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The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Affiliate Marketing Verticals

A guide to affiliate marketing verticals

This post is also available in: PT ES

This article was first published in 2021, and was updated for accuracy reasons.

Read everything that matters about Affiliate Marketing Verticals. We answer: what they are, what you can advertise (offers/products), what conversion flows work best, and where to get more scoop on them. 

But first, let’s take this scenario: you want to be an affiliate marketer. You already did your research and found an interesting CPA Network that has some pretty sweet offers. You also looked for some essential tools and some software to use. And now what?

Do you:

 

A. randomly choose various offers to promote and collect the paycheck? Or…

B. choose a vertical and invest all you’ve got to improve your skills and advertise for that?

If you chose A, you might be onto something. However, if you chose B you are correct! Since you’re just at the start of your affiliate marketing career, it’s best to first get acquainted with the best Affiliate Marketing Verticals.

If by now you’re wondering what is a vertical, and how it fits into this conversation?… That’s just one of the many reasons it’s best to first learn the ropes, and only after start experiencing and diversifying.


What are Verticals in Affiliate Marketing?

The Affiliate Marketing Vertical is a market, industry, or niche where you can find products or services that provide for the needs of an audience. 

These audiences can be made of individuals/users, professionals, or businesses that share the same demographics or pain points.

Verticals are especially important, because based on them you’ll have to choose which offers to promote, how to do it, and what formats (Push ads, Popunder ads, Interstitial ads, Survey Exit ads) to use.


How To Choose a Vertical?

The rule of thumb dictates always to choose something you are familiar with.

This way, it will be a lot easier for you to know exactly which main benefits and features your target audience wants. But most importantly, you’ll know how to speak their language.

And no, we don’t mean English, Arabic, Hindi, or other such languages (although you should consider them as well). What we actually mean is to fix (or at least provide for) their main pain points so that they will absolutely purchase your product, service, or whatever you’re advertising.

translation - localization

Based on these factors, we have several main verticals in affiliate marketing:

Giveaway
Finance
iGaming & Sports
Social
eCommerce
Nutra
Utilities
Web-Utilities
Home Improvement
Games
Content on Demand

And the list could go on. However, these are some of the most popular verticals that our affiliates are advertising for.

which vertical to choose - quiz

Does that sound like Chinese?

Then, let’s dive deeper into the most popular verticals. We prepared a quick glossary and a list of guides and articles on each vertical.

Let’s improve your knowledge and skills!


#1. Giveaways Vertical

Giveaways are offers that attract users with the possibility to win a prize, in exchange for a sign-up (raffle, roulette, lottery, etc.).

Conversions FlowsAd FormatUseful Links
Revshare

SOI Registration

Click to SMS
Push & IPP

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders / Landing Pages

Survey Exit
Love For Free Stuff

Sweeps + Pop Case Study

How to win with Sweeps

Monetizing Mobile Traffic

#2. Finance Vertical

The Finance vertical encompasses all the bank, loan, insurance companies, and brokerage services (Loans, Trading, Forex, and Cryptos included).

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
Registration & Deposit

CPL

CPS

FTD

Hybrid Conversions
Push & IPP

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders / Landing Pages 

Survey Exit
Promoting Financial Offers

Are Crypto payouts real?

Experts explain choosing crypto offers

Cheap Leads Case Study
Finance vertical overview

#3. Sports & iGaming Vertical

The iGaming vertical includes every online game that users can play and where they can win prizes (other than Sweeps).

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
CPL

CPL

FTD

CPS

Hybrid Conversions
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers 

OnClick Popunders / Landing Pages

Survey Exit
Understanding iGaming vertical

Where to get iGaming traffic?

Fantasy Sports vs. iGaming

iGaming in Brazil

How to run cricket campaigns?

SEO Techniques for iGaming

Top popular iGaming mistakes
propellerads-igaming-traffic-banner image

#4. Social Vertical

The Social Vertical is probably one of the most popular. Why is that? Well, because everybody needs somebody.

Sure enough, nowadays, people rely on the Internet to find a suitable match. So that is what Social is all about — online matchmaking platforms (apps and websites).

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
Revshare

CPS

SOI

Registration

Click to Call

Click to SMS
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers  

Survey Exit
User Acquisition for Social Vertical

150% ROI: Social Offer for Brazil – Case Study 

89% ROI: Social Campaigns Romania – Case Study 

Choosing the Perfect Social Offer

#5. eCommerce

If you’re not familiar with this vertical, you must’ve lived under a rock, and you also didn’t hear anything about the pandemic rampaging the globe.

And you probably also don’t know anything about how eCommerce is going so great right now, and how it’s probably the most prospective vertical of the year, WORLDWIDE.

But enough about this. Know that eCommerce is the online heaven of shopping. From giants like Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, and Flipkart, it effectively encompasses absolutely every online store of any size. EVERY tiny, average, or large online website, platform, channel, blog, and so on and so forth that sells products/services – at a global level.

