Affiliate Application Hassles
Today I applied to join the BlahBlah.com CPA network.
The application process was dead simple. Click to accept their Terms of Agreement and Can Spam policies, fill out the usual mailing and site address information and away you go.
The first sign of trouble was the ‘referred by’ form blank.
“So much for affiliates getting paid their due for referals”, thinks I.
A few hours later, I received the following confirmation:
Hi Rosalind,
Thank you for your interest in BlahBlah.com. On Jan 24, 2006, you registered for one of the largest CPA networks on the web! Before we proceed to approve your account, please take this opportunity to review and respond to the following questions:
1. Will you be promoting our offers via websites?
2. If yes, how much traffic does the site(s) receive on a monthly basis? Are you an incentivized site?
3. What is the country of origin of the visitors to the site(s)?
4. Will you be promoting our offers via a newsletter or email list?
5. If yes, are all the opt-in records readily accessible if requested?
6. What is the size of your list?
7. How did you build your email list (purchased or created your own)?
8. How often do you email to your list?
9. Are there any specific type of offers that are currently working well for you or that you prefer to run?
10. Are you working with any other ad networks? (If so, what is your average monthly revenue earned from them?)In addition, please provide me with a contact person and telephone number, as procedure dictates that we must speak with you prior to approval of your application.
Once your account is approved, we can work together to achieve your marketing objectives.
Looking forward to working with you!
Someone from BlahBlah.com
BlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlah….
OK, I know it’s vital for networks and merchants to know exactly who they’re dealing with nowadays.
But why the heck weren’t those questions part of the original application form?
As to asking for a contact person and telephone number… I already gave that information – why didn’t a BlahBlah.com representative just pick up the phone and call me?
Joining their network is absolutely NOT worth the hassle of having to write long answers to questions that could have been handled at the time of application.
So too bad, BlahBlah.com, your loss is my time better spent on this blog post .
Cheers,
Rosalind
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Rosalind Gardner is a Super Affiliate blogger, author, speaker, and Internet marketing consultant.
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Yes! Way to go, Rosalind! And you’re sure right — it’s their loss!
Just think what COULD have happened to their client-base of you had liked them and recommended them here?
Shanti,
Ron
Hi Rosalind,
The 10 questions sounds like they were your competitor instead of a merchant looking for an affiliate. I especially liked question #3.
Now I’ll show what a newbie I am. What is a CPA? Sounds like Accountants or lawyers.
I am presently halfway through your Super Affiliate Course and recently finished Jim Edward’s MiniSiteCreator course.
BTW, where were you an Air Traffic Controller? I flew Learjet’s in the US, Canada, and Mexico from 1970-1990. (The tail number was 500RP). Who knows, you may have given me instructions in more than Internet Marketing.
You can answew the Aviation part by email if you’d like.
Thank You,
Jim
Hello Jim,
The term CPA stands for Cost Per Action and refers to pay per lead and pay per sale affiliate programs. So, for example, the merchant may require that the visitor simply add his email address, or fill out an entire form for the affiliate to qualify for commissions. Many credit card companies use CPA in such a way that the customer must fill out the application and be approved for the card before commissions are paid.
I worked as an FSS in Ontario from 1980 until 1989, then as a controller in BC and Alberta from 1990 until 2000. So, unless you were buzzing around Ontario in your Lear…
Cheers,
Ros