CPA (Cost Per Action) – is an advertising payment model in which you are only charged for performing a specific targeted action. These actions can range from placing an order, making a purchase, downloading or viewing a price list, to registering on the site, filling out a request form with contact information (phone or email) or requesting a callback.
How CPA networks work
There are three key players that interact on a CPA platform:
- Advertiser: This participant places an offer of cooperation, known as an offerer, on the platform.
- Webmaster: His role is to research the available offers, select the right one and respond to the offer.
- CPA Network: It is an intermediary that ensures fair compliance with the terms of cooperation and monitors the fulfillment of obligations of participants.
The main task of a webmaster is to entice potential customers to perform certain actions, which may include registering on a website, filling out a questionnaire, leaving a contact number or creating an account in an online game. The exact requirements for the customer’s actions are specified in the offerer. The more people the webmaster leads to perform these actions, the higher his earnings will be.
The webmaster is paid after the end of the hold – a period of time during which the advertiser verifies that the action was performed by a real person and not an automated system (bot).
Webmasters use a variety of traffic sources to attract attention to advertised products and services:
- Sites: Webmasters prefer to work with sites that have high traffic. The more visitors a site has, the more likely they are to click on the advertising link and take the desired action.
- Social Networks: Blogs and groups in social networks require active promotion and filling with quality content. This helps to attract a large audience and increases the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
- Contextual Advertising: This type of advertising works on matching the interests of the user with the subject of the site. The goal here is to interest the visitor and encourage them to click on the advertising link.
- Targeted Advertising: It targets a specific audience selected by location, age, gender and other criteria. Such advertising is particularly effective on social media.
- Banner and Teaser Advertising: Here the key factor is to choose a popular platform for placing banners and teasers, which provides maximum audience reach.
- Native Advertising: Affiliate links are embedded in the content in such a way that they appear to be a natural part of the post or article, offering solutions to problems relevant to readers.
Stypes of CPA networks
CPA networks can vary in specialization and the type of products or services promoted. Here are the main types:
- Generalized CPA networks: These networks do not specialize in specific product categories and offer a wide variety of different offers.
- Commodity or Thematic CPA networks: These offer products from a specific category, such as cosmetics, home appliances or clothing.
- Gaming CPA networks: Specialize in promoting online games.
- Financial CPA networks: Includes offers related to financial services such as loans, credits, credit cards and more.
- Mobile SRA networks: Focuses on promoting mobile applications for smartphones.
- Dating CPA networks: Specialize in promoting dating sites and apps.
- Adult SRA networks: Offer adult products and services labeled 18+.
- Gambling SRA networks: Promote gambling and casinos.
Each of these networks targets a specific audience and product type, allowing webmasters and advertisers to more effectively achieve their marketing goals.
All of these networks target a specific audience and product type, allowing webmasters and advertisers to more effectively achieve their marketing goals.
Benefits of CPA networks
The benefits of using CPA networks are numerous for both advertisers and webmasters:
- For the advertiser, the key advantage is the guarantee of results. Payment is made only if the webmaster attracts customers, which minimizes the risks. The advertiser also has the opportunity to independently set the terms of cooperation, determining the necessary actions and the cost of each of them.
- For a webmaster working with CPA-network, it is attractive to have access to a wide range of customers on one platform. Due to the fact that the CPA network acts as an intermediary and monitors compliance with the agreements, the webmaster can be sure that the transactions are fair and that his efforts will be properly paid. In addition, the webmaster has the freedom of choice, deciding which offers to respond to.
How to choose a CPA network
When choosing a CPA network to promote your business, it is important to consider several key factors:
- Niche: Determine if your product is a good fit for a specialized CPA network. If your product is in a specific niche, choosing a highly specialized network may be more effective than a generalized network.
- Number of Offers: Look for a CPA network with a wide range of offers. A large number of offers usually indicates the popularity of the network among advertisers and webmasters.
- Frequency of Updates: Check how often the offers are updated. If the latest offers were posted a long time ago, it may indicate low activity on the platform.
- Commission: Clarify who pays the commission for the use of the platform – the advertiser or the performer. This will help you understand the financial terms of cooperation.
- Attitude towards Unfair Practices: Evaluate the CPA network’s policy regarding frod. It is important to know how the network responds to violations and whether it provides refunds to the customer in case the performer’s fraudulent actions are detected.
Promotion through CPA networks is suitable for most businesses on the Internet, especially if the products or services offered have a wide demand. However, CPA networks may be less effective for highly specialized products that are not typically searched for through social media or mass advertising platforms.