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“I found an offer with $70 per conversion. I deposited $150. The après – 0. I went to drink tea and look at vacancies…”
This is how many newcomers to arbitrage begin their journey. And often it ends the same way.
Because an offer is not just a number in the payout column. It is the core of the entire link, and it depends on it whether you will be in the black or get a ban, minus or empty traffic.
This text is there to prevent you from choosing a “dead” offer, falling for a sweet chat pitch, and draining your budget on something that only works in fictional cases.
Let’s break it down in a simple way:
An offer is a product or action that you get paid for. Don’t confuse it with a product you sell yourself. Everything is different here: you are not the owner of the product, you are the one who brings customers. And someone else (an advertiser or affiliate) pays you for each person who takes the required action.
For example, there is a mobile app for meditation. The owners want new users and are willing to pay $3 for each installation from Indonesia. You are the arbitrageur. You send traffic, users install the app, and you get $3 for each.
The offer is equal to “Bring me a client and I’ll pay you”. Only instead of a handshake, you get a tracker, statistics, and a payment.
An offer is like a project you work for. If you choose the right one, you will have a stable profit. If you choose a “dud”, you’ll lose traffic and get a “thank you, next time”.
Let’s start with the main thing: offers are not searched on Google by the query “where to find the best offer”. They are taken through affiliate networks – platforms that connect arbitrageurs and advertisers.
The advantages of this approach:
What to check in an affiliate program:
How to understand that the affiliate is normal:
Get in touch with the manager of the affiliate program. This is not a “formality” but a real chance to find out which offers are currently “in”, which creatives are working, which geo-feeds are alive. Do not ignore it – managers like active people.
When you enter an affiliate program, your eyes run away: $100 bets, Tier-1 offers, guts, betting, data, finance, but stop. Not everything that glitters is profitable. Here are the things to consider to avoid getting caught before the launch.
Not every geo is suitable for beginners. For example, the USA, Canada – expensive traffic, high competition. It is better to start with a simpler one – Tier-2 or Tier-3 (India, Philippines, Indonesia, Eastern Europe). Tests are cheaper there and it is easier to get your hands dirty.
To evaluate whether an offer is “pulling”, look at what action the user has to take. This is the type of conversion, and the complexity of the drain and upsell depends on it.
To get started, take something where the user needs to do something simple.
Read the offer rules carefully:
If you violate it, you will not receive a payout or get banned.
It will be easier for a beginner if:
This is not necessary, but it will simplify the launch at times.
An offer with $80 per action looks attractive. However, if its conversion is “make a deposit of 1000 UAH + pass verification” and you are pouring money on India, nothing will happen.
Better start with an offer that pays $3-$5, but where:
Think with logic, not a bet: “Would I do this action myself? In 2 minutes? Without stress?” If not, it is unlikely that someone else will.”
Even the best offer can be killed if you approach it without preparation. Here are the most common mistakes made by those who are new to arbitration and how to avoid them:
It is tempting: high stakes, “everyone is doing it”, “what a hype”. However, these verticals have strict requirements, traffic restrictions, and frequent account blocks. Start with a simple CPI or CPL – there are fewer nuances.
Ignore the rules of the offer
“Someone told me that TikTok works, so I’m uploading it.” And in the conditions it is black and white: TikTok traffic is forbidden. There are conversions, but the upside is 0. And the account has been banned. Read the rules. Seriously.
A $90 offer looks cool. But if the conversion is difficult, the target audience is not yours, and you have no experience yet, you will simply waste your budget. Better a stable $5 with a good CR than theoretical $90 never.
I saw in a chat that someone was pouring a beauty product from Mexico, and I thought that I would do it too. But they have a different CEO, different creative, different audience. What works for one person does not guarantee the result for you. Test it yourself.
They launched traffic and don’t look at CR, EPC, or record anything. “Well, something goes, something doesn’t go…” is not the right approach. Keep statistics, even in a Google spreadsheet. Habits are built from the first flush.
At the start, everything seems complicated: there are a lot of affiliate programs, even more offers, and all the chats shout different things. But there are several useful resources that will save you time, nerves, and budget.
It’s like Google for affiliate programs. You enter a vertical, geo, or keywords and get a list of affiliate programs and offers that are suitable. It is convenient for finding alternatives.
Here you can spy on what creatives are already spinning, who is pouring on what, what is “in trend”. Not for copywriting, but for understanding what is relevant now.
They often post current offers, discuss what is being poured, what rates, what kind of upside. But do not take their word for it – test it.
Do not ignore managers – they are not just for show. Their task is to make you earn money, because your earnings = their KPI. Do not hesitate to write: “Hi, I’m a newbie, I want to choose a simple offer. What is going well now?” And you will get the information firsthand.
An offer is not just a “product” with a high bid. It is the starting point, it determines whether there will be ROI or depression.
If you are a beginner, don’t complicate it:
A properly selected offer is already half of a successful connection. But an unsuccessful one… well, you know – “poured, regretted, forgot.”