Shaving In Affiliate Marketing

Let's say that while driving traffic to your product, you see that your statistics are starting to drop. What are the reasons for this? Obviously, sudden changes in the functioning of your traffic source or problems with the product. Something that is usually not obvious but, unfortunately, is common in the affiliate industry is shaving. In this article, the Vortex team will uncover what it is and how to detect and protect yourself from it.

What Exactly Is Shaving?

Sometimes advertisers or networks can't approve all the leads you bring in because they don't meet targeting KPIs, are of low quality, or look like fraud. For example, in the dating vertical, your potential client must not only register or even confirm their email, but also show at least a little activity on the product side (it can be setting a username, filling out an account, etc.).

A shave is when the affiliate network you work with does not credit you with paid leads. For example, 1 out of 10 leads you generate simply won't appear in the statistics. Even though the advertiser will pay the network for all 10. So, how can you notice this?

How Do You Know If Your Traffic Has Been Shaved?

There are a few practices for noticing unreliable partners shaving your traffic. Most common indicators are:

1. A rapid drop in approvals or just a decrease in the number of approvals may be due to non-working creatives or other changes in your traffic source;

2. Statistics in your own tracker and internal statistics of the affiliate network differ;

3. A stable click-through rate, but a much lower number of leads;

4. Problems with payment transfers or changes in payment terms;

5. Too strict KPIs for chosen vertical;

Test the same offer on another network and see the difference between the two sets of data. It is better to focus on EPC, as CR between networks often differs due to the number of redirects (especially if it is a reseller) and the peculiarities of eachnetwork's tracking system. EPC is affected by CR, payouts, display of offers, and much more.

How To Avoid Shaving?

Reliable partnership. Choose reliable networks that have been on the market for some time and have a good reputation. Shave is most often used by very new teams.

Be careful with high payouts. If you see that the average payout for the offer is $3.00, while you see $4.50 at some non-major network, you better leave it aside. For comparison of payments on offers, we recommend using aggregators of offers, such as Offervault.

Don't stop splitting. Remember this rule even if you work with a reliable affiliate network.

Conclusion

While shaving can be an unfortunate reality in affiliate marketing, knowledge is power. By staying up-to-date, leveraging trustworthy partnerships, and carefully managing your campaigns, you can minimize your risks and maximize your earning potential. Remember, the key to success is to stay vigilant, build trust, and drive quality traffic.