Without revealing major secrets, here's a sneak peek into how professional media buyers handle the purchase of web traffic. Trafficshop conducted an interview with the media buyer from one of the world's largest iGaming companies, Betwinner. Here's what we found out!
DarryB.: How do you select the right advertising network to work with? What are the top three parameters to consider?
G.T.: There is no right or wrong in terms of selecting the correct SSP to work with. It’s all based on allocating a small testing budget after possibly discussing with an account manager or BDM (business development manager) and agreeing on certain terms. For instance, making sure the network has traffic from GEOs of interest to us as a brand looking to attract engaged audience and ultimately converting them into paying customers. The available channels, formats, and verticals are also relevant to the brands decision-making process >> the bigger the variety of channels, the better, as it gives us options to work with. It is also budget-dependent (bigger brands have bigger budgets to work with, and therefore more room to test several different channels, offers and GEOs from the SSP). The result of a discussion between the 2 parties will set the terms and pace for the initial testing phase.
DarryB.: Is it a strategy for buying traffic different for betting offers compared to casino offers?
G.T.: Not really – with SSPs, the advertiser is in blind most of the time as the majority of SSPs will have the publisher’s or supplier’s real names and domains hidden behind IDs (this is the constant struggle of an advertiser). So, we never really know what kind of audience we are targeting therefore it is easier to test a large traffic sample with a variety of offers and see what converts, after which you can move to scaling. One thing is for sure, audiences engaged with either offer, sports betting, or casino, will have a higher affinity and therefore be more inclined to gamble or spend money on one or both. Consequently, testing will show us which GEOs and specific sources (zones) are engaged more with sports betting and which are more engaged with casinos.
DarryB.: What are the main challenges that you face when working with non-targeted traffic networks?
G.T.: Generally speaking, non-targeted sources are a little more expensive than iGaming-related, however, they can be more rewarding as well. Conversions from such sources also tend to show higher FTDs and redeposits. Veterans know that on off-target traffic, pops are the way to go – you would be wasting your time trying to convert from banners. You might get lucky with video format if it is well crafted and of high quality. Banners are more for brand awareness on such sources, buy long-term deals on prime spot locations to make sure your brand is always visible to all first-time visitors. If you know the major players who sell the bulk of the prime though non-target audience traffic, you’re halfway there already.
DarryB.: How do you handle compliance issues and regulations?
G.T.: The account manager will inform us upon the initial discussion with regard to any possible compliance issues or regulations within specific GEOs. Those who are concerned with such issues will want to see the offer prior to creating any campaigns (such as creatives, landing page samples, links, and sometimes even licenses to prove you are legally operating and running your offers within the specified GEOs). Having this said, it is not a nuisance as the majority of networks do not make a big deal out of it. Those who have a strict policy against iGaming will let you know in the initial negotiation stage.
DarryB.: Considering your expertise, do you have any specific advice on purchasing traffic from an ad network
G.T.: Sure – if you are looking to convert performance-oriented offers, go for pops. For long-term awareness and branding, go for display and video. Sites with compelling entertainment content are by far the most engaging type which is why you will see the longest page sessions and much lower bounce rates than traditional mainstream domains. Your branding effort on this content will have a high impact on the audience since visitors will spend 2-3-5 mins watching videos in which time as an advertiser you have plenty of opportunities to display your brand be it in-video, next to video, above, under, pop, on-pause, pre-roll, etc.
Yes, non-targeted niche content sites will convert at a high CPA, but you can expect high FTDs and redeposits once you have converted a visitor.
Go for well-known industry leaders for your sources of traffic both in terms of networks as well as sources/domains. Chances are if you are buying traffic from somewhere else – it is resold traffic from one of the top dogs in the industry – so you might as well buy directly from the original source – unless you are already successful there and you are just looking to scale your already converting strategies from somewhere else.
Do not be afraid to ask for unconventional deals – what you see on the platform as a first-time user might not be everything that’s on offer. Build a long-standing successful relationship with your AM – that’s your key for better deals down the line.
As your relationship with these networks ages – refresh your deals and offers with your AM and ask the basic questions again – publishers come and go so, if an offer stops converting suddenly after working well for a long time, chances are something that was once consistent, isn’t anymore, which means you need to dig in and find the issue.
So, if you're ready to dive into the world of ad network traffic, remember that both in thematic sites and iGaming, there are always passionate users eager to spend their money on what excites them. After all, who wouldn't want to hit the jackpot while indulging in their favorite pastimes? Happy converting, and may your campaigns be as thrilling as a high-stakes game!
