“The Target Audience is 96% of the World’s Population”: How to Profitably Promote Utilities Offers in 2024

[MyBid]

Studies show that people spend around 6 to 7.5 hours per day using their phones. On top of that, almost everyone (about 96.5%) goes online using their smartphones. This creates a great opportunity to promote offers and apps designed for mobile devices, like useful utility apps, also known as utilities.



People's needs for these kinds of apps don't tend to change much over time. For example, sometimes websites get blocked, so people need a VPN app to access them. And some websites can spread viruses, so a good antivirus app is really important. We looked at the most popular push notification tools and In-Page Push ad options for different devices in 2024.

iOS

Let's talk about Apple users first – this is the most valuable and profitable audience segment. Statistics show that most people with money in Tier-1 and Tier-2 geos and cities use Apple products like iPhones and iPads.

For these Apple device users, you can safely promote two popular types of utility apps through InPage Push notifications: VPN apps and antivirus apps.

VPN

Geos: USA and Japan

In Japan, about 69% of the market uses iPhones and other iOS devices. In the USA, that number is around 58%. On average, you can expect to earn $1.50 to $3 per install for VPN apps in these geos. But be prepared for tough competition – you'll have to fight hard for every potential customer.



Promotional approaches:

People often turn to VPNs to keep their personal data private. So when creating ads, advertisers use messaging like "use this tool and no one can track you" or "protect your data."



Another approach is to highlight the benefits of the VPN app and offer a money-back guarantee if the user is not satisfied.



Where to get creatives:

There are a few ways to get good ad creatives:

- Spy tools: These can give you a general sense of what's working. But often the creatives are already overused, so you can't just copy them blindly. Some tools only provide active ad creatives if you pay a subscription fee, while free trials may only have an archive of old ad creatives.



- Manual spying: Download a VPN, set it up for the geo you want to target, and see what other advertisers are doing. It's more time-consuming but can pay off in the long run.
- Ask your manager: Not every ad network or affiliate program offers this, but you may be able to get a dedicated manager to help you find the right creatives. In a fully managed network like MyBid, each affiliate has a personal manager who helps find the necessary ad creatives.

Antiviruses

Geos: Canada, Japan, and USA

The best geos to target for antivirus apps are Canada, Japan, and the USA. These are all places where a lot of people own iPhones and other Apple devices. And since iPhone users tend to have higher incomes, they're a valuable audience for antivirus products.

The thing is, even wealthy people don't want to get scammed or have their personal information stolen. So folks in these geos are very interested in using antivirus software to protect themselves.



Promotional approaches: Affiliates have found a few effective approaches when advertising antivirus apps, especially for the Apple user demographic.

One is to highlight Apple's ongoing security issues. For example, there was the Pegasus spyware created by Israeli developers in 2021 that could steal data just by someone opening a message. Apple is still trying to fix vulnerabilities like this, so you can warn users that their information is at risk without proper protection.

Another tactic is to use iPhone and iOS branding and imagery in the ad creatives. This helps the ads feel more relevant and trustworthy for the Apple customer base.

A third approach is to really focus the messaging on protecting user data and privacy. Slogans like "keep your information safe" or "protect your data" tap into people's desire for online security.



Where to get creatives:

When you're looking for creatives for an antivirus ad campaign, there are a few options. You can try to spy on what your competitors are doing, either manually or with the help of a spy tool. But it's better to look at some current successful campaigns run by affiliates in your target geo. See what kind of ad creatives and messaging they're using.

Also, look at data on the most common reasons people use antivirus software in the location you're targeting. Then test out different creative approaches to see what performs best.

One important thing is to find a traffic source that has low costs. For example, on the MyBid platform, the cost-per-click for Tier 1 geos starts at about $0.0169. Not only do they offer competitive rates for each location, but they also guarantee a quality audience.

Android

There are more people using Android phones around the world compared to iPhones. But Android users typically have less extra money to spend, so the payouts (the amount advertisers pay per install/sign-up) for Android apps tend to be lower.



