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The affiliate marketing industry generates billions of dollars each year, and for very good reason. Every day, more and more companies decide to work with an affiliate marketer that can help them achieve their goals. Likewise, new affiliates enter the industry every single week, but breaking into the scene is not as easy as some professionals make it look.
At PropellerAds, we’ve seen thousands of campaigns, and we’ve picked up a few valuable insights along the way. We’ve spoken to Roman S., one of our professional affiliate marketers, and put together an article that helps you identify the easiest verticals for beginners and provides a few tips on how to choose the best offer.
Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Tips to Help You Find a Better Offer
As you probably already know, getting a great offer is one of the keys to succeeding as an affiliate. “Before even considering the industries you want to work with, all affiliates need to learn how to identify great offers,” says Roman.
According to our expert, there are five things you should consider:
- Easy Conversions
Roman believes that “the very first thing beginner affiliates will want to do is find an offer that has easy conversions. This can help you get acquainted with the industry requirements, and you won’t set the bar too high the first time.”
Simple lead-generating offers usually work best in these scenarios because they have higher chances of converting. Later on, you’ll start focusing on deals that are harder to convert, but offer more benefits.
- Tier-3 Countries
In affiliate marketing, countries are divided into different tiers. Developed countries are categorized as tier-1, whereas developing parts of the world like India, Mexico, and the Philippines usually fall under the tier-2 or tier-3 category. “Affiliates that are just getting started should target tier-3 countries. Besides conversions being higher, they also cost less money and give them more wiggle room,” says Roman.
Advertising Basics: What is a Tier of Traffic and What Tier Should You Choose?
- Low Payouts… for Now!
Similarly to conversions, you’ll want to stick to offers that have lower payouts… for now at least. These campaigns are usually easier to set up and run, so they’re ideal for marketers that are just getting started. Eventually, you’ll outgrow these deals, so learn as much as you can before then!
- Communication with Your Account Manager
All affiliates have an assigned account manager, and you should always consult with them and take their suggestions into consideration. “Account managers are dedicated to helping you build better campaigns, and even though seasoned affiliates don’t always take advantage of them, I believe all beginners should,” says Roman.
- Competitor Research
“Beginner affiliates can always use competitor research or spy tools to understand what competitors are doing. Then, you can create a similar campaign and design creatives that are more likely to yield better results. Copying campaigns is a no-no, but you can still find inspiration in your competition.”
The Easiest Vertical to Start With
While affiliates operate in dozens of different industries, there are many verticals that are more suitable for beginner marketers. Here are our takes on the easiest verticals to enter the world of affiliate marketing.
Social
The social industry is considered an “evergreen” because people need love all year round. These offers usually have high conversions, and they can have a variety of pricing models, although most of them require paid registration from customers.
“Dating offers are awesome for new affiliates because they tend to bring landing pages, pre-landers, and other awesome resources,” says Roman. “This translates to ‘ready-made’ solutions that marketers can simply put in place once they’re ready. And, because the traffic is usually inexpensive, you can test new ads without worrying about your budget.”
Sweepstakes
Sweepstakes are also a great starting point of new affiliates because they can feature products in different categories, so it’ll be easy to find one that you’re interested in. These offers often require easy registration. More advanced deals may require credit card submits, but these should be left to seasoned affiliates only!
“The sweepstakes vertical is awesome for rookies because it allows cheap testing. Plus, they usually feature popular products like smartphones or gift cards. That said, affiliates need to create their own pre-landers, so they’ll need to start honing this skill beforehand.”
You can also check our case studies, featuring Dating and Sweepstake offers
App Installs
Software offers can vary tremendously, but new affiliates can take advantage of the deals that only require installs. These are much easier to convert, even if the payout is a bit lower.
“For beginners, the software vertical is ideal because you can choose to work with apps, browser extension, and ecommerce apps just to name a few. They are all highly visual and super popular, plus they don’t require the use of any pre-landers,” which, according to Roman, will make the whole process a lot easier.
The affiliate industry is constantly growing, and the tips above can help you break into the scene and hit the ground running. If you want to learn more about our network or the affiliate industry as a whole, join our Telegram chat!
