Everything you need to know about the utility vertical in affiliate marketing

AFFHUB is here! Today we’re going to talk about an interesting and, for some, perhaps unusual vertical in affiliate marketing — utilities.

Find out what offers are included in the vertical, what target audience prevails here, and what sources are best suited for working with it.

Let’s get started! 🚀

Basic information about the vertical 

Utilities is a vertical that includes offers for various technical programs for phones and PCs. Usually, the target action involves installing an application or purchasing its paid version.

Examples of offers:

• services for anonymity and IP substitution;
• antivirus programs;
• applications for cleaning memory, file managers;
• amplifiers or volume settings;
• collections of wallpapers, widgets, and other interface elements;
• ad blockers;
• auto-responders, spam filters;
• device optimization programs;
• archivers, benchmarks, torrent clients;
• beauty and health apps, workout collections, breathing techniques;
• camera or microphone upgrades.

What is the advantage of vertical utilities?

Almost all applications are “white” and easy to promote. This minimizes the risk of rejection and slows down the download process, as there are usually no questions about such products.

❗️However: There are some drawbacks, right? It is not very encouraging that the relevance of this vertical is declining, and the payouts here are not that great. 

❓Why is that? The fact is that most users already have all the necessary software and are looking for new programs directly in app stores. So getting the audience to install the app without going into the red is a task with an asterisk.

What are the sources of traffic for the utility vertical?

Mobile ad networks

Advertising networks that place ads in apps. This is a pretty good way to promote, as the target audience is large and the advertising requirements are reasonable. 

Teasers/banners

A flexible advertising format that allows you to promote offers at a relatively low cost. Another advantage is good coverage of users who visit forums and other information sites.

Push notifications

Considered one of the main sources for the utility. This is not surprising, as its format makes it effective.  

Push notifications make it easy to disguise advertising as system notifications. This automatically creates a need for the application in the user. 

They also provide the ability to flexibly filter the user base that receives advertising. And, of course, low prices, which is always a plus 😉.

Vertical audience

Yes, the utility is not always relevant, but there are surges in popularity in this vertical. This depends on global events when people suddenly need certain applications. To do this, you need to keep an eye on the global situation, and then you will be able to drive traffic to a wide audience.

Generally speaking, the main audience for this vertical is less knowledgeable users who do not fully understand how their devices work.

These are either Tier-3 users who have recently gained access to the internet, or people aged 55+.

How to promote offers?

Direct advertising

Direct advertising is suitable in cases where the audience is already warmed up. That is, a certain category of offers is currently very popular, and direct advertising will be perceived correctly by users. The only thing is that there is really high competition in the utility vertical, so we recommend paying close attention to creatives. 

What can you use?

• Favorable terms;
• Technical features of the application;
• Low prices;
• Offers for newbies.

Disguised messages

Push ads can be conveniently disguised as standard system notifications. All you need to do is use concise texts without “hard selling” and simple icons. Such messages can inform the user about the need to clean up the device, the availability of updates, or the possibility of upgrading.

Warnings

This option is more flexible and suitable for push notifications, teasers, and mobile ad networks. With the help of bright banners, you can convey to the user that their gadget may be overloaded with ads, infected with viruses, or in need of technical support.

In summary 

The utility vertical is a kind of “working tool” in affiliate marketing. It does not always provide an opportunity to earn well, but it still has its advantages. Advertising prices are low, promotion is fairly simple and does not require in-depth professional knowledge and skills. 

It is important to keep track of the global situation and select high-quality creatives. Yes, the vertical is not relevant 24/7, but depending on the global situation, this changes and often brings “explosions” of popularity.