53 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
53 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

POF advertising - have you already used it?

by williamrs
43 replies
Hi,

I have been trying to make a campaign works with POF in the last few days and I'm not enjoying my experience with them.

First, the positive aspect:

* it was VERY easy to get a positive ROI. They allow us to target people based on many different things and it makes the task of getting a positive ROI very simple. My ROI is now close to 200%.


Now, the bad aspects:

* They work only with CPM, not CPC.

* They have a very low volume! My campaign has a super ROI and I'm still planning to quit it in the next days due to the low volume. First, I thought that I could fix this problem, and here is what I did: deleted some targeting rules and kept only country, gender and age; increased my bid (around 50%); improved my CTR. My number of impressions still is pretty low, around 1,5K - 2K per ad per day. My frequency cap is 3, but I am not sure if incresing it would be something smart. My CTR still isn't all that good and with a high frequency cap things may get even worse.


In short, I would like to know if another warrior has already used POF and found out a way to solve this problem and get a good number of impressions.


William
#advertising #pof
  • Profile picture of the author RyanEagle
    I've been using it for awhile and I love it - EWA has a bunch of guides and support on getting started with it.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2211551].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author williamrs
      Originally Posted by RyanEagle View Post

      I've been using it for awhile and I love it - EWA has a bunch of guides and support on getting started with it.
      Ryan,

      Yes, it seems to be a good option. Actually, I got very good ROI with my first campaign with them (I think it's the first time it happens to me, I always need to test a few offers when I start working with a different traffic source). However, I'm still trying to figure out how I can get more impressions.

      I'll increase my frequency cap and create more ads based on the ones that I have already tested. I'll post my results here.


      William
      Signature
      Steal My Profit Strategy



      >> Download Now <<
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2211638].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    IMO - POF is currently one of the easiest ways to make money
    (and yes I have been using it for a while)
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212488].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author williamrs
      Originally Posted by ChrisBa View Post

      IMO - POF is currently one of the easiest ways to make money
      (and yes I have been using it for a while)
      Yes, it definetely is . I'm just trying to figure out how to increase my volume, I tried to increase my frequency cap and create more ads, but the problem wa snot solved yet. However, I have identified some errors on my campaign and will work on them in the next days. Since I have already got a very good ROI, I just need to get enough volume to make some decent money from my campaign .

      I'll post any updates. If I figure out how to get a good volume with them (and it's probably simple ) I'll share everything here.


      William
      Signature
      Steal My Profit Strategy



      >> Download Now <<
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212971].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author rvrabel2002
    I kind of agree with you guys to a point. It seems like POF has become kind of saturated in the last month or so. A couple guides came out in the war room and on other sites about how great this traffic source is. So it basically flooded the pof ad platform with a bunch of begginers looking to make a quick buck, and not having any real testing/targeting of there ads. Just a simple shotgun blast approach where it raises everyones bids and cuts into ROI.

    Im not saying that its not a great traffic source. Its highly targeted, extremely easy to use, and they allow direct linking which is great. There is just too many people jumping into the pool and not enough water.

    IMHO

    Rob

    p.s. Ryan if you read this can you have R Anderson send me over copy of your guides for POF advertising? Thanks man.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213865].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dayne Dylan
    Banned
    Does anyone here successfully promote anything BUT dating offers on PoF? I seem to nearly break even with dating offers on PoF. I am having a hard time getting them to profit.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214199].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Freeman77
    As someone who has spent many thousands on POF, I have to echo some of the above statements: Yes, it's a great platform, but we're definitely seeing it become saturated.

    If you find yourself focusing solely on POF ads, you may be forced to branch out sooner than you'd prefer. It's best to diversify ASAP.

    That said, if I had more time, I would be running more POF ads. Right now, I'm finding that my time and money is better spent elsewhere.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214205].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author williamrs
      Originally Posted by Dayne Dylan View Post

      Does anyone here successfully promote anything BUT dating offers on PoF? I seem to nearly break even with dating offers on PoF. I am having a hard time getting them to profit.
      Since they allow you to get laser targeted traffic, it's possible to promote many different types of offers.


      Originally Posted by Freeman77 View Post

      As someone who has spent many thousands on POF, I have to echo some of the above statements: Yes, it's a great platform, but we're definitely seeing it become saturated.

      If you find yourself focusing solely on POF ads, you may be forced to branch out sooner than you'd prefer. It's best to diversify ASAP.

