For years, volume based bidding has been the default approach in performance marketing. They focus on more click, more installs, more traffic. The logic was easy: scale the top of the funnel, and results would follow. However, at Intelitics, we will be the first to tell you that approach is starting to break down. Today, volume based bidding doesn't just underperform, it actively hides inefficiences that prevent sustainable growth.
The illusion of scale
Volume based bidding optimized for activity, not outcomes. When success is measured by clicks, impressions, or installs, campaigns often appear healthy on the surface while underdelivering where it matters most. High traffic numbers can mask an underlying issue such as low-intent users, inflated acquisition costs, poor downstream conversion, and unpredictable revenue performance. Simply put, volume creates motion, not momentum.
At Intelitics, we focus on that momentum as the key drive to knowing the data in order to see actual results. It's all about actionable intelligence so that operators can make better decisions to acquire better quality players.
Why cheap traffic is often the most expensive
One of the biggest pitfalls of volume based bidding is the obsession with "cheap" metrics. Lower CPCs and CPAs feel like wins, but they frequently correlate with lower-quality users who churn quickly or never generate meaningful value. (Read our last post on why cheap CAC can be the most expensive mistake you make.) When bidding strategies reward quantity over quality, platforms do exactly what they're told. They deliver more of the cheapest available traffic, regardless of intent or long-term impact.
The result? Marketing teams pay les per click, but more per meaningful outcome.
Volume breaks when budgets tighten
Volume based strategies are especially fragile when budgets face scrutiny. Because they lack a clear connection to downstream performance, they make it difficult to answer critical questions such as:
- Which channels actually drive first time depositers?
- Which partners deliver long-term value?
- Where is spend being wasted?
Without the clarity, optimization becomes reactive instead of strategic, and scaling become risky instead of repeatable.
What smart teams focus on instead
Leading teams are moving away from volume based bidding and toward value driven decision making. That means shifting focus from surface level metrics to signals that reflect real business outcomes. Instead of asking, "how much traffic did we buy?" they ask, "which users convert downstream, which campaigns drive repeat behavior, and which sources contribute to long-term value?" this shift doesn't mean buying less traffic, it means buying better traffic.
From volume to value
The most successful acquisition strategies today aren't built on bigger funnels, they're built on clearer ones. When teams understand the value of a user beyond the first click, bidding decisions become more efficient, spend becomes more predictable, and growth becomes sustainable. Volume based bidding fails because it optimizes for the wrong goal.
Value based bidding thinking succeeds because it aligns acquisition with outcomes. As performance marketing continues to evolve, the question isn't how much traffic you can buy, it's how much value that traffic actually delivers. Intelitics strives on building a value based technology that connects all these pieces together. If you're wondering how to better monetize and make the shifts from volume to value, click this link and schedule a time to meet with us.
