Not so Fresh [RANT/VENT]

E

electrojham

New member
Dec 4, 2006
35
0
0
Canada
:angrysoapbox_sml:

I've been running campaigns since 2006 with success and now all my methods result in failure. I don't know what's happened. Maybe it's the offers drying up, maybe I got lazy or maybe the industry is evolving and I'm not keeping up. I dunno. I'm pissed. It sucks.. I applied for a job. Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's the game, maybe it's the QS, but it's all the same. I'm not seeing 5 figures a month anymore and i work way wayyy harder than before. I need a change, I need fresh ideas.

My TRADITIONAL methods are PPC on Google/Yahoo/MSN promoting free trial offers in the online entertainment niche (games and music).

There was a post I read years ago, maybe on here, maybe somewhere else and you've probably heard it before but it says if you have a good offer that rocks it will end. It may be ending right now, it may end tomorrow or it may end in a year, but always REMEMBER that that revenue stream will dry up. Be prepared. I wasn't and I had enough to float for awhile but I've never been able to bounce back to past levels. Don't put all those eggs in one basket ya' hear.

Anyways.. I've been happy to see some organic projects showing fruit. Seeds planted a year ago are producing with minimal effort invested. Makes me realize the potential on the organic side and what could be achieved with more effort.

But for now I'm going to try rocking FB. Rip it!
 


Diversify. If you invest your income in the good times into other projects (not PPC, maybe buying already successful sites etc) then you would have something to support you when the shit hits the fan. Of course you probably already know this.

If money is short, why not try using your PPC skills with local businesses - lead gen etc?
 
Jackeyy, thanks for your support :P

DBWebDev, I've done some consulting and will probably expand that area.

PPC isn't dead to me, but it just gets discouraging when "shit hits the fan".
 
This is exactly why although my income has shot my dramatically in the last year I haven't changed my lifestyle much.

I save/diversify/invest. Nothing I do online at the moment can I even expect it to be producing income a month from now much less 10 years.

Good luck! I'm sure with some hard work you will do just fine.
 
electrojham said:
I've been running campaigns since 2006 with success and now all my methods result in failure. I don't know what's happened.

...but always REMEMBER that that revenue stream will dry up.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you're considering leaving the free trial space. If that's the case, and assuming you were tracking your metrics, mind if I pry a little?

1. Are your biggest keywords not producing the same level of impressions as they have been over the past few years (for similar ad copy)?

* I haven't a clue with regard to what's happening in the free trial space these days. Maybe algo tweaks are suppressing "free trial" ads given specific trigger words. (This might be easier to figure out for the search platforms since content networks are murkier.)

2. Have you seen your upfront conversion rates per ad/lander combo declining for the same keywords? (By "upfront," I mean prior to the advertiser bouncing leads because they're unable to back them out.)

* If so, maybe folks are less inclined to opt in for the free trials you're pushing due to the space receiving bad publicity. Or, maybe they're hip to the default landers being used.

3. Are your CPCs for your money keywords going up?

* Maybe the problem is due to QS or market saturation. That seems to be where the blame gets placed most of the time. Or, maybe a few competitors are pushing direct offers with higher payouts or deeper backends (easy, WF) in your space? I could see how that might squeeze your EPCs.

I'd bet you're not the only one fighting an uphill battle with this stuff. I used to do a lot of PPC. Did pretty well for years, but I didn't adapt to changes. I'm in awe of those folks who adapt (adhuster comes to mind).

Anyway, I usually stay out of these discussions because everyone seems to know more than I do. But, I'm really curious - enough to be nosy. :)
 
1. Are your biggest keywords not producing the same level of impressions as they have been over the past few years (for similar ad copy)?
Click to expand...
Impressions have decreased.

2. Have you seen your upfront conversion rates per ad/lander combo declining for the same keywords? (By "upfront," I mean prior to the advertiser bouncing leads because they're unable to back them out.)
Click to expand...

I've seen conversion rates increase, most likely due to the fact I constantly optimize.

3. Are your CPCs for your money keywords going up?
Click to expand...

Yes and no. Seems like competition has dropped out on some keywords decreasing CPCs and others have gained.

That said, I'd say my biggest hits were due to quality score issues (received my first FINAL WARNING from Google today for LPQS, yay!), advertisers either dropping their affiliate programs all together or scaling back their programs by lowering CPAs and restricting trademark use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom