Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The truth will shock you!

samstephens · 11-30-2009, 12:15 AM

We've all seen them before, some of us have probably used them, and vendors here have probably had affiliates promote their products in this way:

- Negative Adwords ads

There seems to be a big trend in this over the past little while, though it seems to be dropping off a little now.

For those that haven't seen this style of ad, basically it's a title similar to the one for this thread title. The affiliate takes a name of a product, and basically plugs it into a sentance like this:

<Product Name> a scam? Find out the shocking truth!

I'm sure this increases click through rates, but I'd be curious to hear if anyone is actually making sales conversions with this style of promotion.

Here's my thoughts:

We know the biggest hurdle to get someone to buy a product is trust. They need to trust the website, they need to trust the payment processor, they need to trust the sales copy, they need to trust that the product will deliver.

With that in mind, does putting a negative spin on a product via an Adwords ad sow a seed of mistrust before the visitor ever sees the website?

It seems counterproductive, especially if you're just linking directly to the website, without ever tackling the negative question you just put in the visitor's mind (I've seen this a bunch of times - cast doubt on a certain product or business via the ad, and then just link directly to their website, never tackling the doubt you've just created).

Even if you DO tackle the question by putting up a landing page that answers "No, it's not a scam - it's great!", it would seem that the word "scam" will still be dancing around the back of the visitor's mind.

For those people that do use this style of adwords and are succeeding with it, do you think it's BECAUSE of this style of ad, or IN SPITE of this style of ad that you're making sales?

This style of advertising seems to be dropping off - is it possibly because of legal issues from the vendor, or is it simply that it doesn't convert as well as a positive ad, or has it just been overdone and had it's day?

My ponderings for the day...

cheers
Sam

samstephens · 11-30-2009, 12:19 AM

And yes, I did spell "Truth" wrong...just can't figure out how to edit the thread title...

[EDIT] Thanks Patrician, that got it - my spelling is now fixed

Patrician · 11-30-2009, 12:20 AM

edit/go advanced? (correct topic)

... and I agree, introducing a negative vibe, using a scare/emotional trigger, lying for shock value - it is all a turn off to me as a consumer...

Who wants to feel they have been duped?

Same thing with offline ads where they smear the competition by elaborating on a negative.

Heck I could go on - negative political campaign smears.

It all indicates a lack of taste and class.

"...I'll go the high road"

Slaughter · 11-30-2009, 12:27 AM

Lol..See this result..

Google

Slin · 11-30-2009, 12:35 AM

I have a few sites that use this method of gaining attention, they convert reasonably well.

You see what you are saying by "Is (product) a scam?! Come here and see!"

Is that "Hey guys, if you want to know if this product is legitimate, we have the answer" Then I send them to my review page.

It's a great strategy, plus it put's their mind at ease. Whether your review and everything is real or not, and whether it is a scam or not is up to you, but this strategy seems to convert well for me.

KarlWarren · 11-30-2009, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrician

edit/go advanced? (correct topic)

TIP: Also, you can double click on the grey title area (not the title link itself as it will open up the thread) in the main forum and directly edit it there. This should save some time too

Emily Meeks · 11-30-2009, 01:53 AM

Many affiliate programs don't allow this kind of marketing, and will shut you down if they catch you in the act.

They're right to do so. Not only are those ads annoying, but the word "scam" has been heavily beaten to death in the world of internet marketing. If you really wanna get technical about it, every product has a grain of value to it. Perhaps the info product itself is crap, but you can learn a lot from how a certain product is marketed.

