI tools to understand what is working, what is not, and where campaigns should be adjusted.
However, AI is not a replacement for marketing strategy.
Andrei highlights that advertisers still need to understand their audience, prepare their landing pages, build effective creatives, define their user journey, and have the right tracking systems in place before investing in traffic.
The biggest mistake businesses make is assuming AI can fix a weak foundation. Technology can support optimisation, but it cannot replace preparation.

Why Paid Media Strategy Requires Testing, Patience, and Partnership

One of the biggest misconceptions about paid media is expecting immediate returns.
Andrei explains that advertisers often approach campaigns expecting to put in one dollar and immediately receive three dollars back. In reality, successful campaigns require testing, optimisation, and time to gather enough data.
A strong paid media strategy involves testing different formats, analysing results, adjusting campaigns, and understanding what works for a specific audience.
For advertisers, this means having realistic expectations and allocating enough budget to properly evaluate performance.
Andrei also highlights that successful campaigns come from collaboration between advertisers and traffic partners. The best results happen when both sides work together towards a shared goal rather than treating traffic acquisition as a simple transaction.

Paid Media Market Expansion: Why Localisation Matters

As competition increases in established markets, more advertisers are exploring opportunities in tier-three regions.
Andrei explains that countries across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia are becoming increasingly attractive because of growing digital adoption and expanding consumer markets.
However, entering these markets requires a localised paid media strategy.
Successful campaigns need to consider more than language. Advertisers must understand local preferences, payment methods, creative styles, device usage, and cultural differences.
For example, Andrei highlights that payment methods such as Pix in Brazil and M-Pesa in Kenya can play an important role in adapting campaigns for local audiences.
The opportunity is significant, but success depends on understanding the market rather than simply replicating campaigns from other regions.

What You Will Learn About AI in Paid Media

How AI is helping advertisers optimise campaigns faster
Why AI-generated creatives can sometimes hurt performance
The preparation checklist businesses need before buying traffic
Why paid media should be treated as a long-term strategy
How advertisers can test campaigns effectively
Why tier-three markets are attracting more attention
How localisation impacts paid media success

Podcast Timestamps: AI, Paid Media and Market Expansion

 04:56 – How AI is helping advertisers analyse and optimise campaigns
 06:35 – Why AI-generated creatives can be easy to spot
 11:02 – Why AI does not replace marketing preparation
 16:45 – Why paid media is about long-term partnerships, not quick results
 19:05 – How paid traffic can influence brand visibility and SEO
 25:10 – Understanding testing budgets and campaign optimisation
 30:15 – Why tier-three markets are becoming growth opportunities

Listen to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast

Paid media success is not just about buying traffic — it is about understanding your audience, testing strategically, and building campaigns that are designed to improve over time.
In this episode, Andrei Blosh shares practical advice on how advertisers can approach AI, campaign optimisation, and market expansion with a smarter strategy. Visit PropellerAds to find out more.
Listen to the full episode to discover how paid media is evolving and what businesses need to consider before investing in their next acquisition campaign.
Interested in taking part in the Affiliate Marketing Podcast? Contact our team to find out sponsorships opportunities and how we can help get your brand seen and heard in front of the right audience - contact sales@affiverse.com for more information.
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AI is creating new opportunities for affiliate marketers — but it is also lowering the barriers for AI affiliate fraud.
In this episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann Johnstone sat down with Tautvydas Vasiliauskas, Head of Marketing at FirstPromoter, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing affiliate marketing, from improving productivity and automation to creating new challenges around fake partners, fake content, scalable fraud, and affiliate partner vetting.
With more than a decade of experience across affiliate marketing, SaaS, e-commerce, and subscription businesses, Tautvydas shares his perspective on why the industry needs to prepare for a new wave of AI-driven risks while still embracing the opportunities the technology creates.
The conversation covers how AI can help affiliate managers automate reporting, analysis, outreach, and campaign management, while also discussing why relationships remain one of the most important parts of successful affiliate programs.
They also explore how AI is bringing back old affiliate fraud techniques in new forms: fake websites, private blog networks, AI-generated influencers, and synthetic content. Tautvydas explains what affiliate managers can do to strengthen affiliate fraud prevention and identify suspicious partners before they affect their programs.

