The main mistakes when working with advertising network sites and how to avoid them
Working with advertising networks is the basis of traffic arbitrage, but it is at the stage of interaction with sites that many beginners and even experienced webmasters lose budgets. In order for a campaign to generate a stable income, it is important not only to launch advertising, but also to competently manage traffic sources. If you encounter difficulties in optimization or want to start right away, you can always Write to the manager for advice and get access to proven tools. Let's look at typical miscalculations that prevent you from working effectively with advertising network sites and getting quality traffic.
One of the most common mistakes is the lack of preliminary analysis and segmentation of sources. Many arbitrageurs launch a campaign for the entire available traffic volume at once, hoping for a quick result. This approach leads to the fact that the budget is wasted on irrelevant or frankly bot advertising network sites. As a result, the statistics are blurred, and it is almost impossible to draw conclusions about optimization. Quality work begins with studying available sources and understanding which of them are potentially suitable for your offer.
The right approach involves gradual testing. Instead of buying all the traffic, it is worth starting with a small budget and directing it to a limited pool of sites. Analyze the first data received: CTR, CR, conversion cost for each individual source. This will allow you to identify ineffective ad network sites at an early stage and turn them off, focusing financial resources on those that bring results.
Incorrect targeting settings
Incorrect targeting settings are a direct path to non-targeted traffic. Often, webmasters limit themselves to basic parameters such as GEO and device, ignoring more subtle settings. For example, for many offers, the operating system version, connection type (Wi-Fi or mobile Internet) or even a specific telecom operator are critically important. Ignoring these details leads to the fact that the ad is shown to an audience that is technically unable to perform the target action, and you pay for empty clicks.
The problem is exacerbated when working with a wide pool of ad network platforms, each of which may have its own specific audience. If you do not adapt targeting to the specifics of specific sources, advertising efficiency drops sharply. For example, a platform with a predominantly young audience using the latest smartphone models will require different creatives and settings than a resource with adult users and outdated devices. There is no universal approach here.
To avoid this mistake, you need to deeply study the targeting parameters offered by the advertising network. Create separate campaigns for different audience segments. For example, one for Wi-Fi users, another for mobile Internet. This will allow you to more accurately control costs and analyze which traffic converts better. Such granular settings are the key to successful work with a variety of ad network platforms.
Ignoring blacklists and whitelists
Blacklists and whitelists are the main tools of an arbitrageur for optimizing traffic. A blacklist is a list of site IDs from which you no longer want to receive traffic. A whitelist is, on the contrary, a list of proven and profitable sources to which the main budget is directed. The mistake of many is to neglect these tools or use them irregularly.
Without timely replenishment of the blacklist, you continue to drain money on ad network sites that do not bring conversions or supply bot traffic. This is especially critical when working with large volumes, where even a few ineffective sources can eat up a significant part of the profit. Some arbitrageurs create blacklists once at the beginning of a campaign and forget about them, although the market situation is constantly changing.
An effective strategy is regular analysis of statistics and constant updating of lists.
Check reports on site IDs daily. Sources that spent an amount equal to the cost of one or two conversions, but did not bring a single one, should be the first candidates for the blacklist.
Create whitelists from those ad network platforms that show consistently high CR and ROI. In the future, you can create separate campaigns aimed exclusively at these proven sources and scale them up.
Working with blacklists and whitelists is a continuous process that requires attention and analytics. It is what separates a professional approach from an amateur one.
Insufficient data analysis
Traffic arbitrage is primarily working with numbers. The mistake lies in superficial analysis or making decisions based on incomplete data. For example, an arbitrageur disables a platform after receiving 100 clicks and 0 conversions from it. It seems like a logical decision. But if the average CR for a campaign is 1:200 (one conversion per 200 clicks), then drawing conclusions based on 100 clicks is premature. Perhaps this site just needs more traffic.
To make informed decisions, it is necessary to accumulate a sufficient amount of statistical data. The rule is simple: to test one ad network site, you need to spend a budget equal to at least two to three costs of the target action (CPA). Only after that can you confidently talk about its effectiveness and decide whether to add it to the blacklist or whitelist.
It is also important to analyze not only CR, but also other metrics in the bundle: EPC (revenue per click), ROI (return on investment), CTR of creatives on specific sites. Sometimes a low CR on one site is compensated by very cheap traffic, and as a result, its ROI is higher than that of a site with a high CR, but expensive clicks. Comprehensive analysis is the key to proper optimization and scaling of profitable bundles. If you have difficulties interpreting the data or you are not sure how to correctly create a blacklist for your campaign, it is better to ask for help. An experienced specialist will help you understand the metrics, for this it is enough to Write to the manager and describe your situation.
No rotation of creatives
The audience on ad network platforms quickly "burns out". Users stop noticing the same banners and landings, which leads to a drop in CTR and, as a result, to a decrease in traffic volumes and an increase in its cost. A common mistake is to launch a campaign with one or two creatives and not change them for weeks. Even the most successful creative loses its effectiveness over time.
To maintain audience interest and stable indicators, regular rotation of promotional materials is necessary.
Prepare several options for banners and landings in advance. They should differ in approaches, visual design, calls to action.
Run A/B tests to determine which creatives work best on specific ad network platforms. Track CTR and CR for each option.
As soon as you notice that the effectiveness of the current creative is starting to decrease, replace it with a new one from the tested ones or create fresh options.
This process should be continuous. Constantly updating promotional materials allows you not only to combat audience burnout, but also to find new, more converting approaches. This is especially important when working with large ad network platforms, where the audience is in the millions and quickly gets tired of the same type of advertising.
Ignoring traffic quality
Not all traffic is equally useful. In addition to obviously bot traffic, there is so-called motivated or low-quality traffic, which can generate conversions, but not bring real benefit to the advertiser. For example, users perform a target action for a reward, but do not become active customers. If the advertiser detects low quality leads, they can reject all conversions and block your account.
The problem is that some ad network platforms can be sources of exactly this kind of traffic. An affiliate marketer’s mistake is to chase the number of cheap conversions without paying attention to their quality. This is a short-term strategy that ultimately leads to financial losses and loss of trust from the affiliate program or direct advertiser.
To avoid this, it is important to track not only the initial conversion, but also the behavior of users after it: the percentage of repeat purchases, time spent in the application, registration depth. Discuss with the affiliate network manager the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are important to the advertiser. Analyze which ad network platforms deliver the highest quality audience and focus on them, even if the cost of conversion there is slightly higher. Working on quality is an investment in long-term and stable relationships with the advertiser and a guarantee of stable income.
Try it in practice
Theory without practice does not bring results. To avoid the described mistakes and learn how to effectively manage traffic, it is best to work with proven tools and support from experienced specialists. You can get access to high-quality traffic sources and exclusive offers, as well as advice on optimizing your campaigns. Just describe your task and goals.
To get started and apply the knowledge gained, Write to the manager. They will help you choose the optimal strategy and avoid wasting your budget on ineffective ad network platforms.