How to find the perfect solo advertising providers that will boost your traffic

I was at a friend’s house this weekend and he told me he was getting into the business of selling skateboards. As a child, he used to skate. I was one of those who would go down the big stairs, wax and grind the mantels… I was one of those who would bang the boards outside and disturb everyone inside. haha good times..

Anyway, he asks me what I think… I started talking about the sport itself, about how much I love it and how I can still get stuck watching YouTube videos and how amazed I am at how technical the sport is getting. It stops. me, “No man, I know you skate Jay, I’m asking what you think I should do with the business.”

I don’t like to give advice when I’m not in a business setting, I told him we’d talk about it another time if he was serious, but I realized something in the midst of his barrage of questions: “How do I grow on Facebook?” Should I use Twitter? Should I post ads solo?

I thought to myself, “most people don’t even know what solo ads are.” This piqued my interest and I ended up doing quite a bit of research on the subject. So, there is a tip for you. If you ever catch me in person, don’t ask me the typical social media questions. To be honest, social media is not my favorite way to get traffic. Anyway, I thought I’d share with you all my take on solo ads.

First, let’s define solo ads by explaining what they are not. Solo ads are nothing like the traditional ads you see online. It’s not banner ads you find on websites, it’s not Pay Per Click (PPC), and it’s not on Facebook or Twitter. According to the direct marketing glossary found at the Canadian Marketing Association, the definition is:

A single or one-time submission rather than an ongoing series of communications (also called a stand-alone submission).

Part of building an online business is building a large email list of people who have given us permission to send them content and offers. All internet marketers have an email list, and some will send your offer to their list if it pays them well enough. This is a great way to leverage someone else’s time and efforts because building a large list can take time. That email they send to your list, on your behalf, is a solo ad. In other words, solo ads are a form of paid traffic where you pay a mailing list owner to send an email to your list. Get it?

4 benefits of using solo ads

1. Instant traffic – This is the obvious benefit of solo ads. You take advantage of someone else’s time and effort, and at the same time, borrow some of the credibility you’ve already built with your list.

2. Easy: Aside from doing your research to find a good provider, submitting ads by yourself is relatively easy. Some of the best solo ad providers understand that the email they send on your behalf must be written in your voice, in other words, they will write your copy for you. Think about it for a second, if you’ve been emailing your list for a while then chances are the relationship is there and you know how you talk. If you let someone else come in and talk to your list (to push your bid), it won’t sound consistent. The best vendors understand this and will take a look at your offer and write compelling enough copy on your behalf because they already know what your listing is on and how to talk to them.

3. Quick: Unlike Facebook or banner ads, where you need to create or buy graphics (banners), a solo ad is nothing more than an email. The only real work is finding the right provider (see the next section below).

4. Cheap – Order the minimum number of clicks to see if it works. If not then go ahead and try something else, for your money and the amount of time you saved you have actually received a lot of value for a minimal investment. Now if it works, and the $30 bucks you sent got you back $200, then everything else in the future is profit and you have an online money vending machine.

How to find solo advertising providers

You want to spend a little time researching this because finding a strong single ad provider isn’t as simple as searching for one on Google. The reason is that internet marketers keep their lists very close to the chest and there is no real way of knowing how many people are on your list; they just won’t give you access to it.

Therefore, the first and best place to find a reputable solo ad provider is within your immediate circle of friends who are also Internet marketers. You already know these people, so the trust is likely already there. You’ll also know what kind of business they’re in, so you’ll know if emailing your market makes sense for you.

If you don’t know any other internet marketers then you should come to networking. Get in touch with people you find in Facebook groups and online forums and introduce yourself. Tell them about any experience you have, what business you are in, and what you are struggling with.

Believe it or not, most Internet marketers love to help each other. Sure, there are some unethical online marketers that give us a bad name, but I would counter and say that most people who make money online are honest, hard-working people who put as much work into their home business as employees. Put in your work, if not more.

Once you’ve got a few individual ad providers in your sights, look for reviews from people they’ve worked with, but always go a step further and contact the reviewer yourself:

Let’s say Barbara posts a positive review of Paul’s solo ad service. You contact Barbara and she tells you that she endorses Paul’s solo ads because they don’t work. Her next question should be, “What kind of offer did you send? To what market?” If she tells you that she was offering weight loss products, but you’re here offering educational products on how to make money online, your conversions could be completely different. You may also want to ask if any of those clicks converted to subscribers/followers/buyers/etc.

Do your due diligence to ensure that:

• The provider has a solid reputation for delivering the number of clicks it promises

• That the people on your list are actually interested in your offer (the right market)

• Those clicks are real people who will become subscribers/followers/buyers

When deciding on a solo ad provider, always ask for the minimum number of clicks to test. Don’t jump in and buy 1000 clicks up front. Do a small test, order 200-300 clicks and see how many of them convert. If the conditions are right, some of those clicks will convert (if you’ve had a 40% conversion rate, then you should get 30-50% of those clicks to convert). If you’re getting clicks but zero conversions, that provider is probably sending you fake traffic.

As always and with everything, keep track of your results!

Words of encouragement

Be okay with accepting losses. With internet marketing, you have to be okay with taking bumps along the way while maintaining your enthusiasm, knowing that it will work for you soon enough. So don’t be disappointed if you don’t get it right the first time, the most important thing is that you try.