How To Get Approved For Affiliate Programs – (Top 7 Tips)

Last Updated on 24th April 2024

If you’re looking to start affiliate marketing, then one of the first things you’ll need to know is how to get approved for affiliate programs.

While the majority of affiliate programs are listed on and managed by affiliate networks like ShareAsale, Commission Junction, Flex Offers, and Impact Radius (to name just a few), some affiliate programs are also managed privately by the company.

There are some affiliate networks out there like ClickBank that accept everyone regardless. And there are also some private affiliate programs that do not have an application and approval process. However, they are in the minority of programs.

This doesn’t mean that they’re bad programs, but it typically means that they’re eager for anyone and everyone to promote them.

More often than not though, you are going to need to apply to join an affiliate program and go through an approval process.

So, here in this article I’m gonna tell you how you can almost guarantee you’ll get approved to affiliate networks and programs if they are currently accepting applicants.

Let’s get to it!

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Why Don’t Affiliate Networks Accept Everyone?

Affiliate programs are a great way to make money online and get paid for referring people to products or services that you believe in. Unfortunately though, not all affiliate networks accept everyone.

So why do some affiliate networks not accept people?

The reason is that they want to ensure the quality of their affiliates. They don’t want to have to deal with bad affiliates who might be trying to scam them.

This means that if you want to become an affiliate marketer, you need to know how to get approved by different affiliate networks so that you can start making money as soon as possible.

How To Get Approved For Affiliate Programs and Networks – My 7 Tips

Here are my top 7 tips to get approved for affiliate programs and networks. If you follow these tips, then you should have little difficulty getting approved.

Bear in mind that it’s usually easier to get approved for affiliate networks, so these are usually the best place to start if you’re a beginner.

Create or Improve Your Website

 The majority of affiliate networks will want to see that you at least have a live website. However, don’t worry if a blog or website is not part of your affiliate marketing strategy.

They will also accept you if they can see that you have established channels through which to promote, ie a YouTube channel, or an audience on various social media platforms.

Having said that, having a live website is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get approved by affiliate programs.

Some affiliate programs will also want to see that your website has a decent amount of traffic. However, when applying to most affiliate programs this isn’t necessary.

So, make sure your website is live and indexed in popular search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, your site is looking good, it has high-quality content, and it is relevant to the niche you want to promote.

Apply Only to Relevant Affiliate Programs

Make sure you only apply to affiliate programs that are relevant to your niche. If you’re in the weight loss niche, for example, and your website and social media audience are all related to weight loss, but you try to apply for an affiliate program in the finance niche, then it is unlikely they will accept you.

This should just be common sense, but still, hundreds of affiliates apply for unrelated affiliate programs all the time, according to affiliate marketing program managers.

Of course, there can be some relevant cross-over between some niches, which would then make sense for you to join other programs that might appeal to your audience. If this is the case, then talk about the reasons why you’re applying to the program on your application form.

If the affiliate managers can see that you’re an honest affiliate and you have a genuine reason for promoting their products, then they will be much more likely to accept you.

Read The Affiliate Program Terms and Conditions

When applying to join an affiliate program, make sure you read their terms and conditions. A lot of affiliates skip this step, but this can be a big mistake.

The terms and conditions will give you a good idea of what you can expect from the network, and what they also expect from you. It will also let you know whether or not you can use certain types of content and promotional methods when promoting them.

Occasionally, I wanted to join an affiliate program but then changed my mind once I read their terms and conditions. In these small instances, reading the terms and conditions has saved me a lot of time further down the road promoting a program that isn’t actually a good fit.

Answer all Questions In the Application Clearly

When filling out your application, answer every question clearly and concisely. Don’t leave any questions unanswered. This is one of the most important things you can do because it shows that you care enough about joining the affiliate program to take the time to fill out the application properly.

You may think that answering all the questions thoroughly is unnecessary, but doing so will only lessen your chances of getting accepted.

Provide Any Requested Documents

Some affiliate programs ask for proof of identity, such as a passport or driver’s license.

You don’t necessarily have to provide these documents right away, but it’s better to do so sooner rather than later. In some cases, you can wait until after you’ve been accepted into the affiliate program.

Share Your Affiliate Marketing Knowledge

To apply for most programs and networks it doesn’t usually matter how many years you’ve been involved with affiliate marketing. Affiliate networks will often approve you even if you’re a beginner, as long as they can see that you are a genuine person, and are serious about working with them.

Many affiliate programs too will also approve new affiliates if they can see that you’re genuine and serious about promoting them. However, some more established companies will only accept affiliates with experience, or ones that have an established audience in the same niche.

Regardless, if you’ve got experience as an affiliate though, definitely let the affiliate managers know about it on your application form. This will go a long way toward you getting approved.

Tell Them How You Plan To Promote

If you want to get accepted into an affiliate program, you need to tell them exactly how you plan to promote their product. Tell them what type of content you’ll create, and what kind of promotions you’ll run.

This information should include links to your social media accounts, blog posts, and other websites where people can find out more about the product.

It’s also worth mentioning that some affiliate programs require you to be active on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. If this is the case, make sure you mention this on your application form.

Getting Approved For Affiliate Programs – My Final Thoughts

Most affiliate networks are super-simple to get approved for. While there are some like ClickBank that will accept you regardless just for signing up, most others will want to know a bit more about you, your promotional methods, and the size of your audience.

Most affiliate networks will also accept beginner affiliate marketers, so long as they can see that you’re legit, and you are promoting in a genuine way.

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