To Experienced & Top Affiliates, S.O.S! (11)
First and foremost, let me introduce myself - my name is Felix and I am from Malaysia. I joined affiliate marketing few months ago in March. Back then I was a property dude, alongside with property developers in their investment divisions. I was convinced enough to give it a shot. I pulled in two more friends and we went in full time.
As recommended as a “newbie” we used CPI, performance based traffic so we wouldn’t lose so much of our initial capital as compared with paid traffic. We slowly learned the rope of creating campaigns, to launch the campaigns as well as learning to interpret the data from
Approaching June, we finally had enough guts to splurge some cash and get discipline. So we planned and strategised. We had our campaigns created, launched and optimised them. We easily hit up to “break-even” point but we couldn’t sustain and unable to scale the campaigns.
About two weeks or so, with enough courage and so much losses we were determined again to give it a few shots! Imagine the frustration and losses we had, RM to USD i.e 3.7 : 1 currency exchange. So here goes our strategy, feel free to contribute and correct us :-
We split them into Stage 1 & Stage 2.
STAGE 1
1) Each of us pick an offer - app install, choose across from all networks; Mundo Media, ClickDealer, AppFlood, Avazu.
2) We create 15 angles, test ONLY 3. Launch with 1 LP per campaign.
3) We launch the campaigns with 6 different traffic sources ; AdCash, PopCash, ExoClick, ZeroPark, Admoda, Propeller Ads.
4) Test them out with highest bid to attain volume of traffic until statically significant.
STAGE 2
1) With enough data - we will pick the best angle from the best network which convert with the best traffic source.
2) IF ROI of all 3 campaigns we launched earlier > - 50%, we will cut the campaigns and relaunch from initial 15 angles we have created.
3) Once we have the best angle/ LP that is proven converting, we will create another 3 more LPs extracting from the initial best angle/ LP. Test it again on specific converting traffic source.
Please note that, once we get winning angle, we may tweak the ad content, tweak the LP design, run them!
4) By this time we are hopeful to see “green” or “break-even.”
5) From here, we are stuck. What do we do with “green” LP, do we scale it? Bid higher?
At the same time we have listed about 40’s different other traffic sources categorised them e.g pop-under, banners, etc.
I hope my write - up is easily understandable, if not, I will clarify.
Thank you!
Hey Felix, nice to meet you.
I'm from Malaysia too, glad to see a fellow aff hustling here! I'll watch this space, all the best guys
Just quick update. Instead of using CPI, performance based traffic. I use CPM model now.
A few folks from STM will be in KL this summer, I hear!
Yes cmdeal. Glad to know that. You should one day, come down to KL 
And I'll be glad to accommodate you here. We have nice local delicacies.
All looks good!
The only part I'm a bit uncertain about is your plan to test your campaigns with highest bids on your chosen networks. Bid optimisation is a very important part of campaign design - if you're bidding super-high initially to get data, you need to adjust your expectations accordingly.
I'd recommend either aiming to start with a more optimised bid, or set a lower initial ROI floor (lower than -50%) and then optimising subsequently.
Given you're aiming at pop traffic to start with, you may want to have a read over Ruby Tunes' great pops guide: http://stmforum.com/forum/showthread...-Step-Guide%29 . He's got some suggestions on bidding strategies in there.
Other than that, all good stuff! Looking forward to reading your first results!
Thank you Caurmen.
Well, I just launched the campaigns on last Friday, some traffic sources are still pending due to managed buy. AdCash is especially slow in approving or even replying emails. It took days for them to simply send me an IOs.
Anyway, the campaigns are launched in ZeroPark already. Let me share it here.
Campaign Details :
Offer: Utility App Install
Geo: Philippines
Traffic Source: ZeroPark
Campaign 1
Network: ClickDealer
Visits: 863
Clicks: 767
Conversions: 0
CTR: 89%
CR: 0.00%
ROI: -100%
Network: Mundo Media
Visits: 837
Clicks: 676
Conversions: 8
CTR: 81%
CR: 1.18%
ROI: -54%
Network: APX
Visits: 816
Clicks: 649
Conversions: 11
CTR: 80%
CR: 1.7%
ROI: -43.48%
Campaign 2
Network: ClickDealer
Visits: 1026
Clicks: 827
Conversions: 0
CTR: 80.60%
CR: 0.00%
ROI: -100%
Network: Mundo Media
Visits: 1084
Clicks: 862
Conversions: 16
CTR: 79%
CR: 1.86%
ROI: -30.70%
Network: APX
Visits: 1065
Clicks: 788
Conversions: 13
CTR: 73.99%
CR: 1.65%
ROI: -49.31%
Campaign 3
Network: ClickDealer
Visits: 1227
Clicks: 973
Conversions: 0
CTR: 74.23%
CR: 0.00%
ROI: -100%
Network: APX
Visits: 1256
Clicks: 930
Conversions: 18
CTR: 74%
CR: 1.94%
ROI: -41.90%
Network: Mundo Media
Visits: 1304
Clicks: 968
Conversions: 23
CTR: 74.23%
CR: 2.38%
ROI: -17.81%
My bid for ZP per CPM is $6.10 which is crazily high, but note that I just want to test my angle. My payout is $0.25 - 0.30.
