Case Study: How to convert Dating offers with Video ads
Dating is a highly popular vertical, because connection is a fundamental part of our lives. The online Dating market caters to all, from casual Dating to something more serious; there is a niche for every interest. In this article, the Advertiser will talk us through his approach to convert Dating offers with Video ads in the UK market. From the campaign creatives, tools used, optimization and finally the results of the campaign. If you would like to see how to convert Dating offers with Video ads and the best Pre-Roll Video Ad strategies, keep reading!
Video Advertising case study for Dating offers
Let’s meet Mario, who is an Affiliate, he will explain his campaign:
In this case study, I will demonstrate how I am optimizing my Video campaign with automated tools provided by ExoClick. The aim of this campaign was to promote my Dating offers in the UK for SOI (single-opt in) and DOI (double-opt in) payouts. In-Stream Video, specifically Pre-Roll ads, were the ad format I used as they are played right before Video content at the beginning of the customer journey. I was trying this placement as Video ad content is versatile and I believe it can bring high quality conversions for both SOI and DOI. I targeted Mobile devices as almost 70% of UK residents used them for online purchases in 2023. The payout on this campaign depended on the partner and type of lead but I expected an average of about $8 per end user.
How to convert Dating offers with Video ads: The Setup
Offer: Dating (multiple offers/partners)
Goal of campaign: to increase the ROI of my Dating campaign by +20%.
Ad format: Video In-Stream format, Pre-Roll placement
GEO: United Kingdom (Tier 1)
Ad Network: ExoClick
Campaign duration: 16th Dec to 26th Jan 2024 (7 weeks)
Devices: Mobile devices (Android and iOS)
Categories selected: Casual Dating from all demographics in the UK.
Payout: SOI / DOI – I was promoting a few offers, so the payout range varied between $6 – $9
Creatives & Landing Pages
When choosing Video Ad strategies for UK Dating offers it is important to consider the end user. Location played a part in the creatives I chose for the market. I used a mixed media approach to create the Video ads, incorporating both animated and real people into the different creatives. I also leveraged a media library to enhance our Video content through visual appeal. Each Video was carefully crafted to highlight the benefits of the offering. ExoClick’s CTA feature was used to create a clear CTA from a drop down menu in the platform. I used ‘Try for Free’. The Friendly URL feature was also used as the Domain name creating trust and credibility to the ads.
The Variations Optimization Algorithm for ad creatives
My Account Manger recommended optimizing my Video campaign with automated tools. So, I designed 6 ad creative variations to test, using the Variations Optimization Algorithm. The tool allows automated control over the traffic sent to a campaign’s different variations. This helped me to identify the best performing creatives for my offers by showing the highest performing creatives to a larger number of end users as you can never be 100% sure that the creative you have selected will have the highest conversions.
Here are the results of using the Variations Optimization Algorithm. After testing the 6 variations it was clear that two were performing highly. Therefore I paused the remaining four that did not receive good results. After this, one variation got 20% and a second 80% of the traffic.
Variations Optimization Algorithm
Targeting and Smart Bid setup – the test campaign
Time period: 16/12/2023 – 23/12/2024
I decided to use the Smart Bid Algorithm rather than manual bidding, when optimizing my Video campaign with automated tools in order to maximize traffic at the lowest bid. I began with CPM, CPC and CPV. This helped Smart Bid learn the behaviors of the potential leads and adjust its bidding strategy based on my target ROAS, which was +120%.
Smart Bid Setup
The starting bid was set at $0.3 CPM. I opted to remove frequency capping restrictions to ensure a sufficient volume of traffic. This approach not only aimed to drive increased visibility and engagement but also aimed to optimize cost-efficiency, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness and success of the campaign. In terms of targeting, by default I targeted all browsers, languages and Dating categories. This was refined in the optimization period as the algorithm learned the best placement for my offering.
Smart Bid Daily Limit
Landing Page Optimization
The final way in which I began optimizing my Video campaign with automated tools was with the Landing Page Optimization tool. There were two stages to the Landing Page Optimization. The first, was when I created the campaign. I chose Even as the set distribution algorithm in stage one to ensure that all the ads received an equal amount of clicks. There were three landing pages at the beginning of the test period.
