Venturing into Uncharted Waters: A Guide For Affiliates to Enter a New GEO

Entering a new GEO is a thrilling experience. Whether you want to scale up or explore new territory — the reasons are many, and we’ll get to explaining the most common ones. It starts with finding a good CPA network, picking the right offer, and double-checking all the info you have with the assistance of your affiliate manager. 

The next step is to take an in-depth look into the target GEO — cultural nuances can be a tricky thing to nail down. Fear not though, Yep Ads is here to make sure you have a roadmap to new countries of opportunity. Ready for some new markets?

Define your path

Via: Freepik

Before expanding or shifting your geo-reach, ask yourself: “Why am I doing this?” Tackling a new GEO can be time- and energy-consuming, not to speak of the budget. The path you take will depend on your marketing goals. And if you are not sure whether you need to expand your horizons, check out the best reasons to go forth and open up new GEOs:  

1. Better ad exposure. Sometimes you just need more leads. Entering a new GEO is a good way to scale up, but remember — cultural nuances can be tricky to crack. However, we’ll share some trusty tips later down the road.
2. Skimming the cream. New regulations, groundbreaking inventions, natural phenomena, and a bunch of other factors can turn a lackluster GEO into a marketing supernova. Perhaps your skills and approaches are even better suited for the new market than your current GEOs.
3. Avoid putting all eggs in one basket. Investment diversification improves your business stability. Tapping into a new GEO is a warranty that you always have a way to generate profit.
4. Testing one’s marketing prowess. Launching campaigns with the same settings over and over again can slow down your progress as a marketer. Getting out of your comfort zone is important for keeping your creative mind sharp. Besides, walking the same bitten track with advertising makes you vulnerable to sudden changes in your target market.

When entering a new GEO, it’s best to invest your time in additional protection, so we strongly recommend partnering with a trusted CPA network.

Pick a strong CPA network

Via: Freepik

Partnering with a well-established affiliate network can save you the bother of making the first steps in a new market. For example, Yep Ads has been on the market for many years, working with top-performing GEOs from across the globe: Europe, North America, South America, CIS, and APAC. Our team of experts from our local offices have already figured out the right approach to the target audience.

Pick a good offer

One step at a time. When picking a new GEO, it’s wise to go on with the verticals you are experienced at. For example, if you’ve been working with sweepstakes or antivirus products, no need to shift away from it, unless it’s a must — the fewer things you have to adapt to, the more chances to succeed. Switching to a new GEO is already stressful, so don’t overcomplicate.

Alternatively, opt for globally trending products. The inherent hype around them results in a pre-engaged audience, which makes your work easier. Also, such products span from low to middle price range, making them affordable — another key to high conversion rate. Products like fidget spinners, skincare black masks, or groundbreaking devices (e.g., innovative curlers, automated roombas, or smart plugs) are a good exemple. These items are great at producing WOW effect, which is a good starting point for impulse buying. Tried-and-true products like Apple gadgets (sweeps) or financial services would be a solid pick as well.

Via: Freepik

Don’t forget to consult your AM and make sure to get all essential info points such as eligible traffic sources and offer KPIs. After that, check that you have all crucial data on your hands, here’s a checklist for you:

• KPIs to see if you can deliver the required traffic amount
• Accepted traffic sources to meet the terms & conditions
• Traffic cost to plan your budget
• Competition in the vertical to plan your time & budget
• Consumables to know which supplies are needed and where to get them, e.g., virtual cards, static vs. video creatives, mobile apps, specific landers, etc.

This way, you will be on the safe side, plan your campaigns like a pro, and be more flexible in face of any fluctuations. Double-checking your KPIs and budget makes your journey much smoother and allows you to hone your marketing prowess.

Get to know your GEO

Any GEO and audience is to be thoroughly researched. People from closely related cultures might be into totally different things, let alone very distant folks. For instance, Australians like small talk and banters, while British and Americans prefer to get straight to the point. This can affect the way you design your creatives and campaign funnels.

