The Affiliate Marketing Pre-Launch Checklist

As the Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, Alana Levine lives in the trenches.

That’s the reason we invited her for a chat on The Free Toaster Podcast.

She’s often the first call when a lender or financial institution wants to “turn on” the affiliate marketing channel—and the first to spot when they’re about to step on a rake. In our 1-hour conversation, she pulled back the curtain on what FIs get wrong in the early days (and how to actually get it right).

In today’s Newsletter, we share Alana’s unfiltered pre-launch checklist.

The Strategic Foundation

Alana looks for five key indicators that signal strategic readiness, and understanding these upfront can save you months of frustration.

Geographic Reach: If your product serves a limited geographic area, affiliate marketing might not be your best first move. "We find anything that's too narrow—if they serve five counties in their area, affiliate just isn't for you at that point," Alana notes. This isn't a permanent limitation, but it's worth addressing before investing heavily in affiliate partnerships.

Product Differentiation: This is where many regional banks and newer fintechs struggle, and that's completely understandable. "Me Too products are a challenge," Alana explains. The question isn't whether your product is good—it's whether publishers have compelling reasons to promote it over established alternatives. If you're offering a standard 2% cashback card, think about what makes your particular version special.