Direct advertisers vs CPA networks: pros, cons, risks

Hello, community! For beginners, it’s very hard to start working in affiliate marketing for many reasons. But the main one is a completely understandable and normal fear. In particular, the fear that you’ll be scammed, and as a result, all the money spent on a campaign will turn into pure losses. 

Today we’ll analyze what’s better: working with advertisers directly or through CPA networks. What advantages and disadvantages each type of cooperation has, and what’s best for beginners. 

Before we start, let us remind you that we already wrote about what revshare is and how to work with it. So if you are looking for the best payout model, we strongly recommend checking it out. 

What’s the Issue? 

Affiliate marketing has existed for a very long time. So obviously, many players of different scales have appeared on the market: from huge recognizable brands, especially in gambling, to little-known titles.  

Interaction models with advertisers also differ. The simplest start for any beginner is to run traffic on an offer through a CPA network. But sometimes advertisers offer direct cooperation. And although payouts in such a case may seem very sweet, you should pay attention not only to the financial aspect. Yes, such situations happen.  

Pros and Cons of Working Through a CPA Network 

Let’s start with the most obvious option that’s on the surface — working with offers through a CPA network. Mechanically, everything is as simple and clear as possible: register in the network, choose an offer, create a flow, and send traffic to the link. No problems! And this is already a big advantage when you don’t have to waste time on extra hassle just to start earning. 

But the advantages don’t stop there. The reasons why it’s worth starting with a CPA network include: 

1. Working conditions. For example, 24/7 support, which can be an irreplaceable assistant for anyone just starting in affiliate marketing. This helps compensate for the lack of even basic knowledge, which is completely normal for beginners. 
2. Help with launching campaigns. You may be provided with creatives or other supporting materials that help drive traffic to the offer more effectively. 
3. Wide choice of offers. You’re not limited to one product. Moreover, these can be completely different niches, and you can run traffic to them simultaneously. A direct advertiser is unlikely to offer you such flexibility. 
4. Basic tools for a smooth start. If you don’t want to spend money and time on buying and setting up your own tracker, you can use the partner network’s tools. Direct advertisers usually don’t bother much with creating comfortable conditions for affiliates. 
5. Bonuses and loyalty programs. Large networks retain professional affiliates by offering more favorable cooperation terms, efficiency bonuses, gifts, etc. 

It’s worth noting this only applies to quality and trusted networks, which is obvious. You can find their list in our partner networks section. 

But even verified CPA networks have one common drawback — commissions. Theoretically, if you only look at pure rates per conversion, a direct advertiser can offer more. But that’s only because they don’t need to spend money on creating the infrastructure a typical CPA network provides. 

Pros and Cons of Working Directly With an Advertiser 

Starting to work with an advertiser directly, especially a big brand, is more difficult. Large companies are unlikely to pay attention to a solo affiliate, preferring to work with a team.  

Nevertheless, there are exceptions. Many advertisers are open to cooperation, and sometimes — they only work directly with affiliates. There are many reasons: from saving money to shortening the communication chain, which helps promote their brand more effectively. 

The advantages of working directly with an advertiser include: 

• Direct communication. This allows you to learn about new products earlier, get extra insights, and promote more effectively. For example, by learning product features that can be used in creatives. 
• The possibility to run traffic on the advertiser’s budget. This option is mostly for affiliate teams, but the fact that it exists is a plus. 
• Individual conditions. In networks, this option is available only to pro affiliates. When working directly, you agree in advance on all aspects: payout frequency, minimums, model, etc. 

But the downsides still exist. They include: 

• No proper tools for convenient work. Sometimes you won’t even be given a referral link, and you’ll need to build almost the entire infrastructure yourself. 
• Risk of being scammed. At any moment, the advertiser can accuse you of sending bad traffic. And they’ll rely only on their feelings, not concrete data. So the risk of shaving is probably higher than when working with a CPA network. 
• No flexibility. You’ll most likely run traffic only on one product. So your room for experiments and tests is quite limited. 

So despite all the advantages, which are quite significant, sometimes the drawbacks may outweigh them. 

Conclusion 

So what’s better for a beginner? Most likely, beginners won’t even have other options besides starting with a CPA network. But there’s nothing bad about this. On the contrary, for someone without experience, it’s much easier to launch their first campaign in a network where support is always ready to help. 

Experienced affiliates, especially teams, are more likely to choose working directly with an advertiser. But only with large brands, and only on individual terms. 

And what would you choose? Share your thoughts in our Telegram community, where we always discuss the most relevant topics from the world of affiliate marketing. 

Best regards, Your Geek!