10 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Solo Ads
Today, we wanted to answer the 10 most common questions we get asked around solo ads, including what they are and how to use them successfully.
Because we are also email marketers, and have used solo ads to build up our own email list and income for over a decade now – the answers to these solo ad questions will help YOU get started and achieve success!
When implemented correctly, solo ads can multiply your profits quickly, whilst building your own email list at lightning speed.
Let’s dive in and answer the most common solo ad questions raised by our community of like-minded email marketers, using our experience with solo ads.
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What Are Solo Ads?
Solo ads are a form of advertising where you pay to have your ad sent to a list of email subscribers.
Solo ads are generally less expensive than other forms of advertising, and can be very effective in getting your message out to a large audience very quickly.
When choosing a solo ad provider, it is important to select one with a large, responsive list. Otherwise, you may not get the results you are hoping for.
They are a unique marketing strategy designed to promote your business offers that involves sending emails to a targeted list of people.
The person or company sending the email, on the advertisers behalf, is known as a ‘solo ads vendor’ or ‘solo ads seller’.
A solo ad vendor has already cultivated and grown an email list, or several of them, and they have now entered into the business of selling email clicks. This means they are sending other advertisers offers to their email list for a fee.
Solo ad sellers guarantee the number of clicks purchased, and will keep sending an offer to their list until they deliver all of the clicks for the package you’ve bought.
As you can see – solo ads are a great way to get your message in front of a large number of people quickly.
Before we explain in more detail of how ads work, Traffic Authority is a very reputable solo ad vendor you should get familiar with.
How Do Solo Ads Work?
This is one of the most common questions we receive about solo ads – and it deserves an accurate but easy-to-understand answer.
We have put together this graphic to show you the full process of how solo ads work, with further step by step instructions below.
Let’s say you are an affiliate marketer, or have your own products (or service) that you want to sell.
You are searching for a method where you can put your offer in front of ‘targeted buyers’, with the potential of a purchase.
If you buy a solo ad from a reputable solo ad vendor, they sell these packages ‘by the click’.
But what is a package of ‘clicks’?
Let’s say you purchased 500 clicks, from your chosen solo ad seller.
What happens now, is that they will send YOUR offer to THEIR email list, which will contain your link in it.
After 500 people (that’s the package you just purchased) have clicked on your link, and because they were interested in checking it out (a targeted list of buyers), the vendor will then shut your ad off.
That is how solo ads work…….and honestly…..it is a CRAZY method to ramp up purchases of your product or service!
Of course, if you have any questions about how solo ads work, you can always reach out to us here.
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What Is Solo Ads Tracking?
So hopefully you track all of your own ads, but how do solo ad vendors monitor their own clicks so they know when to end your ad?
Well, typically a solo ad vendor will use special tracking software like LinkTrackr.
This is a ‘rotating’ tracking link used to accurately measure the number of people who have clicked your link.
It’s a smart solution for both seller and buyer because it can also track unique clicks, so repeat clicks can be monitored.
This ensures the whole eco system does not get abused from people (on the vendors list) who click many times.
This is how most big solo ad vendors keep track of clicks, but some may use other methods.
Remember that only these unique clicks are counted.
Once your clicks have been reached of the total solo ads package you bought, the seller changes your link out of the rotating tracking link to another advertiser, who still has clicks remaining, or even to their own offer if none are available.
This is how they accurately control the number of clicks delivered through any email advertisement they send out to their list.
By now we hope you have a good understanding about how solo ads work.
Do solo Ads Work For Anyone?
No, they do not work for just anyone, or any type of business.
However, from our experience working with tons of solo ad sellers, they are perfect for people that are in the following niches:
- make money online
- work from home offers
- multi-level-marketing (MLM)
- network marketing
- business opportunities
- online marketing software & services
- Crypto & Forex
- Marketing coaching or courses
- Self Improvement
- Financial
Here’s an example:
If you want to sell marketing courses, coaching programs, autoresponder software, make money flipping domains, or sell web hosting services, or even eBooks on how to make money online – solo ads will work for you.
