What to Do on Your First Day as the Team Lead of an Affiliate Marketing Team

The transition from the role of an individual contributor to that of a manager is always a stressful test. Even experienced media buyers, upon becoming team leads, feel confused in the first days. A manager’s job turns out to be much more difficult than it seemed from the outside. The skills that brought success as a buyer suddenly help little; now you are responsible not only for yourself but also for the results of the entire team. It’s no surprise that the first days of a new leader are often accompanied by a sense of panic and self‑doubt.

A particular challenge awaits those who were promoted from rank‑and‑file employees. Colleagues who, just yesterday, considered you an equal may not immediately recognize you as their manager. Some will be pleased (“Now we can relax, one of our own is in charge”), while others will react negatively (“Why was he promoted and not me?”). Your former authority as an excellent buyer does not automatically guarantee respect as a leader. You will have to earn it again, step by step, and do so in a highly competitive environment. Below, we will present a practical plan that will help you confidently get through your first day as a team lead and not fail this test.

 

Practical First-Day Checklist for a Team Lead

1) Prepare Your Introductory Speech and Introduce Yourself to the Team

Gather the team (in person or via a call) and officially announce that you are now their team lead.

Briefly share your background and achievements so colleagues understand why you hold this position.

Outline the common goal and values — for example, a shared commitment to improving results together.

It’s important to set a constructive tone from the very first step and to show confidence in your new role.

 

2) Meet with Management and Key Partners

On the same day, try to speak with the team owner and clarify their expectations and priorities:

Which KPIs matter most? Which issues need urgent attention?

If your team closely interacts with affiliate managers from partner networks, designers, or service providers — introduce yourself, learn what they expect, and find out if there are pressing concerns.

Such contact demonstrates your proactivity and helps define your area of responsibility right away.

 

3) Assess the Current Situation — Diagnosis Is the Key Task of Day One

Review what the team is currently working on: which offers are being run, performance metrics for active campaigns, and any urgent deadlines.

Ask each buyer for a brief report: what has been completed, what is planned, and where the difficulties lie.

The goal is to map out current processes and projects.

Don’t try to dive into every detail in a single day, but get a general overview: which GEOs, funnels, and creatives are in use, and what budgets are at stake.

A good team lead must understand all processes, so start with an inventory to ensure nothing escapes your attention.

In the early days, access to the right tools and support is especially important. LGaming can act as an external advisor — we can recommend which offers to test and which approaches work best in gambling and betting verticals.

This builds trust within the team and helps you launch campaigns faster and with less stress.

 

4) Ensure Continuity of Work

In the first hours, it’s crucial that the team continues driving traffic steadily, without disruptions.

If any tasks or decisions are stalled due to the leadership change, unblock them quickly.

For example, if buyers need access to services, new accounts, or budgets — resolve these issues by contacting the responsible parties.

If your approval is needed for creatives or offers, provide feedback promptly.

The idea is to ensure the first day passes without downtime: traffic is flowing, deposits are coming in, and the team sees you are not slowing processes down but supporting them.

 

5) Avoid Making Drastic Changes Right Away

Resist the temptation to “shake up” established processes immediately after your appointment.

Even if you have plenty of ideas, don’t rush to disrupt the team’s familiar workflow.

First, you haven’t yet fully figured out what has been working effectively and what hasn’t.

Second, people are wary of a manager who starts canceling existing agreements and procedures on day one — it’s a quick way to undermine trust.

Experts advise continuing the course of the previous leader (if the team has been working successfully) at first.

Show respect for the team’s achievements; you will implement improvements later, but base them on facts and diagnostics, not the desire to make an instant statement.

 

6) Schedule One-on-One Meetings with the Team

In addition to the general call, arrange short one-to-one meetings with each media buyer.

The goal is to get to know your team members better and give them a chance to speak.

Ask what motivates them, what problems they see in the team’s work, and what they feel is missing for better results.

These conversations help establish personal connections and uncover hidden pain points (someone might lack proxies, another may be unhappy with an unclear bonus system, etc.).

Personal attention shows that you value each person and are committed to helping them — this strengthens your authority from the start.

 

7) Find One or Two “Quick Wins”

Identify a small problem you can solve quickly and take action.

It could be fixing a non-working tracker, easing the workload of an overloaded buyer, speeding up payment approval from a service — any improvement noticeable to the team.

After listening to your colleagues’ concerns, pick something that can be fixed without long delays and deliver results.

By resolving 1–2 pressing issues, you clearly demonstrate your effectiveness.

The team will see that the new team lead doesn’t just ask questions but gets things done, and management will notice that you are in control.

This builds confidence for everyone involved.

 

Launching Initial Tasks and Assigning Responsibilities

Launching tasks is one of the first challenges a new team lead will face.

