Affiliate media buyers are always hunting for the next big traffic source – and lately, a lot of them are lovin’ AppLovin.
This mobile advertising platform, originally built for mobile apps and games, has quickly evolved into a powerful growth engine for eCommerce and affiliate campaigns.
In simple terms, AppLovin lets you run ads inside mobile apps (and even on connected TV), reaching a huge audience of smartphone users.
With claims of Facebook-level results and untapped audiences, it’s no surprise that affiliates – especially those promoting ecommerce or nutraceutical (“nutra”) offers – are increasingly testing AppLovin in their campaign mix.
If you’re an affiliate media buyer or ecom advertiser, you’ve probably heard AppLovin mentioned in a few Telegram chats or Slack groups lately.
AppLovin: The New Traffic Source in Town
AppLovin is a mobile in-app ad network that connects advertisers to over 1.4 billion daily active users across thousands .
Think of those games or free apps on your phone – AppLovin is the platform showing ads there.
For years, AppLovin mainly helped mobile game developers get installs. But recently it opened the gates to eCommerce advertisers and affiliates, making it a hot new channel for products outside of the app world.
Why the buzz?
Early adopters report that AppLovin is “underpriced” and delivering “crazy” ROI right now.
Fewer advertisers (so far) means less competition for impressions.
Many media buyers are seeing cost per purchase rates that rival or beat Facebook.
In fact, one analytics firm found AppLovin’s average ROAS (return on ad spend) was 45% higher than Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and 74% higher than other platforms for the test campaigns they tracked.
That’s a huge performance edge!
The platform’s AI-driven algorithm (named AXON 2.0) learns quickly who will convert, and it optimizes your campaigns in real time to find the right buyers.
In other words, AppLovin does a lot of the heavy lifting for targeting – you just provide the budget and creatives, and it figures out the best places to show your ads.
Another reason affiliates are excited is the audience.
AppLovin’s reach isn’t the same old social media crowd; it’s folks playing mobile games, using utility apps, or watching streaming TV.
These are “untapped high-value audiences” that haven’t been bombarded by the usual Facebook (Meta Ads) and Google Ads.
For nutra offers (diet supplements, skin creams, male enhancement, etc.) this is a big deal.
Many of these products appeal to a broad consumer base – exactly the kind of people killing time in mobile apps.
Showing a weight-loss ad inside a popular puzzle game might sound odd, but it can work wonders when the targeting AI finds users who recently showed interest in fitness or health.
Less ad fatigue + high intent = great conversion potential. Affiliates are reporting that AppLovin traffic converts new customers at a high rate and even boosts brand search volume on other channels (a “halo effect”).
One super-affiliate noted that after scaling up on AppLovin, they saw a surge in Google searches for their product and a lift in Amazon sales too – meaning the in-app ads drove awareness that spilled over beyond the app itself.
Types of Traffic and Ads on AppLovin (AppDiscovery & MAX)
AppLovin’s ecosystem has a couple of parts, but the key ones for media buyers are AppDiscovery and MAX.
AppDiscovery is the user acquisition platform – essentially the campaign management side where you as an advertiser set up your ads to find high-value customers at scale. You don’t manually target interests or specific apps; instead, you rely on AppLovin’s AI to automatically target users most likely to convert, across a huge range of apps.
It continuously optimizes by shifting your budget to the placements and audiences that drive the best ROAS. This is great for affiliates who don’t have deep targeting data – AppLovin’s machine learning figures it out for you in real time.
MAX, on the other hand, is AppLovin’s monetization and ad delivery platform – basically the supply side. MAX connects to tons of mobile apps and ad exchanges through a unified auction, giving your campaigns access to premium in-app inventory from 25+ ad networks and many direct app publishers.
For a media buyer, this means when you run an AppLovin campaign, your ads could appear as native ads in an app’s feed, fullscreen interstitials between game levels, rewarded videos (where users watch an ad for some in-game reward), or even playable ads (interactive mini-ad experiences).
Don’t worry – you don’t have to create special playable ads if you don’t want to.
Standard video or image creatives can run as interstitials or native units seamlessly.
In fact, one big plus noted by early users is “no need for new creatives” – often, the same videos or images you used on Facebook can perform well on AppLovin.
The platform reportedly does 7-day click optimization, meaning it optimizes toward users who convert within a week of clicking.
This longer optimization window can help capture those purchases that don’t happen immediately, which is great for nutra offers that might use a longer sales funnel (for example, a user sees the ad, reads a long advertorial, and buys a day or two later).
