TRAFFICSHARK
Case Study: $1.34M on iOS VPN with 216% ROI
Hey marketers! Let’s break down a million-dollar case study from the team at TrafficShark. That’s right — they made over $1,000,000 running push notification traffic from iOS calendars to a VPN app targeting LATAM and Tier-1 GEOs. Let’s dive into how they did it.
Who Is TrafficShark?
TrafficShark is a mobile marketing agency specializing in launching and promoting both client-based and in-house apps. Their internal development team handles full-cycle iOS and Android app production. Their products frequently hit the top charts on the App Store and Google Play in various GEOs.
TrafficShark works with offers in:
iOS VPN. Here’s how it performed.
Offer: VPN Pro Mobile Service
GEOs: MENA, LATAM, Tier-1
Traffic Types: Popunder, In-Page Push, Calendar, Custom Ad Formats
Main Traffic Networks: Adsterra, Galaksion, RollerAds, Ad-Maven, RichAds, MyBid
Subscription Models: $9.99 weekly / $64.99 annually
Run Time: 14 months
Getting Started: Market Research & Format Selection
Before launching, the team ran a full market analysis to assess VPN demand and user behavior in paid app ecosystems. Tier-1 English-speaking GEOs were chosen despite their high competition and traffic costs due to the potentially high profit margins.
After discussing with major traffic networks, the team focused on popunders and video service pre-landers. They used CPI payment models with creatives mimicking system alerts encouraging VPN installs for streaming access.
Who Is TrafficShark?
TrafficShark is a mobile marketing agency specializing in launching and promoting both client-based and in-house apps. Their internal development team handles full-cycle iOS and Android app production. Their products frequently hit the top charts on the App Store and Google Play in various GEOs.
TrafficShark works with offers in:
- iGaming
- Add-ons and APKs
- Utilities (cleaners, antiviruses, ad blockers, VPNs)
- Lifestyle, games, and news apps
iOS VPN. Here’s how it performed.
Offer: VPN Pro Mobile Service
GEOs: MENA, LATAM, Tier-1
Traffic Types: Popunder, In-Page Push, Calendar, Custom Ad Formats
Main Traffic Networks: Adsterra, Galaksion, RollerAds, Ad-Maven, RichAds, MyBid
Subscription Models: $9.99 weekly / $64.99 annually
Run Time: 14 months
Getting Started: Market Research & Format Selection
Before launching, the team ran a full market analysis to assess VPN demand and user behavior in paid app ecosystems. Tier-1 English-speaking GEOs were chosen despite their high competition and traffic costs due to the potentially high profit margins.
After discussing with major traffic networks, the team focused on popunders and video service pre-landers. They used CPI payment models with creatives mimicking system alerts encouraging VPN installs for streaming access.
Initial Testing & Results
With early traffic tests and curated white/blacklists, here’s what they achieved:
In-Page Push Experiment
They initially avoided in-page push due to high cost, but it proved to be a smart risk:
With early traffic tests and curated white/blacklists, here’s what they achieved:
- Spend: $45,000
- SmartCPI: $1.3
- Installs > Trial: 17%
- Trial > Subscription: 24%
- Network: RollerAds
In-Page Push Experiment
They initially avoided in-page push due to high cost, but it proved to be a smart risk:
- Spend: $22,000
- SmartCPI: $1.7
- Installs > Trial: 29%
- Trial > Subscription: 31%
Calendar Traffic Test Results
Surprisingly strong results from Tier-1 GEOs:
Scaling the Campaign
The campaign ran for 9 months. Calendar + in-page push combos scaled across global GEOs. LATAM delivered fast payback (2.7 weeks), while Asia (except India & Thailand) lagged behind (10.3 weeks avg).
