Solo ads, explained simply

What a solo ad is

Someone who owns an email list, often called a vendor, sends one email to their subscribers with your link in it. You pay for the clicks. Because the whole email is about your offer, it's called a "solo" ad.

What you need first

• A sign-up page. One page that asks for an email address in exchange for something useful, like a free guide.
• Follow-up emails. An autoresponder that sends a few helpful emails over the next week. Most sales happen here, not on the first click.
• Tracking. A way to count sign-ups and sales from each campaign.

What it costs

Clicks usually cost somewhere between $0.25 and $1.50 each. On marketplaces like TrafficZest you set your own bid and budget, so a first test can be as small as $20–$25.

How to run a small test

1. Pick one vendor or a low bid and buy about 100 clicks.
2. Count sign-ups. If fewer than 1 in 5 visitors join, improve your page before buying more.
3. Wait a week for your follow-up emails to work, then count sales.
4. Only buy more if you made back most of what you spent.

Common mistakes

• Sending paid clicks straight to a sales page instead of a sign-up page.
• Judging by clicks instead of sign-ups and sales.
• Spending a big budget before a small test works.