If you’re starting out in affiliate marketing and wondering how to get networks to accept you then read this. We’ll show you why most new affiliates get rejected and how to avoid the same fate when applying.
Most affiliate networks only want to work with experienced affiliates, but how do you get experience if you can’t join a network? The first thing you need to do is look at things from the perspective of the network.
Networks get thousands of applications from affiliates, but not all of them are legit. Therefore, networks need to ensure that they only accept affiliates who will play by the rules and bring in money.
Here are some of the reasons why networks need to be careful and why they might be rejecting your application.
Fraudsters
As with any industry, there are some people who choose to break the rules to their advantage and scam people out of their money. As a result, affiliate networks need to tighten their security and this means being stricter about who they let in.
Affiliate fraudsters generally operate by sending fake leads and taking money for them. They’ll continue to do this until they eventually get caught, at which point they’ll move on to the next target and do the same again.
Unfortunately for those who are doing business legitimately, this can make it much harder to get accepted. If you are from a country which has a lot of people trying to scam networks then you could be considered high-risk, even though you’ve done nothing wrong.
Overly Aggressive Affiliates
Affiliate marketing is a pretty aggressive industry, so it’s part and parcel of doing business. However, some affiliates take it way too far and this can land networks in hot water.
Generating campaigns that use real people who aren’t associated with the products on offer is one of the industry’s biggest problems and it will ensure that you get kicked off of any legitimate network.
If you are unsure about your marketing tactics then it’s best to take a look at the terms and conditions of your network or ask your affiliate manager to make sure that your campaigns are compliant.
In a nutshell, networks don’t want to take the risk of having people in their network that could end up costing them money from hefty fines. Therefore, if you want to be accepted, you need to ensure that you are playing by the rules.
Time is Money
Networks have a finite amount of resources and their affiliate managers can only help so many people at a time if they want to ensure that they get results. Therefore, they are less likely to want to put time and effort into helping out people who are just beginning. It might pay off eventually, however, it’s much more practical for affiliate managers to work with affiliates who know the ropes, than to teach newer affiliates everything from the ground up.
New affiliates who are just getting started also pose a risk as quite often people give up in the early stages. There’s nothing worse than spending hours answering hundreds of questions just for people to drop out along the way.
This doesn’t mean that you should be afraid to ask for help every now and then, just know that while it’s an affiliate managers job to help as much as they can, they also have to prioritise to ensure that they see the best results.
How to get Affiliate Networks to Accept you
Hopefully now that you understand a little more about the problems Affiliate Networks have, you can see why they often seem to be quite strict. However, you should also see that they are far from impossible to get into.
Affiliate networks basically need you to know what you’re doing and be able to deliver traffic while sticking to the rules. If you can do that, then you’re well on your way. Now, you just have to let them know that you can do it. Here’s how:
Put Effort into Every Application
Application forms are never much fun, but they are a necessary stage of appealing to networks if you want to get accepted. After all, they are the only way that networks can find out more about you before deciding whether or not they should accept you.
Just as you would with job applications, you need to treat every single one differently and make sure that you appeal to the company you are applying to.
When answering questions, try to avoid giving one word answers and add a little extra detail. For example, if you get asked about how you found the network, then don’t just say Google. Instead, tell them how you did some research first and asked others whether or not it was a good network before deciding to apply. It will show that you understand more about the network and you’re not just applying for the sake of it.
Remember, networks are staffed by people you will work with, so it’s worth giving them the information they need to know that you are keen and willing to put in the extra effort to achieve your goals.
Prove Yourself
If there’s a network you really want to join but don’t have the requirements, then don’t give up. Instead, find a network which will accept you and use it to get the skills you need to join the one you want.
Affiliate marketing is all about learning and growing and the longer you are in the industry the better. Don’t expect every door to be open to you from day one. It takes time and effort to become successful, but you can do it if you work at it.
Use your Connections
Do you have friends who are already with the networks you want to join? If so, then you can ask them to put in a good word for you. You’ll be far more likely to get into a network if you already know some of the other affiliates and they know how you work.
Alternatively you can join online communities and get involved with others in the industry to start networking from home. Being an active member of the community and making connections really helps.
If you can bring things to the table in discussions and prove yourself to be a reliable affiliate, you’ll be able to make a name for yourself and will be far more likely to have connections in more networks who will vouch for you.
Show ‘em what you’ve got
You wouldn’t write a CV without talking about your strengths. The same is true when applying to affiliate networks.
Even if you don’t have any profitable campaigns under your belt, if you’re looking to work as an affiliate marketer, you’ll most likely have some relevant skills. Think about the jobs you’ve done throughout your life and see if any of them had aspects which could be useful to setting up campaigns. For example, did you do email marketing or run paid ads using Facebook? Perhaps you worked for a company which did.
If you can’t think of anything, then try and get the skills you need before applying. You can do this by creating your own website and trying to drive traffic to it. This will give you a better feel for the industry and what’s needed and will give you all of the experience you need to show you’ve got what it takes.
Make Sure You’re the Right Fit
When it comes to joining networks, there are lots of different kinds out there and they all work differently. Before applying, make sure that you are the type of person they are looking for. For example, there’s no point trying to join a network which specialises in nutra if you have no intention of running nutra offers. It may sound simple, but a lot of new affiliates lack direction, so join every network under the sun. Don’t be that guy.
You should research the networks you’re applying to and understand them. Not only will it save the networks time and effort, but it will also help you better establish your business so that you only deal with what’s best for you.