The most critical part of any affiliate campaign is the offer. If the offer doesn’t convert, nothing else matters.
You’ve probably heard it a hundred times: test more offers. But how do you know which offers are worth testing?
There are tens of thousands of offers out there. Some are profitable — most are not.
And the truth is, the best-performing offers often require advanced skills, a big ad budget, or both.
The affiliate space moves fast. You can’t afford to test everything. You need a system to pre-qualify offers before investing time and money.
In this post, I’ll show you:
- A few simple “pre-tests” I personally use to evaluate offers quickly.
- Smart questions to ask your affiliate manager before running traffic.
This process helps you narrow down your testing list, make faster decisions, and launch campaigns that actually stand a chance of working.
Let’s start with 5 key questions I always ask myself before adding any offer to my “testing queue.”
What Do Affiliate Managers Really Think?
You need to build — and maintain — good relationships with affiliate managers.
Easier said than done.
There will be times when affiliate managers let you down. Sometimes they’ll ignore your messages. Sometimes they’ll make you feel like you don’t matter.
You have every right to walk away and join another network. But here’s one rule I always follow:
Never burn bridges. Always leave a way back.
Because if you treat affiliate managers with respect, they can become one of your most valuable resources.
A good affiliate manager can give you insights about an offer — including payout ranges, opportunities for commission bumps, or even warning signs like poor traffic quality from other affiliates.
If you’re lucky (and build enough trust), they might even share insider tips — like what landing pages or angles are working for top affiliates right now.
Remember: affiliate managers want you to run offers. The more money you make, the more they earn too.
A trusted affiliate manager can tell you — based on your skill level, traffic source, and timing — which offers are most likely to perform for you.
Is This Offer Already Working on Your Traffic Source?
Before running any offer, you need to know what’s already performing well on your traffic source.
I get tons of emails asking, “What’s the best traffic source right now?”
Here’s the truth: Every traffic source can work — in the right hands. As an affiliate, your real job is to match the right offer (and niche) to the traffic you’re using.
That’s why spying on what other affiliates are running — on your traffic platform — is always worth the effort.
Ask yourself:
- Do you like their approach? What angle or funnel are they using?
- How can you improve on what they’re doing?
- Is there still room to profit, or is it already saturated?
- What edge do you have to beat the top bidders on this offer?
Doing this kind of research helps you avoid wasting time on the wrong verticals or dead offers.
Pro tip: Ask your affiliate manager for input. They can’t reveal confidential data, but most will gladly share what types of funnels or methods are working in general.
And the more trust you’ve built with them, the more insights they’re likely to share.
Is This Offer Available on Multiple Affiliate Networks?
Sometimes, the same offer is listed on multiple affiliate networks. Most affiliates just go with whichever network they’re comfortable with.
Don’t do that.
Instead, take the time to compare which networks are offering that same offer — and more importantly, which one performs best.
If multiple networks carry the same offer, that’s actually an advantage. You can test across networks and find out which one gives you the highest ROI.
Insider tip: The highest payout doesn’t always mean the highest profit.
Just because one network pays more doesn’t mean it’s the best. Some networks shave conversions. Others delay payouts. You won’t know until you test.
Try running the same offer on different networks. You might be shocked by the results.
Sometimes, lower-commission versions actually bring higher profit margins — that’s affiliate marketing in a nutshell.
Dig deeper into offer performance across networks. That insight can save you money, time, and wasted traffic.
Do You Need Experience to Make a Profit?
Sometimes, affiliates get overconfident.
You’ve had some wins in the past — and now you assume future success is just a matter of time.
But the truth is: you didn’t win because you were lucky. You won because you stayed focused, paid attention to the data, and made smart decisions.
So don’t throw that discipline out the window.
Just because someone is making $50k a day on Google Ads doesn’t mean you should jump in and try to compete. There are plenty of offers better suited for beginners with small budgets — often lower-payout offers, but easier to run.
The same goes for traffic sources. Some are beginner-friendly. Others are brutal if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Evaluate offers based on your own experience.
If 90% of your past success came from mobile app installs, you probably don’t have the skills (yet) to crush it in adult dating offers or hard verticals.
That doesn’t mean you should stick to one thing forever. It means your next move should be based on what you’ve already learned — not wishful thinking.
With a solid foundation, you’ll start to recognize which traffic sources align best with which types of offers.
Experience is an asset. Use it to gain an edge when evaluating your next campaign.
What’s the Best Offer for You — Right Now?
There’s an easy trap to fall into: thinking you can make money with any offer.
But I want you to slow down and ask yourself a better question:
What offer actually fits me at this moment?
Ten years ago, ringtone offers were all the rage. People made a fortune.
Try running ringtones today?
Forget it. You’ll bleed money.
That’s why you need to focus on what you’re already good at.
