Sweepstakes: The Ultimate Guide
Today — there are over 200 sweepstakes offers in Alfaleads, and while international affiliates are making millions off them, many newer marketers still aren’t quite sure how to profit from this vertical. So we put together the most comprehensive guide possible, covering everything you need to know about sweepstakes — what they are and how to work them. Enjoy:
In 2018, sweepstakes climbed to a leading position among the most popular and promising verticals.
Key Advantages
For the end user, a sweepstake offers a real shot at winning something valuable and desirable — the latest gadget, a trip to a resort destination, a gift card to a popular brand, and so on. All they need to do is fill out a form with accurate personal information. In some cases, users are asked to authorize a payment card.
For advertisers, it’s an effective way to multiply their existing customer base.
For publishers, it’s a profitable vertical with stable and fast earnings.
Types of Sweepstake Offers
SOI Offer
This type of sweepstake has a maximally simplified registration process. It’s ideal for users who don’t want to confirm their email address for any reason. All they need to do is fill in their personal data fields.
The registered user can immediately enter the prize draw, the advertiser builds or expands their database, and the affiliate earns a commission.
Payouts on SOI offers are typically in the range of $0.50–$4. The rate is directly influenced by the GEO and the amount of user data collected.
CC Submit (Credit Card Submit)
These offers involve getting the user to submit a credit card. The advertiser runs a service that’s constantly holding prize draws. The user gets temporary trial access to the service for just $1, and is then converted to a paid subscription.
These offers have broad GEO coverage. Payouts are surprisingly strong — $4–5 in Latin America, and $30–40 in Europe.
GEO
Countries are divided into 3 tiers based on wealth level:
Tier 1
Includes the US, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Scandinavia, and Western European countries.
Tier 2
Eastern European countries, Asia, Japan, India, Thailand, wealthier African and South American countries.
Tier 3
Most African countries, lower-income Asian and Latin American countries.
Today, the key GEOs for sweepstakes are Germany, the UK, and the US. Beyond offering high payout rates, users in these markets understand how sweepstakes work and are familiar with their benefits. At the same time, these leading GEOs periodically draw criticism from affiliates, which is understandable — newcomers are constantly searching for their own angle and developing custom creatives.
For some countries, a well-crafted funnel needs to be built due to low user awareness about sweepstakes and limited trust in such offers. The affiliate’s goal is to clearly communicate to users that submitting personal data in a form is completely safe and risk-free.
Optimal Traffic Channels
Although this channel converts well, Facebook constantly bans sweepstake ads. Cloaking is therefore necessary. The optimal approach is to run poll-style contests — in this case, the user lands directly on the sweepstake page.
Search (PPC) and Native
This traffic source ranks second in quality. It has a lower cost per click compared to Facebook but also offers fewer targeting options.
Pop
Works great for both desktop and mobile traffic, handles banner blindness effectively, and has minimal costs. The key to making it work is well-maintained black/white lists.
Push
Push traffic is, rightfully, one of the biggest discoveries of 2018. It converts sweepstakes exceptionally well.
This source is actively used (and can be) for this vertical.
Devices
Desktop or Mobile?
According to 2018 data, profit on mobile traffic has been steadily growing. On average, it outperforms desktop by 8–10%. At the same time, desktop users show better individual conversion rates, generating solid returns.
Android or iOS?
Although Android brings significantly more traffic, iPhone users convert better in terms of clicks-to-conversions ratio. Keep in mind that Android’s total profit is higher due to sheer volume. Meanwhile, Apple users convert at nearly 5x the rate of their Android counterparts.
Creative Approaches
The key principle: all sweepstakes use creative pre-landers that clearly and compellingly communicate what exactly the user is being offered.
Today, the following pre-lander types are used for sweepstakes:
Spin the Wheel pre-lander (the user spins the “Wheel of Fortune” and scripted wins a prize).
Prize selection pre-lander (“iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy?”).
Quiz pre-lander (the user answers a series of questions that determine their potential prize).
For Facebook / search / native, news-style pre-landers or blog posts tend to work well.
The Funnel
To build a great funnel, start by thoroughly analyzing what your potential competitors are doing. This includes evaluating their conversion rates, studying top creatives and pre-landers. Remember: the newest pre-landers consistently outperform older ones.
You also need to keep an eye on the calendar and trending topics, and assess the advantages of your chosen GEO. Pick your offer based on the target audience and GEO — the prize being offered must align with users’ interests and preferences.
Test the funnel yourself to check how engaging, user-friendly, and entertaining it is. This will help you achieve the results you’re aiming for.
Heads up!
Some offers have monthly lead caps. Keep a close eye on your traffic to avoid wasting money when limits are hit.
Good luck and great profits! Over 200 Sweepstakes offers are waiting for you at Alfaleads.net!
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