However, that doesn't mean you should ignore the Android market. In fact, a lot of advertisers have success by getting thousands of cheaper installs on Android devices, rather than just a few expensive ones on iPhones. Apps like VPNs, ad blockers, and device cleaners tend to do well on Android.

When it comes to which countries/ geos to target, you can promote these kinds of utility apps globally. But it's best to start with the geos where there's the highest demand for those services.

VPN

Geos: China, Indonesia, and India.
88% of people in Indonesia and about 95% in India use smartphones, and a lot of them use VPNs.



Many affiliates target China because the government there strictly censors the internet – Google, Facebook, and many other popular websites are blocked. But over a billion Chinese people still use social media, including the banned websites, so they need a good VPN to access them.

Promotional approaches:

The most common approaches for creating ads for these kinds of utility apps are:

- Emphasize the risk of popular services and websites getting blocked in the target country.
- Promise users that they'll be able to access websites that are already banned.



A less aggressive option is to simply explain to the user what benefits they'll get from downloading the app, and what problems it can solve for them.



Where to look for creatives

For Android apps, you can use the same methods as you would for iOS ads – use spy tools, search manually, or get suggestions from a manager.

After this section, we'll go over the best ways to actually design ad creatives (like images, videos, etc.) for these utility apps.

Cleaners

Geos: Worldwide.

Phones freeze everywhere, so it's hard to pinpoint a specific market for these utilities. However, you might want to start in Tier-3 geos where there are many knock-offs of popular devices.

Promotional approaches: The main strategies involve warning users about potential issues like SIM card blocking or device shutdowns, and then offering a solution. Ads often look like system notifications.



For ad ideas, check how antivirus products are promoted since both use similar tactics.

Ad Blockers

Geos: It's hard to pinpoint a specific country or region that's best since ads are annoying pretty much everywhere these days. You'll need to test out different geos to see where there's the highest demand for ad blocker apps.

Consider targeting Tier 1 and Tier 2 countries, where the users are more educated and more likely to be bothered by frequent ads. For these types of users, the optimal number of ad impressions per day is around 3-4.

Promotional approaches: Focus on highlighting the types of ads that the ad blocker can eliminate. Incorporating the term "Adblock" in ad copy is highly effective, even if the promoted product is not the actual AdBlock software. Users are familiar with the term and immediately understand the purpose of the utility being offered.



How to prepare ad creatives for promoting utilities

The MyBid team has compiled some expert tips to help you design ad creatives that convert for push notifications and In-Page Push campaigns. To maximize user engagement and conversions, follow these guidelines:

Use symbols that match the utility: Include images that show what you’re offering. For example:
- For antivirus ads, use exclamation marks, words like “Attention” or “Warning,” and red colors.
- For cleaner apps, use images of viruses and bugs.
- For VPN services, use locks, shields, and other security symbols.

Use platform-specific icons: This strategy helps you target the right audience and filter out non-relevant traffic. For example:

- For Android traffic, integrate the Android mascot. Modify it slightly (e.g., add horns or an exclamation mark) to avoid copyright issues.
- For iOS traffic, use icons like a bitten apple or the iCloud logo.



Pick good domain names: Choose domain names that clearly describe what the utility does, like "androidcleaner.com" or "iosvpn.com." Avoid random strings of letters and numbers – they're less likely to get clicks.

Conclusion

You need to be really careful when designing your ad creatives. Some advertisers don't allow things like virus warnings, skulls, or other intense images. So make sure to get approval from the affiliate or advertiser before using anything like that.

Also, if you use any brand icons or logos, you'll need to blur them or change them a bit. This helps you avoid any legal issues with the people who own those brands.

The best approach is to test out each part of the ad separately, before putting the final version together. It might take a few tries, but in the end, it'll probably be worth it and make you some good money.

And if you want to keep learning about working with different niches and avoiding common mistakes, check out the MyBid blog.