      That said, if I had more time, I would be running more POF ads. Right now, I'm finding that my time and money is better spent elsewhere.
      Never put all your eggs in one basket. Golden rule. I have several PPC campaigns running with other platforms and I just want POF to be one more option for me.

      I still can't say if it's saturated or not, but I can say that I'm having problems to get volume. Since they use CPM model, I can't bid too high and my ads are not getting a lot of impressions. But I think I can solve this problem, and if I keep my ROI as it is now I'll definetely have a winner .


      William
      Signature
      Steal My Profit Strategy



      >> Download Now <<
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214373].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author ddwebx
        Hey, I would like to know what actually POF is.
        I've been hearing that term many times in this forum.

        What is it? How it works?

        I would love to know more about it. I'm just a getting started into
        Internet Marketing. I already tried to google : "POF" and found nothing.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214535].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Seany D
          Originally Posted by ddwebx View Post

          Hey, I would like to know what actually POF is.
          I've been hearing that term many times in this forum.

          What is it? How it works?

          I would love to know more about it. I'm just a getting started into
          Internet Marketing. I already tried to google : "POF" and found nothing.
          I would also like to know what the heck POF stands for? Can someone please answer this. It would only take someone a minute to answer, and yet I see no one did when ddwebx asked.

          So again, please someone explain what POF is!
          Thanks
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246809].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author PeerFly
            Originally Posted by ddwebx View Post

            Hey, I would like to know what actually POF is.
            I've been hearing that term many times in this forum.

            What is it? How it works?

            I would love to know more about it. I'm just a getting started into
            Internet Marketing. I already tried to google : "POF" and found nothing.
            Originally Posted by Seany D View Post

            I would also like to know what the heck POF stands for? Can someone please answer this. It would only take someone a minute to answer, and yet I see no one did when ddwebx asked.

            So again, please someone explain what POF is!
            Thanks
            Plenty Of Fish
            Signature
            Learn About Affiliate Marketing
            Case Studies | Follow Along Campaigns | Campaign Optimization
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246830].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author dxkuk
            POF stands for plenty of fish there website is www.pof.com or Free Online Dating at Plentyoffish.com
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246985].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author rvrabel2002
        I still can't say if it's saturated or not, but I can say that I'm having problems to get volume. Since they use CPM model, I can't bid too high and my ads are not getting a lot of impressions. But I think I can solve this problem, and if I keep my ROI as it is now I'll definetely have a winner .


        William[/QUOTE]

        This statement in and of itself basically says it is saturated. You cannot get volume because there are too many other advertisers bidding, hence its saturated.

        Im not arguing with you or anything, I'm just saying thats my observation. Like i said earlier, there are too many new people coming into the POF market that dont REALLY know what they are doing, and they are driving up the costs for the people that do.

        Im banking on the fact that many newbies will simply lose more than they gain, and over time the market for advertising on there will return to normal.

        This happens in practically any media buying position i have ever encountered. Think about it, if a guy is selling a guide on how to market on a platform, chances are he has drained that traffic source dry, has mastered that source, and now it is no longer profitable.

        Since it is no longer profitable, the only way to profit from it is to write an ebook about how you too can make $1000 a day using his "unique" system promoting this traffic source. When in reality, the $1000 days are over, and he/she knows that, but is just trying to capitalize on how it "used" to be.

        I know this because i recently bought a ppc guide from one of our forum members, followed his guide to advertising on google adwords, only to be slapped to hell by google. He made a ton of money at the right time, but now google does not like bridge pages (which is what he was promoting essentially), so it is no longer usefull from his standpoint.

        Sorry for the rant, this is just the trend I see when it comes to traffic sources, and the men promoting them.

        Again, POF can be profitable, but i do believe the glory days are over.

        Robert
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214543].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Freeman77
          Originally Posted by rvrabel2002 View Post

          I know this because i recently bought a ppc guide from one of our forum members, followed his guide to advertising on google adwords, only to be slapped to hell by google. He made a ton of money at the right time, but now google does not like bridge pages (which is what he was promoting essentially), so it is no longer usefull from his standpoint.
          I think I know the guide -- it wasn't profitable for me either
          Signature

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214639].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author rvrabel2002
            Originally Posted by Freeman77 View Post

            I think I know the guide -- it wasn't profitable for me either
            Oh it was profitable as hell for me though. I was making $300 a day profit from using google adwords. After about a month though, my campaign suddenly stopped. I emailed adwords support and they told me my landing page was a bridge page. I said ok, and proceeded to make a site that was not a "bridge page", but was a comparison site. It compared various products in a niche that is relatively untapped. They then told me it was a "poor comparison" shopping site. It was like no matter what i did, the quality wasnt there.