In summary, AppDiscovery + MAX = you get a massive reach of in-app traffic with smart optimization.
Your ads could be shown in puzzle games, weather apps, news apps, you name it – wherever the algorithm finds pockets of users likely to buy your product. And because MAX aggregates so much inventory, you can scale a winning campaign rapidly without immediately running into supply limits.
Practical Tips for Running Affiliate Campaigns on AppLovin
Ready to dive in?
Before you throw your credit card at AppLovin, here are some practical tips to succeed (especially if you’re an affiliate promoting nutra or eCommerce offers):
- Budget:
- Start with a healthy daily budget to give AppLovin’s AI enough data.
- Many media buyers recommend at least $100+ per day per campaign as a starting point, if possible. AppLovin will spend your budget fast (it has a lot of traffic), so be prepared.
- If that’s too high, you can start lower, but understand the algorithm might need more time to learn.
- Remember, AppLovin currently works on an invite or approval basis for many advertisers – historically it was a managed platform for big spenders (brands doing $20k/day on Meta).
- The good news is a self-serve interface is rolling out in 2025 to make it accessible to smaller budgets. (Some early users even snagged free ad credit offers to test the platform – check if any promos are available)
- Start with what you’re comfortable risking, but know that to truly gauge performance you might need to spend a few thousand dollars over several days.
- One e-commerce affiliate shared that over 30 days they spent $21k and made $51k back (2.4X ROAS) – a great result. But that also shows the scale at which many are testing.
- Tip: allocate budget for a solid 1-2 week test run so the algorithm can exit its “learning phase” and optimize.
- Creatives: Come armed with multiple creatives.
- While AppLovin doesn’t seem to require constant new ads like Facebook (some have noted you can run winning creatives for longer without fatigue), you still should test a variety, especially upfront.
- A good rule of thumb is to launch with 3-5 different creatives (videos or images) per offer. This gives the algorithm choices to find what resonates with in-app audiences.
- Short, engaging video ads tend to do well – e.g. a 15-30 second video highlighting the product’s problem/solution or a quick demo.
- Static images can also work for native placements; think eye-catching visuals that blend into app content but still draw attention (just avoid looking too much like a banner ad). Remember, users aren’t on social media, so an ad might actually catch them off-guard in a fun way.
- Also, take advantage of “end cards.” After a user watches a video ad, AppLovin often shows an end card – basically a final still image with a call-to-action (like a mini-landing page between the ad and your site).
- You can upload custom end cards to improve performance. For example, show a strong call-to-action or a catchy tagline about your nutra product on the end card to push users to click through. Top affiliates treat the end card as an extension of the ad: test different headlines or images there, just like you’d test landing pages.
- A good rule of thumb is to launch with 3-5 different creatives (videos or images) per offer. This gives the algorithm choices to find what resonates with in-app audiences.
- While AppLovin doesn’t seem to require constant new ads like Facebook (some have noted you can run winning creatives for longer without fatigue), you still should test a variety, especially upfront.
Here is what somebody says on a group talking about Applovin:
“End cards are a major lever on AppLovin. We see 60%+ of clicks happen there (though a sizable % of them could be inadvertent X outs lol)Our experience and best practice is to test a variety of styles like static, animated, and interactive. Running multiple styles helps avoid creative fatigue and reach different customer segments. Benefit-driven messaging tends to perform best, especially when the copy focuses on clear outcomes, ie. “Feel better in 5 days” or “Deeper sleep tonight.”
Offer badges like you suggested do make a big difference, especially when they visually pop or include some subtle motion. If you’re promoting multiple SKUs, the newer closing End Card format on AppLovin is really worth testing. It displays clickable boxes of your actual products, basically creating a mini storefront that drives users directly to individual PDPs. We usually pair our top-performing videos with a few different End Cards and test combinations to find what converts best.
- Offer Selection:
- Focus on offers that have broad appeal and mobile-friendly flows.
- Nutra products are a natural fit – diet supplements, skincare, wellness offers, etc., that have mass-market appeal.
- These kinds of offers have been performing very well on AppLovin’s in-app traffic, according to affiliate case studies. Also, eCommerce products (gadgets, trendy consumer goods) that do well on Facebook/TikTok are worth testing on AppLovin.
- If your offer has an engaging video sales letter or advertorial, even better – those elements can warm up the traffic coming from the apps. Just make sure your landing pages are mobile-optimized (fast load, easy scrolling) since almost all AppLovin clicks are from mobile devices.
