"I Got 200 Clicks, But Received 0 Conversions" — Analysis of a Push Notifications Case Study

[MyBid]

Today, the MyBid team will analyze a case study involving push notifications. In this case, an affiliate marketer who had experience in affiliate marketing and had worked with various advertisements and advertising formats decided to try push notifications. However, despite receiving 200 clicks, he did not generate any conversions.



The experts from the MyBid advertising network examined this case study to highlight the mistakes made by the affiliate marketer and provide insights on how to avoid similar pitfalls.

Key points from the case study

The case study involved promoting a lottery offer where participants could contribute between £1 to £10 for a chance to win £180 million. The advertiser offered a payout of £12 for the first deposit and promised a conversion rate of up to 6%.

The affiliate calculated that even in the worst-case scenario, he would pay £0.05 per click and earn around £0.30. He launched an advertising campaign, received 200 clicks, but failed to generate any leads. After this setback, he stopped the campaign and was left wondering what went wrong. Theoretically, this campaign should have been highly profitable, but something went wrong.

Why the campaign failed according to the forum audience

While examining the case study, the MyBid team found several reasons for the campaign's failure based on comments from the forum audience. Some comments were right while others were wrong and less constructive:

- Failure to limit ad impressions: One forum member said that some users consider push notifications as spam. Newbie affiliates sometimes forget to set limits on the number of ad impressions, resulting in the ads appearing too frequently and irritating users. This can significantly reduce the conversion rate of the entire advertising campaign. For Tier-1 countries, 2-3 impressions per day are usually enough, while 4-5 impressions are enough for Tier-2 and Tier-3 countries.



- Push notifications do not always accurately hit the active target, although the price compensates for this: Another forum member highlighted that push notifications reach users even when they are not actively browsing the internet. As a result, the users may receive notifications immediately after closing a previous one, leading to decreased engagement and conversion rates.



- Not giving the campaign enough time and budget: One valid point raised by the forum audience was that the affiliate marketer did not allocate enough time and money for testing. This aspect will be discussed in more detail later.



Additionally, the forum contributors suggested that the affiliate marketer should have read case studies and gained knowledge about the type of traffic he was using. This would have helped him avoid wasting his budget on unsuccessful campaigns.



The real reasons for the failure of the campaign

The experts from MyBid carefully examined the case study and identified several reasons for the campaign's disappointing results. Based on their own experiences in driving push notifications traffic, they discovered the following reasons:

Reason 1: Short campaign duration and limited budget

The general rule is that the more time and money you invest in testing, the better you can understand your audience and tailor your campaign accordingly. It's recommended to allocate at least a week for testing and set aside around 15-20% of the total budget specifically for testing purposes. With a budget of $200, it would have been possible to come up with statistically significant data that could used to optimize this campaign and make it a money machine.

However, in this case, the affiliate marketer only received 200 clicks and spent just over £10, which was used up within an hour. As a result, there wasn't enough time for him to truly understand the target audience, identify their characteristics, and learn about their behavior.

The affiliate also didn't have enough data to determine which websites were performing well and which ones needed to be disabled. It's not surprising that the campaign didn't lead to any conversions or desired outcomes.



Typically, affiliates consult with their personal manager in advance to select a pool of resources that are likely to bring the most relevant audience. This helps to save time and money, which can then be invested in the most profitable sites or channels.

Reason 2: Using only one ad format

The affiliate made a mistake by relying solely on regular push notifications. It was a big mistake because regular push notifications don't work on iOS devices. This means he missed out on a lot of potential customers. There's a newer type of push notifications called In-Page Push notifications, which works on not only Android devices but also iOS devices and doesn't require the user's permission. Unfortunately, the affiliate running the campaign didn't know about this option. If he had used In-Page Push, he could have reached iOS users and potentially generated more sales.

Reason 3: Poor audience segmentation

The case study didn't provide any information about how the audience was segmented for the campaign. While this may not be a big issue for a sweepstakes niche, it can be a serious problem for more expensive niches like gambling. There are different factors that can be used to segment leads, such as their geo, what devices they use, which browser they prefer, and the language they speak. Each of these factors has its own unique characteristics that should be considered.

For example, in the case of sweepstakes, the first impression of the landing page is really important because people make emotional decisions when it comes to these types of offers.

A desktop user might see a colorful landing page with big images and confetti, which creates an exciting environment. However, an Android user might see a black screen if the affiliate didn't check how the site works on those devices. Because of this simple mistake, a whole group of potential customers could be missed, and the campaign owner might not even realize it.

Properly segmenting the audience is crucial to ensure that the right message reaches the right people, on the right devices, and in the right language. Neglecting this aspect can lead to missed opportunities and wasted ad budgets.

Reason 4: Using a limited number of creatives


It's impossible to predict which creative will resonate with a specific audience segment. The effectiveness of each picture can only be determined through testing. In the case study, the author doesn't mention the approaches he used to design the ad creatives, so it's likely he only had one image to work with. With just one creative, there is no opportunity to test different variations and strategies. This leaves the affiliate to rely on luck and hope for good profits.



To minimize risks, it is recommended to prepare 6-8 different creatives in advance or consider purchasing them from a designer. Allocating funds for testing each creative will ultimately prove beneficial. By experimenting with multiple creatives, you can identify which ones perform best and optimize your campaign accordingly. This approach may require some initial investment, but it will pay off in the long run by maximizing your chances of success.

Reason 5: Incorrect choice of the push notifications traffic source

Another common mistake made by affiliates is underestimating the complexity and skill required to run effective push notification campaigns. While some may perceive it as a simple and inexpensive advertising method, the reality is quite different. Push notification campaigns involve working with limited screen space and minimal visual elements, which requires a certain level of expertise to effectively convert users.

To increase the chances of success, it is advisable to use fully managed ad networks such as MyBid. These networks offer dedicated personal managers who can provide valuable assistance throughout the campaign process, including setup, launch, optimization, and scaling. Having a personal manager by your side can greatly increase the chances of achieving successful push notification campaigns.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have three valuable tips to help buyers avoid the challenges faced by the affiliate in this case study. By following these tips, you can save money and achieve better results:

- Test different landing pages: Landing pages have a big impact on conversion rates, and different designs may work better for different audiences. Start by researching successful landing pages used by other affiliates and use them as inspiration to create your own. Remember, if you're selling a higher-priced product, make sure to provide enough information to persuade potential customers to make a purchase.

- Pay attention to ad creatives and use spy services: The case study didn't mention much about the creative side of the campaign. To get started, explore different ad creative options using spy services. These tools show you what approaches and designs have been successful in similar campaigns. Take ideas from them, but always add your own unique touch to stand out from the competition.



- Use different traffic formats: Before launching your sweepstakes campaign, gather data about your target audience in the specific region you're targeting. Understand which market segment is most interested in your niche, what devices they use, their interests, and where they spend their time online. Based on this information, choose the push notification format that best reaches your target audience. Allocate your budget accordingly, focusing on the platforms and devices where your audience is most active.

By following these practical tips, you can optimize your campaign, improve conversion rates, and get the most out of your budget. Learn from the mistakes mentioned in the case study and apply these strategies to achieve better results in your affiliate marketing campaigns.