The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Affiliate Marketing Verticals

This post is also available in: PT

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?

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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#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

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#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

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#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

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#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

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#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.

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)

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#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%

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#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)

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#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

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#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

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#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

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#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

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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.

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.