Hey Makers
Are you familiar with the often lengthy and intricate process of affiliate media buying? It’s a time-consuming process prone to errors, involving purchasing new domains and setting up DNS configurations. Sounds like a labyrinth full of traps and blind alleys? Don’t worry, Keshav Kalra brings his automation to save the day!
Keshav stepped in to help his client, an affiliate media buyer company, who faced all the listed obstacles. His client achieved amazing results with this automation focused on buying affiliate media and streamlining campaign creation. Thanks to this solution, the team can respond quickly to new opportunities, launch campaigns faster, and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
To get this automation up and running, Keshav used the following apps and modules with Make
Other vital tasks were handled by
- Ads.com and Tonic.com - creating and managing affiliate campaigns.
- Funnel Flux and Skro.eu - tracking and analyzing campaign clicks and performance.
- Dynodot.com API - purchasing and setting up new domains and automating DNS configurations.
What are the measurable benefits of this solution?
- Errors decreased by 95%
- Campaign ROI improved by 20-25%
- Time spent reduced by 80%
Keep on reading to find out more about this solution!
What problem were you trying to solve with your automation?
The challenge was to eliminate the manual and repetitive process of creating new campaigns on affiliate networks like Ads.com and Tonic.com. This involved time-consuming tasks such as purchasing new domains, setting up DNS configurations, and managing data entry for tracking URLs in click trackers like Funnel Flux and Skro.eu. The manual workflow was not only inefficient but also prone to errors, hindering the company’s ability to focus on optimizing its media buying strategies. The goal of the automation was to streamline these processes, save time, and enhance overall operational efficiency.
Why did the problem exist?
The problem existed because the affiliate media buying process required creating new campaigns frequently, each needing unique domains and precise DNS configurations. Managing these tasks manually was cumbersome and error-prone, especially with platforms like Ads.com and Tonic.com that had specific requirements. Additionally, setting up and validating domains, ensuring DNS propagation, and syncing final URLs with click-tracking tools like Funnel Flux and Skro.eu involved repetitive workflows. Without automation, this process consumed significant time and resources, preventing the company from focusing on optimizing its media buying efforts and improving campaign performance.
Who needed your solution?
The automated solution was developed for an affiliate media buyer company facing repetitive and time-consuming tasks related to creating new campaigns on affiliate networks like Ads.com and Tonic.com. These manual efforts were impacting their efficiency. The company operates in the digital advertising industry and caters to customers using tools and platforms like Ads.com, Tonic.com, Funnel Flux, and Skro.eu for click tracking.
How did you solve the problem? What does your solution look like?
Handling Google Form Submissions: I set up a router to check if the data is for Tonic or Ads.com. Based on this, I created new rows inside Google Sheets for further execution and called the Make.com app to trigger scenarios via their IDs.
Data Processing in Google Sheets: In the second scenario, we checked for rows with the status “ready to start.” From there, we pulled the row data and set it to variables to manipulate the output as per the API requirements.
Domain Purchase and DNS Setup: After processing the data, we fetched the available domains with the cheapest prices. After buying the domain, we set the DNS records and updated the status to “pending” in Google Sheets so that when the domain became active, it would update in the sheet and call the URL trackers’ API (Skro or Funnel Flux).
Interval Scheduling for DNS Propagation: Since DNS propagation timing is unpredictable, we scheduled intervals to check the status in Google Sheets. We used an HTTP app to verify the propagation. Once the domain was confirmed to be propagated, we generated the offers and campaigns based on the traffic source selected in Google Forms and executed the logic for creating campaigns on Skro or Funnel Flux. If everything went well, we updated the Google Sheet with the status “completed.”
What did your solution achieve?
The solution delivered the following measurable benefits:
Time Savings: Automated campaign creation reduced the manual effort from 20-30 minutes per campaign to just 2-3 minutes for oversight, saving approximately 15-20 hours per week. This represented an 80% reduction in time spent on repetitive tasks.
Increased Campaign Throughput: The team was able to scale up from creating 50-100 campaigns per week to over 150 campaigns weekly without adding additional resources or increasing workload.
Cost Savings: By automating domain selection and filtering for the cheapest TLDs, the company saved an estimated 10-15% on domain costs per campaign, leading to significant savings over time, especially with 200-400 domains purchased monthly.
Error Reduction: Automation minimized human errors in DNS setup and URL configuration, leading to a 95% decrease in errors, which previously caused delays and misconfigured campaigns.
Productivity Boost: The freed-up time allowed the team to focus on optimizing media-buying strategies, resulting in a 20-25% improvement in campaign ROI due to better strategy and performance analysis.
These benefits reflect the substantial impact of the automated solution on operational efficiency and overall business performance.
Keshav, the magician behind this solution
Helpful resources
Google Sheets Guide