Key Talking Points: AI Affiliate Fraud and Partner Vetting

How AI is improving affiliate program management and productivity
Why relationship building remains the core responsibility of affiliate managers
How AI is bringing old fraud tactics back at a much larger scale
Why fake websites, AI-generated influencers, and synthetic content are growing risks
The importance of creating partner quality checklists
How affiliate managers can identify suspicious traffic and engagement patterns
Why quality over quantity should become the new mindset for partner recruitment
How AI will impact partner vetting and fraud detection in the future

How AI Is Changing Affiliate Program Management

AI is changing the way affiliate teams operate.
Tautvydas explains that many companies are using AI to become more efficient, especially as teams become leaner and businesses look to achieve more with fewer resources. Affiliate managers are already using AI for tasks such as partner discovery, outreach creation, reporting, analysis, and automating repetitive workflows.
However, the biggest opportunity is not replacing relationships. Tautvydas highlights that building connections with partners will always remain a key responsibility of affiliate managers.
Instead, AI can remove time-consuming operational tasks, allowing managers to focus more on strategy, partnerships, and growth.
The same technology that improves efficiency, however, can also be used by bad actors.

How AI Is Scaling Affiliate Fraud

Affiliate marketing has always faced fraud challenges.
Tautvydas explains that many of the tactics the industry has seen before are returning in a new form. Previously, creating fake websites, manipulating SEO, or building private blog networks required technical skills and significant effort.
AI has changed that.
Today, anyone can create multiple websites, generate content, build social profiles, or create fake influencers without needing advanced technical knowledge. The biggest change AI brings is scale.
For affiliate managers, this creates a new challenge: distinguishing genuine partners from those using AI to appear legitimate.

Why Affiliate Partner Vetting Should Prioritize Quality 

Affiliate managers are often under pressure to grow programs quickly and recruit as many partners as possible. But Tautvydas believes this mindset needs to change.
The focus should move from quantity to quality — taking the time to properly evaluate partners before allowing them into a program.
This means creating stronger vetting processes, checking content quality, analysing traffic patterns, and looking for genuine engagement signals.
A smaller number of trusted partners can create better long-term results than a large number of unknown publishers that could create risk.
Listen to Learn More About AI Affiliate Fraud and Partner Vetting 
How AI is helping affiliate managers automate everyday tasks
Why relationships remain the most important part of affiliate marketing
How fake websites and AI-generated content are changing affiliate fraud
The warning signs of fake publishers and influencers
Why affiliate programs need stronger partner quality checks
How AI could shape the future of partner vetting and fraud prevention
Episode Timestamps 

05:40 – How AI is helping affiliate managers improve productivity
 10:45 – The history of affiliate fraud and why old tactics are returning
 12:20 – How AI lowers the barrier for creating fake websites and content
 17:00 – How affiliate managers can identify suspicious partners
 22:10 – Building a partner quality checklist for affiliate programs
 25:58 – Why quality over quantity should guide partner recruitment
 27:27 – What the future of AI and affiliate fraud could look like
Listen to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast 
AI is changing affiliate marketing — creating new opportunities for efficiency while introducing new challenges around trust, transparency, and partner quality.
Tautvydas shared practical advice on how affiliate managers can use AI effectively while protecting their programs from emerging fraud risks. Find out more about this AI Shift in FirstPromoter’s guide HERE.
Listen to the full episode to learn how to balance innovation with better partner evaluation and build stronger affiliate programmes in the AI era.
Interested in taking part in the Affiliate Marketing Podcast? Contact our team to find out sponsorships opportunities and how we can help get your brand seen and heard in front of the right audience - contact sales@affiverse.com for more information.
Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com
Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming.
Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation.
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How do affiliate programs scale when teams, partners, and data become more complex?
In this episode, we sit down with Margarita Prokopchik, Chief Business Development Officer at Affise, to explore how affiliate marketing has evolved over the past seven years and why affiliate program automation has become increasingly important for managing modern programs.
Margarita shares her journey from joining Affise as a sales manager to becoming Chief Business Development Officer, while reflecting on the industry’s shift from simple tracking setups and postbacks to advanced integrations, automated workflows, and enterprise-level requirements.
The conversation explores how AI is being used in affiliate technology, why many companies confuse automation with true AI, and what businesses should look for when evaluating AI-powered platforms. Margarita also explains how machine learning has supported performance marketing for years and why the next stage of development will depend on giving businesses the infrastructure to build and connect their own AI workflows.
We also discuss the growing role of mobile measurement partners, attribution beyond last-click tracking, and how affiliate management automation can reduce repetitive tasks. This can give affiliate managers more time to focus on partner relationships, strategy, and sustainable growth.
Key Takeaways on Affiliate Program Automation 
How affiliate marketing has evolved from simple tracking to complex enterprise ecosystems
Why media buyers now require more advanced technology and reporting capabilities
The difference between real AI integration and AI being used as a marketing buzzword
How machine learning has supported performance marketing for years
Why businesses need flexible infrastructure to connect their own AI tools
The role of mobile measurement partners in understanding the full customer journey
How automation can reduce manual affiliate management tasks
Why permission systems and structured workflows matter for scaling global teams
The importance of human relationships in managing international affiliate programs