11-30-2009, 12:15 AM	#1
samstephens DLGuard.com War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Central Coast, Australia Posts: 6,208 Thanks: 69 Thanked 260 Times in 116 Posts Social Networking	Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The truth will shock you! We've all seen them before, some of us have probably used them, and vendors here have probably had affiliates promote their products in this way: - Negative Adwords ads There seems to be a big trend in this over the past little while, though it seems to be dropping off a little now. For those that haven't seen this style of ad, basically it's a title similar to the one for this thread title. The affiliate takes a name of a product, and basically plugs it into a sentance like this: <Product Name> a scam? Find out the shocking truth! I'm sure this increases click through rates, but I'd be curious to hear if anyone is actually making sales conversions with this style of promotion. Here's my thoughts: We know the biggest hurdle to get someone to buy a product is trust. They need to trust the website, they need to trust the payment processor, they need to trust the sales copy, they need to trust that the product will deliver. With that in mind, does putting a negative spin on a product via an Adwords ad sow a seed of mistrust before the visitor ever sees the website? It seems counterproductive, especially if you're just linking directly to the website, without ever tackling the negative question you just put in the visitor's mind (I've seen this a bunch of times - cast doubt on a certain product or business via the ad, and then just link directly to their website, never tackling the doubt you've just created). Even if you DO tackle the question by putting up a landing page that answers "No, it's not a scam - it's great!", it would seem that the word "scam" will still be dancing around the back of the visitor's mind. For those people that do use this style of adwords and are succeeding with it, do you think it's BECAUSE of this style of ad, or IN SPITE of this style of ad that you're making sales? This style of advertising seems to be dropping off - is it possibly because of legal issues from the vendor, or is it simply that it doesn't convert as well as a positive ad, or has it just been overdone and had it's day? My ponderings for the day... cheers Sam
	DLGuard v4.6 Now Released! Full integration with Amazon S3 for authenticated large file and high bandwidth downloads. www.dlguard.com Where size doesn't matter!

11-30-2009, 12:19 AM	#2
samstephens DLGuard.com War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Central Coast, Australia Posts: 6,208 Thanks: 69 Thanked 260 Times in 116 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The thruth will shock you! And yes, I did spell "Truth" wrong...just can't figure out how to edit the thread title... [EDIT] Thanks Patrician, that got it - my spelling is now fixed
	DLGuard v4.6 Now Released! Full integration with Amazon S3 for authenticated large file and high bandwidth downloads. www.dlguard.com Where size doesn't matter!

11-30-2009, 12:20 AM	#3
Patrician d'modulator War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: USA Posts: 11,417 Thanks: 4,365 Thanked 1,849 Times in 1,289 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The thruth will shock you! edit/go advanced? (correct topic) ... and I agree, introducing a negative vibe, using a scare/emotional trigger, lying for shock value - it is all a turn off to me as a consumer... Who wants to feel they have been duped? Same thing with offline ads where they smear the competition by elaborating on a negative. Heck I could go on - negative political campaign smears. It all indicates a lack of taste and class. "...I'll go the high road"
	Patricia Brucoli, theaptconsultant-b2b.net/dba the3rdpartynetwork.com Member Services Director, Plug-In Profit Site Click Here for the Plug-In Profit Site Helpdesk * KEEP KEN STRONG WSO * * KIMW MEGA WSO * * KimW-Catastrophic Fund *

11-30-2009, 12:27 AM	#4
Slaughter Joseph Tosh War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,729 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 224 Thanked 352 Times in 159 Posts	Re: Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The thruth will shock you! Lol..See this result.. Google
	>>> Contextual Backlinks From 8+ Private High PR Blog Networks! <<< ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ LinkMantra.com First Ever FREE Link Building SEO Marketplace Buy Backlinks, Sell Backlinks, Offer SEO

11-30-2009, 12:35 AM	#5
Slin HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 472 Thanks: 83 Thanked 82 Times in 61 Posts	Re: Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The truth will shock you! I have a few sites that use this method of gaining attention, they convert reasonably well. You see what you are saying by "Is (product) a scam?! Come here and see!" Is that "Hey guys, if you want to know if this product is legitimate, we have the answer" Then I send them to my review page. It's a great strategy, plus it put's their mind at ease. Whether your review and everything is real or not, and whether it is a scam or not is up to you, but this strategy seems to convert well for me.

11-30-2009, 01:53 AM	#7
Emily Meeks Innovative Revelation War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,031 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 735 Thanked 282 Times in 185 Posts Contact Info	Re: Is this thread a scam? Click here to find out! The truth will shock you! Many affiliate programs don't allow this kind of marketing, and will shut you down if they catch you in the act. They're right to do so. Not only are those ads annoying, but the word "scam" has been heavily beaten to death in the world of internet marketing. If you really wanna get technical about it, every product has a grain of value to it. Perhaps the info product itself is crap, but you can learn a lot from how a certain product is marketed.
	In all that you do, know your True INTENT...