Case study: switching from SOI to DOI saved one beginner from a ban

Case study: switching from SOI to DOI saved one beginner from a ban

New to sweeps? Start here. A beginner ran an email sweepstakes offer using SOI (Single Opt-In = the user submits their email and is counted right away, no confirmation needed). The offer paid $1.40 per lead. In week one they sent 2,000 clicks and got 410 leads. Looked great.

Then the advertiser flagged the traffic. The reason: 38% of those emails were fake or mistyped, because nothing checked them.

The person switched the same campaign to DOI (Double Opt-In = the user must click a confirmation link in their inbox before counting). Payout dropped to $0.90 per lead, and confirmed leads fell to 240.

Here is the worked example that matters:
— SOI: 410 leads x $1.40 = $574, but 156 got reversed. Real income: roughly $355.
— DOI: 240 leads x $0.90 = $216, and only 8 reversed. Real income: roughly $209.

SO income was still higher, but the account stayed in good standing and was not banned. That account is still earning today. The banned SOI accounts are not.

The lesson: a smaller, cleaner number you keep beats a bigger number that gets clawed back.

Next step: open one offer you are considering and write down whether it is SOI or DOI before you spend a cent.