At this point, I believe the data is still insufficient, but I can roughly tell where the campaigns all head to. So far, as for now, the best angle/ campaign is Campaign 3, best affiliate network is Mundo Media, while traffic sources I could possibly say as for now is ZeroPark. Note that we run on PopCash too, but the traffic is utter rubbish as for me right now. High bid, high traffic, almost zero conversions.
So, what do I come about now?
I will wait until I test enough on other traffic sources, keep it run for a while, then I'll split to next 3 LPs from best performed campaign, which is now Campaign 3. I haven't optimise them yet.
I have few questions, please help me out :-
1) How do I know the campaign is profitable enough to scale?
2) When I scale, it's as equal that I am still split- testing from other traffic sources?
P/s: I am desperate to want to learn, I have read enough in STM. I know by learning is by doing. Throw in some advices, as for now budget isn't a problem. I have a big source which is my credit card. I'm a mad scientist.
Wow, uber wow.
Those stats are sweet, right off the bat-18% in ZP? Great work bro. Do it, your plan sounds solid.
To answer your questions;
1. This is obvious, once you hit stable green in ZP, take the same Landers/Offers and scale it everywhere. But 80/20 rule still apply. 80% of the traffic sources will still leave you in the red while 20% will be profitable (well, not all, hopefully most of them if you're lucky )
2. No, split testing occurs when you're testing variables. When you scale, you'll need to have proven landers/offers combo, which you take over to other traffic sources, bid according to your baseline bid where you're profiting the most, and don't change anything there. But of course - keep split testing elements in ZP to bring your ROI even further up.
Thank you @adsflo
I am still not satisfied with the stats, still too early to tell. I have yet few more traffic sources to test on. I'll put all I have into testing traffic sources and see which one I can convert most, with the cheapest traffic source of course.
Ok, what CR % I can aim for to make it better? What is to be considered "good enough" to scale?
What Am I Going To Do Next?
1. Previous campaigns I launched were all using pop-under traffic, I am yet to test again with banners. Goes back to Stage 1.
2. Split-test again, extract 3 LPs out of the performed angles/ campaigns, right now proven is Campaign 3. a. Tweak angle write-ups b. Improve/ Tweak LPs design. Let it run again.
3. I am moving fast, I have ready campaigns in the pipeline to be tested on different traffic sources. Next, I am going to go back to Stage 1 with other geos. Perhaps, move on with other offers with about the same verticals.
4. Optimisation - I have tried WL method before, but the campaigns couldn't be scaled and couldn't sustain for long. Often of the times the campaigns died off just like that. So, this time, instead of cutting all BL and run on WL. I'll be spending more budget to increase the traffic and "slowly" cut off the publishers that aren't performing leaving space/ opportunity/ more exposure for BL to repent and slowly converting. I am not sure how this works yet. Let me try. But most affiliates I know are looking for a good shortcut to just focus on WL. I will try to bring higher volume of conversion. This will take skills to keep improving your campaigns to turn BL to WL. Amen to that.
5. Test, test, test, launch, launch, launch, get different result, learn fast and optimise! That's the plan.
Some important message, higher bid may/ may not get higher traffic, but please also note that bid > payout isn't profitable.
Please share with me, comments/ critics are all welcome. I am not sure if I am doing it right or wrong, all I need to know is what can be better/ improve? :P
@holkhoiit - All looks good!
The only thing I'd suggest beyond what you have is to definitely experiment with bids on your most promising campaigns. You're already seeing some decent conversions - if you could optimise the bids down a bit you'd be in profit right there!
Very solid testing so far - and a great example of how bidding low isn't always the best strategy!
Felix,
Great to do list man, but I would say you're doing too much in one time - if there's a choice, I would say forgo #1 for the time being Definitely revisit it when all others are done! Prioritize and take action based on your priorities.
CR%, I do not have a rule of thumb here, because this depends on your verticals, payout and nature of offer (for instance high payout offer would have a low CR% as clicks get higher but conversions are not occuring much). I usually see 5-10% in my camps though, if that's any of a yardstick, but again this do not tell much.
All the best buddy
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