- One affiliate reported success with a VSL nutra offer by using an advertorial pre-lander and letting AppLovin’s AI target the right people; they scaled to seven figures in revenue in weeks.
- Compliance note: AppLovin is more lenient than Facebook on many verticals (you won’t get banned for a before-and-after image as easily), but it still has policies. Avoid overly sensational or misleading creatives. Keep things compliant (no outrageous claims like “Lose 30lbs overnight”) to stay off AppLovin’s ban radar – running clean will let you scale longer.
- Account Setup:
- Getting an AppLovin advertising account is straightforward, but you’ll need to provide some details.
- Go to AppLovin’s official site and sign up as an advertiser (choose “Grow my Website” if you’re promoting offers, not an app).
- You’ll be asked for business info like your company name, website URL, business email, and monthly ad spend range.
- Don’t worry if you’re a one-person affiliate without a big company – just fill in your affiliate business name or “Individual.”
- It’s recommended to use a professional email (matching your website domain) rather than a generic Gmail, to look more legit.
- Currently, some advertisers may still need a rep’s approval to go live (since AppLovin was invite-only for many until recently). If you don’t hear back immediately, you might reach out to their support or even network with peers (AppLovin ambassadors like Maor Benaim have been helping onboard eCom brands – networking can’t hurt!).
- Once approved, you’ll get access to the AppLovin dashboard where you can create campaigns, upload creatives, and set up tracking.
- Pro tip: use AppLovin’s SDK or tracking URLs to pass conversion data back for optimization (if you’re technical, they support postback tracking). And absolutely use your own tracker in parallel – more on that in a future article!
- Getting an AppLovin advertising account is straightforward, but you’ll need to provide some details.
- Just ensure you have your tracking set to a 7-day window as well to capture the full picture.
AppLovin Cheat Sheet for Media Buyers
| Area to Nail | Must‑Know Numbers & Actions | Quick Tips to Win Faster |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | • Aim for $100+/day per campaign to feed the AI enough data. • Plan a 1–2‑week test run (expect to spend a few thousand to exit learning). • Self‑serve interface opens in 2025, good for smaller budgets. | • If you start lower, allow more learning time. • Watch spend closely; AppLovin can burn budget fast. • Check promo credits or invite codes before launching. |
| Creatives | • Launch with 3–5 creatives (15–30 s videos or strong images). • Short video > static, but test both. • Custom end cards boost CTR, treat them like mini‑landers. | • Rotate fresh ads only when performance dips (fatigue is slower than on FB). • Split‑test end‑card headlines and CTAs like you do landing pages. |
| Offer Selection | • Pick broad‑appeal, mobile‑friendly offers: nutra, skincare, trending e‑com gadgets. • VSLs + advertorial pre‑landers convert well. • Keep landers fast + mobile first. | • Stay compliant, AppLovin is lenient but still has policies (no “lose 30 lbs overnight”). • Leverage advertorials to warm up in‑app traffic. |
| Account Setup | • Sign up as “Grow my Website.” • Provide company/site info, pro email, estimated spend. • Approval may still require a rep (legacy invite‑only roots). | • Use networking (e.g., Maor Benaim’s community) to speed approval. • Once approved, integrate AppLovin SDK or postbacks + run your own tracker (7‑day window recommended). |
Maor Benaim on Why AppLovin Is a Game-Changer
One of the leading voices in the affiliate world, Maor Benaim (aka “The Wolf”), has been very vocal about AppLovin.
In a video (“What is AppLovin and Why I Believe There’s a HUGE Advantage Right NOW”), Maor breaks down why this platform is such a big opportunity.
Spoiler: he’s spent over $3.5 million on AppLovin in a short span, so he talks from experience!
Here are the key takeaways from Maor’s insights:
- First-mover advantage: AppLovin’s in-app traffic is underpriced because not many eCom affiliates knew about it until recently.
- Early adopters (like Maor) are enjoying dirt-cheap CPMs and high returns before the masses arrive.
- Works for (almost) any product: AppLovin “works for pretty much anyone” in eCommerce.
- Whether you’re selling gadgets, home goods, or nutra supplements, the platform’s huge scale means it can find your niche of buyers somewhere in those 1.4B users.
- AI-Powered targeting: With AppLovin’s Axon 2.0 AI algorithm, you don’t micro-manage targeting – the AI figures out who to show the ads to, and it delivers sales.
