AFTERPAD

Hey! Great question — optimizing bids in performance-based VPN campaigns is super important if you want to get the most out of your budget without overspending on low-converting traffic.

Here’s how I usually go about it simply:

Start with a manual bidding strategy: In the beginning, set your bids manually. This gives you more control and lets you see which placements and keywords bring conversions. You can always switch to automated bidding later once you have enough data.

Track conversions properly: Make sure your tracking (like conversion pixels or UTM parameters) is set up right. You can’t optimize what you don’t track, so getting clear data is key.

Analyze performance by geo, device, and time: VPN campaigns can behave differently depending on where users are, what device they’re using, and even the time of day. Adjust your bids based on what’s converting best — for example, lower bids for high-volume but low-converting traffic, and increase bids where you’re seeing solid ROI.

Use traffic sources that give bid flexibility: Some ad networks let you adjust bids per keyword or placement, which is super helpful. I've used 7Search PPC for VPN campaigns and I like that it lets you manage bids on a very granular level. You can test, pause, or scale campaigns pretty easily without wasting money.

Run A/B tests on creatives and landing pages: Sometimes it's not just the bid — it’s the ad copy or page experience that’s affecting performance. Don’t be afraid to tweak and test.

Set bid caps if possible: Especially when scaling, it’s a good idea to set a max CPC or CPM so your costs don’t spiral out of control if traffic suddenly spikes.

Bottom line: Start small, keep testing, and use the data to adjust bids regularly. VPN users are a niche audience, but with the right targeting and bidding strategy, you can get solid results.

Let me know if you're seeing anything weird with your campaign data — happy to take a look or swap notes!

Hey! Great question—advertising VPN services on mobile apps definitely has its perks, but also a few challenges you’ll want to keep in mind:

1. Limited screen space
Mobile ads have to grab attention fast. You’ve got way less room to explain benefits, so your messaging has to be super clear and punchy—something like:
“Protect your data. One-tap VPN.”
Forget long copy—short, benefit-driven lines work best here.

2. Ad fatigue happens quickly
Mobile users scroll fast and see tons of ads daily, especially inside apps. You’ll need to keep refreshing your creatives—new colors, different headlines, maybe even rotating features (like “No-Log Policy,” “Access Geo-blocked Content,” etc.).

3. App store policy issues
If your ad takes people to an app store download, double-check the platform’s rules. Google and Apple are picky about how VPNs are described (especially anything related to bypassing geo-restrictions or censorship). Avoid anything that sounds shady.

4. Low conversion rates without trust
VPNs are privacy tools—people won’t download them unless they feel safe. You need clear trust signals in the ad and on the landing page or app store listing:
???? “No logs”
???? “Used by 1M+ users”
???? “Servers in 50+ countries”
Even a testimonial or a star-rating graphic can help boost confidence.

5. Attribution tracking is tricky
If you’re running ads across different networks, tracking which one actually led to the install can be hard without using a mobile MMP (mobile measurement partner) like AppsFlyer or Adjust. Definitely worth looking into if you’re running multiple channels.

Also, I’ve had some decent results promoting VPNs through 7Search PPC. It’s not as massive as Google Ads, but it does let you target mobile users by device type and app category, which is super useful for VPN offers. The CPCs are more reasonable too, so you can afford to test different creatives and angles without blowing your budget.

Hope this helps! Would love to hear what others are doing too—especially anyone running app install campaigns with native ads.