Forget about Tier-1 – run traffic on promising GEOs
The success of an affiliate marketer largely depends on choosing the right geo. Generally, everyone relies on the Tier classification, where the first group includes wealthy and developed countries such as Canada, the UK, and the USA. In these countries, it is indeed possible to earn well from traffic, but it is not so easy for several reasons.
● Expensive traffic. Due to the cost of traffic, you will need to allocate maximum budgets for acquisition. Not every webmaster can afford this.
● High competition. The profitability in these geos is at its peak, so there are many eager to get a piece of it. A newcomer will find it difficult to compete with experienced colleagues.
● Legal regulation. Most often, in Tier-1 countries, advertising for online casinos, nutrition, etc., is prohibited. You will either have to conceal your offers well or only promote in white verticals.
● Spoiled audience. Since competition in these geos is at its peak, users have already seen a plethora of diverse combinations and creatives. To successfully run ads and attract the target audience, the webmaster and their team will need to demonstrate creativity.
Recently, more and more opportunities for affiliate marketing are being offered by countries in LATAM, MENA, and South Asia.
LATAM
LATAM stands for Latin America. This includes the countries of South America and part of North America: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, etc.
For a successful market entry, it is essential to consider the specific characteristics of each GEO: local currency, audience demands, standard of living, internet prevalence, and local language. Let's explore the features of the main countries in Latin America.
Colombia
Colombia is one of the most economically developed countries in Latin America.
The official language is Spanish, but English is also popular in some areas.
Colombia has a very high population density, and a large portion of the population is connected to the internet, including through mobile phones.
The average salary in Colombia is $450, while the minimum wage is $250, and the local currency is the Colombian peso.
The most popular niche in Colombia is nutrition. Colombians face issues such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and parasitic infections due to poor hygiene. Therefore, successful offers will be those that help with weight loss, dietary supplements for heart and vascular health, detox products for eliminating waste and toxins, etc. Colombians are sports fans, so you can use images of popular athletes in your creatives.
Mexico
Like Colombia, Mexico is among the most developed economies in Latin America. It is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, with a population of over 130 million people. A large portion of Mexico's population is of working age, with 80% living in urban areas.
Internet coverage is extensive, and the speed is quite high, especially in tourist regions.
The average salary is $500, but incomes can vary significantly across different regions.
As in Colombia, everything related to health is popular in Mexico. Mexicans also love soccer, and a distinctive feature is the widespread presence of conservative views. Family values, traditions, care for loved ones, and religion, particularly Catholicism, are central to their worldview. All of this can be successfully incorporated into your creatives, such as in nutrition advertising. The most popular topics here will be women's health, hypertension, weight loss, diabetes, and vision.
Brazil
Brazil is often referred to as the "sleeping giant" due to its economic potential. Like in other Latin American countries, the population density in Brazil is very high. The average age of Brazilians is 27 years, which makes the target audience quite broad.
The local currency is the Brazilian real, which is very sensitive to fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate.
The primary language in Brazil is Brazilian Portuguese, which can pose a challenge for translation. Ide ally, it is best to consult a native speaker or a professional interpreter to localize creative materials.
Despite the average salary in Brazil being around $500, the population is relatively poor and not willing to spend large sums of money. The financial need and gambling enthusiasm of Brazilians drive them to seek easy sources of income through gambling and betting.
Since people love to have fun and casual romantic relationships are the norm, adult content and dating are also among the top promising niches for Brazil.
In 2023, online casinos were legalized in Brazil, which significantly simplifies operations for webmasters.
In almost all Latin American countries, the main traffic sources remain Facebook, Instagram, Google, and TikTok. The most popular niches include nutrition, gambling, betting, dating, and adult content.
MENA countries
The MENA countries (Middle East and North Africa) are the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, etc.
The countries of the Middle East and North Africa are demonstrating intense economic growth. The residents of these countries actively use the internet, and for webmasters, these regions are attractive due to low traffic costs, low competition, and the trustfulness of the target audience. Let's take a look at the main countries in the region.
South Africa
South Africa is a country of great diversity. It is home to Anglo-Africans, Afrikaners, Zulus, and diasporas of other nationalities. Since it was a former English colony, English is quite widely spoken alongside Afrikaans and other languages. Using local languages will definitely boost conversion rates, but if that's not possible, English will be enough.
The majority of the population in the region consists of young people from various income levels. The primary device for internet access is the mobile phone. The local currency is the South African rand.
In this region, betting and gambling are very profitable, although the latter has been banned in South Africa recently. Dating, adult content, and health-related products, particularly those associated with male potency, are also popular. Africans are passionate individuals, so they frequently visit porn sites and dating apps. Healthcare in Africa is at a low level, so advertising anything related to health performs exceptionally well.
Egypt
The population of Egypt is 110 million residents. Each year, the growth rate increases, as does the life expectancy of Egyptians and the economic potential of the region.