Anything in the make money online and business opportunity niches, that teaches or helps people make more money online can utilize solos ads.
**Note** – physical product sales do not work well with solo ads, unless they are tied to a business opportunity of some kind. Example: Network marketing is a good example, because their is usually both products and an opportunity.
We know of some successful marketers that have used them to sell their high-ticket items as well, such as:
- coaching programs
- seminars
- webinars
- digital products that have a high-ticket upsell attached to them.
In general, if you are in the make money online or business opportunity space, and you have a product or service that helps people make more money, then solo ads will work very well for you.
Now let’s talk about how much (typically) solo ads cost…
How Much Do Solo Ads Cost?
Solo ads, like we explained earlier, are sold by the click, and they usually come pre-packaged in click packages (100, 500, 1000, 2000 etc.)
Each solo ads vendor usually sets the packages they have available from 100 clicks or more, on up to the max they can deliver with the email list they have.
Example Of Real Solo Ad Packages & Pricing
Depending on which click package you choose, the cost per click (CPC) will vary slightly.
We have found these can cost anywhere from .30 cents a click to $2.00 a click, or even higher than that, depending on the solo ad vendor, and the quality of their list.
Once upon a time there use to be good quality niche specific ezines available (An electronic magazine, whether delivered via a Web site or an email newsletter), where you could mail their entire subscribers database for one set price.
There are not many real quality ezines available anymore, at least not to our knowledge.
Ezine owners were the first true solo ad sellers.
You should remain vigilant, because some websites that promise to send your email ad to hundreds of thousands of people for 200 bucks, are not real solo ads, and are worthless.
You should stay away from any site that promises exuberant numbers for very little money.
In the offer highlighted below, we discovered that this was highly inaccurate. We tested these packages and found them to yield almost zero results for our offer.
With that in mind, you should be able to find a good provider that will give you quality clicks, for a price that is reasonable.
Over the years we have found that inflated numbers sound good, but when tested, they are not real solo ads and you will be wasting your hard earned dollars.
We have found that these type of ads are sending your ad to safelist and mailers, not a genuine cultivated email list list that they own.
If you were to buy a true real solo ad to 1 million people, it would cost you BIG bucks, perhaps well over 20K!
Are Solo Ads The Same As Safelist Or Mailers?
Solo ads are not the same as ‘safelists’ or ‘mailers’ – far from it!
A safelist or mailer is a membership website that consists of webmasters and affiliate marketers, with most safelist (mailers) are free to join and use.
They allow their members to exchange email ads with one another – based on credits.
That means that you would be able to email an advertisement to a certain amount of members based on the credits you have, and in exchange you would agree to receive email ads from other members (this can mean hundreds of emails being sent to you everyday).
This also means you will need to click on links in email ads everyday to obtain the credits you need to be able to even send out an email yourself.
Safelist do have optional upgrade options that will give you a certain amount of credits as part of your upgraded membership, so that you do not need to click as much.
This may sound okay in theory, but most people who join safelist are looking to get their offer seen, so they are only clicking on your advertisement to gain credits, not so much because they are interested in your offer.
So just because you join a safelist and even upgrade in it for that matter, there will not be a big boost to your actual conversions.
You may get lucky if you get one opt-in every time you mail out, and you will get bombarded with emails every single day, and be clicking away to get credits.
Solo Ads VS Safelists
Lets dive into the differences between solo ads and safelists – it is a common question raised amongst our community.
Safelists, from our analysis, is somewhat effective when you join multitudes of safelists and religiously spend your time clicking for credits and mailing them every single day.
Its boring, repetitive and your time could be better spent on better affiliate marketing methods.
In comparison to true solo ads, a safelist cannot compete.
For example, let’s say we go and buy one solo ad from a quality vendor for $200 bucks and get 100 or more new opt-ins subscribe to our list, usually in just a few days.
If you took the time to join 100 safelists, and click for credits for hours and hours, and mail them everyday, you will be lucky if you get anywhere close to 30 new opt-ins in an entire month!
