TL;DR

• Learn how to use Smart Bid for iGaming campaign success.
• Smart Bid uses machine learning to buy CPM traffic and convert it into leads with your CPA goals.
• Key Requirements: You must use S2S tracking and reach at least 30 conversions to allow the algorithm to learn and optimize effectively.
• Strategy: Start by setting up Smart Bid to optimize the volume or leads before moving to FTDs.
• The Payoff: Affiliates who navigate the initial learning phase typically see a 20-30% reduction in target CPA price compared to manual bidding.

iGaming CPA campaigns with CPM Traffic: Smart Bid is the answer!

Many affiliates work exclusively with CPA deals. The benefit of a CPA is that you only pay when you get a result. However, relying solely on CPA can limit your scale and prevent you from accessing premium traffic segments.

At ExoClick, we don’t offer a traditional CPA model, but we offer something more powerful for the experienced affiliate: Smart Bid. By combining the reach of CPM with our machine-learning algorithm, you can automate your optimization and meet your iGaming goals with more precision than a standard CPM campaign. Read on to learn more!

How to set up Smart Bid for iGaming campaigns

Smart Bid is an automated bidding strategy that uses machine learning to analyze your data in real-time and bid on impressions based on the probability of a conversion.

Using Smart Bid for iGaming offers: Tracking is essential!

It is important to note that Smart Bid will not work unless you track conversions. Before you start, add the conversion goals you want to track, such as registrations or first-time deposits (FTDs). ExoClick automatically tracks impressions and click-through rates (CTR), but you need to send bottom-of-the-funnel data like FTDs and registrations back into the system using server-to-server (S2S) integration or a tracking pixel.

Scaling and optimizing with Smart Bid

Once your campaign is live, there are two ways to use Smart Bid:

1. Maximize Volume: Best for scaling, the algorithm bids aggressively to find new segments.
2. Maximize Target CPA/ROAS: Triggered after 30 conversions, the algorithm prioritizes the set price goal above all else and is great for long-term campaigns.

How to define goals for iGaming conversions

“How can I set a Target CPA with ExoClick’s Smart Bid?”

In iGaming, the customer journey has several stages. Before you set up your campaign, set up your Conversion Goals. Here are some of the best goals for iGaming Advertisers and Affiliates to track:

• Goal 1: Registrations: This is usually a Single or Double Opt-In. Tracking this allows Smart Bid to optimize for users who are at least interested enough to sign up.
• Goal 2: FTD: This is when the player puts their own money into the platform.
• Goal 3: Post-FTD / Lifetime Value: Tracking users who deposit more than once. This helps you identify the highest-quality traffic sources.

Below you can see a screenshot from the Conversion Goal section in the admin panel:

Pro Tip! Set a 1-2 day conversion window for Registrations. For FTDs, set it to at least 7 days to account for players who sign up today but don’t deposit until the weekend.

The technical bit

“How to track iGaming conversions on my Smart Bid campaign?”

There are two options for tracking: server-to-server tracking and Pixel tracking. For Server-to-Server (S2S) tracking, there are two steps:

1. Add the Token: Add {conversions_tracking} to your Campaign URL (e.g., &clickid={conversions_tracking}).
2. The Postback: When a conversion happens, your tracker sends a call to our postback URL.

If you select Pixel tracking as your tracking method, you will get a pixel tracking script that you can copy-paste into the website you want to track. 

Pro Tip! To give Smart Bid the data it needs, we recommend S2S tracking. It is more reliable than pixels and ensures no data loss.

How to set up Smart Bid for the first time

Now that we have set up the conversion tracking, set campaign goals, and the iGaming funnel goals, let’s look at how an iGaming Advertiser or Affiliate should set up Smart Bid for the first time.

“Should I choose Target ROAS or Target CPA? What is the difference?”

Step 1: Navigate to the Pricing & Limits section of your campaign. 

Step 2: Select your Bid Strategy. You can choose Target CPA to define the price you want to pay per conversion, or Target ROAS if you are aiming for a specific profit percentage (this requires goals with fixed or dynamic values). 

Step 3: Then input an Initial CPM; this acts as your starting bid while the algorithm gathers the data needed to optimize your campaigns. 

Below, you can see an example of how to set up Smart Bid:

Troubleshooting: “What if I’m not meeting my campaigns’ CPA goal?”

Pro Tip! If your CPA is too high or the volume is low, check the following:

• Give it time: The algorithm needs data.
• Loosen your targeting: If you get too specific in Step 3 of the campaign setup, the pool of traffic is too small for the AI to learn. Keep it open initially.
• Review your goal: If your Target CPA is $2.00 but the market average is $10.00, the campaign will not get traffic.

Best Practices: Bridging the gap between CPA and CPM while scaling up with Smart Bid

“How can I use Smart Bid to replicate the ROI of my best-performing iGaming CPA offers?”

We asked our account managers and media buyers how they make Smart Bid work for long-term iGaming campaigns. Here are their expert tips:

• The 30-Conversion Rule: Do not judge the campaign early. You need at least 30 conversions for the machine learning to understand the winning user profile.
• Optimize for Registrations First: Because registrations happen more frequently than deposits, the algorithm learns faster. Set your first Smart Bid goal to optimize for the Registration goal. This will help feed the machine more data.
• Use The Bidder as a Safety Net: While Smart Bid handles the bids, you can still use our manual Bidder tool to black-list specific zones that are clearly not performing, saving your budget for better segments.
• Patience is Profit: Smart Bid is a long-term play. It requires a “learning phase,” but affiliates who wait it out typically see a 20-30% lower CPA over time compared to manual optimization.
• Smart Bid Pro: If you have data from a previous campaign with similar targeting, use that. Otherwise, start with a competitive CPM. The faster you get traffic, the faster Smart Bid learns, and the sooner you hit your ROI goals.

Pro Tip! Smart Bid is a powerful optimization tool, but it does not guarantee a specific CPA. It is a machine-learning partner. It is important to have good ad creatives and copy that get clicks, so A/B testing is key. Landing pages should be optimized for conversion. Remember, Smart Bid requires a minimum of 30 conversions and accurate tracking to effectively scale up your iGaming campaigns.

Ready to scale your iGaming ROI?

By leveraging ExoClick’s Smart Bid for iGaming campaign success, you can reach your CPA goals! Smart Bid removes the manual grind, allowing you to focus on strategy while Smart Bid handles the heavy lifting of real-time optimization. Ready to take your iGaming campaigns to the next level? Test ExoClick’s Smart Bid for your iGaming offers today.

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