About half of the population in Egypt lives in urban areas, but internet and mobile connectivity are available across almost the entire country. The primary language is Arabic. It is better to use Arabic in creative materials, and utilizing local dialects will enhance lead quality.
The most promising niches for Egypt are gambling, betting, and adult nutrition.
Since Egypt is a Muslim country, men typically manage the family budget. Therefore, it is important to target Arab men in the Central Asia region. The religiosity of Egyptians should definitely be taken into account in creative materials to avoid inadvertently offending anyone. Arabs are known for their inclination to negotiate, so various bonuses, promotions, discounts, and free spins will work well with them.
Women can be attracted through themes related to women's health, beauty, and weight loss. It is better to use delicate images without explicit content or nudity.
Saudi Arabia
One of the richest countries on the continent is Saudi Arabia. It is a premium geo for marketers, with a huge paying audience. The average salary is $2800. As in other Arab countries, the primary language here is Arabic.
Over 90 percent of the territory is covered by the internet, and most traffic comes from mobile devices.
In this country, the main target audience is male, but it is also possible to promote women's products through men. Due to strict laws, we do not recommend entering the market with gambling or adult content. It is better to focus on e-commerce and nutrition. As in the countries mentioned above, topics related to men's and women's health are popular: treatment of impotence, prostatitis, cystitis, and weight loss.
Creatives should be simple, strict, and specific, without explicit images, in accordance with Sharia law.
In the Middle Eastern countries, it is important to consider the religious characteristics of the countries, their laws, as well as to study the weekends and holidays. During holidays, the activity of the target audience decreases, so it is better not to run campaigns in these regions at that time.
Asia
India
India ranks first in the world by population, with the latest data showing a population of 1.442 billion people. Like many other developing countries, India surprises with its contrasts.
Income levels vary greatly, but the average salary is only $200. Although the main currency in India is the rupee, locals readily accept and appreciate dollars.
The primary languages are Hindi and English, but there are numerous local languages and dialects throughout India. Creative content in the language of specific locations tends to perform much better; for instance, in Bangalore, known as Indian "Silicon Valley," many residents speak English. A key feature of the country is its cultural and religious diversity, with representatives of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity present. Since 2022, Indians can boast of cheap and fast internet and prefer to use platforms like Google, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, Instagram, Twitter, and Xhamster (18+).
The most profitable verticals are nutrition, gambling, and betting. Topics related to weight loss, beauty, and women's health perform best with women. Men are keen to make easy money through online casinos or sports betting. The most popular sport for betting is cricket, followed by football.
In creatives, it's better to use already known approaches, such as before-and-after images, elements of a luxurious lifestyle, and banking pushes. Don't forget to incorporate the local language and vibrant Indian colors.
Malaysia
One of the thriving countries in Asia is Malaysia. The population of Malaysia is 32.5 million residents, with an average income of $900.
About 80% of the territory is equipped with internet access, and mobile traffic is the primary source. Despite the widespread availability of the internet, its speed leaves much to be desired, so it's better to avoid video and animated creatives.
Malaysians speak the native Malay language, but English and Chinese are also widely spoken.
Islam is prevalent in Malaysia, so all Sharia restrictions need to be considered in this region. Use simple and informative creatives. Malaysians highly value family, tend to be patriotic, and have a strong work ethic. They trust creatives that demonstrate the results of hard work (before-and-after). Nutrition’s the most promising niche in Malaysia. Topics related to weight loss, women's and men's health, and maintaining beauty and youth will be relevant here. It’s also worth paying attention to products for the elderly, such as joint or heart supplements.
Philippines
The population of the Philippines is 114 million people.
Despite the fact that only 60% of residents have access to the internet, Filipinos actively use the internet and spend several hours a day online. Filipinos speak their native Filipino language, but most are also proficient in English. The national currency is the Philippine peso, but the dollar can also be used as an alternative.
The most successful verticals in this geo will be nutrition, gambling, and dating. Health topics are relevant for the islanders. The country has underdeveloped medicine and pharmacology, and due to the climate, residents often face infections and other issues.
In creatives, it is not allowed to use the names of medical institutions and clinics, or photos of celebrities and the royal family. Natural remedies made from herbal ingredients are most appealing. Since Filipinos are concerned about marriage and family values, dating services are quite popular. Filipinas are looking for fair-skinned suitors, while Europeans are interested in practical Filipinas as wives. Therefore, the focus should be on building serious relationships rather than casual encounters. Online casinos are legal in the Philippines, making gambling a promising niche. Since locals have not yet become saturated with bright creatives and teasers, standard approaches will yield good traffic.
Thus, we see that it is not at all necessary to target wealthy countries with expensive traffic to earn in affiliate marketing. Pay attention to the countries mentioned in our article and start with small budgets. In all the listed GEOs, the main traffic sources remain Google, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. Don't forget to study local traffic sources and other features of the GEO for successful campaigns.