The Most Outrageous / "Dead" Traffic Source That Actually Made You Bank?

[elaramoon0326]

We’ve all seen a million threads about Google SEO updates, Facebook Ads bans, and TikTok saturation. It's the same grind every day.

But let’s talk about the weird, underground, or straight-up ancient stuff.

What is the most bizarre, unconventional, or supposedly "dead" platform where you accidentally or intentionally found high-converting traffic?

I’m talking about things like:

• Forgotten forums from the early 2000s that still have active nerds
• Exploiting local classifieds/Craigslist in a weird way
• In-game economies or private gaming servers (Minecraft, MMOs, etc.)
• Tiny subreddits with barely any members but massive buyer intent
• Physical world guerilla marketing (QR codes, flyers in weird places)

What’s your best story of digging up gold in a ghost town? You don't have to leak your exact niche or method, but let’s hear about the platform and how shocked you were!

 

[medialounge]

I will keep very short and say this
Forums are godlike, it's has many combinations within it to bring traffic but took a long time for me to realise

 

[Stavro]

Trade shows.

If your clients will be there, you should be too. Even if you can't afford the couple hundred dollars for a booth, you can at least get a stack of business cards to hand out. And if you can afford a booth, set up a memorable demo of whatever you're selling.

 

[elaramoon0326]

Trade shows.

If your clients will be there, you should be too. Even if you can't afford the couple hundred dollars for a booth, you can at least get a stack of business cards to hand out. And if you can afford a booth, set up a memorable demo of whatever you're selling.

Offline/Physical presence is heavily underrated in the IM space. Most people here are terrified of talking to real people face-to-face.

 

[elaramoon0326]

I will keep very short and say this
Forums are godlike, it's has many combinations within it to bring traffic but took a long time for me to realise

Yeah, Forums are probably the only places left on the internet where people actually read long-form text and value expert opinions instead of just scrolling mindlessly.

The best part is the insane search engine authority old forums have. You rank a post there, and it brings passive traffic for years.

 

[SettingSun77]

@elaramoon0326 Use multi-quote when replying to more than one post.

 

[elaramoon0326]

@elaramoon0326 Use multi-quote when replying to more than one post.

how to do that??

 

[Stavro]

Offline/Physical presence is heavily underrated in the IM space. Most people here are terrified of talking to real people face-to-face.

And that's where the real money is, IMO.

Online, people are conditioned to filter out anything that even remotely resembles an ad. But if I'm a regular at a restaurant and on a first-name basis with the owner, I'm not some faceless website making a sales pitch, I'm the local guy "doing them a favor". Or if I walk into an Amish shop with a portfolio and numbers, I'm just about guaranteed to get a signed contract.

 

[SettingSun77]

how to do that??

Just hit reply on all the posts you want to respond to and they'll all collect in your reply box.

 

[elaramoon0326]

Just hit reply on all the posts you want to respond to and they'll all collect in your reply box.

But how wil i dot it on my own thread?

 

[SettingSun77]

But how wil i dot it on my own thread?

The thread is irrelevant. Just follow my instructions.

 

[elaramoon0326]

The thread is irrelevant. Just follow my instructions.

Can you tell me step by step?

 

[SettingSun77]

Can you tell me step by step?

Just hit reply on all the posts you want to respond to and they'll all collect in your reply box.

That's it. That's all you do.

 

[elaramoon0326]

And that's where the real money is, IMO.

Online, people are conditioned to filter out anything that even remotely resembles an ad. But if I'm a regular at a restaurant and on a first-name basis with the owner, I'm not some faceless website making a sales pitch, I'm the local guy "doing them a favor". Or if I walk into an Amish shop with a portfolio and numbers, I'm just about guaranteed to get a signed contract.

Ad blindness online is at an all-time high, but face-to-face trust still closes deals like nothing else. When you build that local rapport, you're not selling anymore you're just a familiar face solving their problem. That kind of trust is worth gold.