There is an infinite number of marketing techniques and approaches one can lean toward to work with different offers, GEOs, traffic sources, and verticals. The tools an affiliate marketer has to use heavily depend on the combination of the aforementioned factors. White pages are one of such tools, and we will discover more about them today.
What is a white page?
The idea of a white (or not white) page comes down to white-hat, grey-hat, and black-hat promotion approaches. When a topic or product that is promoted does not correspond with the guidelines of the traffic source, is borderline or outright prohibited affiliate marketers resort to cloaking techniques. They cloak (i.g. hide) the real content and show some unassuming facade of a rule-abiding campaign for moderation. A white page is that nice facade. The actual interior page that is presented to real users is called a black page.
Why do we need white pages?
For instance, you want to promote weight loss supplements on Facebook. This is one hell of a rich traffic source that, unfortunately, has real strict approval guidelines. Anything to do with nutra is prohibited on FB, so to get a slice of that traffic cake you need to perform a content switch or cloaking.
White page is an integral part of cloaking, the white a fluffy facade you present for moderation.
 |
→ |  |
In a nutshell:
- You want to run some prohibited content with a traffic source. If you show the actual offer page to moderation, your campaign will be banned immediately. So, you turn to cloaking (naturally).
- You upload a creative and a substitute white page and submit them for moderation.
- A check bot or a moderator looks at the creative, the landing page (your white page) and checks whether they match, whether they comply with the rules, and whether they suit the audience you have selected.
- In 98% of cases, your “white-washed” campaign is approved.
- You launch the campaign and start driving traffic to the real landing page, which is called a black page at this point as an opposite to that white facade.
- Success, loads of traffic and champagne to all involved!
What kinds of white pages are out there?
There are multiple ways one can go to get oneself a white page. We’ll cover the most popular ones.
Download a site via spy tool
Go to a spy tool and browse for a creative that fits your offer. Once you have it, go to the respective lander and if it’s small and light (no bigger than 3–5 pages) — grab it. You can use a variety of software to download a site: HTTrack (for Windows) or SiteSucker (for iOS) are just some examples.
Then you need to delete the tracking parts of the site’s code, usually, it’s Facebook Pixel a Google Tag Manager. The tracker will be framed in the <script> CODE</script> markers. Browse for a cool guide that will teach you to edit code, but you can check out this Facebook guide for starters.
Use 404 redirect
You can also use your tracker (Binom, Keitaro, etc.) to make an HTTP error appear as your white page. 404 Not Found, 200 OK (Blank Page), 302 Redirect, and many others will make it look like your lander is compliant but temporarily unavailable.
Use a random white-hat small business site
Choose a random coffee or flower shop with a one-page website to pose as your landing page. A white-hat themed site full of articles will also be a great fit.
Order a custom-made website
Writing your own webpage is also an option, but not everyone can edit code. Ordering a website to measure is a viable option, though it also depends on your budget.
Pros and cons of using white pages
One undeniable advantage of white pages is that they allow you to pass the moderation process with a high chance to succeed. If we are talking about big traffic sources like Facebook or TikTok which are desirable but sometimes inaccessible — anything goes. A white page will also add trust to your ad account with the said traffic source, as you will prove that you are honest (not really, though).
Among the disadvantages, we can name the time, effort, and budget that go into procuring a white-hat website that is still not a 100% sure-fire method to get approved. But as always, it is up to you and your skill to prove this right or wrong. Good luck, marketers!
If you want to reach new GEOs and audiences, maybe it is all waiting for you on Telegram? We’ve prepared some material about Telegram audiences. What are the messenger’s users like this year? How old they are, what they do, and what they are interested in!