Via: Hofstede Insights

A great idea to get acquainted with a new GEO is to use a Country Comparison tool from Hofstede Insights. This tool will be invaluable for choosing the best promotion channel and creative approach. Straight to the point with the offer page or using a pre-lander with a big product guide? Promoting on social media for people who love to chat, or using banner placements on themed websites for those who prefer deep dives into the product features before they commit to the purchase?  — the Country Comparison tool provides the ultimate answer.

Let’s not forget about good old Google Trends and Search Console Insights. They provide an idea of what the audience is interested in, how they find specific content, and what can potentially resonate with them better.

Spy tools and ad libraries, e.g., for Google, TikTok, and Meta, you can use them too to find what’s being run right now for a certain GEO. They say “fake it till you make it” for a reason, so use creatives found there as a source of inspiration and a roadmap for future market penetration.

It’s a good idea to compare the targeted GEO against the one you’ve been working with, or at least the one you grew up at. Perceiving the insights will be much easier this way because one side of the story is already known to you. Whatever GEO you pick, make sure to get to know:

• Legislation: local laws, limitations, requirements (e.g., iGaming regulation or FDA guidelines for Nutra and eCommerce)
• Language: either level up your linguistic proficiency or hire a good translator, unless you want your ad to become meme-fuel
• Social media: which websites and networks the locals frequent; Kepios is a great tool for monitoring how well mainstream media perform
• Payment solutions: your CPA network likely knows the most popular local providers, but it’s always good to have a list of popular banks and payment providers for yourself
• Customs & habits: their importance cannot be exaggerated, so let’s elaborate on them.

Local traditions, religion, and values can be very subtle but efficient when used right. If your creatives resonate with local culture, you can evoke very strong emotions. You align yourself with the locals, saying: “Hey I’m just like you, there is no reason not to trust me”. But unlike words, the approach itself matters more for bringing a prospect to conversion.

Consider the historical context. Certain types of products and items might be valued more than others. For example, some tradition-bound countries receive herbal medicine positively. Learning more about its origins, advantages, and practices helps to foster trust with the local users.

Learn geographical and geopolitical nuances. Local geography and climate can shift your vision of what is the right time to promote a certain offer. Do you know that while European and North Americans celebrate Christmas with snowballs and ice-skating, Australians and Argentinians enjoy their hottest days?

Pay attention to local holidays. Holidays and red-letter days differ across countries and cultures. Besides showing respect to the user, this is your chance to strike up campaigns when people are more lenient toward advertising. They are ready to spend some money on gifts, so your job is to make sure those are the gifts ordered from you and the advertiser you represent.

Collaborate with local influencers. Local stars are everywhere: they have already won the hearts and minds of the audience, so if you ally with them, you can get easy access to a decent segment of people.

Trendy GEOs and verticals for starters

Before wrapping things up, we’d like to give you a few suggestions, which GEOs deserve your attention right now. 

Via: Freepik

MENA is the next meta. Middle East and North Africa massively go online. 90% of the population there is connected, with an average person spending almost 3 hours online. The fastest-growing countries there are the UAE, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Islamic countries lead the pack, which is why MENA traffic drops significantly during religious holidays. The locals mostly speak Arabic and English.

Southern Africa is a solid pick too. South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Namibia are the most prominent countries here. About 58% of the region’s population has access to the internet. The target audience speaks Kosa, Zulu, and English. Among all the verticals, gaming and dating tend to outperform the others.

Conclusion

Picking a new GEO requires time, money, and dedication. But with Yep Ads by your side, everything is possible. Or at least we will do everything possible to help you.

First, you need to figure out the reason for exploring a new GEO. Your trusty partner in traffic Yep Ads is already here to ease your journey! Next, go through the offers they have and pick the one you like.

Finally, conduct your own research of the GEO you have chosen. Ask your affiliate manager for info and valuable insights. Use the Country Comparison tool and find some info about the cultural nuances of a certain GEO. You ought to know what the locals like and dislike for your ads to resonate with them better and to avoid giving a reason to make fun of yourself. Let’s go discover new horizons and conquer new GEOs — the Yep Ads expertise will be the wind in your sails!