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Bob Hoffman

How To Protect Yourself


Here are a few very simple things to do if you are determined to buy online advertising.


  • Buy directly from quality publishers or quality publisher networks.

  • Stay away from open ad networks and programmatic buying.

  • Do not trust any reports you get from your agency. It's not that the agencies are corrupt, it's just that they get their data mostly from their suppliers, who are unreliable.

  • Do not rely on reports from the major fraud detection or ad verification suppliers. They have been shown to be unreliable.

  • Do not rely on "seals of approval" from organizations that supposedly vet websites.

  • Question everything about a proposed media buy. The most important question to ask is: "How do you know this?"

  • If you spend substantially on online advertising, work with a trusted consultant. I am not in the habit of making recommendations on suppliers, but if you've read this book you know who I trust and who I don't.

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