- For example, if you’re promoting a keto diet offer, Axon might discover that puzzle game players who also have a fitness app installed tend to buy – and it will focus on them.
- The takeaway: trust the algorithm and feed it as much conversion data as you can (i.e. don’t be stingy with budget during the learning phase).
- This doesn’t mean your ads burn out that fast for everyone; he was spending big numbers, so he needed fresh material.
- The lesson for smaller affiliates: have a pipeline of new creatives ready if you plan to scale hard. But you might not need to swap them out until performance dips.
- Also, use those end cards! Optimizing the end card (the intermediary screen) boosts campaign performance. Sometimes designed custom end cards improve click-through to the offer page.
- For example, showing a “50% OFF if you tap now!” message on the end card can nudge users to continue to your pre-lander.
- Scaling and external impact: Interestingly, Maor observed that scaling on AppLovin created a “halo effect” on other channels.
- When his ads flooded the app networks, more people started Googling his product and buying on Amazon, etc.
- This suggests AppLovin is great not just for direct response sales, but also for brand lift. If you have a brand (or an affiliate offer that can benefit from multi-channel exposure), AppLovin can amplify your overall presence beyond the immediate conversions.
- When his ads flooded the app networks, more people started Googling his product and buying on Amazon, etc.
In short, Maor Benaim’s verdict is that AppLovin is a goldmine for affiliates right now, and those who jump in early can reap the rewards before the rest of the pack catches on. His advice is friendly but clear: test it, scale it, and don’t be afraid to “run it hard” if it’s working.
Key Takeaways from Another AppLovin Expert
Apart from Maor, other media buyers have started sharing their experiences with AppLovin.
One example is a video by Spencer Pawliw, who documented what happened when he tried AppLovin for 30 days.
Here are a few golden nuggets from that case study:
- Real-world ROAS: Spencer’s test campaign spent around $21,000 in one month and generated about $51,000 in sales, roughly a 2.4x ROAS.
- This was for a Shopify eCommerce brand.
- A 2.4x return out of the gate is impressive – it shows that AppLovin isn’t just theoretical hype; it can deliver solid profits. (For context, many brands would be thrilled to scale at 1.5-2x on Facebook these days.)
- This kind of result validates that AppLovin traffic buys when targeted correctly.
- Creative & funnel matters: Spencer highlighted that the creative and landing page funnel still play a huge role. His campaign did well because he used engaging video ads and had a smooth, high-converting landing page.
- In other words, AppLovin isn’t magic – if your offer page is a mess or your ad is boring, results will suffer.
- Affiliates should apply the same best practices as any other platform: make sure your ad grabs attention, your pre-sell page warms the user up, and your offer page closes the deal (with a strong call-to-action, clear benefits, etc.).
- Prepare for success: One interesting point from these 30-day results is that scaling on AppLovin can happen fast, so you need to have your back-end in order.
- For a nutra offer, this means ensure your supply chain or CPA network can handle the volume, your payment processing won’t flag sudden spikes, and you’re tracking every metric.
Overall, the consensus from various early adopters: AppLovin is delivering strong results for affiliate campaigns, often comparable to (or better than) the big channels like Facebook.
It’s particularly shining for eCommerce and nutra because of the broad yet targeted reach. Just be prepared to allocate decent budget, test multiple creatives, and keep an eye on your metrics.
FAQ
How can affiliates run nutra campaigns on AppLovin?
Affiliates can run nutra (nutraceutical) campaigns on AppLovin by signing up as an advertiser on AppLovin and launching campaigns similar to how they would on Facebook or Native ads. You’ll need to provide your landing pages and offer links (usually a pre-lander or advertorial + the offer checkout page) and create engaging ads that comply with guidelines.
AppLovin’s algorithm will do the targeting for you, but you should monitor your cost per conversion and tweak your creatives or end cards as needed.
The key is to have a mobile-optimized funnel: for example, an intriguing video ad (maybe showing a problem/solution or testimonial), a catchy end card (“Continue to learn how X lost 20lbs…” etc.), a convincing pre-lander story, and then the product page. Affiliates have found that nutra offers like diet supplements, skincare, and male enhancement do well, especially if you use an advertorial that resonates with a broad audience.
Tip: Start with a CPP campaign telling AppLovin your target CPA (e.g. $30 per sale) so it optimizes for purchases within that cost – it’s a friendly way to let the AI find you buyers at a sustainable price.
What creatives work best on AppLovin?
From current trends, short-form video ads are the top performers on AppLovin for many offers.