Why Affiliate Programs Need More Advanced Technology

Seven years ago, many affiliate programs were focused on simpler questions: is tracking working, are conversions firing, and are postbacks set up correctly?
Today, the industry looks very different. Margarita explains that affiliate programs now manage larger teams, more sophisticated media buyers, multiple markets, and higher expectations from technology partners.
Media buyers have evolved from individual operators into large organisations with dedicated teams, analytics departments, and structured processes. This growth has created a need for technology that can handle more complex tracking, reporting, and optimisation requirements.
The result is a shift towards platforms that provide deeper visibility, automation, and flexibility as businesses scale.

How Affiliate Program Automation Reduces Manual Work

One of the biggest challenges facing affiliate managers today is workload.
Margarita explains that affiliate managers are expected to manage relationships, analyse performance, solve technical issues, negotiate deals, and react to market changes making it one of the most demanding roles in digital marketing.
Automation can help remove repetitive tasks and give teams more time to focus on strategic activities. In one case study discussed during the episode, automation reduced affiliate manager workload by 30%, creating more capacity for partner development and relationship building.
For enterprise teams managing hundreds or thousands of partners, having the right permissions, workflows, and automation systems becomes critical for sustainable growth.
What You Will Learn About AI, Attribution and Scaling 
Why AI is often misunderstood in affiliate technology
How to identify genuine AI capabilities versus AI marketing claims
Why APIs and flexible infrastructure are becoming more important
How MMPs help brands understand the complete customer journey
How automation can help affiliate teams scale without adding unnecessary complexity
Why human relationships remain central to affiliate success
Timestamps
 02:30 – How affiliate marketing has evolved over the past seven years
 07:00 – Separating real AI from AI washing in affiliate technology
 14:11 – Why mobile measurement partners matter for attribution
 22:10 – How permission systems help enterprise teams scale
 31:10 – How automation reduced affiliate manager workload by 30%
 36:36 – Rapid-fire insights on attribution, AI, and sustainable growth
Scale Affiliate Programs Without Losing the Human Element 
Affiliate programs are becoming more complex but the right technology can help teams manage that complexity without losing the human side of partnerships.
In this episode, Margarita shares how automation, AI, attribution tools, and smarter workflows are helping affiliate teams improve efficiency and make better decisions. Reach out to Affise for more information or have a look at their Case Studies HERE.
Interested in taking part in the Affiliate Marketing Podcast? Contact our team to find out sponsorships opportunities and how we can help get your brand seen and heard in front of the right audience - contact sales@affiverse.com for more information.
Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com
Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming.
Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation.
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Entering a new market is not just about translating content. For affiliates, operators, and advertisers, successful expansion depends on whether the message, brand, terminology, and offer actually make sense to the audience they are trying to reach.
In this episode of the Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann is joined by Barb Tasci, CEO of All-in Global and Co-Founder of the Revpanda Group, to discuss how AI localisation for affiliate marketing is changing the way businesses scale content across languages, markets, and channels.
Barb explains how Revpanda’s acquisition of All-in Global expanded the group’s wider marketing ecosystem, why localisation expertise has become more important in the AEO era, and how CRAIG, an AI-powered localisation solution, is designed to help businesses balance speed, quality, and cost.
The conversation also looks at how AI localisation can help affiliates test new markets faster, launch campaigns more efficiently, and build a stronger presence across multiple regions without relying too heavily on one channel.
Together, they also look at how AI localisation could change affiliate expansion strategies by allowing teams to test new markets faster, launch campaigns more efficiently, and build a stronger presence across multiple regions. Finally, Barb shares his thoughts on why relying on a single channel is becoming increasingly risky and why sustainable growth will come from a broader marketing approach.
Key Talking Points on AI Localisation and Affiliate Growth 
How Revpanda’s acquisition of All-in Global created a wider ecosystem of services
Why localisation remains a major challenge for iGaming businesses expanding internationally
How CRAIG combines AI technology with specialist localisation knowledge
Why generic AI translation tools struggle with context, terminology, and consistency
How AI localisation helps affiliates expand into new markets faster
The importance of balancing speed, quality, and cost in content production
Why multi-channel marketing will become increasingly important for sustainable growth