            I hate to get off topic in this post, as its specifically for POF, but it comes down to the guys promoting it.

            Shoot me an email freeman77, I'll give you some tips to set up a really good ppc strategy. Don't know how long it will last for you, but you can make some decent money using it.

            all the best,

            Rob
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215593].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author williamrs
          Originally Posted by rvrabel2002 View Post

          This statement in and of itself basically says it is saturated. You cannot get volume because there are too many other advertisers bidding, hence its saturated.

          Im not arguing with you or anything, I'm just saying thats my observation. Like i said earlier, there are too many new people coming into the POF market that dont REALLY know what they are doing, and they are driving up the costs for the people that do.

          Im banking on the fact that many newbies will simply lose more than they gain, and over time the market for advertising on there will return to normal.

          This happens in practically any media buying position i have ever encountered. Think about it, if a guy is selling a guide on how to market on a platform, chances are he has drained that traffic source dry, has mastered that source, and now it is no longer profitable.

          Since it is no longer profitable, the only way to profit from it is to write an ebook about how you too can make $1000 a day using his "unique" system promoting this traffic source. When in reality, the $1000 days are over, and he/she knows that, but is just trying to capitalize on how it "used" to be.

          I know this because i recently bought a ppc guide from one of our forum members, followed his guide to advertising on google adwords, only to be slapped to hell by google. He made a ton of money at the right time, but now google does not like bridge pages (which is what he was promoting essentially), so it is no longer usefull from his standpoint.

          Sorry for the rant, this is just the trend I see when it comes to traffic sources, and the men promoting them.

          Again, POF can be profitable, but i do believe the glory days are over.

          Robert
          Robert, I understand your point of view and it's absolutely correct. It happens all the time.

          However, I said that I couldn't say if it was saturated or not because that was just my very first campaign. Now, after a few improvements I got double my impressions and clicks.

          Basically, I was doing just one thing wrong, I was focusing on a very specific group that's hard to target even with all the possibilities offered by POF. So I had a low CTR and couldn't bid high enough (I don't have experience with CPM, I'm still learning ). However, now I'm targeting a slightly broader audience and just solved this problem. The only negative aspect is that my ROI is not as good as before now, but I think I still can save my campaign if I keep improving it.

          Anyway, I agree with you that POF is not a "paradise" anymore, with incredibly low bids. However, it's still a good option. AdWords used to have bids as low as 20c - 30c for some competitive terms in the past, and now people are bidding as much as $2 - $3, but I still use AdWords to make money. It's normal, when a traffic source becomes more popular the bids raise, things become harder and we need to work smarter, but it doesn't mean that it can't be used anymore.

          I created a few POF accounts to spy my competitors and found only 2 ads that are not related to dating. I'm sure that dating is not the only option with POF, and I'm already preparing a campaign to promote an offer that's not related to this niche. It shows that there are still many unexploited possibilities, we just need to find them and use them before the crowd arrives .


          William
          Signature
          Steal My Profit Strategy



          >> Download Now <<
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215166].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author rvrabel2002
            Originally Posted by williamrs View Post

            Robert, I understand your point of view and it's absolutely correct. It happens all the time.

            However, I said that I couldn't say if it was saturated or not because that was just my very first campaign. Now, after a few improvements I got double my impressions and clicks.

            Basically, I was doing just one thing wrong, I was focusing on a very specific group that's hard to target even with all the possibilities offered by POF. So I had a low CTR and couldn't bid high enough (I don't have experience with CPM, I'm still learning ). However, now I'm targeting a slightly broader audience and just solved this problem. The only negative aspect is that my ROI is not as good as before now, but I think I still can save my campaign if I keep improving it.

            Anyway, I agree with you that POF is not a "paradise" anymore, with incredibly low bids. However, it's still a good option. AdWords used to have bids as low as 20c - 30c for some competitive terms in the past, and now people are bidding as much as $2 - $3, but I still use AdWords to make money. It's normal, when a traffic source becomes more popular the bids raise, things become harder and we need to work smarter, but it doesn't mean that it can't be used anymore.

