Ouch - Getting Rejected By An Affiliate
Yesterday, I received my first ever rejection letter from an affiliate that I applied for. I was told that I would not be successful marketing their service because my website did not have enough content.
Since this was a product that I wanted to use in my brick and mortar shop, I was disappointed. Now, I have to decide if I want to use their product/service at all. Once I became an affiliate marketer, I have gotten to where I prefer to purchase things from people that offer affiliate marketing programs. In other words, I want to support companies that see the value in affiliate marketers.
"You Do Not Have Enough Content to Be Successful"
So, that leads me back to my rejection letter. I do not have enough content. That is a true statement. Not only do I not have enough content, I am not getting traffic either.
Sometimes, I feel like the choice of adding affiliate links to our website is similar to the question of which comes first, the chicken or the egg? On one hand, it seems weird to review a product if we can not provide an affiliate link in the event that, by some miracle, we do get someone that wants to purchase the item based on our recommendation.
Yet, if we spend more time researching affiliate programs, signing up to affiliate programs and adding affiliate links to our website;are we wasting our time since we do not have traffic yet? Have we allowed ourself to become more focused on making money than serving our reader?
I am glad that Amazon and Wealthy Affiliate do not think that we are wasting our time by doing so.
At the same time,
Even though I do not like rejection, I must admit they are right. On that website, I do not have enough content or traffic to ensure my time spent marketing their product will be successful.
Sometimes getting honest feedback does not feel good.
So, my plan is to work even harder on my ONE website that offers me the greatest earning potential. I must FOCUS on what is important.
I will not be able to make a full time income from affiliate marketing if I do not have lots of good quality content. I have to get the content out of my head and published. I have to get my content out of the site content's draft box.
I encourage each of you to do the same. Rejection by an affiliate is not meant to hurt us. It is meant to give us an honest, objective assessment regarding our website's current ability to attract their potential customers.
To Do:
1. Find Good Low Competition Keywords
2. Write great quality content around that keyword.
3. Publish the great quality content.
4. Repeat....over and over again.
I hope each of you have a super productive day.
Sondra
Recent Comments
85
Sondra,
The 'Rejection Letter' always stings, just like you said.
Your plan is solid, and you've got this!!
Just recently, Quicken rejected me... Amazon sells Quicken as well, so... guess Amazon links will do just fine! LOL
My question is this... can you get the 'product' from somewhere else?
(I'm thinking about framing my Rejection Letters to redecorate my bathroom) 🤣.
Shaunna
Thanks Shaunna,
I too love your great way to reacting to Quicken's rejection.
In this particular case, they provide a service that links with a credit card merchant provider that I've been using. So, there are competing companies, but not the same "package." The competing company has an incredible affiliate marketing program. They platform simply does not work with the credit card merchant.
I'm still stinging enough that I do not want to mention the company's name as it is better to keep your mouth shut when you can't say anything nice. lol
I must also say Thanks for giving me the headsup that Quicken, thus Intuit, is very picky even though their products can be bought on Amazon, Walmart and at office supply stores. Both Amazon and Walmart have affiliate programs. You have saved me from another rejection for lack of content by a company whose products I use.
To end on a positive note, I truly am working on getting enough good content and traffic that I won't receive that kind of rejection again. I'm wishing the same for you.
Sondra,
You have an excellent attitude, so I have no doubt that you will be accepted by the program that you want!
😎 Shaunna
Hi Sondra,
I totally agree. One affiliate I was trying to apply with never responded but my status on my application just shows pending. It’s been over a month so I’m just to assume maybe I don’t have enough content on my site? I even emailed them directly and no response. Very strange because I see they’re still in business.
Anyways, I’ve been trying to focus more on adding more content as well so my site looks more authoritive. It’s hard when you’re not making anything but hard work pays off. Wishing you great success with that one website. Thanks for sharing this. :)
Renee
Thank you Renee.
I understand exactly what you are saying. There was a second program I applied to that same day and I have been kept in pending status.
Best wishes are you get more content on your site also. Hopefully we will both be celebrating a success story soon.
Thanks for sharing. Love your attitude to the ‘set back’ / rejection. You’re looking inward and taking action. Great learning for me! You can only get better going forward. Go SondraM. All the best.
Thank you for the kind compliment. I do my best to try to find the positive in negative situations. Granted it took me almost a full day to get over the initial sting.
There are two approaches you could take here other than abandoning the vendor (which is also an option!). The first is to reach out to the affiliate manager and discuss your future plans, promotions, etc. Often, affiliate managers reject people only to wait for who will reach out. They then reverse the decision. It's not a guarantee, but the odds are in your favor. It's all about establishing relationships. When you do, these affiliate managers will often give extra tips and assets to help your campaigns.
The other option is to promote the products without getting anything for it. You can then build your traffic and show the affiliate manager later how you have contributed to their success. It's hard to imagine managers that won't be receptive to this and it would be surprising if they didn't approve you when this happens. If they don't, they you pull the campaign.
If your website isn't getting any traffic in the beginning, Google can't flag you for being a thin affiliate website because you aren't posting any affiliate links on your website. Thin affiliate sites are ones that exist solely to sell affiliate products. They are flooded with affiliate links.
Best Regards,
Jim
Jim, thank you for the suggestions. I had not even thought about getting dinged for being a thin affiliate website.
If anything, it is making me prioritize my activities. This morning, I realized that my primary focus should be on the website that is related to my main business activities. That is where I have the greatest potential to increase my income exponentially.
My brick and mortar shop, plus the business related website are secondary activities. The shop helps me network and meet people for my primary business. The business website is more of a hobby and a place to direct some of my extra energy and things learned.
"It is all about establishing relationships." Aside from focus, that is a key thing that I need to remember. It applies to all that I am doing.
Thanks!!!!
Hey Sondra, you're welcome. Sometimes, you have to look at things from an affiliate manager's perspective, too. Overall, most are nice people and great to work with. But, they get a flood of applications and have to be somewhat discerning to keep spammers and scammers out of the mix. Bad affiliates can tarnish the reputation of a company and stating that it was the affiliates' fault can only go so far (if anywhere, actually). Besides, the company can get into legal trouble if affiliates don't comply with regulations and disclosures etc.
As a follow up, I am not suggesting this affiliate manager thinks you are a spammer or scammer. But, when managers get a flood of applications, they often reject even legitimate requests with the intent of seeing who is willing to contact the manager and discuss promotional plans, etc.
I haven't tried to apply for affiliate programs yet. Because l don't think my site is far enough along.
In one of Kyle's training, he talks about leaving money on the table. I struggle with it, because I am not far enough along in the development.
Thanks for sharing your bad news, or motivation,
David
David,
Thanks for your response. I hope that my motivation that came disguised as bad news will help keep you focused on creating a website full of great content. Those are the ones that make money.
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Hi Sondra, oh, I know how you feel. I got rejected by an Affiliate Program recently too and felt that sting of disappointment.
And to add salt to the wound, I discovered one of my Premium Referrals at Wealthy Affiliate cancelled. I think they just didn't have enough time to really give it their best.
And then I received a surprise commission from another affiliate program 2 days ago, so that made me feel a bit better.
You win, some you lose some, I guess.
Highs and lows.
Ups and downs.
Hope you'll be celebrating another success soon.
Ah Lauren, I'm sorry to hear that you could relate.
It's also sad when premium referrals decide that WA is not for them.
Yet, the surprise commission was a GREAT reward. Congratulations.
As you said,
Highs and lows.
Ups and downs.
That is how business goes.
Keep writing and publishing your awesome content. You are on the verge of having that little stream of yours becoming a gushing river.
Sondra