Sweepstakes are not just simple giveaways; they are a proven opportunity to transform traffic into a steady source of income. With their straightforward participation mechanics and high conversion rates, the Sweepstakes vertical stands out as one of the most profitable in affiliate marketing. Particularly noteworthy are offers tied to popular financial platforms like CashApp, which naturally attract user trust and engagement.
In this case study, we will explore how to set up a successful campaign for CashApp Sweepstakes, highlight strategies that can drive impressive ROI, and explain why this vertical continues to dominate the affiliate marketing landscape.
Key Points
Offer: Cash App (Sweepstakes)
GEO: US (United States)
Traffic: Non-Mainstream and Mainstream High and Medium Activity
Ad Format: Popunder mobile
OS: Android
Ad campaign period: 3 September – 18 September
Revenue: $1,097.87
ROI: 73%
A bit about the vertical and the CashApp service
Sweepstakes is one of the most successful and sought-after verticals in traffic arbitrage, especially in high-demand markets like the United States. The simplicity of its mechanics makes this format particularly appealing: users are offered the chance to win valuable prizes with minimal effort — typically by filling out a form, providing contact details, or completing simple actions.
The key to Sweepstakes’ success lies in its combination of a low entry threshold for users and high conversion rates for affiliates. This format attracts a wide range of audiences, from younger users looking to try their luck to more mature audiences interested in specific offers.
CashApp Sweepstakes: Advantages of the Offer
An offer tied to the CashApp service takes the Sweepstakes vertical to a whole new level. In this case, users are invited to participate in a draw for cash prizes or vouchers redeemable within the CashApp platform. This approach works effectively in two key ways:
High Engagement Thanks to Brand Recognition:
CashApp is one of the most popular payment services in the United States. Its trusted reputation reduces barriers to participation, as users feel confident engaging with the brand. The platform’s strong recognition and positive reputation increase users’ willingness to participate in giveaways and share their information.
Value for Users:
CashApp offers a wide array of features, such as sending money, paying for purchases, and investing in stocks and cryptocurrencies. This makes it more than just a payment service — it’s a comprehensive financial tool that is growing in demand. Participating in a CashApp Sweepstakes not only provides the opportunity to win a prize but also introduces users to a platform they can continue using for various financial needs.
Why Do Sweepstakes Offers Perform So Well?
Ease of Participation:
Joining these campaigns is straightforward — users fill out a form, sign up for the service, or complete simple tasks such as downloading an app.
Incentives with Real Value:
The prizes offered in such campaigns have tangible value, such as cash or vouchers for a widely-used service.
Broad Audience Appeal:
Popular services like CashApp reach millions of users, including young people and those who actively use mobile apps for financial transactions. This makes campaigns highly versatile and effective across diverse audience segments.
High Profitability Potential:
In the Sweep vertical, the user journey to conversion is typically short, which reduces the cost per acquisition (eCPA). In the case of CashApp, this is further reinforced by the trust associated with the brand.
To learn more about Sweepstakes offers and how to maximize their potential, be sure to check out the expert podcast featuring HilltopAds and Zeydoo on YouTube!
Strategy
To execute the advertising campaign, the Popunder mobile format was chosen, as it perfectly suits the Sweepstakes vertical, especially in premium Tier-1 GEOs like the United States. The strategy aimed to maximize audience engagement and conversions by leveraging a well-designed combination of the popunder format, an appealing landing page, and a strong offer tied to the popular CashApp service. Considering the specifics of the GEO, the focus was on an active mobile audience, which predominantly interacts with offers through smartphones and tablets. The campaign ran for two weeks (from September 3 to 18), providing ample time for optimization and high-quality traffic acquisition.
The approach was built on creating a strong first impression: the popunder immediately captures the user’s attention by opening the ad in a new tab, eliminating distractions from other on-page elements. On the offer’s landing page, users were prompted to complete a few simple steps: provide contact details, install the CashApp application (if required), and finalize their participation by verifying their information. Upon meeting the conditions, users received rewards in the form of promo codes or bonuses. The straightforward and seamless conversion path, strengthened by the credibility of the renowned CashApp brand, facilitated high-quality audience acquisition and ensured the campaign’s efficiency.
The United States, as the primary GEO, is a top-performing region for Sweepstakes for a reason. It is one of the most monetizable markets due to the audience’s high purchasing power, engagement, and familiarity with participating in promotions. CashApp, as a widely recognized payment service in the U.S., added additional appeal to the offer, enhancing its attractiveness.
Additional Tips for Sweepstakes Creatives
When crafting creatives for the Sweepstakes vertical, several key factors are critical for driving user conversions:
Attention to Detail:
Ensure that the information provided about the number of winners, participation terms, GEO, and deadlines is accurate and trustworthy to build audience confidence.
