Massive fraud on Twitter PPC?!

It seems that Twitter is sending me fake traffic when I purchase PPC clicks from them.

I've spent over $1,500 trying to get to the bottom of this and I just can't work out what's going on. The only explanation I have is that they are defrauding me...

So I'll set up a campaign, and I'll track it with bit.ly, analytics, server and custom analytics. I've tried a ton of different tracking platforms and I always get the same results.

Twitter will say they have sent 100 clicks to my website and all of my analytics tools will say that I only received 0% - 50% of these clicks. Meaning I'm either losing 50% of the clicks I pay for or in the worst case around 90%-100% of the clicks.

I've accounted for loading times and many other factors and in the most raw testing I've done I just set up a bit.ly link forwarding to a blank page. When you click this bit.ly link it will display the amount of times it's been clicked (nothing needs to really load for it to count as a click). So even if someone clicked on it and then straight off it, it would register a click. Bit.ly is normally infamous for overreporting, yet when I run the test I'm still missing over 50% of the so called clicks that twitter is charging me for.

I've been back and forward with Twitter for a month on this and they are completely denying any of it and just saying, 'yeah, it's to do with users not fully loading the site.' Even though many of the tests I've run have just used link trackers and blank pages (literally just to test if any 'click's are coming).

Any ideas at all? Any one else experienced this?

I ran a twitter campaign and got similar results. "Hmm, 0 seconds on my landing page from every click. Boy my offer must be terrible." Traffic fraud is prevalent with social media ad buys, just like bing or google ads. Competition is always one step ahead and you will see tons of fraud no matter where you buy. Best bet is to buy into one of the SEO services listed to try to get some organic traffic. I've been marketing for years, and the click fraud is a major source of income for these giant companies. Say goodbye to your $1500. Solo ads are terrible as well, they send just as much junk traffic as the rest. The only traffic that converts well is organic traffic with a good landing page. Sorry man, I've been in your shoes and have lost thousands on bad media buys. The world of advertising is corrupt, with little to no help on the way. This Clinton lady that is going to get elected is in their back pockets, so just expect more of the same. You could try to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, but other than that they will just keep that $1500 and play a round of golf while you starve to death!

shanny said:

I ran a twitter campaign and got similar results. "Hmm, 0 seconds on my landing page from every click. Boy my offer must be terrible." Traffic fraud is prevalent with social media ad buys, just like bing or google ads. Competition is always one step ahead and you will see tons of fraud no matter where you buy. Best bet is to buy into one of the SEO services listed to try to get some organic traffic. I've been marketing for years, and the click fraud is a major source of income for these giant companies. Say goodbye to your $1500. Solo ads are terrible as well, they send just as much junk traffic as the rest. The only traffic that converts well is organic traffic with a good landing page. Sorry man, I've been in your shoes and have lost thousands on bad media buys. The world of advertising is corrupt, with little to no help on the way. This Clinton lady that is going to get elected is in their back pockets, so just expect more of the same. You could try to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, but other than that they will just keep that $1500 and play a round of golf while you starve to death!

Click to expand...

umm, sorry you've had such bad experiences in the past, but what you say is mostly false. Paid traffic can be very successful and converts extremely well. I've been using Twitter for years with great results - this has literally just started happening. Also I'm not saying they come for 0 seconds, I'm saying they don't appear at all.

Ditch that twit paid traffic. It is low quality for expensive price. ...
I been there too. It is not worth it

Ghoast said:

umm, sorry you've had such bad experiences in the past, but what you say is mostly false. Paid traffic can be very successful and converts extremely well. I've been using Twitter for years with great results - this has literally just started happening. Also I'm not saying they come for 0 seconds, I'm saying they don't appear at all.

Click to expand...

Nothing I said in my post was false. Twitter traffic has been garbage, low quality, probably bot, nonsense, that I will never pay for again. Paid traffic is almost always NOT successful. Need to get organic traffic. But, don't listen to a word and live in a bubble. Keep up those great Twitter results! Happy to help!

Glad you posted this as I was getting ready to run one.

Had a similar experience. Twitter traffic did nothing for me.

If you'll invest on Twitter, invest in getting followers, not in PPC clicks. With more followers you get more traffic in the future for free.

Ghoast said:

umm, sorry you've had such bad experiences in the past, but what you say is mostly false. Paid traffic can be very successful and converts extremely well. I've been using Twitter for years with great results - this has literally just started happening. Also I'm not saying they come for 0 seconds, I'm saying they don't appear at all.

Click to expand...

I'm trying to do some PPC on a pointless twitter account I just made, and now waiting for it to be 5 weeks old so I "qualify" for their ad program. Should I stay out and spend the money somewhere else? What would be the best place to buy traffic? Like serious, organic traffic. Side note: I'm a COMPLETE noob at this and literally made my BHW account a few minutes ago, so I'm gonna learn as much as I can while I'll need a lot of guidance from kind acknowledged people

bartosimpsonio said:

Had a similar experience. Twitter traffic did nothing for me.

If you'll invest on Twitter, invest in getting followers, not in PPC clicks. With more followers you get more traffic in the future for free.

Click to expand...

what kinds of Twitter ad program is mentioned here? The official "advertise with Twitter" kind, or there's more to it? Again, complete noob over here

Edvard Benk said:

I'm trying to do some PPC on a pointless twitter account I just made, and now waiting for it to be 5 weeks old so I "qualify" for their ad program. Should I stay out and spend the money somewhere else? What would be the best place to buy traffic? Like serious, organic traffic. Side note: I'm a COMPLETE noob at this and literally made my BHW account a few minutes ago, so I'm gonna learn as much as I can while I'll need a lot of guidance from kind acknowledged people

Click to expand...

Generally google adwords traffic converts the best. However, it can be very expensive

Thanks for your great info

bartosimpsonio said:

Had a similar experience. Twitter traffic did nothing for me.

If you'll invest on Twitter, invest in getting followers, not in PPC clicks. With more followers you get more traffic in the future for free.

Click to expand...

bartosimpsonio said:

Had a similar experience. Twitter traffic did nothing for me.

If you'll invest on Twitter, invest in getting followers, not in PPC clicks. With more followers you get more traffic in the future for free.

Click to expand...

Did you factor in that mobile traffic are coming from https? And they could be prevented from tracking? Thus the vast difference in your stats results since twitter app is able to track these clicks?

I wouldn't run ads on twitter when you have so many better options.

asap1 said:

I wouldn't run ads on twitter when you have so many better options.

Click to expand...

Twitter paid ad works if you know what you are doing. You don't post ads for CPA offers there as the conversion would be very bad since users on twitter are much smarter.

Hi @Ghoast - what you describe is quite troubling to say the least. Even if discrepancies are part of the business, the ratios you've experienced are far from being "standard".

Yet, one way to audit the traffic they send would be the following:
1. Send traffic to a page where you place multiple webanalytics scripts google, mixpanel, piwik etc... there are plenty to chose from.
2. Add the twitter conversion pixel on that landing page - you will be counting/reporting back to twitter every click they sent when their conversion script is loading
3. Add a couple of retargeting pixels on the landing page too (including the twitter one) - to see what kind of audience you build up and if the number match

In other terms, you use their tools to audit their traffic and see what they have to say about it.

Good luck

Nice info.. thank you ..

For sure, twitter traffic are of low quality and sucks in conversion. It works good in specific niche like entertainment or some trending topics. I tried them few months back but left with very poor conversion