Top GEOs: US, UK, BR, SA, IL, AE, MX, IN, DE, FR, AT, CH, TH, CR, CA
As spend climbed to $110,000/month, results reached:
Surprisingly strong results from Tier-1 GEOs:
- Spend: $30,000
- eCPI: $1.9
- Installs > Trial: 37%
- Trial > Subscription: 43%
Scaling the Campaign
The campaign ran for 9 months. Calendar + in-page push combos scaled across global GEOs. LATAM delivered fast payback (2.7 weeks), while Asia (except India & Thailand) lagged behind (10.3 weeks avg).
Top GEOs: US, UK, BR, SA, IL, AE, MX, IN, DE, FR, AT, CH, TH, CR, CA
As spend climbed to $110,000/month, results reached:
- Total Spend: $1,150,000
- eCPI: $1.8
- Installs > Trial: 31%
- Trial > Subscription: 34%
- Week 1 Rebill Rate: 39%
- Week 7 Rebill Rate: 18%
The Downside
Apple patched the calendar bug ~4 months in. App Store began removing apps using this loophole, including TrafficShark’s core product. Still, they walked away with a 216% ROI and invaluable experience in creative testing, optimization, and scaling.
Final Takeaway
Utility offers continue to dominate in scale potential. Choosing the right traffic sources, formats, creatives, and pre-landers remains the key to strong performance in the VPN niche.
Sign up for TrafficShark ot run your campaigns.
Don’t miss your shot — get into utilities now and find your winning funnel!
TrafficShark Partners:
Adsterra – Multiformat ad network (pop, in-page, SocialBar, native) with solid traffic for iGaming, eSports, VPNs, cleaners, dating & e-com.
🎁 Promo Code: VJWAKFPW (+$50 after $200 deposit, valid until Apr 30, 2025)
RollerAds – Exclusive push & OnClick traffic, with built-in SPY tools, CPA Goal, presets, auto-creatives & smart bidding.
🎁 Promo Code: SHARK50 (+$50 on first deposit)
Galaksion – All-in-one ad network with 100% direct traffic, 245+ GEOs, 10+ verticals, 24/7 support.
🎁 Promo Code: TRAFSHARK25 (+$25 with $100 deposit)
RichAds – Innovative ad platform with global traffic in 200+ countries. Works great for VPN, iGaming, finance, software.
🎁 Promo Code: Trafficshark (5% bonus on first deposit)
AdMaven – High-performance platform with direct placements, strong in entertainment/streaming verticals. CPA model unlocks with scale. Includes Adblock bypass tech.
Apple patched the calendar bug ~4 months in. App Store began removing apps using this loophole, including TrafficShark’s core product. Still, they walked away with a 216% ROI and invaluable experience in creative testing, optimization, and scaling.
Final Takeaway
Utility offers continue to dominate in scale potential. Choosing the right traffic sources, formats, creatives, and pre-landers remains the key to strong performance in the VPN niche.
Sign up for TrafficShark ot run your campaigns.
Don’t miss your shot — get into utilities now and find your winning funnel!
TrafficShark Partners:
Adsterra – Multiformat ad network (pop, in-page, SocialBar, native) with solid traffic for iGaming, eSports, VPNs, cleaners, dating & e-com.
🎁 Promo Code: VJWAKFPW (+$50 after $200 deposit, valid until Apr 30, 2025)
RollerAds – Exclusive push & OnClick traffic, with built-in SPY tools, CPA Goal, presets, auto-creatives & smart bidding.
🎁 Promo Code: SHARK50 (+$50 on first deposit)
Galaksion – All-in-one ad network with 100% direct traffic, 245+ GEOs, 10+ verticals, 24/7 support.
🎁 Promo Code: TRAFSHARK25 (+$25 with $100 deposit)
RichAds – Innovative ad platform with global traffic in 200+ countries. Works great for VPN, iGaming, finance, software.
🎁 Promo Code: Trafficshark (5% bonus on first deposit)
AdMaven – High-performance platform with direct placements, strong in entertainment/streaming verticals. CPA model unlocks with scale. Includes Adblock bypass tech.