Finding the right traffic source in the digital advertising space can be a challenge, but it makes all the difference in revenue generation. For a mobile app developer focused on promoting a VPN service, the search for the best led to PropellerAd and, notably, to the new social traffic feature. The results? Six-figure growth (over $100,000) in one month! Yes, it's true. This case study examines the strategies he employed and the results achieved.
Finally, discover why Social Traffic can be the game changer needed to leverage the next campaign. Let's get started!
About our partner
Before diving into the details of the strategy, let's introduce our partner. This is our direct advertiser, a mobile app developer with a strong focus on VPN (Virtual Private Network) services. His product, tailored for iOS users, performs best in the market.
Our partner has been with PropellerAds for a long time, and has always shown good results. Notably, he tried various ad formats, which proved efficient. However, he needed more.
With a new campaign on the horizon, our advertiser wanted to push the boundaries of profitability. So, he explored a type of traffic that could offer higher conversion rates and enhanced earnings per click. The choice? Clearly - Social Traffic.
Why social traffic?
PropellerAds' Social Traffic is a unique feature aimed at social media users. This type of traffic bypasses the strict rules imposed by social networks on advertisements. Thus, our advertisers have a direct line to engage users without the usual restrictions.
Moreover, it has the potential to increase user engagement rates and the ability to reach a broader audience without hassle. For our partner, this was an attractive proposition, so he allocated a significant portion of his budget to Social Traffic. The goal was to see if it could bring even better results for already profitable campaigns.
Campaign overview
This campaign targeted iOS users worldwide, but the USA stood out as a lucrative market. This is due to the large number of iOS users in the country and their high purchasing power. Additionally, there is a greater awareness of online security issues among Americans, which made this campaign more effective. Here is an overview:
-Product: VPN for iOS
-Targeting: iOS 15, 16, and 17
-Traffic source: Propeller Ads
-Ad format: Popunder
-Type of traffic: Social Traffic
-GEO: Worldwide
-Total spent on traffic: $250,000
-Amount spent on social traffic: $114,000
-Campaign period: June 23 to July 23, 2024
-Conversion: purchase of a paid version of the app.
*Users downloaded and installed the app, but the ultimate goal of this campaign was a sale (also known as a paid subscription to a VPN). It is worth noting that our partner also considered the installation/test ratio as a crucial metric to evaluate performance".
Execution and strategy
Our partner also took advantage of PropellerAds' internal Tracker and Server to Server (S2S) Singular for conversion tracking and performance analysis. As such, it was possible to monitor the progress of the campaign in real time and make data-driven decisions.
The main optimization efforts of our partner were directed towards zone optimization. He blacklisted those that did not bring the desired results, which helped him not to waste the budget in vain.
Creatives and Pre-Landers
Our partner used his own pre-lander with classic elements associated with VPN: mobile phones, shields, locks, and other security-related icons - clear visuals with which users can identify. As we cannot show our partner's landing page for confidentiality reasons, we provide a similar example:
Results: Social Traffic and regular pop-under traffic
A crucial aspect of this campaign was comparing the performance of Social Traffic with other types and formats of traffic (in this case, regular Popunder traffic). As already mentioned, our partner considered the installation/test ratio, not just sales. Interestingly, this ratio was almost identical across all formats. However, Social Traffic outperformed others in terms of conversion rate (CR) and cost per thousand (eCPM).
Social Traffic can boast of:
3. Really high engagement level - Social Traffic taps into users already engaged with content on social media platforms. These users are more likely to interact with ads, leading to higher conversion rates. As a result, the client's campaign had significantly higher conversion rates.
2. Impression volume - Based on the result, the Popunder traffic delivered a larger number of impressions, which is the main peculiarity of this format. However, Social Traffic was more efficient in turning these impressions into conversions. This efficiency is reflected in the higher eCPM rates. This means that the budget spent on Social Traffic returned the value.
3. Quality of traffic - Social traffic generally aligns with intentional traffic. For this campaign, we can suggest that the attracted users were tech-savvy and security-conscious. This demographic aligns well with the target audience of the VPN, resulting in more meaningful interactions and higher trial sign-ups.
Main takeaways
The success of this campaign offers several important lessons for potential clients looking to maximize their ROI:
* Social traffic can drive massive growth
With the right targeting and creative strategy, Social Traffic works very well as a standalone high-quality traffic source, and is great for scaling, especially in competitive markets like the United States. The ability to bypass social media restrictions while reaching highly engaged users is a significant advantage.
* Data-driven decisions are crucial
The use of advanced tracking tools allowed the organization to make informed decisions that directly impacted the success of the campaign. Monitoring performance in real time allowed our partners to continuously optimize the campaign for better results.
* A high-quality product is important
Even with the best traffic source, the quality of a product remains crucial. The VPN service of our partners was suited to the needs of their target audience, which enabled the high conversion rates.
Final thoughts
In just 30 days, PropellerAds' Social Traffic helped this VPN service grow by over $100,000. The success of the campaign is proof of the power of Social Traffic as a high-conversion tool. This type of traffic offers an attractive alternative to traditional methods for clients in competitive sectors.
It combines the best of social media engagement with the freedom to operate without restrictions. As this case study shows, the best way to scale higher is to think Social – but not in the traditional way. Therefore, try Social Traffic for your business today and don't forget to check our blog for additional resources.
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Source: PropellerAds
