In this case study, I’ll break down exactly how I ran a VPN trial offer targeting US traffic and ended up doubling my money — even though the offer had a relatively complex conversion flow. If you’re into high-payout CPA offers but worry about low conversion rates, this might give you a solid game plan.
The challenge here is that with trials, not every sign-up counts — only approved trials get paid. That means you need quality traffic and good targeting from day one.
The goal was simple: get targeted, affordable clicks while maximizing trial completions.
Here’s how I approached it:
After running the campaign for a short while, I started refining:
Total Spend: $347.76
Total Revenue: $775.20
Profit: $427.44
ROI: +123%
That’s more than doubling the investment in this campaign. CTR and CR were consistently higher on iOS-style creatives, which proved to be the main driver of conversions.
VPN trial offers can be tricky because they require approved sign-ups, not just clicks. For beginners, they might feel slow compared to simpler flows like CPI. But if you’re willing to monitor performance daily and adjust quickly, the payouts can make them very profitable.
In my case, testing wide, optimizing fast, and scaling only the proven winners was the formula for a 123% ROI.
Offer & Setup
- Vertical: VPN (trial conversion)
- GEO: United States
- Device Format: Mobile & Tablet (iOS 13.0+)
- Traffic Type: Social Bar CPC
- Conversion Type: CPA
- Payout per Trial: $6.80
- Restrictions: No incent, no fraud, no email
The challenge here is that with trials, not every sign-up counts — only approved trials get paid. That means you need quality traffic and good targeting from day one.
Strategy
The goal was simple: get targeted, affordable clicks while maximizing trial completions.
Here’s how I approached it:
- Competitor & GEO Research – Before launching, I looked at how similar VPN offers were promoted in the US, focusing on creatives and hooks that worked.
- Bid Setting – I went with CPC bidding at $0.02 after checking the click estimator and confirming with the ad network’s support team that it was competitive for this GEO.
- Creative Selection – Since the offer already came with a prelander embedded in the URL, I didn’t need to build my own. I used Social Bar’s iOS-style and Windows compact-style notifications for a native feel. PNG formats were chosen for better quality.
- Testing First, Optimizing Later – I avoided over-targeting in the testing phase to let the data tell me where the gold was.
Optimization Process
After running the campaign for a short while, I started refining:
- Creative Rotation – Disabled any ad variation with low CTR or CR, replaced with fresh versions.
- Placement Whitelisting – Created a separate campaign for top-performing placements to scale them harder.
- Traffic Control – Cut out underperforming sources, reallocated budget to winning placements.
- Device Expansion – Enabled tablet targeting once I saw promising mobile results.
Results
Total Spend: $347.76
Total Revenue: $775.20
Profit: $427.44
ROI: +123%
That’s more than doubling the investment in this campaign. CTR and CR were consistently higher on iOS-style creatives, which proved to be the main driver of conversions.
Key Takeaways
- Data First, Narrow Later – Avoid over-restricting your targeting during tests. Let the winners emerge naturally.
- Don’t Ignore Design – A native-looking creative that blends into the user’s OS can dramatically boost CTR.
- Work Closely with Your Manager – Small bid adjustments based on insider recommendations can make the difference between breaking even and doubling your ROI.
- Scale with Control – Once you find high-performing placements, isolate and scale them without diluting your results.
Final Thoughts
VPN trial offers can be tricky because they require approved sign-ups, not just clicks. For beginners, they might feel slow compared to simpler flows like CPI. But if you’re willing to monitor performance daily and adjust quickly, the payouts can make them very profitable.
In my case, testing wide, optimizing fast, and scaling only the proven winners was the formula for a 123% ROI.