Today I was wading through a list of new publishers for an advertiser’s program that I oversee, and I was amused to find that someone wrote that their site incentive was – and I quote –  ”I give you kiss if I make sale.” Someone else preceded to enlighten me that Travelocity and Office Max have great deals all the time.  Needless to say, I did not hesitate to hit the big DECLINE button. Many publishers don’t realize that someone reads their CJ or Linkshare application other than the affiliate network where they apply. In many cases, the affiliate manager of the program also reviews or screens each publisher’s application, looking for certain criteria to find a good match between publisher and advertiser. Advertisers have complex lists based on the needs of the advertiser, and sometimes include things like a publisher’s earnings, category of business, and promotion methods, so don’t be offended if you get declined from a program. However, your application to the program is a lot like a resume – if it looks great, you’re a lot more likely to get accepted to the affiliate program of your choice. When filling out applications for affiliate networks and programs, try to include the following:

  • Your full name and business name. If this is going to be a serious business venture, treat it seriously. At first glance, a company name looks a bit more like something that’s going to earn some revenue than “wallysmith” 
  • A valid email address, preferably one that would look good at the top of a resume.
  • The urls you use or own. If you don’t own a website yet, buy one for your new company, and think of it as real estate. Even if you’re just interested in running PPC campaigns, create a small website that says that you’re a PPC business. (see other articles for more info on creating websites)
  • Any offer or incentive that you are passing on to the consumer. This only applies to loyalty or coupon sites. Are you donating a portion of the purchase commissions to charity? Are you giving the consumer cash back? Does your frequent buyer get a free ipod with $10,000 worth of purchases. You get the idea. Otherwise, don’t put silly things in the box. Incentive offers get double flags for advertisers, so when reviewing, I have to click ok twice. An affiliate manager on his 25th new publisher might get annoyed and click cancel or decline by accident. 
  • Use correct grammar and punctuation. Remember that people reviewing these are from the 9-5 business world. They’re looking for some level of professionalism. 
  • How you are going to promote the product. Depending on the affiliate network or program, this is either in a drop down form, or in a paragraph style form.  If you don’t have any ideas of how to promote your new advertiser, don’t apply yet – you’ll risk getting kicked out for being inactive. For those of you who are a bit confused, here’s the breakdown of promotion methods
    • Content / Website – You own a website, you’re going to put banner ads or articles about products on it. 
    • Email Marketing – You’re going to create a list of people and send them emails about products
    • Paid Search (Search Marketing) – You’re going to advertise on Google / Yahoo / MSN and then link back to their site or a landing page that then links to their site. 
    • Incentive – You’re going to give them something to buy products.

Insider TIP: Ever wonder why you were declined from an advertiser? Don’t hesitate to ask. You might be a perfect fit, but were missed because the advertiser didn’t understand how you were going to promote their product. Maybe your DVD site didn’t make sense for a women’s clothing store on the application, or your country of origin is outside of their shipping range. A quick email may be all it takes to get back on board. 

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