The Networks Approval Process - Removing the fear!

[Mick Regal]

As someone who works for a CPA network and spends a fair amount of time in affiliate forums, I've noticed that a lot of people are very nervous about the process that networks use to check out anyone who applies to join.
I thought it would be a good idea to post a thread to explain to people who are applying for the first time, how the process works from a networks point of view.
Hopefully this will clear up the concerns about it, and also help people to prepare for applying.

This will be a general overview, obviously I don't know the process for every network so if I miss something that you have experienced, feel free to add it in the replies.
Also, this is NOT a guide claiming to guarantee that you will be accepted to every network if you follow it. I'm not giving away any big secrets or "tricks".
The idea is to remove the mystery by letting you know what to expect a network to ask you when you apply, and also, why they ask.

Initially I thought this would be a pretty simple post, but it kind of grew after I started writing, so I've split it into parts for easier reading and I'll post one part a day to spread the load.

Part 1 - Why Do We Need An Approval Process?
Part 2 - Submitting The Application and Confirmation.
Part 3 - A Little More Detail.

Why do we need an Approval Process?

Firstly, and if you only remember only one thing from this thread, remember this -
If you are a legitimate marketer, you have NOTHING to worry about.

Here's why -

The process is there for a few reasons, including but not limited to -
1. Protecting the network from having it's reputation with advertisers ruined and being driven out of business by marketers using bad practices.
2. Ensuring marketers are aware of and complying with various standards (for example, laws regarding spam email).
3. Confirming the details of all applicants to prevent fraud (See point 1), so that action can be taken against anyone found to be committing fraud on the network.
4. Confirming the marketers level of expertise (which is not necessarily linked to their level of experience!).

Every affiliate who gets accepted has to be looked after by an Account Manager, the point of contact for any questions or problems. Managing affiliates is a huge job on a busy network. Your account manager should be able (and hopefully willing!) to help you if you have problems, for example you're having an issue loading the creatives, or you find that your tracking pixels aren't firing when you run your first test, but in general, they aren't there to give really basic training, unless the network specifically states that they are.
So when they ask you questions, be honest, if they ask you something you don't know, don't try to bluff, just say "I don't know".
It doesn't automatically mean you'll be rejected, it shows you're honest.

Unfortunately, fraud is big problem in affiliate marketing.
When a fraudster runs an offer with bogus traffic or doesn't comply to standards/codes of practice etc, if the network doesn't spot it first, the advertiser will. When they see the bad results, they will blame the network and will probably remove their offers from the network. That advertiser may tell others (they have forums too!) and pretty soon the network can't find anyone who will work with them. This can also happen if an affiliate does something wrong without realizing it, such as not complying with spam regulations, or running an offer on a type of traffic which the advertiser doesn't accept (more on both of those points later).
Even after you've been approved, your stats will be monitored for unusual activity, and there is a lot of impressive anti-fraud software being used by the networks for things like traffic analysis to make sure everything is being done correctly.

So, bearing all of that in mind, you can understand why a network will want to know a few things about you before they let you in.

Putting it in really basic terms, the approvals process exists to stop the bad guys from getting in, and to confirm that the good guys know what they are doing.
As I said before, legitimate marketers do not need to be worried.

In Part 2, I'll cover the application and the basic personal info you should expect to be asked.

 

[Mick Regal]

Part 2 - Submitting The Application and Confirmation

Part 1 explained why we need the process, Part 2 will go through what to expect after you submit the application and some advice on filling it in.

The application is also nothing to fear. It's not a certification exam, it's just telling the network who you are, and what you want to do. Simple.

Pick a few random networks and go to their signup page, don't fill in anything in, just take a look. You'll see they mostly ask for the same things,
mainly - name, address, contact info, company info, etc. Generally, it's nothing complicated.
Do not be intimated by a signup form. If it has a section for Company Info and you're not part of a registered company, don't assume you can't apply.
On any part of the application - Don't make something up in an attempt to impress or bluff, you'll just make yourself look bad.
Most applications have a "Notes" section, use it! Put in a few lines, either to give some basic info on what campaigns you have run before, or to explain
what offers you are looking for and how you want to run them. Treat it as an "introduction" section.
Remember - after you hit the "submit" button at the end of the form, you may be expected show proof of whatever info you entered, so make sure you can!


Before you go the signup page, make sure you have the email/Skype etc of the person who gave you the link, or the support email address from the website.
That way, if there is something really weird on the form that leaves you unsure of what to write, you can message them for assistance.
As a tip here, you start off with an advantage if you are signing up as a referral or with a link provided by someone from the network staff as opposed to signing up through the web site. If you've been referred by an affiliate already on the network, the network staff already know the quality of his/her work, so will assume you're at least as good as the person who referred you and they will want to talk to you.
If you sign up with a link from a member of staff, you've probably spoken to that person and been checked out slightly, or have at least got the link from a reputable forum. You'll still have to go through the approvals process, but your application will be dealt with before all the others who arrived at the web page through a lucky search on google and used the onsite application link.
In both cases, tell the person who sent you the link or referred you that you have applied. They can then email their contacts in the company to let them know about you and have your application processed before others are looked at.
This can be a big advantage when you consider how many people apply to join networks everyday.