Videos in the 15-30 second range that quickly grab attention – think TikTok-style or Facebook video ad style – tend to do great. For a nutra offer, that might be a quick montage of the product in use, a shocking before/after (within reason), or a person talking about the benefit (“I was struggling with X, until I tried Y…”).
Animated graphics or gameplay-style ads can also work if they catch the eye – remember, these ads often show up in games, so a bit of creative flair is good. Static images can also perform, particularly in native placements or as banner-style ads.
If you use static images, make them clear and attractive: bold headline text, a striking image of the product or result, etc. Also, don’t forget the end card if you use video – that final clickable image with a call-to-action can significantly boost click-through rates.
Make it count with a strong message like “Claim Your 50% Off – Tap Here!”. Lastly, test multiple creatives. What works on Facebook might also work on AppLovin, but sometimes a different style might unexpectedly outperform. So try a variety (lifestyle footage, testimonial style, text-on-screen, etc.) and let AppLovin’s AI favor the winners.
Is AppLovin traffic good for eCommerce products?
Absolutely. AppLovin is proving to be a fantastic traffic source for eCommerce, especially for products that appeal to a wide audience.
Many DTC brands are seeing Facebook-like performance.
The in-app environment means you can reach users when they’re casually scrolling or gaming, which is a great moment to introduce a cool product. As long as your product isn’t super niche (e.g. a very specialized B2B gadget), you can likely find success.
We’ve seen everything from home fitness gear to kitchen gadgets to fashion items sell via AppLovin traffic.
Just ensure your ad is compelling and your mobile site is smooth. One big advantage for eCommerce is scale – some brands report AppLovin quickly became a top 3 channel in their media mix due to the sheer volume of traffic available.
So if you have a product that’s working in other channels, it’s worth testing it on AppLovin to potentially unlock new scale.
How do I track my AppLovin campaign performance?
AppLovin provides its own dashboard metrics (impressions, clicks, conversions if you integrate tracking), but as an affiliate you should absolutely use your own tracking solution.
This lets you see detailed data like which apps or placements are yielding conversions, how different creatives are doing, and your ROI in real-time. A tracker like CPV Lab is ideal – you can set up your AppLovin campaign URL with tracking tokens to capture things like app ID, creative ID, etc., and send conversion pings back.
By using CPV Lab (or another tracker), you maintain full control and insight into your funnel. This is crucial for optimization: for example, you might discover 80% of your conversions are coming from one particular app placement – you’d want to know that!
While AppLovin’s own reporting is getting better (especially with their acquisition of Adjust for attribution), nothing beats having your own data. It also helps you verify AppLovin’s numbers and do cross-channel attribution. In short: use AppLovin’s platform to run the traffic, but use CPV Lab to track the traffic.
How many creatives should I start with on AppLovin?
Begin with a focused set of 3-5 strong creative concepts per ad group. Allow the AppLovin algorithm 24-72 hours to gather initial performance data. Then, analyze results and iterate by creating variations of your top-performing creatives.
What’s a good daily budget for testing AppLovin campaigns?
This depends on your overall marketing budget and goals. A common approach is to allocate 10-20x your target CPI per ad set for the initial learning phase. For example, if your target CPI is $5, a test budget of $50-$100 per day per ad set could be a starting point to gather sufficient data.
How quickly does AppLovin’s algorithm learn and optimize campaigns?
The learning phase duration can vary based on budget, conversion volume, and data signals. With adequate budget and consistent conversions (typically aiming for 20-50 conversions per ad set per day for initial learning), you might see performance stabilize within 3-7 days. Lower budgets or conversion volumes can extend this period.
Ready to give AppLovin a try?
The affiliate world is always changing, and right now AppLovin is a bright and shiny opportunity. It offers the scale of a big ad network with the novelty of a new traffic source – a potent combo.
Many are calling it the biggest eCommerce advertising breakthrough in years.
The best part is you don’t have to completely reinvent your marketing; you can bring your existing winning offers and creatives into AppLovin and potentially find a whole new pool of customers. Just remember to start smart: use the tips above, keep an eye on your data, and always track everything (CPV Lab and CPV One has your back on that!).
With the right setup, you might just find yourself lovin’ the results. 😉
So go forth, test AppLovin, and may your ROI be ever in your favor!
Other Resources
- Read the Full Advertiser Policy:
- Review AppLovin’s Developer Documentation:
- MAX Mediation Documentation: https://developers.applovin.com/en/max/getting-started/
