White-hat offers — are offers that are permitted by both the law and advertising platform rules. They can be advertised openly: without disguising landing pages, bypassing moderation or keeping backup accounts in case of bans.
In traffic arbitrage, offers are conventionally divided into «colors»: white-hat, gray-hat and black-hat. The color indicates how legal an offer is and how freely it can be promoted.
Which offers are considered white-hat
These are offers that advertising platforms don't block, provided the ads comply with their rules:
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online store products: clothing, cosmetics, electronics and home goods;
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banking products: credit and debit cards, deposits and insurance;
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online services and subscriptions;
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mobile apps and games;
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online courses and education.
An offer's classification depends on the GEO and advertising platform. What can be freely promoted in one country may require a license or be completely prohibited in another.
How to drive traffic to white-hat offers
White-hat offers are promoted honestly: without clickbait, exaggerated promises or fabricated news hooks. Ads show the product itself and its real benefits, while the terms presented in the creative and on the landing page must match the offer's terms. This allows marketers to use long-standing accounts and steadily increase traffic volumes.
Traffic can be driven to these offers from various sources: search advertising, targeted advertising, SEO, teaser networks, influencer advertising and email campaigns. However, each offer has its own terms, and the advertiser may prohibit certain traffic sources, such as advertising on search queries containing its brand name.
Pros and cons
Pros:
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fewer bans and lower expenses for consumables;
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accounts last longer, and campaigns are easier to scale;
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fewer complaints from users.
Cons:
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lower payouts per lead than in gray-hat verticals;
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high competition: large teams and advertisers themselves compete for the same audience;
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creatives have to be made without exaggerated promises or clickbait, making it harder to find an approach that grabs attention;
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a larger budget and more testing time are needed to become profitable.
Important: the traffic generation approach must also be white-hat. If you drive traffic to a white-hat offer using clickbait, promises not included in the offer or incentivized traffic, it's already a violation. The advertiser may reject such leads, and the advertising platform may ban the account.