One of the other biggest downfalls with a safelist is they are advertised as free to join, free to use and as a free method to get website traffic.
Because of this, they tend to attract the wrong people.
Most of these people are more broke and down on their luck, so the rate of conversion from lead to customer is extremely low.
Do the math!
Would you spend $200 bucks to achieve 100 or more potential customers in days, or spend hours and hours everyday, (and I mean everyday) clicking for credits only to realize that its just not worth the time (or effort) just to get a handful of poor leads or signups?
If you take into account a whole year, based on a $200 monthly advertising budget, you would gain over 1200 plus new potential customers in a year, versus a safelist of 360 if your lucky.
This is the difference between those who are willing to invest in their business online, and those who do not, and why the ones that do invest in their business make WAY more money faster!
I do not know about you, but I do not want to spend hours clicking away at my computer everyday.
Money is leverage in this online game, so you should use it to your advantage.
A bigger budget will build your customer list much faster. You are either building a hobby or a business, it is your choice.
If you ever see cheap solo ads on Fiverr for sale, stay away from them as well, because they are only sending your offer to safelist, there not a real solo ad.
After reading this, would you choose a boring, repetitive and ineffective safelist or a tried and tested method by using solo ads?
I know what I would choose, how about you?
How To Make Money Using Solo Ads?
There are a number of ways to make money using solo ads, and to be successful, there are a few things you can do.
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Use A Lead Capture Page
Our recommendation is to always use a lead capture page that is tied into an autoresponder.
This is because you should always use solo ads to build your own email list first and foremost.
Never advertise directly a sales page, or a main affiliate offer link, you want to build YOUR email list with solo ads.
It does not matter if you have your own products and services for sale, or you are an affiliate marketer, always use a lead capture page as your link the solo ad vendor is sending out in their email ads.
If you do not know how to create a lead capture page, or have no idea even what an autoresponder even is, then join a done for you system like this one here.
They provide you with lead capture pages, and a step by step email marketing system as part of your membership.
This is how (years ago), we first got started as well, as a beginner to email marketing.
We feel it is better to start with a done for you type of system.
If you act, rather than do nothing, you will understand, and learn much faster, especially when you are guided through it all step by step.
If your are more adventurous and especially if you have your own products or services, you can create your own lead capture pages and set up an email list through an autoresponder company like GetResponse that provides both an autoresponder and lead capture page builder.
Implement A Follow Up Process
You will make money through the follow up process with your email list as you build it, and many of the people who get on your email list, will be with you for years to come as loyal customers.
We have people that have been on our email marketing list for over 15 years, and literally buy almost everything we recommend.
Send emails to your list on a regular basis, at least 4 to 5 times a week promoting your offers.
The follow up is the key to making money online, and all successful businesses do this, including major retailers, like Walmart and Amazon.
Start Off Small
If you’re new to solo ads, then we recommend starting with a 300-500 click campaign . This is a safe bet for beginners and you because you don’t want to blow all your money at once.
This will provide you with some initial metrics on how well your lead capture page is doing, without costing you too much money either!
You should be aiming to achieve at least a 20% – 40% opt-in rate. If you are not, then you will want to tweak your lead capture page before running another solo ad.
You should always track, and test before you scale!
Use A Tripwire Or Lead Magnet
This juicy solo ad tip will help you streamline and make your offer look professional and enticing.
But what is a tripwire, or lead magnet?
Just imagine for a moment that you sell online courses where you offer a monster marketing course with dozens of videos, articles, and other assets, and it’s priced at $1,000.
That’s a lot of money for a consumer to spend with a company in which they have no prior experience of.
Plus, if you haven’t been in business very long, you might not have any strong social proof or other ways to speed up conversions and overcome objections with your new leads.
To incentivize conversions – so you make some immediate return on your solo ad spends – you might want to create a mini-course (a tripwire) that supplements your primary course.
It could include one or two short videos, a couple checklists, or a few quality written articles.
Pricing this much smaller course at $20 or even a $5 trial makes the product far more attractive to new leads who do not know you at all yet.
