Why and When You Should Scale a Campaign
Before scaling a campaign, it's crucial to ensure its effectiveness. Don't rush into a decision based on just one or two days of operation. Get your first conversions, optimize the campaign, and only then evaluate its success.
Analyzing Key Metrics
High CTR without conversions — the problem might be with the landing page:
Hidden CTA button
Slow page loading
Unclear message
Solution: Pause the campaign and find where users lose interest.
ROI near zero — you're on the verge of breaking even, but scaling is risky. Observe the statistics for another 1-2 days.
Positive ROI for several consecutive days — it's time to scale, but continue to monitor metrics closely.
iGaming Campaign Scaling Strategies
There are two main directions for scaling advertising campaigns. You can expand within a single ad network or traffic source, for example, by increasing your budget and attracting new audiences. Alternatively, you can take a riskier path by utilizing third-party sources and new ad formats. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, and understanding the types of affiliate marketing strategies is crucial here.
Duplicating Bundles to New GEOs
Once you've found a working bundle in one GEO, it's logical to try it in others. A single product often performs well in several countries, and this is an excellent opportunity to increase volume. You can use the same offer but for a new audience. This is one of the most effective ways to quickly scale, as you're relying on an already proven concept. This is one of the best affiliate marketing strategies for rapid expansion.
Use proven sources: Start with regions that are similar in mentality or gaming preferences to your successful GEO. For example, if a campaign performs excellently in Brazil, the next step could be Mexico or Colombia, which share similar cultural characteristics and interest in gambling.
Adapt content: Consider local specifics, language, and cultural nuances. Bonuses popular in one country might not work in another. Translate creatives and landing pages into the local language, adapting images and texts to the local mindset. For instance, in Scandinavia, free spins are popular, while in Latin American countries, a greater emphasis might be placed on large jackpots or sports betting.
Testing is key to success: Before a full launch, run a small test in the new GEO. No one is immune to an offer that converts well in one country failing in another due to audience differences. A few days of testing with a similar daily budget will be enough to understand how the offer performs.
Leverage manager assistance: Before launching, ask your account manager which sources are best to launch on in that specific country. They can provide whitelists, which will help make the test quick and highly effective. Launch with at least 5 creatives for a more comprehensive picture.
Diversify Traffic Sources Without Losing Focus
Sticking to one traffic source might work in the short term, but diversifying is essential for scaling. However, it's important not to spread yourself too thin but to test new channels strategically. This allows you to reach a larger audience and reduce dependence on a single channel. Working with new sources also opens up opportunities to access previously untapped audience segments. This is one of the effective affiliate marketing strategies for long-term growth.
Explore new formats: If you've only been working with push notifications, try pops or native advertising. For example, push notifications have high deliverability and visibility, appearing like messenger notifications. Their cost is often lower than traffic from Facebook or contextual advertising, which makes them an attractive option for scaling.
Start with the best sources: This will allow you to test their potential with the best traffic and quickly get quality results. After successful testing and confirmation of effectiveness, gradually connect the remaining available sources to expand reach. It's important not to disable existing blacklists to avoid inefficient budget spending on sources that previously showed poor results.
Launch a campaign on a new device: If you've only targeted mobile or desktop devices, try launching another campaign on a new device type, if your offer allows it. Mobile and desktop traffic have different bid costs and can convert differently. Separate campaigns are easier to optimize, and even a small saving on bids in a large campaign can bring substantial profit. Understanding these types of affiliate marketing strategies helps optimize ad spend.
Invest in Player Retention and Lifetime Value (LTV)
Many affiliates focus heavily on acquiring new players, but scaling also requires attention to retention. Retention increases LTV (Lifetime Value), which means more revenue from already acquired users. This maximizes profitability without additional acquisition costs. A high LTV is an indicator of a healthy and sustainable campaign. This is one of the best affiliate marketing strategies for long-term profit.
Work with operators known for high retention: Choose partners that offer loyalty programs, VIP perks, or frequent promotional campaigns, such as seasonal bonuses or tournaments. Casinos that actively work on player retention bring you higher rev-share in the long run.