I’ve seen many affiliates master one thing — like mobile ads — and start making money. But then they get distracted and jump into other areas, like native or Facebook.
If you’ve been doing mobile ads for two months, you have two months of experience.
If you want to switch, ask yourself:
Why?
Is it too competitive? Are CPMs too high? If you have a solid reason — go ahead and pivot.
But if you’re just chasing something new… don’t.
Don’t let affiliate managers overwhelm you with shiny new offers or verticals you’re not ready for.
It’s hard to say no when they tell you that the top affiliates are doing something completely different — and you should “do what they do.”
But sometimes, you have to say no.
Stick to your strengths. Base your decisions on what has worked for you. That’s the best way to find offers that actually make money — for you.
Pro tip:
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is chasing only $20+ CPA offers — and ignoring the $2 ones.
That’s a classic example of not understanding which offers fit your level, skills, and traffic source.
What’s the Future Potential of This Niche?
You should always think beyond the offer — and consider where it’s heading.
- What’s the product’s lifecycle?
- Is it about to blow up, or is it already peaking?
- Will it generate steady profits, or is it a one-hit wonder?
You can ask your affiliate manager for insights — or look at signals from your traffic platform.
Predicting trends is hard, but here are a few things I personally look at:
- If everyone’s talking about it — on forums, at conferences, or in paid courses — it might already be saturated.
- If an offer is trending across multiple networks, that could point to a broader shift.
- What are people saying in your mastermind group or private affiliate circles?
The point is: think long-term. A good offer today is nice, but a scalable niche tomorrow is even better.
Do You Know Anyone Profiting from This Offer?
In affiliate marketing, collaboration matters.
Personally, I prefer running offers that I know at least a few trusted friends are already profitable with.
Why?
Two big reasons:
1. I know the offer works.
When you’re testing blindly across dozens of offers, you have no clue whether something is truly profitable until you’ve spent real money.
But if someone you trust is already making money with it, you can test with confidence — and scale faster.
2. We share intel.
If we’re running the same offer, we can trade insights.
Is it performing better on Facebook? Mobile? Native?
We don’t have to guess — we can divide and conquer.
Once we’ve figured out which traffic source converts best, we move on to testing creatives and landing pages together to boost profits.
Smart Questions to Ask Your Affiliate Manager
It’s not just about asking yourself the right questions — you should also ask the affiliate manager.
As mentioned earlier, affiliate managers can give you valuable insights about which offers are worth testing… and which ones to avoid.
So don’t be afraid to ask. Just make sure you’re asking the right questions. Here are a few good examples:
“Why should I promote this offer through your network instead of another one?”
This is a great question to ask when you’re building a relationship.
It sets the tone that you’re looking for a mutually beneficial partnership — not just looking for handouts.
Don’t be shy. Find out how much they’re willing to invest in the relationship.
“What’s your relationship like with the advertiser?”
Just as you need to build trust with your affiliate manager, they need to have a solid connection with the advertiser.
When there’s trust on both ends — you win. Payouts are faster, tracking is cleaner, and disputes are resolved quicker.
“Will you be available to support me if I need help?”
It’s a bold question, but it’s worth asking early on. Success in affiliate marketing often depends on collaboration.
A manager who’s responsive on phone, chat, or email — even across time zones — is a huge asset. If support is slow, your campaigns will suffer.
“Are you willing to support new affiliates, or only super affiliates?”
Let’s be real: affiliate marketing is cutthroat. Some managers only focus on their top earners. Others go the extra mile for anyone serious about growing.
This question helps you figure out whether they’ll actually help you succeed — or just leave you on read.
“Can you get me a payout bump?”
Don’t ask this too early — especially if you’re just starting out. But once you’ve proven yourself and brought in consistent conversions, ask the question.
Even a small commission bump can give you a serious edge when scaling.
Now, don’t just copy-paste these questions into Skype and expect magic. Think strategically.
Ask yourself: How can I get these answers in a natural, non-interrogation kind of way?
One last tip:
If you’re brand new, don’t ask these questions yet.
Wait until you’ve generated some profit and built a bit of a track record. Then you’ll be taken seriously — and you’ll have the leverage to get real answers.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Run the First Offer You See
There are thousands of affiliate offers out there — but your job is to stay sharp and choose the right one for where you are right now. Then, ask your affiliate manager the right questions to identify the best fit.
The best affiliate managers will answer your questions — even if you’re brand new.
But here’s the reality:
When you’re spending $10 a day on ads, you’re not generating profit for the network. In fact, they might be losing money by supporting you.
The more serious your budget and traffic, the more effort they’ll put into helping you grow.
So keep investing in the relationship — with your affiliate manager, and with the network.
Because sometimes, the right person can help push your entire affiliate career to the next level.
