Pick a niche
The niche decides which programmes exist, how hard ads and search will be, and whether you will still want to write about it in six months. Score a few options on payout, demand, and how crowded the SERP already is — then pick one.
A simple scorecard
Rate 1–5. High scores are examples, not a promise.
| Dimension | What to Measure | High Score Example |
|---|---|---|
| Average CPA/Bounty | £ per conversion from programme listings | FinTech credit cards: £30–£80 CPA |
| RevShare Ceiling | Ongoing % × customer lifetime value | B2B SaaS: 30% recurring for 24 months |
| Search Demand | Monthly search volume for core keywords | "best project management tools" — 40K+/mo |
| Content Fatigue Index | How many similar sites already dominate? | Low if you angle into sub-niche (e.g., "tools for indie hackers") |
Start narrower than the obvious keyword. “Best laptops” is a war. “Ultrabooks for UK students under £800” is a page you can actually finish. You can widen later.
Niches that often have programmes worth looking at: personal finance, B2B SaaS, remote-work tools, creative software. Filter the directory by your niche and write down three programmes before you build anything around them.
Pick a channel
One channel, done properly, beats five half-started ones. Paid ads wait until you know what an organic click is worth.
Channel Comparison
| Channel | Ramp-Up Time | Best For | Key Metric | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO Blog Posts | 3–6 months | Comparison/review content | Organic CTR × conversion rate | Hard (patience) |
| YouTube Reviews | 1–3 months | Product demos, unboxings | Watch time → click-through | Medium-Hard |
| Newsletter | 2–4 weeks | Curated tool recommendations | Click-to-open rate | Medium |
| TikTok / Reels | 2–8 weeks | Viral-aware tips, hidden features | Views → profile link clicks | Medium |
| Community (Reddit) | Immediate | Authentic in-topic recommendations | Trust score → soft mentions | Easy |
A common pairing is a YouTube review (link in the description) plus a written comparison for search. Paid media after you have a baseline EPC, not before.
Tracking
If you cannot see clicks and conversions, you cannot tell which page to make more of. Cloak or shorten links if you need a clean URL; tag every placement with UTMs; log programmes in a sheet (rate, cookie, last payout). Networks also give you subIDs — use a different one per placement.
Disclosure
US FTC and UK ASA both want the commercial relationship obvious before the first affiliate link. A footer-only line is not enough. Verbal plus description on YouTube; #ad in the first lines of a social post. Cookie banners before analytics and affiliate pixels fire. Detail and paste-ready copy: compliance guide.
Apply
Publish one relevant piece first. Fill in the marketing-plan field: what you write, who it is for, roughly which keywords. Blank applications get skipped. Start with a network (Impact, Awin, CJ) so one login covers many brands; see networks for the differences.
Content that converts
Comparisons at the bottom of the funnel usually beat roundup lists. Treat the conversion ranges below as order-of-magnitude, not a forecast.
| Format | Avg. CVR Range | Why It Converts | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head Comparison ("X vs Y") | 4–12% | User at bottom of funnel comparing final options | High |
| "Best [Category] for [Specific Use Case]" | 3–8% | Narrow intent reduces decision fatigue | Medium-High |
| Long-form Review (Single Product) | 2–6% | Deep analysis builds trust | High |
| "Top 10" Roundup Lists | 1–3% | Wide net, relies on volume | Medium |
| Tutorial / How-To Integrating a Tool | 1–4% | Educational intent overlaps with solution seeking | Medium |
Back-of-envelope: at £40 CPA and 3% conversion you need hundreds of clicks, not thousands of articles. One good comparison, promoted where your readers already are, beats a calendar of thin posts.
Then scale
When something is converting, make more of that format. After a stretch of real conversions, ask the AM about a better rate. Mix CPA and RevShare if the programme allows it so one merchant pause does not zero the month.
A 90-day sketch
Adjust the weeks to your hours. The order matters more than the dates.
| Week | Focus | Deliverables | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Niche research & selection | Profitability matrix scored, niche confirmed | 1 |
| Week 2 | Platform setup (YT + blog domain) | Channel created, CMS installed | 2 |
| Week 3 | First content piece drafted | Comparison article OR YouTube script | 2 |
| Week 4 | Apply to programmes on PayoutDeals | 5+ applications submitted, UTM tags configured | 3, 5 |
| Week 5 | Content published + disclosed | Live article/video with compliance banner | 4, 6 |
| Weeks 6–8 | Produce 3–5 additional pieces | Portfolio growing, initial clicks flowing | 6 |
| Weeks 9–12 | Analyse data, negotiate, iterate | Winning placements identified, rate requests sent | 7 |
Income depends on niche, traffic, and whether tracking actually works. Treat “month 3 = £1,000” as marketing, not a plan.
Stay inside the rules
Where the disclosure goes, and copy you can paste.