On the second stage, I checked the number of clicks per landing page and proceeded to pause the variations showing less clicks. I then paused those variations that showed lower performance rates and changed the distribution algorithm to automatic on conversion. Based on the advice from my Account Manager I added 3 more landing pages and tried both direct and pre-lander pages in order to test performance even further with the algorithm. In the end, I stuck with the 2 best performing, 1 that led directly to the offer which achieved 20% of the traffic and a pre-lander that achieved 80% of traffic.
Landing pages both Direct and Pre-lander
End of test period results
I could see that the profit by the end of week one was $56.95 and the ROI +35.04%, highlighted in green on the table below. This let me know that the Smart Bid, Landing Page Optimization and the Variations Optimization algorithms were helping me achieve the desired results. In order to continue gaining profits, I decided to continue optimizing my Video campaign with automated tools.
Week 1 Profit and ROI.
Optimization
Time period: 24/12/2023 -12/01/2024
After the first week, I began optimizing the campaign over a 10 to 15 day period. I continued with the selected Smart Bid settings as it was providing high quality placements for the best bid. By default, as previously mentioned I targeted everything to learn the end user habits. I then removed all the underperforming categories, browsers and languages in the UK market. This was made so much easier as Smart Bid showed the categories that were most popular, as well as the underperforming categories which made optimizing the targeting quicker and easier. In relation to the Variations Optimization Algorithm I continued to use it with the setting automatic on conversion as it has improved the results of the campaign while saving me time in the optimization stage.
Further optimization
Time period: 13/01/2024 -26/01/2024
The campaign has been performing successfully. It is very profitable and based on ROAS I am on target to meet my initial campaign goals. No further optimization needed thanks to the automated tools.
Ad zone optimization targeting
End of campaign: Results
End of campaign statistics
Conclusion: Benefits of using the ExoClick platform
I learned a lot from this campaign on how to convert Dating offers with Video ads thanks to the help from my Account Manager. When it comes to Video Ad strategies for UK Dating offers, it’s key to run ads that make the end user want to click on them. Having a clear call to action and simple buyer journey to the subscription led us to a competitive payout. Keeping the campaign updated and optimized ensured my budget was used to its highest potential. Optimization tools such as Landing Page Optimization, Variation Algorithm and Smart Bid helped to achieve my ROAS goal of +120% and an ROI of +21.9%. Going forward, I believe ExoClick’s optimization tools will continue to improve my campaigns and to achieve the highest ROI. Finally, campaigns do not last forever, so it’s important to keep an eye on the new zones that may pop up in order to continue increasing ad revenue.
Why is ExoClick the best Ad Network for Video ads?
ExoClick is potentially one of the best Ad Networks for Video ads, because it offers high-performing Video ad formats as well as a range of professional optimization and performance tools which Advertisers can easily use to set up, track and optimize their Video campaigns, achieving higher ROIs. This Advertiser Case Study on UK Dating offers shows that Video content is a powerful tool for showcasing your service or product, as it is an engaging way to tell a story. If you are wondering how to convert Dating offers with video ads, consider using the right tools. By using ExoClick you gain access to a wider array of great solutions for Video, including:
- ExoClick’s Video Ad Making service: Our free Video Ad Making Service is available for Advertiser clients to use through the ExoClick Network. We produce Video ads for Dating, VoD, Nutra, Casino, Gambling and Games, offering a range of premade templates and variations to allow for as many sets of A/B testing as needed, or we can also create them bespoke for you.
- Video Ad Texts and Voiceover service: Our recommendation is that your Video contains well rounded texts as well as compelling voice overs, which you can easily add with ExoClick’s Voiceover service! To help you target end users across the world, ExoClick’s Voiceover service is available in several languages including Dutch, English (American or British), Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, and more.
- CTA and Friendly URL features: CTAs are designed to persuade a website visitor to act quickly, encouraging clicks, sales, signups, or subscriptions, based on the information displayed on your ad. This is why ExoClick offers the Video CTA feature as well as the Friendly URL feature for Advertisers.
So, what are you waiting for? If you are seeking a reliable ad network for Video ads sign up here. If you are already a member and you would like more information about ExoClick’s Smart Bid Optimization tool or our Landing Page Optimization tool, then contact your Account Manager today to see how ExoClick can help you improve your Video Ads.