And the best part: it is highly dependent on holidays and special deals. What does that mean for you? That as long as there are any events happening that affect the masses, you will always have a promotion to run.

Take Ramadan, Easter, Holi, Christmas, New Year, Black Monday, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Cyber Friday, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Rain, or just any international day there is anywhere in the world.

media buying trends

And if that doesn’t work, just invent your own holiday and offer some discounts or promotions. Chances are that with a bit of luck you’ll manage to attract a lot of buyers. But whatever you do, just make it go viral. 

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
Cost per Sale

CPE (on App dependent platforms)

COD

CPO

CPS

Push & IPP


Interstitials / Pre-landers


OnClick Popunders / Landing Pages
Creating a Successful Landing Page

And how to create a prelander for eCommerce?

Top CPA networks for eCommerce

How to choose an eCommerce offer?

Shopee: an eCommerce app case study

eCommerce app in India: 13740 installs in a month (case study)

#6. Nutra

Also known by its full name – the Nutraceuticals, or the Health and Beauty Vertical – includes pretty much everything you could imagine.

From diet pills, male-health, and other adult supplements; skincare and other beauty products; all the way to coffees and teas – that’s Nutra for you. 

We’re talking about any supplement that can benefit your body in any other way than by having a nutritional value.

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
CPS

CPE (on App dependent platforms)

COD

CPO

CPS

CC Submit
Push & IPP

Interstitials / Pre-landers
Running Nutra Campaigns

Choosing a Nutra Offer

Creating a Nutra Pre-Lander

Promoting Supplements and Standards you need to follow

Nutra Case Study – ROI 105%

#7. Utilities

The Utilities Vertical is an affiliate market category that includes all your devices’ software tools that help you protect, speed up, remove threats or organize files.

And chances are that you’re probably also using them. 

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
CPI

Free Trial

CPI + CPE
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders with Pre-landers  
Utilities Vertical Guide

Utilities CPA Campaigns + Case Study

Secrets to Running Utilities Campaigns

How to make converting creatives for Utilities?

VPN App + Push Notifications (case study)
what you don't know about utilities

#8. Web-Utilities

Just like the IPP of Push Notifications, the Web-Extension Vertical is the equivalent of the Utilities, with the only difference being that it’s for browsers.

Whether you want to call them extensions or add-ons, they’re the ones making your browsing life a lot simpler.

And with people’s increased concern to protect their devices, these are two of the verticals that are really prospering under any circumstances. But even more now, given the lockdowns and being bound to the Internet.

It also happens to be one of the super beginner-friendly verticals, also given their conversion types. In addition, they’re available in most used browsers.

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
CPI

Free Trial

CPI + CPE
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders with Pre-landers  

Guide to Web Utilities

Guide to Easy Verticals

#9. Home Improvement

The Home Improvement Vertical is one of our affiliates’ favorites. It obviously includes everything that you could possibly want or need to transform your house into a home.

From handymen to painters, supplies, hardware to curtains, carpets, and decorations, that’s your Home Improvement Vertical. 

Secrets of Leadgen offers

This vertical could somehow fit under eCommerce, as it pretty much follows the same process, conversion flow-wise.

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
Cost per Sale

COD

CPO

CPS

CPL

CC Submit
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders with Pre-landers
Home Improvements Insights

Amazon Associate’s

Making Money with Affiliate Marketing – Beginners Workshop

#10. Games Vertical

As you would imagine, the Games vertical encompasses all the game offers you could possibly enjoy (or advertise), from your mobile or desktop devices.

Think Candy Crush, Mahjong, Game of Thanks, and the likes, and you’re probably a user yourself. 

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
Registration

SOI

PIN Submit

FTD
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders with Pre-landers  
Psychology and Gaming– Creatives that work

Finding the perfect Gaming Offer

#11. Videos on Demand & Content on Demand Verticals

These are three verticals that pretty much speak for themselves. And whether you’re talking about sports events, series, or just random viral videos, courses, or ebooks, that’s what these verticals offer.

What makes them super popular are the extra high payouts. 

Conversions FlowsAd FormatsUseful Links
Free Trial

CPS

CPL
Push & IPP 

Interstitials/ Pre-landers

OnClick Popunders with Pre-landers  

Survey Exit
Guide to Streaming & VOD

Psychology and Persuasion 

What Conversion Flows to choose
PropellerAds_High_Payout_CPA_Offers

A Word of Advice

Whenever choosing an offer, make sure to carefully read its description and understand what GEOs, Conversions Flows, and platforms are best to use them for.

Although we included most of the Conversion Flows that certain verticals work with, the offer might have different indications, and you should use those.

We know you’ll just love them too!

However, now that you have all these precious pieces of information, you’re ready to get started. Just don’t forget to choose a vertical you’re comfortable advertising. And preferably know it like the back of your hand.

Before you go, here’s everything you need to know about Affiliate Marketing, or maybe you prefer to follow our Money Making Workshop for Beginner Affiliates.

For everything else, join our Telegram Group for more insights straight from the experts of the industry.

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