What is pop traffic, and what role does it play in the marketing strategy? Already from the name, it is pretty easy to guess what kind of traffic it is. As internet users, we all occasionally see pop ads when browsing websites or using mobile apps.
Pop ads are boxes that open up at a webpage at a particular moment while users are viewing the page. Usually, they are triggered by specific actions that users complete on a page. Some pop ads appear the moment a user opens the webpage, some require extra time from users to scroll down a bit. The rest require more specific pre-set action, like clicking on a button or a link, etc.
Pop ads are especially popular on mobile devices. Also, compared to pop ads on the website, the ones on mobile are more recognizable and sometimes more annoying. Why annoying? Because often one ad can block the whole area a user is looking at. The most common messages that pop ads deliver are special promotions, huge sales, and limited offers.
But do you know that there are two types of pop ads? Popups and popunders. You may wonder what the difference between these two is? The principal difference between them is ad placement.
Popup ads are ones that will appear on top of the content users are viewing. Usually, they will block the entire displayed content making users wait until they can click on a banner to close it.
Popunder ads are less intrusive, they do not block the currently viewed content. Instead, ad banners appear in a new window on the sideline, above or underneath the one that the user is looking at.
1) Inform about special offers
Popup and popunder ads are great ways to inform site users about discounts and limited-time offers, give promo codes for future purchases. By using pop traffic, not in an obsessive way, you can welcome your customers again and again on your website with new exclusive offers. Pop traffic can perfectly fit into the affiliate marketing strategy if you need to boost a number of impressions or clicks.
2) Drive more sales
When you know your audience, you can think of plenty of triggers to activate with popup and popunder ads and encourage users to make a purchase. It can influence users' final decision to purchase something. You can make them more loyal by giving discounts, reminding about limited-time offers, products in the cart, offering complimentary goods based on the already bought ones, etc.
3) Grow your list of email subscribers
Do you produce entertaining and educational content that you would like to catch users' attention with? While users may be genuinely interested in the information you share, they do not always look for a subscription button on their own. As a matter of fact, it is more like "almost never" rather than "not always". As content producers, you always need to encourage users to subscribe to any updates. Skilled marketers know many tricks on how to nudge users to leave their emails eagerly. Luring users with eBooks, check-lists, discounts, and similar incentives, they persuade users to subscribe to the emails. And pop ads are a great way to deliver these offers.
4) Offer potential customers an immediate call from you
If you know that your service is a case when people usually request more information in person, you can leave "Order a Call from Us" as a popunder ad. Having analyzed the customer journey, you know when a customer may need it and offer it with a popunder ad on the side.
If you can provide a call straight away after a person requested it, the chance that you convert this person into a buyer is very high. Otherwise, a considerable part of users may leave items in a shopping cart to come back later. While in the meantime, they will compare the deals somewhere else. No guarantee that they will come back to finalize the purchase.
5) Extend users time on-site with useful content
If you have more pieces of relevant and useful content, why not spread it? Popunder ads may serve you as guides for users in their customer journey through your website. Even with the best UI design, it doesn't hurt to give users a separate reason to check one more content page. Based on which page they are, and hence based on their interest, you can suggest other relevant content - keeping users longer on your website.
Pop traffic is pretty well-spread in the affiliate industry. Though many associate it mainly with mobile advertising, in fact, pop ads fit all platforms, desktop, tablets, or mobile. And it is spread in different verticals, mostly in eCommerce, Coupons, Nutra, Gambling, Dating, and Adult.
The most popular pricing plan for pop traffic is CPM. Even though some advertisers can also work on CPA or CPI, CPM remains the most widespread. And the payment plan may be a pitfall in working with pop traffic. At present, not many advertisers want to work on the CPM scheme, as it sometimes turns out to be paying into the void. Due to the increasing issue of affiliate fraud and the problem with inflating the number of clicks and impressions, advertisers are more willing to work on the CPA or CPI conditions.
What does hinder them then? Usually, it is the technology aspect of the affiliate platform they are using. Not all platforms allow CPA payments. Thus if you know that popunder traffic will be a considerable part of your overall traffic, then you should consider looking for an affiliate management platform that allows CPA payments as well, like for example.
If you consider using pop ads in your affiliate program, then you will obviously have questions about whether it is the right choice for you. If you represent any of the mentioned above affiliate niches, then pop ads can be the case for you. They have the potential to generate sales if you place them smartly.
- Set limits on the number of impressions per user. Popups and popunders are known to be among "annoying" ad types. With that in mind, if you intend to spread a message and increase customer loyalty, try not to overdo it with the number of impressions.
- Make split-testing a part of your strategy. Many marketers wonder whether it's better to redirect pop traffic to the advertiser's website or a pre-landing page. And there is no correct answer to this question. Test and see what will work better for your program.
- Separate your campaigns by geo and time. To convert online users, you need to think about the time when they are more likely in the mood to open some promotional materials. Definitely not during the working hours.
- Run your campaign on a platform that allows both CPM and CPA payment models and provides deep analytics for future campaigns' updates.
When considering pop traffic as a part of your affiliate program strategy, keep in mind that pop traffic is presented by popup and popunder ads. Depending on your campaign goals, choose the one that will be appropriate and not too intrusive. Also, always set frequency caps on pop ads impressions.
Otherwise, you risk to annoy your audience and get the opposite effect as a result. Despite skepticism about a common-spread CPM payment model in pop traffic programs, pop ads remain popular in different affiliate niches. Though, if the capacity of the tracking platform allows it, the majority tend to switch to the CPA payment scheme or to look for an alternative platform.
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