Hello, community! Traditionally, most internet users only remember cookies when something goes wrong with a website: maybe the page loads incorrectly, or some unexpected bug pops up. This can even create the impression that cookies only cause problems. But in reality, you’ll be surprised when you learn about their real benefits.
Before we begin, we still recommend checking out some of our other materials. For example, recently we explained what a pixel and postback are. Enjoy reading!
What Are Cookies?
In fact, cookies are a very simple tool. Basically, they are small text files that contain specific information about a user. Thanks to cookies, different online services better understand who is in front of them: ad networks tailor ads more effectively, websites remember login details, creating a smoother user experience, and more.
But why exactly “cookies”? If you dig a bit deeper, you’ll find out it’s a reference to “fortune cookies” – the Chinese cookies with a prediction inside, still popular in mass culture today.
However, our cookies, unlike fortune cookies, are much more predictable. They don’t contain any mystery – only real traffic data that can be useful to us, affiliates.
What Is Stored in Cookies and What Types Are There?
To better understand the value of cookies, you need to know what information they collect and store. Typically, they contain details about:
- User’s personal data. This may include login and password used for authentication, email address, and sometimes even full name.
- Technical data. For example, the device used to access the site, browser details, and even the user’s IP address.
- Settings. For instance – the chosen language of the device or the website interface. This helps us better understand targeting.
- Actions. Sometimes cookies can almost “track” the user: noting the products they viewed, their likes, or comments they left.
What actions get recorded in cookies depends on different factors: both on the site or service itself, and on their type. In general, we can distinguish the following cookies:
- Persistent and session. Persistent cookies are stored in the browser permanently, while session cookies remain only until the user closes the tab.
- Provider cookies. They are not tied to a specific website, but instead are visible to everyone. The user cannot delete them, which can be an advantage for “cookie hunters.”
- Third-party cookies. Yes, a website owner can add external cookies. But mostly, this is done by advertising platforms to better understand traffic behavior and habits.
There are also zombie cookies (and no, this is not some meme reference). They are stored not on the site or with the provider, but, for example, in a browser extension. Accordingly, they are also very difficult to remove, which can be useful for affiliates in certain situations.
Why Should an Affiliate Know This?
Affiliate programs also pay attention to cookies. This is necessary to properly distribute conversions. Let’s simulate a situation:
- The user clicks your link. Cookies are assigned to them on the landing page.
- They don’t buy anything, but later visit the same landing page through another link. They receive new cookies.
- Depending on the affiliate program’s payout model, the commission will go either to you or another affiliate. This must be agreed in advance to avoid conflicts with the network in the future.
In general, there are last cookie wins and first cookie wins. In the first case, the conversion is credited to the affiliate whose link was clicked last. In the second – the affiliate who generated the first cookies, meaning the one who first brought the lead to the landing page.
There is also an intermediate option, when the reward is shared among multiple affiliates. This practice is very common in E-commerce, but it can also be found in other verticals.
Ad networks also pay attention to cookies. But first of all – to yours. They want to make sure your cookies are not “clean.” Otherwise, it may signal that the ads are being launched by a bot. That’s why you need to take care of fingerprinting, approach account farming more carefully, and so on. And don’t forget about the option to simply buy cookies. Sometimes this option really helps.
Conclusion
Cookies are actively used in affiliate marketing. Sometimes they guarantee your payout, or on the contrary – ruin it. This is especially important when it comes to expensive conversions. For example – products that people take weeks to decide to purchase. In such cases, there is a risk that the client will return to the store later via another link. And in such a situation, you must understand whether you’ll get the conversion or not.
Also, cookies – or rather their absence – may prevent you from launching your ad campaign on platforms like Facebook. Even worse, your account could get banned with a balance on it, all because of missing fingerprinting.
Thus, cookies are always following us: both as affiliates and as regular internet users. How often do you think about cookies – do you always clean them up, or maybe instead you collect and store them? Share your experience (not your cookies) in our Telegram community, where we always discuss the most interesting and important news from the world of affiliate marketing!
Sincerely, Your Geek!