Next-Level User Acquisition: A Performance Marketer’s Guide to Offerwall Ads

The digital advertising industry is undergoing a major paradigm shift when it comes to definitions of performance and success. Marketers are playing the long game, adapting to a changing economic landscape with a renewed focus on retention metrics like ROAS and LTV. 

This evolution from scale to ROAS has set the stage for performance-based solutions – like Offerwall ads – to capture marketers’ attention and ad dollars. As a cost-effective channel for customer acquisition, Offerwall ads enable marketers to access incremental inventory and connect with highly engaged audiences – all on a pay-for-performance basis. 

What Are Offerwall Ads?

Offerwall ads allow users to complete specific actions, such as reaching a milestone in a mobile game or signing up for a free subscription trial, in exchange for rewards. This unique approach incentivizes users with relevant offers and creates a non-intrusive pathway to discovering new apps and services. 

How Do Offerwall Ads Work?

Offerwalls appear within apps or websites, each resembling a curated marketplace or “mini-store” that connects advertisers and consumers. Once they reach the Offerwall, users are presented with a personalized selection of offers based on their behavior, preferences, and contextual data, ensuring a tailored and highly engaging experience.

Users willingly navigate through the Offerwall, engaging with offers based on genuine interest. Users who click on an Offerwall ad are taken to the App Store, Google Play Store, or a landing page. Here, they can learn more about the offer and complete the necessary steps to redeem their reward.

Offerwall ad campaigns can follow two pricing models: 

• Cost per action (CPA): Includes upper-funnel conversions like taking a survey, providing an email address, or signing up for a free trial.
• Cost per engagement (CPE): Includes down-funnel engagements like playing to a specific level in a mobile game or taking a first ride via a rideshare app.

In both cases, the advertiser only pays when a user completes a specific action. This eliminates wasted ad spend on vanity metrics (impressions, clicks, etc.) you might see on channels like search or social.

Benefits of Offerwall Ads for User Acquisition

Delivering high volume and quality at a fraction of the cost compared to channels like paid social, Offerwall ads enable marketers to achieve both upper funnel and downstream campaign objectives.

Connecting with Engaged Audiences

Rewarded ads are a win-win for consumers and marketers alike – users self-select offers based on their interests which means marketers only connect with (and pay for) highly-intent users who have opted into test-driving their product or services.

Performance Pricing 

Leverage CPI and CPE pricing to maximize ROAS and tie ad spend directly to outcomes.

Incremental Audiences

Unlock a new traffic source to expand your reach beyond mainstream channels.

Highly-Engaged Users

Connect with high-intent audiences ready to discover new brands and offers.

Driving Down-Funnel Engagement

Offerwall ads have come a long way since they first arrived on the scene in the early days of digital. While there may be some lingering skepticism around the value of rewarded traffic, the data tells a different story.

For example, according to Fluent’s Annual Mobile Gaming Survey, 65% of rewarded users make in-app purchases. They are also nearly 50% more likely than non-rewarded users to spend in-app, demonstrating active engagement and high LTV.

Types of Businesses That Can Leverage Offerwall Ads

Offerwall ads can be an effective customer acquisition tool for various types of apps and non-endemic brands outside of the app ecosystem.

• Gaming: Gaming apps, especially in the social casino, real-money gaming, and casual categories, see impressive performance in rewarded ad environments. Users may receive offers for in-game currency, power-ups, or exclusive levels.
  • Examples: Coin Master, Dice Dreams, Solitaire Cash
• Subscription Services: From streaming service providers to monthly meal kits, subscription businesses make great candidates for Offerwall campaigns. Offers may include free trials or discounted membership.
  • Examples: Hello Fresh, Sirius XM, Hulu, 
• Financial Services: Online banks, investment apps, and personal finance companies can attract consumers interested in earning rewards and saving money. Offers may include a free credit check or funds for a first investment
  • Examples: Credit Sesame, Chime, Acorns 

Driving Success with Offerwall Ads

A leading mobile game developer was looking for new opportunities to grow its global user base in light of Apple’s crackdown on rewarded installs on iOS. The company partnered with Fluent to build a game-changing strategy that could offer incremental audiences and the ability to scale.

With a vast audience of over 10 million monthly active users, Fluent enabled the developer to unlock rewarded Offerwall inventory on the mobile web. The campaign focused on downstream actions, optimizing for in-app purchase rates and level completion progression. 

Rewarding users for continuous gameplay and engagement, the Offerwall campaign exceeded the company’s performance targets, delivering 128% of the D7 ROI goal and 158% of the pD180 goal. Fluent provided both quality and scale, driving an average of 2,500 daily installs and increasing user retention rates.

Next Steps for Launching an Offerwall Ad Strategy

For marketers seeking to diversify their customer acquisition strategy, Offerwall ads provide an alternative channel to promote brand discovery and convert high-LTV audiences. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when getting started:

• Define clear objectives: Outline specific goals, whether they are increasing user engagement, boosting revenue, or expanding user acquisition. These objectives will serve as the guiding principles for your Offerwall ad campaign.
• Choose a trusted partner: Collaborate with a reputable ad network or publisher to meet your acquisition goals. A reliable partner will ensure seamless integration, offer multiple pricing models, and provide full transparency into performance.
• Test and optimize: Regularly monitor key metrics such as retention, ROAS, and session length. Leverage this data to refine your Offerwall strategy. Test variables such as ad copy and offer types to optimize your campaign.

Powering Profitable Growth with Offerwalls Ads

Offerwall ads represent a strategic opportunity for performance marketers across verticals to level up their user acquisition strategy. In an evolving digital landscape, Offerwall ads offer a reliable and cost-effective way to drive incremental acquisition while building positive and rewarding customer relationships.

Ready to join dozens of top brands and apps driving profitable growth with Fluent’s Offerwall? Get in touch with us here.

Check out more resources to get fluent in:

User Acquisition | In-App Purchases | Postbacks | Performance Marketing