A newcomer to management often encounters situations where some duties “hang in the air.”

For example, no one is monitoring the warming of new accounts, or there’s no designated person to coordinate with designers on creatives.

Unassigned responsibilities lead to small but important details being missed, which in turn affects results.

 

On your very first day, check whether the main roles are covered — who is responsible for each stage of the affiliate cycle, from creative to deposit.

Typically, a team’s work is divided as follows: buyers run and test campaigns, farmers prepare accounts, creatives handle ad production, the team lead oversees and verifies results, and the owner ensures budget availability.

If certain roles are missing, make sure their functions are assigned to existing team members and that each person clearly knows their area of responsibility.

 

When launching tasks, rely on the existing backlog — what campaigns are already planned?

Perhaps the previous manager or the buyers themselves had a list of test ideas.

Don’t ignore these plans; support their execution to show continuity to the team.

Start the day with a short task meeting: confirm what each member is working on today, help set priorities if necessary.

Your role is to remove uncertainty.

If two buyers are duplicating work or, conversely, an important task has no owner, redistribute responsibilities.

It’s better to ask and clarify than to leave a “no man’s land” area.

At this stage, having an external support point can be invaluable.

 

LGaming helps teams get up to speed faster: we provide up-to-date offers, consulting, and campaign stability support.

Knowing there’s a reliable partner allows a new team lead to feel more confident and less anxious about early mistakes.

 

Important: At the start, avoid micromanaging, but don’t let everything run on autopilot either.

Keep key metrics in focus — how much was spent and earned today, and whether traffic volume is dropping.

A team lead is responsible for every team action — they must know who’s generating profit, where mistakes are happening, and who’s losing money and pulling the team down.

Therefore, once tasks are assigned, monitor their progress throughout the day: request interim updates and check stats toward the end of the day.

Your oversight and readiness to help when challenges arise will give buyers the confidence that they have a strong leader keeping a finger on the pulse.

 

Communication with the Team: Confident and Open

From the very beginning, establish transparent communication within the team.

The first team meeting is a great opportunity to set the rules of the game.

Your tone should be confident and professional, like a seasoned player in the market — but without arrogance.

Make it clear that you understand the team’s pain points (e.g., high budget burn rates, banner blindness, strict Facebook moderation, etc.) and share the common goal — to stay profitable in the long run.

State openly that you are receptive to suggestions and ready to listen to everyone.

This is important so that people feel the new team lead is not an overseer but a partner in achieving success.

 

Pay special attention to personal communication.

If you have grown from within the team, acknowledge the new reality: the nature of your relationships is changing.

Just yesterday, you might have been playing a CS2 match together as colleagues, and today you’re asking for a report on meeting the plan.

To smooth out the awkwardness, speak directly:

“Guys, I appreciate that we’ve been working together for a long time. Now my job is to help all of us reach new heights. I count on your support, and you can count on mine.”

Such honesty and respect for shared history will help avoid sabotage from veterans who may initially still see you as the same “equal Lyokha.”

Make it clear that, formally, your status has changed, but you still value team spirit and are committed to working toward the same goal.

 

Do not avoid difficult conversations if they’re needed.

For example, if there were unresolved conflicts before your arrival — someone blaming another for budget loss or competing for more “profitable” offers — it’s better to address the issue early.

Hold private conversations with each side, listen without judgment.

Then, having gathered the facts, decide how to proceed:

• Separate people into different projects

• Set clear rules (e.g., equal budget allocation, rotating offers)

• Or address the value of mutual support directly at a team meeting

Conflicts between media buyers often arise under stress and competition for results.

Your task is to shift the focus from internal disputes to external goals.

As one manager’s experience showed, sometimes it’s enough to redirect the energy:

“Don’t waste your strength arguing with each other — let’s beat the competing team or increase our conversions to prove we’re the best.”

Create a sense of a united front, where you are the captain, not a referee in the ring.

And above all — listen more than you speak.

On the first day, it’s important to gather as much feedback as possible.

Ask questions: What would you improve in our funnels? What’s preventing you from working more effectively?

Show that you value everyone’s opinion.

Even if you can’t solve all the problems immediately, people will feel that the new team lead hears them.

This is the foundation of trust and productive communication going forward.