Why AI Localisation Matters for Affiliate Market Expansion

Expanding into new markets requires more than simply translating words. Businesses need content that understands local language, terminology, cultural context, and industry requirements.
Barb explains that many companies struggle with localisation because traditional workflows can become expensive and slow, especially when entering smaller markets where finding reliable vendors is difficult.
For operators launching campaigns or affiliates testing new markets, delays can mean missed opportunities. In competitive industries like iGaming, being able to launch localised content quickly can make the difference between entering a market early or following competitors.
This is where AI-powered localisation is changing the process; helping businesses move faster while maintaining consistency and quality.

How AI Localisation Combines Speed With Human Expertise

While tools like ChatGPT and other large language models have made translation more accessible, Barb explains that generic AI solutions do not always understand the specific requirements of localisation.
The difference with CRAIG is the combination of AI technology with All-in Global’s years of localisation expertise, including terminology, branding guidelines, and industry-specific knowledge.
Barb highlights that AI should not replace people, but instead enhance how teams work. CRAIG includes human support, onboarding, and ongoing optimisation to ensure businesses get content that matches their requirements.
For affiliates and operators, this creates the opportunity to scale content production, test more markets, and adapt campaigns faster without sacrificing quality.
Listen to Find Out More About AI Localisation
How Revpanda and All-in Global are building a wider marketing ecosystem
Why translation alone is not enough for successful market expansion
How CRAIG compares with generic AI translation tools
How affiliates can use AI localisation to test new opportunities
Why sustainable growth will require multi-channel strategies
Timestamps
[02:20] – Barb’s journey from competitor to CEO of All-in Global
[05:15] – Why localisation has been difficult to scale and how CRAIG was created
[07:00] – Solving the quality, speed, and cost challenge in translation
[19:00] – How affiliates can use AI localisation to expand into new markets
[32:30] – The future of affiliate marketing and why multi-channel strategies matter
Listen to the Full Episode on AI Localisation and Affiliate Growth
Localisation is becoming more than a translation process, it is becoming a growth advantage.
In this episode, Barb Tasci explains how AI-powered localisation can help affiliates, operators, and advertisers expand faster, reduce operational challenges, and create better experiences for audiences across different markets. To find out more about All-in Global and CRAIG, visit https://all-in.global. 
Interested in taking part in the Affiliate Marketing Podcast? Contact our team to find out sponsorships opportunities and how we can help get your brand seen and heard in front of the right audience - contact sales@affiverse.com for more information.
Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com
Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming.
Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation.
Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review."