Most people are more willing to risk small amounts of money first until they get to know you and your business.
Your follow up emails is what will help build the trust factor. It takes an average of a lead seeing your offer around 7 to 10 times before they will purchase from you, or join you in some form or other.
Previously we have found utilizing well produced eBooks make great tripwires as well!
Scale Up Your Solo Ad Purchases
If you have taken onboard all of our solo ad advice, you may be in a position where you are looking to scale up your solo ad purchases.
This can be a great way to increase traffic to your website and generate more leads, but it is important to do it in a controlled and measured way.
The first thing you need to do is work out your budget. How much can you afford to spend on solo ads each month?
Once you have a figure in mind, you need to work out how many solo ads you can buy while still staying within your budget.
Once you know how many solo ads you can afford, you need to start looking for solo ad providers who can provide you with quality solo ads.
This is how you can build a 6+ figure income online very quickly!
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Do Solo Ads Work?
Absolutely, when you follow the guidance we have laid out in this article, there is no doubt in our mind that solo ads work, we have been buying them for over a decade!
If you are using an effective lead capture page that has a decent opt-in ratio, and are following up with your email list regularly you will make sales, and the bigger your list grows the more potential sales you can make.
Solo ads are effective and can help you build a high converting email list very fast.
As the saying goes “You can lead a horse to water but you can not make it drink” and we can not make you follow up with your email list on a consistent basis, you have to do that.
Email marketing is the highest medium for conversion that exist online, because you can follow up with people on a regular basis.
Doing so, builds like, know and trust, which is very important for turning leads into sales.
Put it this way, if your making any sales now without any follow up, once you implement email marketing and follow up with your list consistently 4 to 5 times a week, you will 1000X your sales.
Think about this as well, and ask your self this question:
What is the one thing every type of platform, system, company wants from you in order to use their services or buy their products..?
It is your email address!
Are Solo Ads Worth It?
Let me rephrase the question: are solo ads worth buying?
Well, if you want a consistent flow of leads for your business, and like having customers, then yes they are definitely worth it!
With solo ads, once you have dialed in your opt-in page, and your follow up (conversion process) with your leads, you can turn a $200 ad spend into $2000!
Take the time to learn email marketing and offer a range of product price points, and your email list will become your most important money producing asset.
Leads are the core for any business whether offline or online, if you have no leads viewing your products or services, you will make no sales.
Advertising even as an affiliate marketer will be your biggest budget spend.
Think about this: in the off line business world a company like Walmart has the most leads walk through their doors, so it has the most customers that walk out of it.
It is all about effectively advertising your business and reaching as many people as possible.
The more leads that come in through your lead capture page, the more customers you will get through your email follow up.
So, we can say 100% that solo ads are worth it!
Do Solo Ads Still Work In 2024?
As long as there is email, solo ads will work and be effective in 2024 and beyond!
The bigger the internet has become, the more email marketing works, because there are more people with an email address. People read their emails every single day, it is a habitual habit.
So yes, solo ads work in 2024 and they will work long into the future as we do not see email going anywhere.
Seriously, do not just take our word for it. There have been many independent studies, year after year, confirming this, with no change in sight.
Facts are, according to a study by ExactTarget, that 77% of people who buy stuff online prefer to get marketed to by email.
That’s most likely the reason that 89% of professional online marketers say that email is their main way of generating leads and sales.
Or it could be the fact that email has an average ROI of $42 for each $1 spent.
Where To Buy Solo Ads?
Before we give you our best recommendations, we will share a few places where you should NOT buy solo ads from.
Another platform you should avoid is Facebook. If you have people who you do not know sending you Facebook private messages asking you to buy their solo ads, DON’T, no matter what they promise you.
We know you can get almost anything from Facebook, but there are scammers all over the place.
Now, there are legit solo ads companies that do list their businesses on Facebook.
However, when buying from a person that you do not know, there is no quality control that ensures delivery after payment or that they are a legit real solo ads seller, so it is better to stay away from it all together, until you can recognize a scam from the real deal.
