How do you choose good offers for a successfull campaign? (18)
How do you choose good offers for a successfull campaign?
How do you generally pick a good offer to promote? Other then the obvious cv rate, network epc, restrictions and payout, what are the main factors that you look for when you're choosing an offer.
Maybe you have developed a specific blueprint you go through every time you pick a new offer. Or have created some kind of system thats works out better than the way you used to do it.
Rotating offers is good, but how do you get it to work properly when the offers are not email/zip submits and serves as some kind of price?
I've generally only worked with a few offers in the dating niche, I'm doing well, but whenever I want to try some different offers, I get stuck and can't decide and loose my momentum. I need to move faster and more efficient...
So, I would love to hear how you guys are doing this, and the main factors you go by when choosing offers you believe have potential.
Money out 
I have a process of elimination, along with an instinctive feel for what works based on the years I've already been promoting dating offers.
While the experience obviously comes with time, you can definitely make life easier for yourself by adopting a process of elimination.
1. Avoid brokered offers where possible. Aim to get them at the top of the food chain so you can optimize more easily.
2. If the offer isn't brand new, and looks too good to be true, and you can't find any other affiliates promoting it... there's probably a good reason why you should be avoiding it.
3. If the maths don't work and an offer's network-wide EPC is lower than your expected CPC, you better have a brilliant idea on how to beat the network average - or you're wasting your time.
I don't think there's such a thing as a foolproof system for finding the best offers. But there are plenty of warning signs for avoiding the worst.
Well, I can't comment on other niches but in gaming I critique the offer myself, call it instinct like Finch said. As a gamer it's pretty easy to spot something which is not gonna convert well with the audience you're thinking of aiming it at. I never look at network EPCs and generally aim for the payout to be at least 10x the CPC I know I can get on FB, think up an angle, then send a batch of clicks and then wait. Sometimes something that looks strong just doesn't convert and there's no apparent reason why. I've done a campaign where I was getting 0.5% CTRs, going to a gaming fanpage with a simple lander and a CTA button. 30-50% CTR on the lander, then nothing on the back-end. ~600 clicks to ads, ~250 clicks through lander to game page with simple sign up form, not a single conversion. This campaign could've been gold, offer looked fine, but testing showed it to be a big fail. Thus I think you can have multiple things to watch out for but Mr Testing has got to be your go-to guy.
Brokered offers are definitely a pain in the ass. Whenever something is brokered I feel I get more inconsistent daily EPCs, more click loss and shit happens on the offer/secondary networks end that breaks the chain and the affiliate network often doesn't get told, so neither do you, unless you're watching things constantly.
There is really no formula, for me I just try everything cause I am so surprised at what actually works direct linked on ppv even when the offer isnt optimized for it.
Originally Posted by Finch
Originally Posted by zeno
Follow the redirects, use something like live http headers for firefox.
Originally Posted by Senator
http://wheregoes.com/
I prefer pingdom.com as you can even choose US server to test your redirect so you know exactly what's going on.
I complete the offer myself to see where it converts or if it even converts.
pingdom is the best tool as it also follows Javascript redirects, whereas Wheregoes doesnt. You can also set other countries with pingdom besides US, so if you have an offer thats geo targeted you should be able to check in most cases.
Regarding checking offers:
* test test test
especially when your inexperienced with a particular vertical. Just pick an offer and test it.
Over time you will develop this magical "gut feel" about which offers convert.
Then build your own checklist.
How do you use pingdom? I don't find the destination URL?
not sure what you mean
Just look for the redirect symbol and then hover over the page title/URL to get the full URL
i thought they had lots of GEOs but turns out they just have Holland. Doh ;(
One thing I will mention that I find matters most is conversion flow.....
where the conversion happens....offers are often deceiving....
take games for instance they can convert on the, download, install, player signup, etc....to really understand if an offers metrics will work with a traffic source or an expected cpc need to really look at where the conversion happens...
networks don't often list this or really don't talk about it and often and just talk payout payout payout.....well payout means nothing if it takes 25 fields and the birth certificate of their mother to get the conversion to fire....and thats the deceiving part....a network may say they have a higher payout.....BUT the flow may be dif for them...and thats why its higher....
good networks will often list the the page it converts on OR a big one is SOI or DOI.....that info is critical to know....
just a word to the wise....
Thanks Tijn, so it was that easy.
I think I was overcomplicating things lol 
Thanks for all the input guys. Lots of great information!
True, I never see anything in the offer description for when the pixel fires. Do you test and find out yourself, or just speak with your AM?
But, why in general is a brokered offer bad? Is it more likely to get pulled? I always though of this as good, as then I could split test the same offer from different networks?
Brokered generally means lower payouts (all else being equal), more redirect/steps in the process in which you lose clicks, less transparency between you and the advertiser. Brokered or not you can still split test between different networks, i.e. two brokered vs one direct. Pixel wise ask your AM. Also, "pixel fires on registration" can be ambiguous, make sure to confirm whether that means initial form submit (SOI) or confirmation of registration from the subsequent email (DOI). You'd think 100% of people who fill out the form and submit would then go and check their email, click the confirm link, but it rarely works that way.
For me the biggest issue is optimization.
Besides the usual drop in performance from multiple redirects, it's difficult to build a long-term relationship with a company if your point of contact (affiliate manager) only has access to another affiliate manager at the network above in the food chain. Direct relationships don't always guarantee transparency, but in the long run, you've gotta have good communication. I rarely get that with brokered offers.
I never thought about that. Very good point!
Home > General > Affiliate Marketing Forum