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What happens when affiliate marketing is no longer just SEO, and media buying becomes a core part of user acquisition strategy?
Lee-Ann Johnstone sits down with Kamila Łuksza-Szpyt, Managing Director and Marcin Kumięga, Director of Business Development at Voluum to discuss how iGaming and affiliate programs are shifting away from single-channel dependency and into a multi-layered acquisition model driven by affiliate media buying strategy, AI, and real-time optimisation.
For years, SEO affiliates and review sites dominated acquisition strategies. But that model is breaking down under pressure from AI search, rising traffic costs, and changing user behaviour. The result is a major shift: brands are now forced to rethink what “affiliates” actually mean, and expand into broader user acquisition strategies.
Kamila and Marcin break down what is really changing inside the industry; traffic diversification and testing budgets to tracking, attribution, and why many programs fail in their first 30–60 days of media buying.

Affiliate Media Buying Strategy: Key Talking Points 

Why SEO-only affiliate strategies are losing visibility in iGaming
How AI search and Google AI Overviews are changing traffic distribution
Why media buying is becoming a core user acquisition channel
Why data tracking and technical setup are critical for success
How AI is changing optimisation and reporting workflows
Why affiliates and media buying should not be treated as competing channels
The role of attribution in connecting campaigns across the funnel

Why iGaming Is Moving From SEO to Multi-Channel Acquisition

The traditional iGaming model relied heavily on SEO affiliates, comparison sites, and review pages to drive traffic. That model worked because search behaviour was stable and predictable.
Kamila and Marcin explain that this is no longer the case. AI-driven search, Google AI Overviews, and shifting consumer behaviour are reducing organic visibility and pushing brands to rethink their dependency on SEO.
At the same time, media buying channels such as push, pop, native, programmatic, and paid social are opening up at scale. This creates a wider, more competitive acquisition environment but also a much larger opportunity pool.
Instead of relying on one predictable funnel, brands now operate across multiple fragmented touchpoints, making diversification not optional, but necessary.

The First 60 Days: Where Most Media Buying Strategies Fail

One of the strongest insights from the episode is how many programs fail early due to poor setup and expectations.
Kamila highlights two consistent issues:
Brands expect fast ROI without proper testing phases
Budgets are either too small or too widely spread across traffic sources
Marcin adds that another major issue is mindset: many operators still treat media buying as a replacement for affiliates rather than a complementary user acquisition channel.
The reality is that successful campaigns rely on structured testing, proper tracking setup (UTMs, postbacks, attribution), and a clear understanding of what success actually means before scaling begins.
Without this foundation, optimisation becomes guesswork rather than strategy.

Listen to Learn More About Affiliate Media Buying and AI 

Why SEO alone is no longer a sustainable acquisition strategy
How AI is reshaping both traffic and optimisation workflows
What brands consistently get wrong in the first 30–60 days of media buying
Why tracking infrastructure is critical for performance marketing success
How to properly structure testing budgets across multiple traffic sources

Timestamps to Go Direct

[03:22] Why AI search is reducing organic traffic
[06:55] Biggest mistakes brands make when starting media buying
[08:55] Why tracking and technical setup determine success
[10:58] Funnel differences between SEO and paid media
[15:00] Budget allocation and traffic source strategy
[25:50] How AI is changing media buying workflows
[32:15] Real-world success case: +30% conversion rate uplift
[36:54] Rapid fire: AI, LTV, and scaling mistakes

Call to Action

Media buying is no longer treated as a side experiment by many affiliate programs. It is becoming part of a broader user acquisition strategy, sitting alongside SEO, partnerships and other performance channels.
Kamila and Marcin from Voluum break down exactly how brands can approach this shift with structure, testing discipline, and the right tracking infrastructure to avoid costly early mistakes.
If you’re working in affiliate marketing, user acquisition, or performance media, this episode shows what is changing right now — and what you need to fix before scaling.
Sign up for the Affiverse Newsletter at affiversemedia.com
Already subscribed? Share this episode with any affiliate, operator, or affiliate manager working to build trust in online gaming.
Subscribe to the Affiliate Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to gain insights into scaling campaigns with accountability, sensitivity, and trust, even in the era of AI and automation.
Click here to rate and review, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review."

Send me a text with your questions