Untemplater said:

Good tips Geoff. Do you have any idea why some programs seem to auto-reject within a few minutes of applying? I'm always curious what it could be that they can scan for so quickly. Low account balances in the affiliate platform or an approved program that's a direct competitor perhaps?

Hey Sydney, advertisers get flooded with shady marketers so this is one way they can weed out the riff-raff.  All advertisers are a little different: some set programs to auto-reject everyone, some auto approve everyone, some do manual approvals, and some auto-approve only those with proven track records (example, some affiliates get flagged as "super-affiliate" if they are making a killing with other merchants within a marketplace).  I don't think many skip based on competitors though as they are looking to use affiliates that are good at selling within a niche.

And if you do get rejected off the bat, my experience is a well crafted email will get you eventually approved a good 75% of the time.  Also, I've found more often than not that the profitable programs are the ones that reject everyone off the bat anyway.  A little exclusivity means you've got less competition. 

Good insights Geoff. Thanks for the tips!

Good tips Geoff. Do you have any idea why some programs seem to auto-reject within a few minutes of applying? I'm always curious what it could be that they can scan for so quickly. Low account balances in the affiliate platform or an approved program that's a direct competitor perhaps?

Hey Sydney, advertisers get flooded with shady marketers so this is one way they can weed out the riff-raff.  All advertisers are a little different: some set programs to auto-reject everyone, some auto approve everyone, some do manual approvals, and some auto-approve only those with proven track records (example, some affiliates get flagged as "super-affiliate" if they are making a killing with other merchants within a marketplace).  I don't think many skip based on competitors though as they are looking to use affiliates that are good at selling within a niche.

And if you do get rejected off the bat, my experience is a well crafted email will get you eventually approved a good 75% of the time.  Also, I've found more often than not that the profitable programs are the ones that reject everyone off the bat anyway.  A little exclusivity means you've got less competition. 

Untemplater said:

Afford Anything said:

Eric J. Nisall said:

You know what's really annoying? I get turned down for one company in CJ, but when I apply through Flex Offers, I get accepted.  Go figure!

Be careful with that. The same thing happened to me once, but then after a few months, I got removed from my approval. Unfortunately, FlexOffers didn't proactively inform me of that (and I didn't login to my account to check up on my status; I assume "no news means business as usual"). So I spent months promoting and linking to a product for which I was no longer approved. :-P It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was annoying and a waste of time.

Oh wow how lame. Thanks for giving us the heads up. I'll have to pay more attention and login regularly as that would be rather annoying.

 

Hey Guys, a couple points on this thread:

1- Occasionally advertisers offer different commissions on different marketplaces, so pay close attention and make sure you use the one with the highest rate. 

2- If you get rejected through a marketplace but think you are a good candidate, search on the company site for any contacts in marketing, biz dev, or partners and reach out to them directly.  I've had success seeking approvals this way.  Many times the account manager within the marketplace doesn't even work for the company (CJ and Flexoffers both have programs where they'll manage the entire affiliate program so it's hands off for the advertiser, but the advertiser can still bring you in).

3- If you want to make sure you don't get turned off, reach out to your account rep immediately after joining.  I almost always try to do this and it results in higher commissions and more money in the long run (shameless plug: more details in my ebook from the link below)

Good tips Geoff. Do you have any idea why some programs seem to auto-reject within a few minutes of applying? I'm always curious what it could be that they can scan for so quickly. Low account balances in the affiliate platform or an approved program that's a direct competitor perhaps?

Afford Anything said:

Eric J. Nisall said:

You know what's really annoying? I get turned down for one company in CJ, but when I apply through Flex Offers, I get accepted.  Go figure!

Be careful with that. The same thing happened to me once, but then after a few months, I got removed from my approval. Unfortunately, FlexOffers didn't proactively inform me of that (and I didn't login to my account to check up on my status; I assume "no news means business as usual"). So I spent months promoting and linking to a product for which I was no longer approved. :-P It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was annoying and a waste of time.

Oh wow how lame. Thanks for giving us the heads up. I'll have to pay more attention and login regularly as that would be rather annoying.

Hey Guys, a couple points on this thread:

1- Occasionally advertisers offer different commissions on different marketplaces, so pay close attention and make sure you use the one with the highest rate. 

2- If you get rejected through a marketplace but think you are a good candidate, search on the company site for any contacts in marketing, biz dev, or partners and reach out to them directly.  I've had success seeking approvals this way.  Many times the account manager within the marketplace doesn't even work for the company (CJ and Flexoffers both have programs where they'll manage the entire affiliate program so it's hands off for the advertiser, but the advertiser can still bring you in).

3- If you want to make sure you don't get turned off, reach out to your account rep immediately after joining.  I almost always try to do this and it results in higher commissions and more money in the long run (shameless plug: more details in my ebook from the link below)

Eric J. Nisall said:

You know what's really annoying? I get turned down for one company in CJ, but when I apply through Flex Offers, I get accepted.  Go figure!

Be careful with that. The same thing happened to me once, but then after a few months, I got removed from my approval. Unfortunately, FlexOffers didn't proactively inform me of that (and I didn't login to my account to check up on my status; I assume "no news means business as usual"). So I spent months promoting and linking to a product for which I was no longer approved. :-P It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was annoying and a waste of time.

Oh wow how lame. Thanks for giving us the heads up. I'll have to pay more attention and login regularly as that would be rather annoying.

Be careful with that. The same thing happened to me once, but then after a few months, I got removed from my approval. Unfortunately, FlexOffers didn't proactively inform me of that (and I didn't login to my account to check up on my status; I assume "no news means business as usual"). So I spent months promoting and linking to a product for which I was no longer approved. :-P It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was annoying and a waste of time.

That's outrageous!  Did you complain to FlexOffers or ask for an explanation?  I would think you should be notified especially if you had active links that they should easily have been able to trace.

You know what's really annoying? I get turned down for one company in CJ, but when I apply through Flex Offers, I get accepted.  Go figure!

Be careful with that. The same thing happened to me once, but then after a few months, I got removed from my approval. Unfortunately, FlexOffers didn't proactively inform me of that (and I didn't login to my account to check up on my status; I assume "no news means business as usual"). So I spent months promoting and linking to a product for which I was no longer approved. :-P It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was annoying and a waste of time.

TD Ameritrade is with CJ but apparently its an "invite only" offer.  Even though I convert decent for brokerage affiliates, I asked CJ if they could at least nudge TD to take a look at my site.   Their response:  "No dice".  

Annoyed. 

As far as I know Schwab and Fidelity doesn't not have direct affiliate yet.  TD does, but I'm not sure with whom.  I'm finding out now.  As was mentioned above, Scottrade, Etrade, Zecco, and Sharebuilder are the more common brokerages you'll see.