The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Affiliate Marketing Verticals
![A guide to affiliate marketing verticals](https://static.propellerads.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/propellerad-affiliate-marketing-verticals.png)
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.
Most Popular Affiliate Marketing Niches
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.
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 Flows | Ad Format | Useful 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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 |
#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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 |
#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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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.
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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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) |
#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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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.
This vertical could somehow fit under eCommerce, as it pretty much follows the same process, conversion flow-wise.
Conversions Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 Flows | Ad Formats | Useful 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 |
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.