What should I expect when I first start my online marketing campaign?

Short Answer: In the first couple of months of your online marketing campaign, it is common to see a higher number of fraudulent or irrelevant clicks. This happens because competitors often check out new businesses entering the market and may engage in multiple clicks to hinder your campaign. Fortunately, click safeguards are in place to protect you from repeated clicks, although initial clicks cannot be completely prevented.

Full Explanation

When you launch your online marketing campaign, expect some unusual activity in terms of clicks. Early on, you might notice a spike in clicks that aren’t genuine or relevant to your target audience. This is a natural part of entering the competitive space. Your competitors often investigate new players in their market and might click on your ads multiple times in an attempt to undermine your campaign’s effectiveness.

While these competitors may try to disrupt your campaign, protections such as click safeguards are implemented to prevent abuse from repeated clicks by the same source. This system ensures that multiple clicks from the same user do not unfairly deplete your budget. However, it is important to understand that from the very first click of the campaign, some fraudulent clicks may be unavoidable.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Launch Campaign: Start your online marketing campaign targeting your chosen audience.
Experience Initial Clicks: Expect some increase in clicks that may seem fraudulent or irrelevant.
Competitor Activity: Recognize that competitors are likely monitoring your business and may click multiple times out of competition interest.
Click Protection: Benefit from click safeguards, which block repeated clicks from the same source to protect your campaign budget.
Ongoing Monitoring: Understand that while initial clicks may not be fully preventable, the system limits the impact of these invalid clicks over time.

Real Examples

For example, when a new business starts a marketing campaign, it’s not unusual to have competitors investigating by clicking the ads to see who the newcomer is. Though these clicks are not from potential customers, the safeguards in place prevent multiple clicks from being charged, preserving your advertising budget in the face of this competitive behavior.

Common Mistakes

Expecting 100% Valid Clicks: New marketers often assume all clicks will be genuine, but a portion may be fraudulent initially.
Ignoring Competitor Influence: Not realizing that competitors can cause inflated click rates early on can lead to confusion.
Worrying About Early Clicks: Failing to understand that click protection mechanisms are in place might cause unnecessary concern over budget depletion.

FAQs

Why do I see irrelevant clicks at the start?: It’s common for competitors to investigate new players by clicking ads, causing some irrelevant or fraudulent clicks.
How does click protection work?: Click protection blocks multiple clicks from the same source, preventing budget loss from repeated invalid clicks.
Can all fraudulent clicks be prevented?: No, from the first click some fraudulent or irrelevant clicks may occur, but protections minimize their impact over time.

Key Takeaways

Expect a higher number of fraudulent or irrelevant clicks during the first couple of months of your online marketing campaign.
Competitors often monitor new businesses and may click ads multiple times, but click safeguards help limit this impact.
Initial clicks cannot be entirely prevented, but protections reduce budget loss from invalid activity.