Paid search vs content for SaaS affiliate: the margin gap

Paid search vs content for SaaS affiliate: the margin gap
Everyone says "scale with paid traffic." Paid only works if the math clears, and on recurring it rarely does up front.

Content: high upfront effort, near-zero marginal cost, compounds for years. Paid: instant volume, but you pay per click whether or not the trial converts and survives churn.

The killer detail: on recurring commissions you earn slowly over months, but you pay for the ad click today. Your payback period can stretch past the customer's lifetime.

When paid makes sense:
— High one-time bounty, low refund rate, clear last-click credit.

When it's suicide:
— Recurring trickle + 30-day refund + last-click model. You'll fund clicks for revenue that claws back.

Verdict: paid search rewards bounties, punishes trickles. Know which one you're running before you load the card.