Focus on high-LTV players: In iGaming, not all players are equal. Players who make regular deposits or participate in VIP programs bring in significantly more revenue. Use analytical tools to identify which campaigns attract high-LTV players, and then scale those strategies. For example, if a specific creative attracts more active players, amplify its reach.
Segment and target returning players: If you run email campaigns or retargeting, don't focus solely on new player acquisition. Create campaigns aimed at re-engaging existing users. For example, an email offering "50 free spins on your favorite game!" can reactivate dormant users.
Request detailed reports: Ask operators to provide detailed reports on player activity. Understanding metrics like churn rate (player attrition) or average deposit size helps you fine-tune your campaigns for better retention.
Optimization and Testing New Formats/Approaches
Even the most successful campaign requires constant optimization. Testing new creatives, landing pages, and approaches helps maintain audience interest and improve performance. This prevents ad fatigue and helps find new growth points. Affiliate marketing is a continuous process of testing and improvement.
Change creatives: If CTR or ROI starts to fall, refresh your advertising materials. This could be a new visual, headline, or call to action. Over time, audiences get used to the same creatives, which reduces their effectiveness. Regular updates help maintain high engagement.
Test landing pages: Make sure your landing pages are relevant to your creatives and offer a clear path to conversion. Change their design and content to increase efficiency. Perhaps the problem lies in slow loading, an inconvenient interface, or an unclear offer.
Remove ad impression limits: When starting a campaign, it's often recommended to limit impressions to 1-2 per day to avoid being intrusive. However, when scaling, the rules change. If the campaign shows good ROI, you can safely set 3-4 impressions per day to increase reach and avoid missing out on profits.
Scale by improving metrics: Work on your funnel, making it as attractive as possible for users. Increase the conversion rate at each stage. This means that with the same costs and incoming traffic volumes, you'll earn more. From optimizing CPM (cost per thousand impressions) to conversion to deposit – every step is important. If CTR is below 1.5%-2%, you definitely need to work on your creatives. If pre-lander click-through is below 50%, improve it. Similarly, if install conversion is below 50% or registration conversion is below 40-60%, look for problems in your funnel.
Budget Increase (as a standard)
Increasing your budget is the most obvious way to scale, but it must be done wisely. A larger budget means more potential customers, but a sharp increase can be risky. Proceed gradually to control the results. This is a fundamental approach that should accompany all other affiliate marketing strategies.
Increase budget gradually: Start with a small, controlled budget increase when your campaign begins to show a stable positive ROI. As your Return on Investment (ROI) remains steady and high, you can continue to increase the budget. However, do so in phases. It's important to avoid a sharp, multi-fold budget increase all at once, so as not to disrupt the campaign's balance and encounter unjustified expenses.
Monitor statistics closely: As soon as CTR or ROI starts to drop, it's a signal to refresh your creatives. If updating creatives doesn't help, the traffic source is likely exhausted, and it's time to look for new ones.
Increase your bid: If you're buying traffic on an auction basis, increasing your CPC (cost per click) will always work in your favor. The higher the bid, the higher quality traffic you acquire. At revenuelab., for example, after selecting a country, you'll see recommended and top bid values, which you can use as a baseline. This data is constantly updated based on auction bids.
Utilize automation tools: At the scaling stage, you already have enough data on what works well and what doesn't. This is the ideal time to use automation tools.
Implement retargeting: This is one of the last, but no less important, strategies. If a user has already shown interest in your offer, landed on your page, but didn't convert, try to bring them back with retargeting. This is a cheaper and more effective way to secure a conversion from an already interested audience.
Conclusion
Scaling iGaming campaigns is as risky as launching them. Any wrong move can ruin everything, but you wouldn't be in affiliate marketing if you weren't ready for any outcome. When you start scaling an advertising campaign, remember three things: always monitor your daily budget, try strategies one at a time, and analyze the results after each change. revenuelab. is always ready to offer you the power of automation features and excellent experts from the support team. Start scaling with revenuelab. today to reach new heights in your affiliate endeavors.