Engaging Visuals:
Use bright, compelling visuals that help users imagine their desired prize or bonus. Simple yet effective illustrations make the offer feel more tangible and emotionally engaging.
Sense of Urgency:
Include a countdown timer on the landing page—a classic and effective method to encourage users to act quickly without delaying their participation.
These timeless rules never fail! However, it’s essential to strike the right balance—overloading the campaign with too many features or alerts can overwhelm users. Moderation is key to maintaining effectiveness.
Now, let’s move on to the setup and optimization of the campaign on the HilltopAds platform.
General settings for an advertising campaign on the HilltopAds platform
Before launching an advertising campaign on HilltopAds, you need to register as an advertiser. You can register using this link.
Next, to create an advertising campaign, you need to:
- Go to the Manage Campaigns section
- Click the Add Campaign button
- In the campaign creation section, select the Popunder mobile ad format
- In the Traffic Channels section, choose Non-Mainstream High and Medium Activity; Mainstream High and Medium Activity
Next, it’s essential to set up the Postback to track the results of your ad campaign.
For a detailed description of working with Postback and the available placeholders, check out our guide.
In simple terms, for the final URL of the offer, we need to insert parameters to pass conversions and source IDs. The parameter for passing conversions is click_id, and the source ID is zone_id.
As a result, our Final Destination URL should look like this:
https://my_offer.net/?&click_id={{ctoken}}&s1={{zoneid}}
- {{ctoken}} – HilltopAds parameter for passing conversions.
- {{zoneid}} – HilltopAds parameter for passing source ID.
In general, you can add absolutely any parameter from the available options that is necessary for further campaign analysis. However, remember that it is essential to include the click_id parameter in the final link to pass conversions.
Next, we set the necessary targeting settings:
- GEO – US (United States)
- Device – mobile and tablet
- OS – Android
You can also configure campaign filters and allow/disallow Proxy and WebView traffic from the campaign. In this case, we enabled the WebView filter while disabling Proxy traffic:
- Proxy – disallow
- WebView – allow
Allowing WebView ensures compatibility with mobile apps and browsers, often used by users engaging with Sweepstakes offers.
To kick off the campaign effectively, we selected the Premium CPM bid of $2.93. This choice was guided by analyzing the Traffic Volumes graph, which outlines the Premium, Minimum, and Recommended CPM rates. By opting for the Premium bid, we ensured access to the highest-quality traffic and maximized our potential for impressions and conversions from the very start.
Our advice: to test a new offer, start with the recommended CPM. This will show whether the offer is effective and whether the campaign needs optimization
Optimization and intermediate results
From the start of our campaign, we implemented automatic optimization settings to ensure efficient traffic management and maximize performance. The system was configured with the following criteria: any zone receiving more than 1,500 impressions but generating fewer than 1 conversion within a 48-hour period was automatically blacklisted. This approach allowed us to immediately cut off underperforming traffic sources and focus on higher-quality zones.
While overall spend increased, the return on investment justified the higher costs. The campaign ran for 16 days, and the performance metrics are detailed in the attached screenshot from the Volume tracker.
Traffic Volume and CPM rates
To start working with the tracker, you need to add the traffic source and the offers that you plan to promote.
Check out the guide on how to set up Voluum and HilltopAds:
Results
After carefully tuning the advertising campaign for 16 days, we achieved the following results:
- Total Costs (Spent) – $634.61
- Total Earnings (Profit) – $1,097.87
- ROI (Return on Investment) – 73%
The statistics for 16 days
ROI is one of the key indicators in digital marketing that allows you to assess the profitability of an advertising campaign. In simple terms, ROI shows you the percentage of advertising investments that you have managed to recover through earnings from the ads.
The formula for calculating ROI is:
ROI = (total earnings – total cost) / total cost * 100%
Conclusion
The CashApp Sweepstakes campaign demonstrates the power of combining a strong offer, a trusted platform, and a well-crafted strategy. With an impressive 73% ROI, this case highlights how simple yet effective approaches can generate steady and meaningful profits.
By leveraging the simplicity of the Sweepstakes format and the trustworthiness of the CashApp brand, the campaign achieved high engagement and conversions. For affiliates, it underscores a key lesson: with the right tools, data-driven insights, and creativity, even “lazy profits” like $1,097.87 are achievable. This success story reinforces the value of pairing proven mechanics with precise execution to achieve exceptional results.
We’re excited to offer you a special promo code: SWEEPHT
Use it when making your first deposit of $100 or more at HilltopAds, and you’ll receive an additional 20% bonus!