The 14-day plan to your first 10 affiliate partners
Jimi Barkway · 21 October 2026 · 5 min read
You can sign your first 10 affiliates in 14 days. Write to the people who already review your competitors, a few each day, and follow up until they answer.
Aim for 10 signed up by day 14, not 10 earning. Sales take longer. A partner needs time to write the post or record the episode.
Why start with 10?
Ten partners who already review products like yours teach you more than a hundred random sign-ups. You'll hear what they think of your commission. You'll see which pitch gets a reply. And you'll find out if your offer sells on their audience.
An affiliate is someone with their own audience who sends buyers to you. When one of those buyers pays, you pay the affiliate a cut.
The offer has to work for them. If your product doesn't sell to their readers, they don't get paid, and they move on to one that does (ClickBank, checked 21 October 2026). So pick people whose readers already buy what you sell.
What does the fortnight look like?
| Days | What you do | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Find people who review your rivals | A list of 40 to 60 names |
| 3 | Find each email, cut the weak ones | 20 to 30 you can reach |
| 4 to 5 | Write and send the first emails | First emails out |
| 6 to 10 | Follow up, answer replies | Conversations going |
| 11 to 14 | Agree terms, send links | Your first partners signed up |
Why so many names for 10 partners? Most people won't reply to a first email from someone new. Starting with 40 or more gives you room for that.
Days 1 and 2: who reviews your rivals?
People who've written about a rival know your category. Their audience buys it. And they've shown they'll promote a product for a commission.
- Pick three to five direct competitors that sell the same thing to the same buyer.
- Search Google for each one with "review", "alternatives" and "vs".
- Search YouTube for the same words and note who demos them.
- Search podcast show notes for the competitor's name.
- Put each one in a sheet: name, site, the page you found, and the date it went up.
A post from this year beats one from 2022. It shows they're still active. The full list of searches is in how to find your competitors' affiliates.
Skip the giant competitors if their affiliates are mostly coupon sites. Coupon traffic only suits you if your margins can take the discount.
Day 3: how do you find their emails?
Look on their Contact and About pages first. A partnerships@ or hello@ address is better than a guess.
For YouTube, open the channel's About tab and click "View email address". For podcasts, the host's email is often in the show notes or on the show's website.
Cut anyone you can't reach, and anyone who hasn't posted in a year. You should have 20 to 30 left.
Days 4 and 5: what do you say?
Write to one person, say why you picked them, and ask one small thing.
Here's a weak opener:
"We'd love to partner with you on our exciting affiliate program."
Here's a better one:
"I read your comparison of [rival] and two others. Your part on setup time was the clearest I've seen. Would our 30% commission suit your readers?"
The second names their page, shows you read it, and asks for one reply. The full worked example is in how to write an affiliate recruitment email.
Four mistakes that cost replies:
- Opening with your company's story instead of their work.
- Hiding the commission until the third email.
- Writing to info@ when they publish a partnerships address.
- Sending dozens on day one from a brand-new address.
Send about 5 a day from a new mailbox in the first week. RecruitAffiliates.ai starts new mailboxes there too, and builds up to 30 a day at most (how sending works).
Days 6 to 10: how do you follow up?
Send a second email three or four days after the first. Give them something new, not "just checking in". A detail from another of their posts works well.
Stop the moment someone replies. Nobody wants a follow-up to an email they already answered.
Keep a simple board with a column for each stage: Found, Emailed, Replied, Talking terms, Joining, Live. Move each person as things change. Our guide to building an affiliate pipeline shows the board in full.
Days 11 to 14: how do you sign them up?
Make saying yes easy.
- Send one link to your sign-up page.
- Put the commission, how long a click counts, and when you pay at the top.
- Approve them the same day.
- Send their link and a one-page brief: what you sell, who it's for, and the angle that works best.
Not sure what to pay? What to offer affiliates covers the rate, how long you pay and the cookie window.
What if nobody replies by day 8?
Check three things before you change the offer.
| Check | Fix |
|---|---|
| Are they really a fit? | Swap in names who reviewed your rival this year |
| Does your first line name their page? | Rewrite it around one post of theirs |
| Is the commission in the first email? | Put the number in the second sentence |
If all three are fine, try a new angle in the next email. Then refill the list from your sheet.
In short
Can I really find 10 affiliates in 14 days?
Yes, if you start with 40 or more people who already review your rivals and follow up. Ten signed up is a fair goal for two weeks. Ten earning takes longer.
Should I use a tool or do it by hand?
By hand works if you need five partners in a small niche. A tool earns its place when the searching takes your whole week. The by-hand comparison shows what each costs.
Who should I contact first?
People who reviewed a direct rival this year. They know your category, and their readers already buy it.
How many emails should I send per person?
Four at most, a few days apart, each with something new. Stop as soon as they reply.
What does RecruitAffiliates.ai do for this plan?
It does days 1 to 5 for you. It finds the websites, blogs, review sites, podcasts, YouTube channels, and Instagram and TikTok creators already promoting your rivals, finds their emails, and drafts the first email from real facts about each one. It sends from your own inbox once you approve, and stops when they reply.
Want days 1 to 5 done for you? We find your first 20 emails free. It's 14 days free, no card.