Grieve's Affiliate Marketing Journey into Success or Squalor. Most Likely Squalor.

The only dating ads that were profitable for me were run on Friday and Saturday nights. Why? Because people want to go on dates... on Friday and Saturday nights.

Keep on testing new things. Once you get familiar with the Facebook ad platform, start marketing yourself as a PPC consultant. IMO - there's much more money to be with doctors and dentists than $1.60 CPA dating ads.

Hell, you can make money in whatever niche. Just keep on testing.

Tupac out.
 


Nutella said:
The only dating ads that were profitable for me were run on Friday and Saturday nights. Why? Because people want to go on dates... on Friday and Saturday nights.

Keep on testing new things. Once you get familiar with the Facebook ad platform, start marketing yourself as a PPC consultant. IMO - there's much more money to be with doctors and dentists than $1.60 CPA dating ads.

Hell, you can make money in whatever niche. Just keep on testing.

Tupac out.
Click to expand...

I've definitely suspected the same in regard to Friday/Saturday being the most likely to run something profitable, but I've been trying not to restrict myself to only running on those days. Using my fake fb account I've noticed two things -

1.) There are 5-6 ads that I recognize that have been running NONSTOP for the past 2-3 weeks. My account is virtually a blank slate - age 25, male, single, no likes/interests, graduated from high school/college.

2.) The same ads are running at virtually any time of day based on when I've checked, and any time of the week.

Now, it is pretty safe to assume that these ads are profitable, considering how long they've been running. The question is, how the FUCK are these people able to run such broad ads at any time of day, any time of the week, and get even half-decent CTRs? Am I missing something? I STILL have yet to run an ad for an extended period of time that has anything above a .07 CTR. How do people do that? I am completely lost.
 
grieve said:
I've definitely suspected the same in regard to Friday/Saturday being the most likely to run something profitable, but I've been trying not to restrict myself to only running on those days. Using my fake fb account I've noticed two things -

1.) There are 5-6 ads that I recognize that have been running NONSTOP for the past 2-3 weeks. My account is virtually a blank slate - age 25, male, single, no likes/interests, graduated from high school/college.

2.) The same ads are running at virtually any time of day based on when I've checked, and any time of the week.

Now, it is pretty safe to assume that these ads are profitable, considering how long they've been running. The question is, how the FUCK are these people able to run such broad ads at any time of day, any time of the week, and get even half-decent CTRs? Am I missing something? I STILL have yet to run an ad for an extended period of time that has anything above a .07 CTR. How do people do that? I am completely lost.
Click to expand...
Pay bumps.
 
Keep in mind they may be running directly with the advertiser (cutting out the network middle man) or the campaigns you are seeing could be the advertiser running it in-house.

edit: it could also be a network running the campaign
 
Well, damn. When I first started marketing, specifically on Facebook, all I heard was to try out dating first. Now, it seems like the common theme is to get the fuck out of dating and try another niche. I'd like to stick with Facebook though. I really need to think long and hard about this. I'm definitely open to suggestions from you guys, and I'd also like to say that I really appreciate all the help/input thus far.
 
grieve said:
Well, damn. When I first started marketing, specifically on Facebook, all I heard was to try out dating first. Now, it seems like the common theme is to get the fuck out of dating and try another niche. I'd like to stick with Facebook though. I really need to think long and hard about this. I'm definitely open to suggestions from you guys, and I'd also like to say that I really appreciate all the help/input thus far.
Click to expand...
fuck facebook
fuck dating

You need a smaller offer and a smaller platform. All you have now is a big boy pool filled with big boys getting payed more then you hence there ability to drive costs so high you have next to 0 chance of making monies.
 
secretagentdad said:
fuck facebook
fuck dating

You need a smaller offer and a smaller platform. All you have now is a big boy pool filled with big boys getting payed more then you hence there ability to drive costs so high you have next to 0 chance of making monies.
Click to expand...

By smaller offer, I'm assuming you mean either a less competitive vertical, or a smaller niche? Or probably both? Interesting... any suggestions for what you would consider a smaller platform?
 
9/26/11


After my last post talking about low CTR... I continued to run my dating offer on Facebook, only to be met with more low CTRs and terrible conversions. Along with the knowledge that a lot of the dating offers are run by gigantic budgets and direct advertisement, I'm starting to think Facebook may not be the place for my first profit. At 618 dollars spent, and 130 dollars made, I consider it a valuable learning experience. I'm not giving up entirely on Facebook, but starting today I've been familiarizing myself with the MSN Adcenter/Google Adwords advertising platform.

Also, spoke to an old high school friend yesterday that I found out is "in the biz." We had a long discussion where he highly recommended mobile AM, and suggested that I get the fuck out of Facebook. Again, I'd like to "learn" Facebook, and I absolutely HATE to be a quitter. But am I being too damn stubborn with Facebook? I hate giving up on shit, and I like pushing toward something until I succed... but again, am I being blind to the fact that Facebook dating is not the place to go if I want to start being "profitable.?" Am I ignoring good, genuine advice, out of sheer stubbornness? I'm trying not to RUSH into anything - meaning either dropping out of Facebook and pursuing a new platform, or continuing to stubbornly tweak and dump money into something that isn't showing any potential.


