Running paid traffic to affiliate offers is where a lot of beginners lose money fast. The mistakes are usually pretty consistent.
No tracking set up before spending – If you can't see which ad/keyword/placement actually converts, you're flying blind and burning budget.
Scaling too fast – Doubling a budget on a campaign that's only had a handful of conversions is gambling, not optimizing.
Ignoring the offer's terms – Some programs explicitly ban certain traffic sources or bidding on brand terms; getting banned after spending is a brutal way to learn this.
Not testing multiple offers – Putting all traffic behind one offer means one underperforming page can sink an entire campaign.
Judging results too early – Killing a campaign after a few hours of data instead of letting it reach statistical significance.
What's the costliest paid traffic lesson you've learned?
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