Confirmation.
This is the bit people seem to stress about. As I said earlier, if you are a genuine marketer, it's just a minor hassle, definitely nothing to worry about and, with a little preparation, easily completed.
Each network will have it's own procedure but you can expect all or any combination of these -

Email contact - Probably an auto-responder as soon as you submit. Make sure you read it as it may tell you the details they want you to send them to confirm your
application, or at the very least, it will tell you to expect an email from the approvals team. Check your spam folder regularly after you submit the application,
especially if you haven't emailed anyone from that company before, you don't want to miss out on being approved because the "Thanks for applying" email is in
your junk box! If you haven't heard from them after a few days, don't be afraid to send an email to confirm they have seen your application.
Don't just assume you've been rejected, check.

They may ask you for -
Proof of ID- scan of driving license or some form of official ID.
Proof of address - scan of a utility bill or some kind of official letter which shows name and address. Don't send anything with bank details or similar, feel free to black-out any info you feel you need to (account no's etc), the name and address section is all the network is interested in.
A phone call - If you've given a mobile number, you might need to check your "call blocker" settings to make sure unknown/international numbers can get through.
If it's your home number, make sure there's a way for them to leave a message if you're not home.
The phone call seems to be something that worries a lot of people. For a legit marketer, it's nothing to worry about. It's just another confirmation and a
chance for them to get to know you, and vice versa.

Those are the main confirmations to expect that I know of. In Part 3, we'll go through some of the more technical questions to expect.

 

[Mick Regal]

Part 3 - A Little More Detail.

So, in Part 2 you applied to a network and confirmed that you're a real person, what else will they want from you?

I've seen posts in forums where people have complained about this part, as some paranoid individuals think that the networks are trying to steal their secret methods of how they generate their traffic. I think that's pretty unlikely. Read on to see what's really happening!

This list isn't definitive, but it will give you some ideas on what to expect.

General questions:
What type of offers are you looking for? -
So they know A. if they actually have any offers for you and B. which ones to recommend. Make sure you've done your research and know what you want to do before you get to this stage.

What type of traffic will you be providing? -
Email/Display/Search/Social etc. They need to know this because it directly impacts which offers you can run. Some offers accept any traffic, others are restricted. For example, an offer which accepts email traffic may not be allowed to run on display traffic. One that does run on display traffic may not accept social media traffic, etc. Don't try to argue the point on this one, begging your account manager to let you run an offer on a traffic source that is not accepted will get you nowhere.

What networks have you worked with before? -
If you haven't worked with any, just say so. Don't try to bluff and say you've been making $30k a day on network XYZ for years, they might ask for proof. This question isn't necessarily a deal breaker for your approval, but it does let the network know your experience level. It may influence them on the offers that they open for you, you might not get the top paying ones immediately, but if you run the offers they do open to you and show good results, it won't be long before you get bumped up to the higher payouts.

Affiliates using web traffic:
What websites will you be using to put offers on? -
They will want to see your websites so they can see it's of a suitable standard. Basically, it should look professional. When you put an offer on a site, you are, in a way, representing that company, and also the network who gave you the offer. Before you apply, look at your site from a critical viewpoint, or ask someone else to, and tell them to be as picky and harsh as possible.
When your Affiliate Manager reviews your site, he may suggest small changes if he feels it's necessary, don't be offended!
Also make sure your site is relevant to the offers you are asking for.

How much traffic does your site get? -
So they can gauge how many people will see the offers. Again, be honest. There are plenty of quick ways to check a sites number of visitors, so don't try to make them think you get more than you really do.

Where does your traffic come from? -
Is it organic, do you buy it, if so where from etc. - This to gauge the quality of your traffic and to check it's legitimate. They are not trying to steal your secret methods. If you do feel the questions are going too deep into your personal methods, just politely say so, you have the right to.

Affiliates Using Email traffic:
What system are you using? -
This is to ascertain you actually have a platform, whether it's mailchimp or whatever. They won't have a preference, they just need to know you're not trying to do mass-emailing from a "Gmail" (or similar) account.

Lists -
Due to the restrictions on spam and the potential for legal problems (for you as well as the network), you can expect a few questions on this.
They'll want to know how you built your address list, if it's opt-in, is it scrubbed for Can-Spam compliance etc. Also, bear in mind that networks will usually have
another list for you to scrub against (possibly each offer will have its own list) which has been supplied by the advertiser and contains addresses you must not email. Make sure you know where to download it from, and also find out how often it gets updated and when, so you can make sure you keep up with the changes.

What campaigns have you run before? - Again, this helps to assess your level of experience. If you've run campaigns before, they may ask to see one of your mails, this is the same as checking a website, it shows them that you have the necessary "equipment" to be able to put together a successful campaign, and it gives them a chance to check the quality of your layouts etc. You may be expected to send in a "proof" email for each offer you take on. This means they will allow you to download creatives for the offer you applied for, but they won't actually make it "live" for you until you send them a sample email to approve so
they can see what you plan to send out.

I hope this guide has been of some use and cleared up some of the concerns. As I said, it's in no way meant to cover everything, I'm sure there will be people with plenty to add to this thread, but it does give a good base to start from.

Remember, the approvals process is not there to intimidate you, or to make you feel stupid, or to steal your marketing ninja secrets.
Networks don't get a buzz from rejecting people. They want to accept affiliates, without them they have no business.
But - they have to be able to check they are approving the right people, people who will make their network grow.


Good luck!