Infobusiness did not gain significant popularity among solo arbitrageurs and teams due to several reasons: lower rates (compared to gambling and betting), the absence of regular 'profitable' cases, etc.
However, infobusiness allows for stable work with FB* and other social networks, contextual advertising, SEO without regular bans, scaling advertising campaigns, and developing long-term strategies. Moreover, during the quarantine period, the online education industry began to grow actively.
What is infobusiness?
If we put it briefly, it's about educating other people. In other words, it's when an expert who has gained specific experience and skills (from programming and learning foreign languages to weight loss) is ready to share their knowledge with anyone interested and help them achieve results. The arbitrator attracts potential clients to them and earns money from it.
What are the target actions that are paid for in infobusiness?
What are the target actions that are paid for in infobusiness?
- Installing an application (e.g., with workout programs, diets, etc.).
- Registering for a free webinar (potential clients come to see the future teacher to make a decision about purchasing the product).
- Subscribing, purchasing a course, or gaining access to closed chats (essentially, it's conventional CPA).
What does the funnel for lead generation in infobusiness offers look like?
- The user sees a creative (post, ad, TikTok video, influencer integration, etc.) that presents a specific product, such as education or consultations with a trainer/expert.
- Clicks on the link and lands on a landing page.
- Chooses a ready package or takes a survey (or installs an application).
- Performs the desired action (registers for a webinar, subscribes, submits a course purchase request, etc.).
Audience and Traffic Sources
How to determine your target audience? Register for an affiliate program with offers in the infobusiness niche. The offer cards contain requirements for the audience. On average, people aged 25-30+ with stable income are interested in infoproducts. The precise targeting will depend on the offer you choose and the audience's interests. Tools like VK parsers and other social networks can help with this.
What traffic sources are suitable for working with infobusiness?
What traffic sources are suitable for working with infobusiness?
- In-app networks. The approach here is similar to other verticals: you need to show attractive ads to users within their applications. Ad formats can vary from traditional banners and push notifications to surveys like 'What do you eat for breakfast?' It's also worth considering SP-offers that offer subscriptions to diet plans and other content.
- Social networks (FB*, Instagram*, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, TikTok). Here, you can both run targeted ads and buy advertising in public groups or collaborate with influencers. Additionally, you can create your own communities, grow them, and generate traffic from them (this approach takes time but can provide a steady stream of loyal audience). It's worth noting that this method can be used for both Russian and international markets, depending on your offer.
- Youtube. A popular service suitable for purchasing advertising from influencers. The main challenge is to find a channel that matches the theme with an active audience. Therefore, it is recommended to use plugins for analyzing the effectiveness of videos (e.g., VidIQ).
- Yandex.Direct, Google Ads. Contextual advertising can help you target users based on their search history (if you want to work with Google, look for offers for the international market). Launch your advertising campaign, and the platform will show your ads to potential customers automatically. In the case of Google Ads (advertising is currently limited for Russia), you can promote infobusiness offers internationally.
- Yandex.Zen, Pulse by Mail.ru, and other blog aggregators. There are two formats of work here: purchasing promo posts from bloggers or promoting your own channels.
- SEO. To attract organic search traffic, you will need to work similarly to gambling — create, optimize, and promote review websites (or single-brand websites) for various offers. Alternatively, you can place ads on popular platforms visited by your target audience.
- Messengers. When working with Telegram or WhatsApp, you will need to purchase advertising in popular channels. Additionally, you can redirect the audience from other platforms to the desired messenger and engage them there using surveys, quizzes, advertising posts, or native advertising.
It's worth noting that even when working with the most 'white-hat' offers, you must consider the creative requirements of the traffic sources. For example, FB* does not allow formats like 'before and after,' etc.
Advantages and disadvantages of the vertical
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, the drawbacks of this vertical are not critical. On the contrary, with proper preparation, regular creative tests, and an understanding of the audience's needs, you can mitigate them.
- Wide variety of traffic sources. Infobusiness offers can be promoted from numerous traffic sources. So, if, for example, launching on FB* isn't effective, these expenses can be compensated for by income from TikTok, In-app, or other platforms.
- Absence of regular bans. By adhering to the requirements of advertising platforms, you can avoid bans on advertising accounts, site penalizations, and other unpleasant consequences.
Cons:
- Budget. Large investments are required to run advertising to a broad audience.
- Offer payouts. For instance, they are lower compared to payouts for first deposits in gambling. So, don't expect instant profits.
- Seasonality. Keep in mind that revenue will depend on the nature of the offer. Weight loss courses may perform better in the spring (as everyone wants to lose weight for summer), while training in new professions and skills might be more popular in the fall or winter (when users have free time and money to spend), and so on.
Overall, the drawbacks of this vertical are not critical. On the contrary, with proper preparation, regular creative tests, and an understanding of the audience's needs, you can mitigate them.
Questions and answers
Natalia, CMO AFFSTAR
Why, in your opinion, did this vertical gain popularity in 2021-2022?
Several factors contributed to this: the popularity of subscription services, the 'white-hat' nature of the offers, the stability of the vertical, and its versatility – it suits various traffic sources, approaches, and target audiences (depending on the niche).
How does the funnel in infobusiness differ from other verticals?
It differs by the presence of a stage that nurtures user interest - the quiz, as well as significantly increasing approval rates through push notifications and email marketing.
What budget is needed for an effective start?
It depends on the traffic source. For VK, you can get started with 15,000 rubles, while for Unity, it's $500.
What challenges in promoting infobiz offers can you name?
If we are referring to the offers themselves, one challenge is that this infoproduct vertical is still unknown to some, and many are hesitant to test without proper training (but we are working on this!). If we are talking about the courses within the framework of lead generation, challenges include the need to frequently change creatives and navigate the nuances of moderation. But that's the case everywhere.
What traffic sources would you recommend for the Russian and international markets?
For the Russian market - VK and MyTarget, for the international market - TikTok, Google. In-app networks are also good options.
Conclusion
Infobusiness is a promising vertical in traffic arbitrage. It can serve as a source of income for experienced arbitrageurs or a good starting point for gaining experience and earning for newcomers. Regardless of one's skills, it's important to accurately assess your resources, find the right offer, select a traffic source, and understand the desires of the target audience. This will form the foundation for successful lead generation.