Affiliate Program Set up & Management

launched full-scale affiliate programs for personal loans and revolving credit products across Benelux markets. The initiative involved selecting and onboarding specialized financial affiliate networks (financeads.com and Awin.com), developing comprehensive affiliate recruitment strategies, and establishing a diverse publisher mix.

The affiliate ecosystem I built included:

• Finance comparison websites generating high-intent traffic
• Content publishers with strong domain authority in financial verticals
• Review sites providing third-party credibility through product evaluations
• Finance bloggers creating educational content around credit solutions
• Email affiliates with qualified financial services subscriber databases

Channel Set-up

• Network Selection & Management: Evaluated multiple affiliate networks before partnering with financeads.com (financial vertical specialist) and Awin.com (broader reach), negotiating favorable commercial terms and platform fees
• Program Governance: Established comprehensive program terms, compliance guidelines, and promotional restrictions to meet financial services regulatory requirements
• Publisher Recruitment: Developed targeted outreach campaigns to high-value financial publishers, conducting personalized onboarding sessions for strategic partners

Technical Implementation (Attribution)

• Cross-Channel Attribution: Implemented tracking architecture connecting online user journeys with offline conversion points using server-side postback pixels and unique tracking parameters using Google Tag Manager and custom JS
• End to end funnel analytics: Created granular conversion tracking at multiple funnel stages: initial application, credit check approval, documentation submission, and final loan booking
• Fraud Prevention: Made use of fraud detection to identify and eliminate incentivized, bot and other invalid traffic patterns

Commission Strategy & Optimization

• Multi-Tier Commission Structure: Designed and tested progressive commission models including:
• Initial CPL (cost-per-lead) for application submissions
• Enhanced CPL+ for approved applications passing credit checks
• Revenue-share CPS (cost-per-sale) based on loan value tiers
• Hybrid models combining fixed fees with performance bonuses
• Publisher Segmentation: Created custom commission structures for different publisher types based on traffic quality, conversion rates, and strategic importance with affiliate manager @ the network, while facilitating data pipeline share with network to analyze the full funnel data in collaboration
• Performance Incentives: Implemented tiered bonus structures for publishers exceeding volume targets, maintaining quality standards, or entering new promotional categories

Conversion Rate Optimization

• Custom Landing Experiences: Developed tailored landing pages for top 15 affiliates with publisher-specific messaging and streamlined application flows
• A/B Testing Program: Conducted ongoing multivariate testing across landing page elements, application forms, and creative assets to maximize conversion potential
• Publisher Performance Coaching: Provided data-driven recommendations to key affiliates on messaging, placements, and audience targeting to improve funnel metrics

The affiliate program became a key part of Santander's digital acquisition strategy, providing scalable and cost-effective customer acquisition while enhancing the brand's digital footprint across the Benelux financial services landscape.

• Business Growth: Expanded DTC credit business volume by 25-30% through affiliate channels, establishing it as a core acquisition stream
• Publisher Network: Built a network of 320+ active affiliates across both markets, with a core group of 25 strategic partners generating 80% of volume
• Conversion Improvements: Increased site visit-to-lead submission rates by 20% for top-performing affiliates through landing page optimization
• Brand Presence: Enhanced market visibility through strategic content placements and native integrations within high-authority financial websites
• Channel Economics: Achieved target cost-per-acquisition metrics while maintaining loan quality standards above portfolio averages
• Operational Excellence: Established streamlined approval workflows and compliance monitoring processes, reducing publisher payment cycles and improving program satisfaction

On this page

• Overview
• Scope & Responsibilities
• Channel Set-up
• Technical Implementation (Attribution)
• Commission Strategy & Optimization
• Conversion Rate Optimization
• Performance Results