At the start of 2025, I decided to experiment with an affiliate programme for Simple Metrics. The idea was straightforward: instead of spending all my budget on ads, let other people promote the product and reward them with a commission.
It sounded like a win-win.
The Results
From January to September 2025, here’s what actually happened:
- 47 total visitors from affiliates
- 0 paying customers
- $0 revenue generated
- $261 spent on the programme fees
That’s nine months of running the programme, paying for the software, inviting affiliates, and waiting for results. The outcome was clear: it didn’t work.
What It Cost
I used Rewardful’s Starter plan.
Even though the monthly fee isn’t huge, it adds up when the programme doesn’t produce any results. Across the period, I spent $261 and made $0 back.
Why It Failed
Looking back, there are a two reasons:
- No active recruitment. I didn’t reach out to creators, bloggers, or communities in my niche. I simply opened the programme and assumed people would promote it. They didn’t.
- Mismatch with product stage. Affiliates make sense when you already have traction and partners who want to monetise their audience. For a small SaaS, it’s not the best growth channel yet.
What I Learned
- Affiliate programmes are not “set and forget”. They require the same effort as sales or partnerships.
- Without the right people promoting, the programme is just another monthly expense.
- Ads and content have a clearer ROI at my stage. I’d rather put money there.
What’s Next
For now, I’m pausing the affiliate programme. Sometimes the best lesson is that something is not worth it. And that’s fine.