 

Diagnostics of Current Processes

Alongside managing people, a new team lead needs to carefully study all of the team’s workflows. Traffic arbitrage involves many moving parts: finding offers, preparing creatives, launching ad campaigns, optimizing by metrics, scaling, working with partner networks, financial accounting, etc. On the first day, you won’t dive deeply into every area, but you can conduct a quick audit of the key nodes:

Conversion Funnel Analysis

Look at the statistics: how many clicks turn into registrations, and registrations into deposits. An inefficient funnel is a common issue when traffic is flowing but there’s no profit. For example, it may turn out that out of 1,000 clicks only 50 people reach registration — which means the problem is at the landing or pre‑landing stage (the offer didn’t hook, technical glitches, irrelevant traffic). A well‑built funnel enables a steady flow of leads, so it’s important for the team lead to identify where the bottlenecks are. Note for yourself: which flows are currently used (creative → pre‑lander → lander), at which step the biggest drop‑offs occur, and what hypotheses the buyers have for improvement. It’s possible that on day one you’ll already see a clear failure — for example, excellent banner CTRs but a low deposit rate. Record this so you can later work with the team to find a solution. Funnel diagnostics are the foundation for planning improvements.

Checking Tools and Technical Processes

Make sure the team has everything necessary to work: trackers, anti‑detect browsers, proxies, current ad accounts, access to analytics services. If something is missing or not working — add it to a list. Also examine how the team handles result tracking and reporting. Is there a single profit/loss sheet for each buyer? How are consumable costs accounted for (accounts, software) and how are payouts reconciled? A good team lead looks not only at revenue, but also at costs, assessing true profit with expenses taken into account. On the first day, simply estimate how transparent the financial result is right now. If metrics and accounting are chaotic, that’s a signal that you’ll need to restore order soon (though not in the first hours — only after you’ve understood things better).

Evaluation of Decision‑Making Processes

Look at how the team previously generated new flows and strategies. Was it spontaneous (everyone on their own) or organized (group calls, brainstorms)? Were there regular meetups — morning standups, weekly reviews of losses? If such practices didn’t exist, you’ll need to introduce them later for systematization. If they did — try to participate and observe how they’re conducted. An initial diagnosis may show, for example, that the idea funnel has dried up; buyers are running old creatives from spy services because there’s no exchange of insights. Or, say, there’s no process for training juniors, and everyone is left to their own devices. Mark such process gaps for elimination. The first day is the time to ask questions and gather facts: How do you usually decide which offer to test? How long does it take us to launch a new GEO? Who checks the quality of creatives? Don’t be afraid to seem meticulous — it’s better to clarify everything right away than to miss a problem.

Diagnosing the Team for Burnout

In addition to purely work-related processes, pay attention to the emotional state of your subordinates. Affiliate marketers often work 24/7, without weekends or holidays. The line between work and personal life blurs, which sooner or later leads to fatigue. Signs of burnout include apathy, irritability, decreased creativity, and mistakes in simple tasks. If, on your very first day, you notice that one of the key buyers looks exhausted or says they “completely burned out last week” — take it seriously. Record this and discuss with the person how you can help.

Yes, traffic runs around the clock, but people are not machines. If you ignore overload, at some point a buyer may quit or, worse, lose budget due to inattention. From day one, make it clear: “Guys, if you feel burned out — tell me directly.” This will create an atmosphere of trust. Then act preventively: rotate workloads, offer days off after intense periods, maintain team spirit with joint offline/online activities. Remember that caring for the human factor is no less your responsibility than ROI metrics.

Having conducted a basic diagnosis in these areas, you will gain a complete understanding of what works in the team and what is stalling. For now, just record your observations without making hasty conclusions. Your picture is still incomplete, but you will already see the points where to focus your efforts. In the following days, you will develop an improvement plan — based on facts, not intuition.

Typical Situations from Practice and How to Act

Let’s look at several common cases from the practice of affiliate teams that a new team lead might face — and see how to handle them without failing when they appear.

Case 1. Burnout of a Key Player. Suppose your top buyer, who used to bring in the lion’s share of profit, suddenly drops in performance. In a private conversation, they admit: “I’m tired, no energy, everything irritates me.” This is a classic burnout scenario — the person has been working at their limit and has run out of resources. Your strategy: acknowledge the problem and urgently reduce the workload. As HR specialists recommend, sometimes giving a person an extra day off or a short vacation, or changing the environment, is enough. Reassign their campaigns to others, step in yourself if necessary to cover the gap. Show that you value their health more than short-term numbers. At the same time, think about systemic measures: perhaps hire an assistant or junior to help, or adjust plans to avoid 24/7 work without breaks. Preventing burnout is your responsibility. If you manage to keep the specialist in the game by letting them recover, the team will benefit in the long run. If not, you risk losing a strong professional and ending up with a demotivated team.