            I created a few POF accounts to spy my competitors and found only 2 ads that are not related to dating. I'm sure that dating is not the only option with POF, and I'm already preparing a campaign to promote an offer that's not related to this niche. It shows that there are still many unexploited possibilities, we just need to find them and use them before the crowd arrives .


            William
            Well said, I especially agree with your last paragraph. There are tons of traffic sources out there, beyond POF. It's just a matter of finding them.

            From what i understand, you should focus on a CTR of about %0.15 - 0.22 from POF. If you can get a CTR like that on pof, you should be pretty profitable, depending on your offer of course.

            Im gonna dip my fingers back in the "fish" pond eventually, just might wait a few months to get into it. Haha.

            all the best.

            Rob
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215603].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author williamrs
              Originally Posted by rvrabel2002 View Post

              Well said, I especially agree with your last paragraph. There are tons of traffic sources out there, beyond POF. It's just a matter of finding them.

              From what i understand, you should focus on a CTR of about %0.15 - 0.22 from POF. If you can get a CTR like that on pof, you should be pretty profitable, depending on your offer of course.

              Im gonna dip my fingers back in the "fish" pond eventually, just might wait a few months to get into it. Haha.

              all the best.

              Rob
              I got better numbers today in comparison with yesterday after making a few improvements on my campaign.

              Impressions - I got a lot more impressions. I really mean a lot!
              Bid - I needed to raise my bid drastically, about 60%
              CTR - I finally got it! My avg. CTR is about %0.2
              ROI - From 200% to 100%, but it's still great
              Frequency Cap - It's still 3. I'm a bit resistent to change it.

              As you can see, I'm almost able to say that I got a winner. I just need to run my campaign for one or 2 more days and see if the initial numbers are not lying. If I keep these results I'll scale it a little bit more and try to make a decent profit.

              Also, as soon as I establish this campaign I'll be launching another campaign on this platform promoting something that's not related to dating. If I get good results I'll share some info here.


              William
              Signature
              Steal My Profit Strategy



              >> Download Now <<
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215663].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author chart3
                How have things gone for you over the past few days with your tweaks?

                Originally Posted by williamrs View Post

                I got better numbers today in comparison with yesterday after making a few improvements on my campaign.

                Impressions - I got a lot more impressions. I really mean a lot!
                Bid - I needed to raise my bid drastically, about 60%
                CTR - I finally got it! My avg. CTR is about %0.2
                ROI - From 200% to 100%, but it's still great
                Frequency Cap - It's still 3. I'm a bit resistent to change it.

                As you can see, I'm almost able to say that I got a winner. I just need to run my campaign for one or 2 more days and see if the initial numbers are not lying. If I keep these results I'll scale it a little bit more and try to make a decent profit.

                Also, as soon as I establish this campaign I'll be launching another campaign on this platform promoting something that's not related to dating. If I get good results I'll share some info here.


                William
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2229996].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Andy1750
    Hey,

    POF used to be an amazing traffic source - had a few campaigns bringing in a couple of hundred dollars a day. But it's now much harder - too many new affiliates thinking that they can stick up a picture of an attractive girl with big tits, target single men in the US between 25 and 50 with a direct link and bring in a positive ROI. Very easy way to lose a lot of money in a very short space of time. But as soon as they disappear there's a hundred others waiting in the wings to replace them. Consequence is that CPMs are now significantly inflated.

    Dating is supersaturated right now. Lots of really talented ex-rebill affiliates are dominating dating. You can still make money but the returns are low. Lots of people are getting out and moving into other niches which involve less work and higher returns. Only way to succeed is lots of campaigns, supertight demographics, creative landers and thinking outside the box to do things a bit differently to everybody else. International's also easier to master.

    Have still been making money on POF but my preferred traffic source for dating campaigns is currently Facebook as there's much better volume for tight demographics.

    Cheers,

    Andy
    Signature

    Not trying to sell you anything :-)

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215649].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jordanberg2311
    When did you guys start to notice lots of advertiser spend on POF?
    Signature
    PM Me For Your PPC AdWords Help
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2230172].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mprey
      Can some of you more experienced POF guys help me out? I tried a couple dating offers so far but my biggest problem has been my CTR. I come from Facebook and with split testing can usually reach 0.1%+ CTRs there pretty easily. But with POF I just can't get my CTR to any decent level, it's not even 0.03% oftentimes...and that's while I really am split testing tons of images, headlines...

