Start with a market list, not a network directory
For each country, list the ten to twenty sites already ranking for your core search terms: comparison sites, review sites, niche blogs and publisher-owned editorial partners. That list is your recruitment base.
Add the cashback and voucher platforms that lead in that country, plus the newsletters and communities where your audience already spends time.
Approach in the language of the market
An English email to a French or German publisher rarely gets a reply. Write the proposal in the local language, with local pricing, delivery times and return terms.
State what the publisher earns per hundred visitors, not just the commission rate. That makes your offer comparable to what they already run.
An order of play that works
Start with three to five anchor partners per market: reach that delivers volume quickly and makes your programme credible. Then scale into the long tail of niche partners.
Plan recruitment in ninety-day waves per market, so you keep time to activate partners instead of only signing them up.
Activation beats sign-ups
A signed-up publisher without a first placement earns nothing. Ship a ready-to-use pack: product feeds, deep links, imagery and an offer worth publishing.
Track what share of signed partners generates revenue within sixty days. Below twenty percent, something is off in your offer or onboarding.