Case 2. Inefficient Funnel and “Breaking Even.” You notice that the team is driving large volumes of traffic, but profit is minimal or zero. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that the conversion rate from registration to deposit is catastrophically low on current offers. Buyers blame offer quality or “the wrong audience”. Here, a new team lead might feel lost — budgets are being spent, but profit isn’t growing. Your steps: calmly untangle the knot. Conduct a funnel review with the team — from click to deposit, stage by stage. Identify exactly where the drop-off occurs. Possible problems: a weak pre-lander that fails to motivate registration, a long or buggy registration form on the offer, non-target GEO traffic, etc. Once you find the weak link, propose a concrete fix. For example: “Since registrations are 30% from clicks, but only 10% of those register deposit — the problem is at the deposit stage. Let’s request alternative offers from the partner network with a simpler deposit process, or change our approach.” The key is not to blame people (“You’re running bad traffic”), but to show a clear path to improvement. Remind the team that the sales funnel is a tool for identifying problem stages and upgrading them. Solving the issue will not only get the team into profit, but also give you valuable optimization experience, strengthening your authority through analytical thinking.

Each of these cases is a test for a new leader. Address them with confidence and fairness. Experienced buyers reading this will likely recognize familiar situations. Your main advantage as a mature player is the ability to see the root of the problem and calmly find a solution without panic or fuss. Over time, this will come more easily — but on your first day, it’s important at least to recognize what you’re dealing with and outline the right steps.

 

Building Authority and Long-Term Systematic Work

The first day is only the beginning of your journey as a team lead. From there, it’s crucial to solidify your authority and build systematic work that will last over the long term. Authority is not the same as a formal title — you will have to earn and confirm it every day.

Keep your word and meet expectations. If you promise the team something — deliver. If you said you’d secure new proxies or negotiate a higher rate with a partner network — see it through. Every fulfilled commitment strengthens your status as a leader in the eyes of your subordinates. Shape the right expectations and live up to the trust placed in you.

Be competent and share your expertise. A top manager in affiliate marketing is valued not only for hard skills (the ability to run traffic) but also for daily competent communication. Show in practice that you understand verticals, traffic sources, and know how to analyze the numbers. At the same time, train the team: review successful cases, mentor juniors, and share conference insights. When subordinates see they can learn from you, their respect grows. You become not just a boss appointed “from above,” but a mentor worth following.

Stick to clear management principles. Be predictable and fair in decision-making. For example, establish a transparent bonus system — a percentage of profit for each member according to their contribution. Don’t change rules retroactively and avoid favoritism. Democracy in discussion, decisiveness in execution is a strong formula for a leader. Listen to the team’s opinions, then make the final call and see it through. This creates a sense of order — people know that in your team everything is fair and moving forward because the team lead is holding the course.

Think strategically, but value people. In the long run, a team lead is expected not only to meet current plans but also to have a vision for the future. Track market trends (new traffic sources, changes in gambling regulations, spikes in interest for certain offers). Test new funnels, look for growth points for the team — whether it’s launching a new GEO or expanding into a related vertical (e.g., adding crypto offers or nutra if it fits). Develop your team so it’s ready for scaling: nurture strong buyers into future team leads, and delegate responsibility gradually. Remember, a good team lead is a potential future owner, so they think beyond operational tasks. Still, while aiming for big goals, don’t forget the people you’re leading. Your authority is built on their trust and results. Maintain a healthy atmosphere, resolve conflicts, reward the best, and support those struggling temporarily. Leadership respect also comes from human qualities — the ability to move the team forward without abandoning anyone in tough times.

Finally, stay confident. At first, it won’t be easy: there may be mistakes, some ideas may not work right away, and certain problems might take longer to fix. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t let the team doubt your determination. A steady, confident tone from a leader who “knows what they’re doing” is essential for subordinates — especially in high-pressure niches like gambling verticals. This doesn’t mean hiding mistakes — acknowledge them, but show the determination to move forward. Over time, you’ll outgrow your “newcomer” status and develop your own signature leadership style. And when the team sees how you’ve navigated the challenges of your first days without losing ground, their respect for you will only grow.

Thus…

The first day as the team lead of an affiliate marketing team is both a challenge and an opportunity to make the right impression. Yes, you will need to adapt to your new role, handle stress, and take on a great deal of new responsibility. But armed with the plan described above, you can make this day as productive as possible and lay a solid foundation for future success. Confidence, system, and respect for the team are the three pillars that support the role of a team lead. By passing the “baptism of fire” of the first day with honor, you will not only avoid failure but also begin shaping that very leadership style that will determine your team’s success for a long time to come.

If you have questions about offers or traffic launch, the LGaming partner network is always there — with experience, tools, and support. With such a resource, it’s easier for a team lead to take the first steps and guide the team with confidence.

Remember: even the most successful leaders were once beginners and made their share of mistakes. Your first missteps are also part of the learning process. The main thing is to learn from them, keep your fighting spirit, and lead your team to new heights in the world of traffic arbitrage. Good luck — and may each following day in the role of team lead be even more confident and productive than the last!