      Would really appreciate the help.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2231899].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author PPC Savior
        Originally Posted by mprey View Post

        Can some of you more experienced POF guys help me out? I tried a couple dating offers so far but my biggest problem has been my CTR. I come from Facebook and with split testing can usually reach 0.1%+ CTRs there pretty easily. But with POF I just can't get my CTR to any decent level, it's not even 0.03% oftentimes...and that's while I really am split testing tons of images, headlines...

        Would really appreciate the help.
        Try targeting a specific user value with the POF targeting system and then build it into the ad copy.

        For example, Target Guys 6 feet or taller and say something like "Tall Guys Needed". I have gotten some really great CTR's doing things like this.


        Also, you can show more skin in your ad images on POF, use this to your advantage.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2231909].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Maji
          POF is a very good platform.......Plus they are very helpful if you email them about an issue
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2232638].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author behnk01
            Pof is top tier. YOu can target by many unconventional things you cant anywhere else.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2234140].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author behnk01
              Like drinking, height, profession.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2234145].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author psychobabble
    POF has great parameters and targeting options but many advertisers don't like the traffic.

    Think about it, people on a free dating site don't want to spend money.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2232630].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author williamrs
    Hey, guys!

    Sorry, I couldn't update this thread in the last few days because I was sick and couldn't even touch my business.

    However, now I'm unpausing all my campaigns and will report back asap!


    William
    Signature
    Steal My Profit Strategy



    >> Download Now <<
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2237106].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Freeman77
    I know from experience that it's possible to make a full-time income with POF. I've moved on for now, but I hope to be back
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2237498].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author numba8
    I've used POF, I did okay for a while then I started to have a really hard time getting stuff approved.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2237626].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dxkuk
    Hello all, my first post here and also new to internet marketing, question how do you use POF? when i went there it is a dating site, if anybhody can assist or point me in the direct.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246977].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PeerFly
      Originally Posted by dxkuk View Post

      Hello all, my first post here and also new to internet marketing, question how do you use POF? when i went there it is a dating site, if anybhody can assist or point me in the direct.
      Check out their advertising section at Relevant Demographic Targetted Advertising.
      Signature
      Learn About Affiliate Marketing
      Case Studies | Follow Along Campaigns | Campaign Optimization
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247065].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Seany D
        Okay, I was thinking it was Plenty of Fish, but I wasn't sure!
        The reason I wanted to know is because POF is actually how I met my wife.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247091].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author williamrs
      Originally Posted by dxkuk View Post

      Hello all, my first post here and also new to internet marketing, question how do you use POF? when i went there it is a dating site, if anybhody can assist or point me in the direct.
      Just go to http://ads.pof.com, create an account and start a campaign
      Signature
      Steal My Profit Strategy



      >> Download Now <<
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247386].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author andreblamads
        I love POF traffic, I've had a lot of success with it. I'd also suggest using Mr. Greens POF uploader. It saves on time, and helps with scaling your campaigns.
        Signature
        Most Direct Offers than Any Incent Network
        Over (2800) Incentive Offers, Content Locking, BLAM Cart, blm.bz, Higher Payouts and more...
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247732].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Osmart
          Hey guys I am new to this forum, but I have been using POF for a while now, I am very interested in diversifying my platform and I was wondering if anyone can give me other traffic sources which are just as easy to set up and where the CPM or CPC isnt like above 1 dollar. I have tried adwords and facebook, google..so far nothing seemed to be giving me a good CTR as well as POF...Any suggestions?????
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4743750].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Aysha
    Why pof is not accepting advertisers from few countries?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4877004].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Excitin'MoneyMakers
    To get back to the initial problem. Have you split tested the ads? If your CTR is low it could be the ads. POF has been around a while and tons of affiliates are using them now so it is getting quite congested but, still a good place to advertise.
    Good Luck!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4883277].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Aviator Joe
    one of my "go-to" traffic sources
    Signature
    Are You Serious About Affiliate Marketing?

    If You Are SICK of Being Stuck in the Affiliate Rat Race, CLICK HERE
    By Professional Marketers. For Professional Marketers.
    Got this product All I can say is WOW
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4886570].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mike_somerville
    I have been running POF campaigns for over a year now! Huge source of traffic for me. The key is to target the right people ...

    White Women with less then 50 login's is my target and it crushes it for me!
    Signature

    Get Paid To Build A List, While Building An Online Business On Autopilot Today! Click here to learn more.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4888711].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kuntal622
    I am also thinking to start a campaign on POF.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10047909].message }}

Trending Topics