Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways for publishers, creators, shopping tools, and others to diversify revenue. Sovrn Commerce gives you access to the tools and 50,000+ merchant programs across verticals you need to start earning. Before you can get started, you’ll need to get approved.
There are two paths to approval. Start by signing up for a Sovrn account here, then follow whichever process fits your channel.
Option 1: Instant approval for social media channels
If you post content on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and other social channels, Sovrn offers connectors that provide automatic merchant approval. Log in to your Sovrn account and follow these steps:
- From the Welcome page, click “Get started” under the Commerce heading
- On the next screen, click “Apply now.”
- Under “Where do you post?”, select “Social media,” agree to the Commerce terms and conditions, then click Continue.
- Select your main social media platform. You can add more properties later by going to Settings and clicking “Submit for approval.”
- Follow the prompts to log into your social media account.
Logging in through the Commerce connector lets us verify ownership, evaluate traffic quality, validate traffic, and provide instant approval.
Option 2: Create a manual link and post
- Add your sites. Sign in to your Sovrn account. From the Welcome page, click “Get started” under the Commerce heading. On the next screen, click “Apply now.” Under “Where do you post?”, select “Website,” click to select “I agree to the Commerce terms and conditions,” and hit Continue. Add your main website URL on the next screen. (To add additional properties, go to Settings and you’ll see a “Submit for approval” field.)
- Create links. Next, you’ll need to build links to demonstrate where your traffic comes from. We provide several ways to create your affiliate links, including a JavaScript installation, an API, a Chrome extension, the Commerce mobile app, and a manual “Create Links” feature. (Check out this article for additional details and instructions.)
- Generate a click. In order to evaluate that your site(s) meet our network quality standards, we must receive click traffic (made by a real human). It is essential that you send us a click in order to verify that the traffic meets our merchants’ standards.
Once your links have generated at least one click — ideally more than one — the automated review process is triggered. As part of the audit, our system will follow the links you provide to see how and where they appear on your site. We’ll also match up the traffic sources you provide with the sources that are producing affiliate clicks, to verify how you generate traffic to your site.
Based on the results of this review, you’ll receive an “approved” or “denied” decision.
Why our process is different
If you’ve worked with other affiliate networks, our process might look a little different. Most affiliate networks will allow you to create an account up front, but then require you to complete a separate application process before you can work with each merchant.
By contrast, Sovrn provides approved publishers and creators with open access to our merchant network. The up-front approval process is more rigorous, but once you’re approved, you’ll have immediate access to thousands of merchants — so you can start earning right away.
At Sovrn, we want to give our publishers and creators the best possible chance of success, so our Commerce approval criteria reflect what merchants expect from publishers and creators. By doing a full evaluation up front, we’re helping to ensure that your affiliate program meets merchant requirements for quality and transparency. This allows publishers and creators within the Sovrn network to create lasting, profitable relationships with top merchants and brands.
5 tips to expedite your approval
Our traditional approval process is more rigorous, and it does take a little longer, but it also provides immediate access to thousands of merchants. So, for established publishers and creators looking to create lasting relationships with top brands, it’s often worth the wait. The following are some tips to ensure that approval is quick and easy.
- Have links available for verification. It’s critical that you create affiliate links on your website, app, blog, and social channels, so we can accurately assess your affiliate program and traffic sources.
- Provide complete URLs when you sign up. If we can’t find the links on your site, we can’t approve you. Be sure to provide complete, specific URLs rather than shortened (e.g., bit.ly) links or a general homepage address.
- Segment your site/campaign traffic appropriately. If you’re driving affiliate traffic from multiple sources, each one should be created as a unique site so we can match traffic accurately.
- Watch your email for updates. We’ll send a notification via email when you’re approved or denied. These messages often land in the spam folder, so be sure to check there.
- Reach out if you need help. We’re here if you need us! For help setting up links or navigating the publisher dashboard, contact support@sovrn.com. If you have questions about our approval requirements or want to understand why you were denied, contact cq@sovrn.com.
Keep in mind, even if you’re denied once, that doesn’t mean you are out of luck. As you continue to grow and mature your affiliate marketing efforts, feel free to reach out to our team if you think we should reevaluate your site. We’re happy to provide guidance on areas that need improvement, so you can get approved next time around.
Ready to start earning with Sovrn?
Affiliate marketing is one of the fastest, most flexible ways to diversify your revenue streams. And Sovrn Commerce provides everything you need to build and manage your affiliate program — from automated link monetization and robust performance metrics to our Merchant Explorer, which provides detailed information on each of our 30,000 network merchants.
If you’re ready to start driving more revenue with Sovrn Commerce, sign up today. Once you’re approved, it’s easy to start earning right away.