Bonus: How DTC Brands Scale Affiliate Marketing Without Fraud or Bad Attribution

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAffiliate is getting a lot more attention in DTC right now, and for good reason. In this episode, Yash Chavan, Founder and CEO of SATHI & SARAL, breaks down why the channel looks so attractive on paper, where it falls apart in practice, and what brands can do to make it perform like a real growth engine.Claim your free trial and 20% across all pricing plans at mysathi.io. Don't forget to use the code DTC! Request your free trial: http://www.mysathi.io/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=dtc&utm_campaign=dtc-podcastWe get into:Why affiliate is attractive to operators and finance teamsHow last-click attribution distorts performance dataWhat affiliate fraud actually looks like inside a real programHow to think about multi-touch attribution by product categoryWhy gamification matters if you want creators to stay activeHow affiliate fits alongside Meta, TikTok, and retargetingWhat to steal:Run a fraud scan on your current affiliate program and check for leaked codesBuild commission tiers and milestone bonuses to keep strong creators engagedChoose an attribution model based on how your product actually gets boughtIf you’re a DTC marketer, founder, or growth lead trying to lower CAC, improve measurement, and build a more durable acquisition program, this episode is essential listening.Timestamps00:00 Affiliate marketing explained02:00 Why affiliate is hard to scale04:00 The problem with last-click attribution06:00 Affiliate fraud examples and risks09:00 Influencers shifting to affiliate models11:00 Why reels + links change everything13:00 How modern affiliate tracking works16:00 Multi-touch attribution strategies19:00 Retargeting affiliate traffic21:00 Gamifying affiliate programs24:00 How to start and scale affiliates27:00 Program hygiene and key metrics30:00 Where affiliate fits in your funnel33:00 The future of affiliate marketingSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video