When it comes to defining Tiers, things get complicated, as there is no universal classification. Tier-1 traditionally encompasses countries from Western Europe and Northern America. But what about Tier-2?
In this article, we’ll try to explain which countries are usually included in Tier-2 list, why they are a good pick for all kinds of affiliates, and what are the best ways to maximize your traffic generation potential there.
Tier-Based System Origins
There is no universally accepted standard for what constitutes a Tier-1, Tier-2, or Tier-3 country, and different sources may use varying criteria and classifications, mostly economical and political ones. Attempts to introduce a universal classification are being made but reading 200+ indicators — it’s easier to learn affiliate marketing from scratch.
A rough approximation is to say that Tiers continue the idea of dividing the world into the first, second, and third parts. Nowadays, Tiers are typically defined based on factors such as economic development, political stability, legislation, market size, infrastructure, and other indicators.
In the context of affiliate marketing, Tier-1 countries are considered developed, wealthy, and politically stable; the audience there is used to advertising, plus the demand for this market is high. Another extreme is Tier-3 countries, turning the pros & cons upside down: humble economic development coupled with large traffic volumes and untapped potential. Tier-2 countries sit in-between, taking a bit of the best from both camps: traffic affordability and volumes.
Tier-2 Country List
Tier-2 countries boast an upper-middle level of income, good traffic volume, political stability, and market openness. Most of these countries speak English as their foreign language, so they are ideal for starters, offering milder competition and good payouts. Typically, Tier-2 countries include CIS and LATAM countries. Still, there are more:
- Albania 🇦🇱
- Andorra 🇦🇩
- Argentina 🇦🇷
- Belarus 🇧🇾
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦
- Brazil 🇧🇷
- Bulgaria 🇧🇬
- Croatia 🇭🇷
- Cyprus 🇨🇾
- Estonia 🇪🇪
- Greece 🇬🇷
- Hong Kong 🇭🇰
- Hungary 🇭🇺
- Japan 🇯🇵
- Latvia 🇱🇻
- Lithuania 🇱🇹
- Macedonia 🇲🇰
- Malta 🇲🇹
- Moldova 🇲🇩
- Montenegro 🇲🇪
- Republic of Korea (South) 🇰🇷
- Romania 🇷🇴
- Serbia 🇷🇸
- Singapore 🇸🇬
- Slovakia 🇸🇰
- Turkey 🇹🇷
- United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
The list is not exhaustive and highly subjective, as, for example, China, Kazakhstan, Mexico are upper-middle economies. Moreover, Japan, South Korea, and Greece enjoy high income but are chameleons regarding Tier-1 classification. As a rule of thumb:
- Tier-1: Western Europe and Northern America
- Tier-2: CIS, LATAM, SEA, and developed non-Western countries
- Tier-3: the rest of the world with internet access
- Tier-4: no access to the global internet
Specifics of Tier-2 and Available Verticals
Advantages:
- Well-off audience that can pay
- Good payouts
- Tolerable CPM and CPC
- Popular local social media
- Less ad launching restrictions
- Adequate competition
- Decent traffic volume
Disadvantages:
- Localization involves exotic languages
- Not all typical payment methods are available
- Unique cultures, which pose additional challenges
Most of the Tier-2 countries are highly developed with high internet penetration rate, at least in the urban areas. People frequent the internet, online payments are common, plus the audience is somewhat rich. As a result, eCommerce, Finances, and online activity in general bustle here.
Local users are aware of the dangers of the internet, which is why Antiviruses are also doing great. Some GEOs have local censorship enabled, which boosts the demand for VPN services. Finally, users strive for a better digital experience and don’t mind spending money on Software and Utilities.
People here are not resistant to ads just yet, which is why a chance of winning something can sway the audience. This is particularly useful for CC Submits, Giveaways, and even Dating. Alternatively, Health & Beauty offers are also a solid pick, especially for rural areas, where people believe in traditional medicine more.
Pushes and OnClicks Deliver Conversions
Keep in mind that the audience is not ad blind yet. That’s why Push notifications, especially mimicking some local apps and platforms, get stable clicks. But it is important to localize them for maximum impact; they say personalization is key for a reason.
If the audience goes ad blind nonetheless, you can always settle for OnClicks, which are harder to miss. Minimalistic PopUnders tend to perform best, as they are perceived as less annoying. You can gather more info or nudge the user in the right direction with follow-up campaigns, e.g., with Push notifications.
Tips to Ease Entering Tier-2
A collection of tips & hints from us to make your marketing journey in Tier-2 easier:
- GEO research is crucial: use Country Comparison Tool to make a psychological portrait of your audience and tailor your campaigns accordingly.
- English is a solid pick for starters: like we’ve said, English is a second language in most of the Tier-2 countries. This will do for first campaigns, but if you want to achieve higher results, localization is needed.
- Localization is more than translation: punctuation, local currencies, orthography, plus local specifics might make an even bigger impact — the devil is in details.
- Local holidays and events are important: it’s not only about event-marketing, as some holidays can lower traffic volume, so launching a campaign during these days might be a waste of budget.
- Sometimes you can get away with good enough quality: unlike Tier-1, which require perfection in every detail, Tier-2 communities are less picky. That’s why you can make more decent-looking campaigns per time unit.
- Local people dream of becoming rich quickly: use this to your advantage in your creatives and funnels.
A List of Offers for Tier-2
As a cherry on top of the cake, we’ve compiled a list of our best Tier-2 offers (as of March 13, 2024). Check them out now and let’s make a profit together.
Global – Push Subscription Video Player Update – Chrome Android – CPS
Optimized for Pop traffic
Payout and CR depends on the GEO
Offer ID: 766
Global – AVC Antivirus & Cleaner – CPI (Rates in the description)
PopAds/Push
CR/Payout depends on GEO
Average CR: 4.8% for BR 🇧🇷, DE 🇩🇪, and TR 🇹🇷
Offer ID: 340⠀
FR – Avast Premium – CPA
Push
Payout: $60
Average CR: 1.5–2%
Offer ID: 510
WW – AVG Mobile Security – CPS
Push/PopAds
Payout: Depends on GEO, up to $50
Average CR: 4.6%
Offer ID: 890
FR – Dating – Click2sms flow
Push/PopAds
Payout: $4.5
Average CR: 1%
Offer ID: 96
CpaRoll is a long-standing partner of ours. Use their offers in tandem with our traffic sources to maximize the output of your marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
Tier-2 is a solid pick for beginners and seasoned affiliates. They promise humbler payouts than Tier-1 communities, but compensate for it with less competition, lower bidding prices, and fewer ad blind users. This group also boasts higher traffic volumes, considering that local GEOs are well-populated. Most importantly, the majority of the users have access to the internet, which is why your potential audience is huge.
Finally, Push notifications and OnClicks resonate with the audience well there, because the users are less fed up with ads. And with the help from RollerAds, Tier-2 might become your favorite pick to start off a campaign.
