Affiliate Rockstar: Sean Ryan

Introducing Sean Ryan

Sean Ryan is the Head of Affiliate at Robinhood, a leading fintech investment platform. With over 20 years of experience, Sean has managed affiliate programs at Sling TV and DISH Network, in addition to running his own digital marketing agency. Specializing in performance-driven strategies, Sean excels at driving acquisition growth and scaling affiliate programs through innovative tactics, helping brands achieve measurable success.

Please help us welcome November’s Affiliate Rockstar and get ready to shred with Sean!

Rockstar Q&A with Sean

What are your day-to-day duties?
My duties change based on priorities, but generally include the following: create affiliate strategy, provide management and oversight, implement product campaigns, onboard new partners, analyze results, and execute media plans.

How did you get into the affiliate industry?
I had several years of business development and marketing experience, so I decided to set up my own boutique digital marketing agency. I created a toolkit for businesses and people aspiring to monetize their websites. These toolkit packages included web dev, unique content, SEO, affiliate marketing, and paid ads. I really loved helping people getting started on their own path to success.

What are your most important KPIs?
I’m very focused on lower-funnel performance. New customers or subscribers is always the most important KPI. After that, LTV (customer quality) is the next most important. Clicks are nice and I never care about impressions.

What have you done in the last 6–12 months to improve your affiliate efforts?
Before taking over the Robinhood program, my team and I grew Sling TV’s affiliate program by over 150% YoY. I believe in continuous improvement, so I’m always looking for ways to improve myself and my program. Being able to cut through the clutter and focus on what brings meaningful results has been my most meaningful achievement. Optimizing existing partners really helped us identify untapped pockets of opportunity to grow.

How do you think your strategy differs from other verticals?
I’ve worked in several different verticals including streaming, finance and investing, and e-commerce. The most important thing is to identify key learnings that can be applied across verticals. However, it’s also good to realize that not everything is going to work across the board and that different industries can require different strategies or tactics. You need to be humble and approach it from a place of openness to new ideas and approaches.

Do you have a specific strategy in place for influencers?
Yes, I definitely believe influencers have a strategic place, but it really depends on your objectives. I think they are fantastic for upper-funnel brand awareness. I’ve never seen them perform for acquisition, but if I was with a fashion, beauty, or apparel company then they would be one of my primary tactics.

“Affiliate” or “partner,” and why?
I really lean into partner, but sometimes I’ll use the term “affiliate partner.” To drive substantial growth, you need to have a partnership with those around you. Frequent and two-way communication is the only way to make an impact. Sharing key learnings, product messaging, upcoming events, and other important details is the way to make something great … together.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve come across in affiliate marketing?
There are so many different potential partners. Being able to identify and vet all of the possible affiliates is the biggest challenge I’ve faced. It’s helpful to have a team or agency to help weed them out, ignore the overlap, and onboard quality partners.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in affiliate marketing?
My biggest mistake in affiliate marketing is thinking I could be a lone wolf. No one can build anything substantial and sustainable by themselves. You really need a full team of people who compliment your skills and expertise. I’m always looking for ways to collaborate with internal stakeholders and new partners who can help me grow.

What are 2–3 trends you’re seeing in the industry?
Card-linked offers have made a significant impact and can provide meaningful results. Another trend is the need to validate incrementality — brands are starting to really understand how much volume affiliates can bring, so the need to prove incremental results is something that everyone should be focused on.

What’s the next big thing in affiliate marketing?
MMM and MTA. Many of the big brands are exploring or already on the path to implementing ways to identify multi-touch attribution. Overall, I believe affiliate marketing has been under-appreciated and these new initiatives will truly highlight how much value affiliates bring to performance marketing.