Solo ad scams and bad buys happen all too often. In this blog post, you’ll learn what to watch out for so you are less likely to fall victim.
Solo ad scams and bad buys happen several different ways. Many times it’s just less than honest marketing by the solo ad vendor. Bad buys are made daily for solos from old, non-productive lists touted as fresh and updated daily. Frequently, vendors will lead you to believe it’s their list they are sending to, when it’s not.
And then the more sophisticated flat-out scams use fake clicks and fake optins where a script places email addresses in optin forms on landing pages. Nobody even sees the landing page, optin form, or thank you page. These “subscribers” don’t confirm their optin. They never asked for the information. They are not the least bit interested. Frequently, the telltale sign for this scam is a high optin rate.
Not only is this bad because what looks like a high optin rate is fake, but it can lead to spam complaints and future deliverability problems for your autoresponder also. It’s a double whammy. Whether scam or bad buy, you do not get what you paid for, plus you can suffer further damage too.
And click fraud appears to be getting worse. According to Search Engine Journal, along with the big increase in e-commerce due to the Covid pandemic, click fraud also went up significantly. This is a real concern to network marketers like me as one of the most common objections prospects have is where they will get good leads. It is becoming increasingly difficult to recommend solo ads to our team.
Careful testing reveals solo ad scams and bad buys
Unfortunately, the only way you can know for sure what solo ad vendor can deliver the results you want is by carefully testing him or her yourself. Always buy a small quantity of clicks for a test. I usually start with 100 or 200. You can not rely on the vendor’s marketing claims or reviews and testimonials about their service. Go here to learn more about how to achieve success with solo ads.
I’ve used solo ads for years with mixed results. Recently, I tested several new solo ad vendors. The experience with one of those vendors forms the bulk of this report. I made 2 separate 100 click buys, one week apart, using 2 separate high-converting landing pages and obtained almost identical results for the 2 buys.
I ordered from a vendor I previously saw on Udimi, but now selling direct from his own website. Udimi is a solo ad marketplace that connects buyers and sellers. I recently posted a detailed review on Udimi. You can read more here.
Like most solo ad vendors, his site displays many testimonials and reviews bragging about how good his solos are. I have no way of knowing how many of the testimonials are legitimate. I do know he offers an affiliate program. I’m guessing some of those offering the testimonials must be affiliates.
The only solo ad review you can rely on is your own!
You must test carefully and form your own opinion.
First, his prices are lower than most. Plus his website is offering up to 24% off on your first order (I got the discount on both orders). Additionally, he promises to over deliver by 20%. I paid only $30 for a 100 click run. That was the first warning sign.
He delivered 120 clicks for both orders. The bulk of the clicks were from the United States. Exactly what was promised. But that was where the good stuff ended.
On the first run, the clicks all came in during a 2 hour period from 4am to 6am Eastern time here in the U.S. On the second test, all clicks came in between 330am and 540am Eastern time in the U.S. Two things concerned me. I have never had all of the clicks come in over such a tight time frame even for a run as small as 100 clicks. Moreover, I don’t think too many people are up at those hours in the United States. This was a big red flag for me. It was difficult to believe these were legitimate clicks. But it got worse.
On the first test I got 61 optins and on the second test, 57. That’s good. Probably too good, even for what I know to be high-converting landing pages. I was impressed, but concerned.
Recognizing bad buys and scams
But, here’s where it really became clear these were bad buys. On the two solo ad runs, only 8 and 12 respectively of those optins confirmed and zero have converted. This is terribly low. It was a sure sign something was wrong!
So I messaged the vendor asking for clarification. Two weeks later, he still has not had the courtesy (or courage) to reply. Obviously…it’s buyer beware. Imagine how I would feel if I had jumped in and placed a big order without testing first.
Was this another one of those solo ad scams? I can’t say for sure they were scams. But they were definitely bad buys. Very bad buys. Would I order from this solo ad vendor again? Never!
The moral is if you are going to use solo ads, you must carefully and continually test!
Now that you know better what to watch out for, I hope you will be less likely to suffer from solo ad scams and bad buys.
To your success,
Joe Barclay
P.S. Take the fast track to financial freedom. Download my Free eBook