If you are using MailChimp for email marketing and you plan to promote affiliate products, you may be building your business on a platform that does not want your business. In this episode, Mark unpacks MailChimp's terms of service regarding affiliate marketing, explains why he recommends affiliate marketers avoid MailChimp entirely, and provides an update on his niche site build including the content plan for launch.<\/p>\n
Mark discovered through a discussion in the ConvertKit Facebook group that MailChimp's terms of service are hostile to affiliate marketing<\/strong>. MailChimp's knowledge base states: “Affiliate marketers are typically rewarded by a third party for recruiting customers. The reason we don't permit this activity is that there's no real obligation to care about subscriber satisfaction.” While MailChimp does not always block campaigns with affiliate links, they reserve the right to stop campaigns containing blacklisted URLs and can close accounts at their discretion.<\/p>\n Mark frames MailChimp's position within the history of four disruptions in email marketing<\/strong>: Infusionsoft brought powerful automation at a high price point, Aweber made email marketing affordable for solo entrepreneurs, MailChimp made it free, and ConvertKit (the fourth disruption) combined affordable pricing with advanced automation features. MailChimp's free tier attracted many bootstrap entrepreneurs, but its anti-affiliate stance makes it a poor choice for anyone who plans to recommend products and earn commissions.<\/p>\n Mark's recommendation is unambiguous: if you have any intention of doing affiliate marketing, stay far away from MailChimp. The combination of vague policy language, the unreliability of spam blacklists, and the risk of losing your entire email list makes it an unacceptable platform for affiliate marketers.<\/p>\n The second half of the episode provides a niche site content plan update<\/strong> for YouthBaseballZone.com. Mark outlines a launch plan of approximately 25 pages: a homepage, five to six legal boilerplate pages (privacy policy, contact, about, disclaimer, and children's privacy language), five general informational articles about youth baseball written by a hired writer, and ten product reviews covering baseball gloves and bats. He emphasizes the importance of balancing affiliate content with genuinely helpful informational content<\/strong> to demonstrate authority and avoid Google's thin content penalties.<\/p>\n Mark recorded this episode in December 2016, and the email marketing landscape has changed dramatically since then.<\/p>\n MailChimp's affiliate policy has softened somewhat.<\/strong> While MailChimp still restricts certain affiliate marketing practices, they have become more permissive about affiliate links in campaigns. However, they continue to reserve the right to stop campaigns or close accounts, and their enforcement remains inconsistent. The fundamental risk Mark identifies — building on a platform that does not fully support your business model — remains valid.<\/p>\n The email marketing market has expanded enormously.<\/strong> ConvertKit (now rebranded to Kit<\/strong>) has grown into a major platform serving creators and affiliate marketers. Other options like ActiveCampaign, Drip, Beehiiv, and MailerLite<\/strong> now offer affordable automation with explicit support for affiliate marketing. The days when MailChimp's free tier was the only bootstrap option are long gone.<\/p>\n Email deliverability standards have tightened.<\/strong> Google and Yahoo implemented new sender authentication requirements in early 2024, requiring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for bulk senders. These changes make choosing a reputable email platform even more important, as deliverability depends heavily on your provider's infrastructure and reputation.<\/p>\n Niche site strategy has evolved significantly.<\/strong> The 25-page launch plan Mark describes was standard in 2016. Today, Google's helpful content updates and E-E-A-T requirements mean niche sites need to demonstrate genuine expertise from launch. First-person experience, original research, and unique perspectives are now essential for ranking, not just keyword-optimized product reviews.<\/p>\n If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:<\/p>\n Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts<\/a> or subscribe at latenightim.com\/internet-marketing-podcast\/<\/a>. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.<\/p>\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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