And...through all of the bullshit going on in my head, I know that there are those people who are going to tell me "KEEP GOING, DON'T BE A PUSSY" in regard to my consideration of dropping Facebook dating for now. Or is that just my stubbornness again? Fuck.

Decisions, decisions.
 
Be prepared to fail.

Reevaluate. Make changes. Split test.

Or cut losses.

Only $$$$ i ever made from facebook was NOT in the dating niche (which is where I and countless other newbie affiliates started).
 
Decisions, decisions.
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Great advice from everyone so far, I really appreciate it. I'm taking my focus off of Facebook dating for now, and looking into some alternative traffic sources. Right now, the two I'm looking at most are Online Advertising Marketplace | BuySellAds.com (as someone here suggested) and MSN Adcenter. These are both completely new to me, and my time is being spent right now on familiarizing myself with both of these sites as well as scanning offers via my 2 affiliate networks seeing if there is anything that particularly attracts me. Its a bit overwhelming because once you step outside of Facebook you realize the possibilities are ENDLESS. That's the charm of this business though, right?

My goal right now is finding and nailing down just one of those "endless possibilities" and learning it. I'm looking at either search ppc (via MSN adcenter etc) or a site like Online Advertising Marketplace | BuySellAds.com. What is that considered? "Media buying?" I'm also debating Plentyoffish as well. I'm EXTREMELY ignorant to all 3 (search ppc/"media buying"/pof) but I plan on taking the next day or so to familiarize myself with all of them.

Any insight from other people following along in this thread? I'm damn sure you can be a BIG BALLA $HOTCALLA with any 3 of those (or a combination of the 3) but that's not what I'm looking for right now. I'm just looking for something... approachable to newbies? I know things like PPV/media buying aren't exactly newbie friendly, but I guess I'll just figure it out through trying my own shit.
 
After that post, I just had a really good discussion with my girlfriend, who basically put me back on track. I may have been convincing myself that I wasn't "angry" at Facebook and trying to ditch it... but deep down I realize I was. Having spent 600 dollars on Facebook and not having 1 profitable campaign... plus seeing people who could barely form a full sentence profiting on Facebook just made it all really really frustrating for me deep down.

Facebook DOES work for people, and I can figure out something that works for me. I'm going to speak to my AM right now and see what kind of international dating offers they have (for the much lower CPC) and perhaps other verticals I could try on there. Before I drop Facebook, I need to exhaust every option/idea I have on there.


The mods should rename this thread to "Read along as Grieve goes through an emotional rollercoaster like a teenage girl on her period"
 
don't worry man. takes a good amount of money to learn how to make money but once you get it you will make it all back quickly. just takes time but you clearly have the motivation and support so you will get there!
 
9/29/11


Signed up with another network today known for their big selection of international dating offers (hint hint). I'm looking into international dating on Facebook for now, since I'd like to stick to my guns, but I'm also looking at email/zip submit offers as well, since those seem pretty approachable to a newbie like myself. I'm looking at various platforms to publish these offers... anyone have any suggestions? PM me if you'd like to keep it on the DL ;)

Also, if there's anyone reading this that has experience with Facebook, dating specifically, I'd love to chat with you via Skype/AIM/PM/adultfriendfinder/WHATEVER... just looking for someone that could potentially help "enlighten me" a bit.


Note: I'd also like to say once again, thanks BIG TIME to all the people providing me with motivation + words of advice. You guys are all an inspiration to me.
 
10/10/2011

Re-evaluated some things. Took some advice from some really great guys on this forum, and switched to a more successful dating offer. First day of testing so far, international traffic. Seeing CTRs of .05 to .08. Will keep testing for a few more hours. I believe I made a mistake today by keeping my age range broad. 25-50. I've just submitted ads of some of my "most successful" pictures, but split into age ranges of: 25-30, 31-36, etc
I've also put in some of my own creativity with my most successful images. Upside down, sideways, neon borders, banners, etc. It's worth a shot, right? It may catch someone's eye.

I'm trying to stay confident and focused. Looking forward to tomorrow. I want to start profiting, no matter HOW small, SO BADLY. I want it more than anything and it's all I can think about.
 
CTRs all dropped down to around .06. Incredibly frustrating. Waiting on approval for all the age-split ads, will try tomorrow. Hoping for something promising.
 
10/11/11

Today was my most confident attempt yet. Ran them around 7pm UK time, and I ran them until my ads seemingly lost steam. Had some REALLY exciting CTRs pop up right off the bat.... had multiple ads above .1 CTR, as well as 1 above .315 and one above .2. But...as you all know that in itself is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster...because they all inevitably drop. Had one with promising "longterm" CTR. 20k impressions, .103 CTR...but I had reached about 60% of my budget and Facebook completely stopped my ads from getting impressions. I'm guessing to spread my budget out across the entire day? Once I increased my budget to get them going again, it dropped down to .07ish CTR.

Another really upsetting day, especially because my early-performance got me particularly excited/eager. The more I become emotionally invested in starting my business, the easier I get excited. On the other hand, I also know that emotional-attachment = becoming "devastated" more easily if things don't go your way...and fuck everything about that. I'm staying strong, and I refuse to get discouraged. It is my fucking DREAM to succeed in this. Facebook is fucking tough. I still feel like I'm doing something really wrong.

Screenshots of today's data below:
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