CPA Marketing Basics

CPA Marketing Basics

CPA (cost-per-action) is very different from CPS (cost-per-sale) offers because more often than not, with CPA offers the user or lead will not have to buy anything for you to earn your commission. With CPA offers the user will fill in a form or download some software (tool-bars, software, etc.) whereas CPS the user needs to get out their credit card and buy something. This simple different is what makes promoting CPA offers so attractive.

CPA networks are basically middlemen companies between the advertiser and the publishers. These companies host the advertiser’s CPA offer and have their publishers/affiliates drive traffic to the CPA offers. So when you sign up with a particular CPA network as an affiliate you will be a publisher and then you can search through their advertising inventory for CPA offer – when you find an offer that suits your need – you drive traffic to that offer. The more relevant the traffic the more likely you are to get people to fill in the form or download the software (or whatever the offer entails).

CPA networks make their money by taking a cut or commission from every lead generated. For example, the advertiser may have an agreement to pay $6.00 for every lead generated and the CPA network will pay the publisher/affiliate $5.00, therefore taking a $1.00 commission.

The way you as an affiliate marketer make money is by promoting one or more offers that the CPA network has. As an affiliate, you will be given your personal ID, and the network will track the leads and commissions for you. This is why working for a network is good because you get one large check (hopefully) at the end of the month instead of many little checks from the multiple advertisers you may generate leads for.

CPA networks will track all your affiliate data, like commissions, leads, clicks, and impressions and then at the end of the month will calculate how much commission you have earned and sent you a check.

You will need to apply to CPA networks by filling out their publisher application form to get started. Your application then goes through a review process and the system will then decides as to whether or not your application is accepted or rejected.