If you get fake clicks and bots from a person on Facebook or Fiverr, you can’t get your money back.
Lastly stay away from solo ad offers giving you exuberant claims of reach, meaning if a site says they will deliver your solo ad to 1 million people, the price better match up.
Your not going to buy a real solo ad to 1 million people for under twenty thousand dollars, understand?
People who have cultivated a real email list of 1 million people will not be selling cheap ads to their email list, their list is EXTREMELY valuable to them.
Best Places To Buy Real Solo Ads
2. MLM Leads
4. Trafficforme
Solo Ad Tips
Before you jump into buying solo ads, here are a few helpful tips that we have shared with our audience.
- Solo ads are real people viewing your offer
- Solo ads are delivered via email
- Solo ads are purchased by the click
- Solo ads are guaranteed clicks
- Best use of solo ads is in building your email list
- Solo ads work with the right type of offers
- When using Solo ads most of your sales will be made in the follow up process
- Solo ads price varies between sellers
- Solo ads are very cost effective way of building your email list
- Test your lead capture page on smaller purchases first to get the most leads
- Repurchase Solo ads that convert into sales
Final Thoughts On Solo Ads
Throughout the years we have bought solo ads from many vendors and individual sellers. We have learned to test, track and analyze our data from all of our solo ad purchases.
Through our rigorous testing we have learned the best places to buy solo ads from and the places to stay away from.
One of the easiest ways to know when a solo ad purchase has been good, is to send several follow up emails to your new subscribers right afterwards, and if nobody opens your emails or clicks on any of the links in your follow up emails, you will know not to buy from that source again.
In the advertising world there can be many scammers looking to take your money, make sure and stay away from exuberant claims, quality advertising cost money, there is no way around it.
Of course every entrepreneur or business wants to save as much as they can on their expenses, but falling for extremely hyped up claims because it looks so cheap, will only cost you anguish.
We really hope this “10 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Solo Ads” article has been extremely helpful to you.
Do you want to learn more about solo ads? The good news is that we have released our Ultimate Guide to Solo Ads that you should go and check out.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post them in the comments section below or just say hello.
Sincerely,
Your Friends And Partners
Richard And John Weberg
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Other Solo Ad FAQS
What is solo ads traffic?
Solo ads traffic is generated from ads being sent to targeted email list, so that your ad is relevant to them. This can increase the effectiveness of your solo ad campaign, as well as the likelihood that recipients will click through to your website or landing page.
What are paid solo ads?
Paid solo ads are those in which you pay to have your ad placed in front of someone else’s email list. This can be an effective way to reach a new audience with your message, since you’re able to target subscribers who are interested in similar topics.
How do I get started with solo ads?
If you’re interested in using solo ads to promote your business, there are a few things you’ll need to do in order to get started. First, you’ll need to find a reputable solo ad vendor like the ones we shared with you in this article, who you can purchase a click package thru.
Next, you’ll need to create your offer page, which should be relevant to the interests of the list you’re targeting. Finally, you’ll need to send your link to the vendor, who will then send it out to their subscribers (Email list).
Honestly, do solo ads work?
Of course they do! Thousands of people use solo ads every day to drive traffic to their websites and landing pages. However, it’s important to note that solo ads will not always provide immediate sales, and many of your sales will come through your follow up, why it is important to use a lead capture page.
Why use solo ads in the first place?
There are a number of reasons why you might use these type of ads to drive traffic to your website or landing page. Solo ads can be an effective way to reach a new audience, since you’re able to target subscribers who are interested in similar topics.
Additionally, solo ads can be a quick and easy way to get traffic to your site, since you don’t have to wait for people to find your ad on their own.
What type of offers work best with solo ads?
Work-from-home offers
Business opportunities
Internet marketing products
Network marketing programs
Marketing courses
Crypto & Forex products
Self Improvement
Marketing software
Self Help Weight Loss & Fitness products
Dating products and services
Insurance products and services
Survival courses & products
Financial
