Solo ad success can be difficult to achieve, but it does not have to be. In this blog post I will share how to get the best results with solo ads.
I’ve used solo ads for years. A few years ago, when you purchased a solo ad, you dealt directly with a list owner. He or she was an Internet marketer who had built a large email list. You paid to have your message and link mailed to a segment of their list.
Today, you are more likely to deal with a list seller. He or she may or may not be the actual list owner. Typically, they are Internet marketers who may be in other businesses also. Many are savvy marketers who can provide valuable guidance on using solo ads. Some are not.
For several years I have done the bulk of my solo ad buys through Udimi. It is a solo ad marketplace that connects buyers and sellers. In a previous blog post, I wrote a detailed Udimi Solo Ads Review. I highly recommend them. Order Udimi solo ads here and receive a discount.
Like in any form of marketing, there is a learning curve to getting the best results with solo ads. I mainly use solo ads for 2 purposes: lead generation (list building) and split testing landing pages. Once, with excellent results, I used a prior, proven solo ad vendor to introduce a new business.
The learning curve for solo ads can be steep if you do not have some guidance. Here are the things I have found to make the biggest difference in getting solo ad success.
You must have the right offer and content
The way to build a business is to generate leads with a lead capture page (landing page) and a sales funnel. I never try to sell directly from the sales page. Follow up is everything. You must use a sales funnel. If you do not have a good funnel, go here to read more about an affordable sales funnel builder that is easy to use and produces excellent funnels.
If you have several versions of your landing page tested and know which converts best, you are ready to go solo. Actually, this is the easy part, although constant ongoing testing is still necessary.
The critical (and most difficult) step in solo ad success is finding the best solo ad source for your offer and budget
Most solo ad sellers provide glowing customer reviews. Big surprise. Never rely on reviews. The only review that really matters is your own!
The only way to find the best source is with careful testing and record keeping. As in all testing, it is important to keep everything constant except for the one element you are testing. When testing new solo ad sources, I always use the same landing page with a known average expected performance, and start by buying a small quantity of clicks. 100 or 200 clicks makes a good first test to compare one source with another.
I always let the solo ad seller write the copy for the ad. They should know their list. This is a test. It’s up to them to perform. It’s up to them to earn my repeat business.
To track results, I use a simple spreadsheet like this:
The data I track is pretty self explanatory. The number of clicks delivered is usually different than the number ordered. Many times sellers offer something like 10% over. The 2 entries on this spreadsheet that really matter are cost per click and cost per optin. That’s how I start comparing one solo ad seller with another. If you can, it is even more beneficial to track conversions and cost per conversion. Those are the stats that matter most.
I hope this post helps you get the best results possible and start enjoying solo ad success.
To your success
Joe Barclay