How I got accepted into the big networks
OK, so there are already a number of posts in this forum about how to get accepted, but seeing as how I benefited from them, I thought I'd add my 2 cents. Hopefully this will help other folks starting out.
Note: I'm showing you the steps I took in order. Some people have variations on these, but it worked easily and effortlessly for me.
1. Get a domain name (namecheap or godaddy works). I recommend a .com or .net. This can be a general domain name like ABC Marketing or whatever.
2. Get hosting. You're going to need this anyway if you plan on using landing pages. GoDaddy has cheap hosting, although I prefer hosts that use cPanel (easy Wordpress installs), so I'm with MidPhase. But I hear Hostgator is great too. I recommend a plan with unlimited add on domains and unlimited databases, but the choice is yours (go with what you can afford).
3. Register a company name and bank account (optional, but I think it helps). This is usually not as daunting as it seems. For me, I wanted to start out as a sole proprietor, and in NY, that means filing a Doing Business As certificate with my county clerk. You can download these forms online, and go to the clerk's office, pay the fee, and you're up and running. (I'm neither a lawyer nor an accountant, so if you have either, please consult them. But this was the best arrangement for me, and took all of 15 minutes.) I then opened a business checking account with my company name (the banker actually came with me to the clerk's office). Again, do this is optional, but many applications will ask for a company name, and I think it makes you look more professional if you have one.
4. Put up your website. OK, you have a few choices for this. One is installing Wordpress (which is very easy using cPanel). Personally, I know HTML, so I went to Dream Template and signed up - $60 for a year of unlimited templates, and they're very good. I then did some minor editing, to add my logo and some text. In terms of the text, I looked at other Marketing Consultantcies, got the general gist of how they were describing their business, and wrote my own, very short copy on what I do and how I can help small businesses. Having this website is helpful, as many networks will ask for it in their applications, and having a nicely designed, professional looking site makes you seem credible (hopefully you are anyway). But again, I have very little copy on the site.
5. Get an 800 # (optional). This is optional, but it's another thing that makes you look professional. I would recommend either using Grasshopper (do a google search), or getting Hostgator's business plan, which includes one for free. Grasshopper is $10/month with a $25 activation fee, but you can cancel at any time, and it's very easy to set up.
6. Go to each CPA networks website, and fill out the application (you'll either be considered an affiliate or publisher). I recommend doing this during the week, and during the day, so you can call the networks after you've submitted the applications. You can find a list of the top ones in this forum, or just PM me and I'll give suggestions. I filled all of mine out at the same time, and then hit submit one right after the other, but you can obviously do what you want. Some will ask you to validate your email address first, some will ask after - make sure you do this. In terms of answers to their questions:
---If you have a business name and 800#, use those.
---Traffic driving: PPC and SEO
---Ad spend/day: about $300
---Niches: Insurance, Gaming, Health - whatever's converting best
---Incentivized traffic: NO
---How long have you been doing this: about 4 years
Some of your answers may be different than mine, but I can tell you that most of these networks want to see that you know what you're doing. Also note that when you talk to the networks, which you'll be doing in the next step, make sure you remember your answers.
7. Call them. I'd do this anywhere between 5-10 min after submitting. Try your best to get someone on the phone - sometimes you have to try a few different extensions. Tell them you just submitted your application, and you were wondering whether you could provide them any additional information as they review your app. Hopefully, they'll say yes, pull up your applications, and ask you some questions (see my answers above). Sound confident, you'll be fine. At the end, they'll hopefully approve your app, and send you your login details. Ask who your AM will be.
I hope that helps. PM me with questions. And good luck!
Note: I'm showing you the steps I took in order. Some people have variations on these, but it worked easily and effortlessly for me.
1. Get a domain name (namecheap or godaddy works). I recommend a .com or .net. This can be a general domain name like ABC Marketing or whatever.
2. Get hosting. You're going to need this anyway if you plan on using landing pages. GoDaddy has cheap hosting, although I prefer hosts that use cPanel (easy Wordpress installs), so I'm with MidPhase. But I hear Hostgator is great too. I recommend a plan with unlimited add on domains and unlimited databases, but the choice is yours (go with what you can afford).
3. Register a company name and bank account (optional, but I think it helps). This is usually not as daunting as it seems. For me, I wanted to start out as a sole proprietor, and in NY, that means filing a Doing Business As certificate with my county clerk. You can download these forms online, and go to the clerk's office, pay the fee, and you're up and running. (I'm neither a lawyer nor an accountant, so if you have either, please consult them. But this was the best arrangement for me, and took all of 15 minutes.) I then opened a business checking account with my company name (the banker actually came with me to the clerk's office). Again, do this is optional, but many applications will ask for a company name, and I think it makes you look more professional if you have one.
4. Put up your website. OK, you have a few choices for this. One is installing Wordpress (which is very easy using cPanel). Personally, I know HTML, so I went to Dream Template and signed up - $60 for a year of unlimited templates, and they're very good. I then did some minor editing, to add my logo and some text. In terms of the text, I looked at other Marketing Consultantcies, got the general gist of how they were describing their business, and wrote my own, very short copy on what I do and how I can help small businesses. Having this website is helpful, as many networks will ask for it in their applications, and having a nicely designed, professional looking site makes you seem credible (hopefully you are anyway). But again, I have very little copy on the site.
5. Get an 800 # (optional). This is optional, but it's another thing that makes you look professional. I would recommend either using Grasshopper (do a google search), or getting Hostgator's business plan, which includes one for free. Grasshopper is $10/month with a $25 activation fee, but you can cancel at any time, and it's very easy to set up.
6. Go to each CPA networks website, and fill out the application (you'll either be considered an affiliate or publisher). I recommend doing this during the week, and during the day, so you can call the networks after you've submitted the applications. You can find a list of the top ones in this forum, or just PM me and I'll give suggestions. I filled all of mine out at the same time, and then hit submit one right after the other, but you can obviously do what you want. Some will ask you to validate your email address first, some will ask after - make sure you do this. In terms of answers to their questions:
---If you have a business name and 800#, use those.
---Traffic driving: PPC and SEO
---Ad spend/day: about $300
---Niches: Insurance, Gaming, Health - whatever's converting best
---Incentivized traffic: NO
---How long have you been doing this: about 4 years
Some of your answers may be different than mine, but I can tell you that most of these networks want to see that you know what you're doing. Also note that when you talk to the networks, which you'll be doing in the next step, make sure you remember your answers.
7. Call them. I'd do this anywhere between 5-10 min after submitting. Try your best to get someone on the phone - sometimes you have to try a few different extensions. Tell them you just submitted your application, and you were wondering whether you could provide them any additional information as they review your app. Hopefully, they'll say yes, pull up your applications, and ask you some questions (see my answers above). Sound confident, you'll be fine. At the end, they'll hopefully approve your app, and send you your login details. Ask who your AM will be.
I hope that helps. PM me with questions. And good luck!
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