Benchmark partners by EPC, not by follower count

Benchmark partners by EPC, not by follower count

Follower count tells you reach. EPC, earnings per click, tells you whether reach turns into money. Build a benchmark system around it.

Step 1: Compute EPC per partner
EPC = total commission ÷ total clicks. Do it per partner, per offer. Never blend offers — a $200 product and a $9 product have wildly different EPCs.

Step 2: Set bands per offer
After 3+ partners run the same offer, you have a distribution. Mark the median and top quartile. Those become your bands.

Step 3: Apply the decision rules
— Above top quartile → give them more inventory and a fee bump
— Median to top quartile → keep, test new creative
— Below median twice → conversion problem, pause and diagnose audience fit

Step 4: Re-benchmark when the offer changes
New landing page or commission rate resets the bands. Don't compare across offer versions.

Checklist: EPC computed per partner per offer, bands set from real distribution, partners mapped to a rule, bands reset on offer change. Now 'good partner' is a number, not an opinion.