Cortex Times

YouTuber Marcus Jones just pulled off a stunt that’s equal parts ballsy and bonkers: he dropped nearly $100,000 to buy 5 million YouTube views to see if you can just buy your way to YouTube stardom. His video, “I Bought 5 Million YouTube Views… Here’s What Happened,” is a no-holds-barred dive into the shady corners and legit avenues of view-buying. Spoiler: it’s a rollercoaster of sketchy bots, click farms, and Google Ads, with some surprising takeaways. Let’s break down what he found, IGN-style, with all the juicy details and none of the fluff.

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The Mission: Can You Buy YouTube Fame?

Jones isn’t messing around. He tests six ways to buy views, from the dark web vibes of bot traffic to YouTube’s own promo tools. His goal? Figure out which method—if any—delivers real bang for your buck. He’s upfront about the risks: buying bot views is a big middle finger to YouTube’s Community Guidelines, meaning you could get your video yeeted into oblivion. So, this is all “for science,” folks. Here’s how it went down.

1. Bot Views: Cheap, Sketchy, and Kinda Useless

First up, Jones dives into the murky world of bot views—those automated clicks churned out by programs that pretend to be human. After dodging potential scams, he snags 10,000 “regular” bot views for a measly $26. You pick a video, solve a CAPTCHA (ironic, right?), and wait 4–18 weeks for the views to trickle in.

The Damage:

• Cost: $0.0026 per view (dirt cheap!)
• Watch Hours: 78.4 hours, or $0.35 each
• Subscribers: A whopping three subs at $8.66 a pop
• Organic Boost: A pathetic 15 views from YouTube’s algorithm
• Vibes: 2.4% click-through rate (CTR) and retention that’s straight-up sad

These views didn’t move the needle. The algorithm barely noticed, and the engagement was DOA. Jones slaps bot views in C-tier—cheap, but risky and pointless for real growth.

2. Click Farms: Real People, Real Disappointment

Next, Jones tries “real views” from click farms—actual humans, often in low-wage countries, paid to watch your video. For $52, he grabs 10,000 of these. Same deal as bots: pick a video, pay up, and pray you’re not getting scammed.

The Damage:

• Cost: $0.0052 per view
• Watch Hours: $0.50 each
• Subscribers: 4 subs at $13 each
• Organic Boost: Even less algorithmic love than bots
• Vibes: Retention and CTR as grim as a rainy Monday

These views were basically bot views with a human face—same lousy engagement, no loyal fans, and a higher price tag. Jones tosses click farms into D-tier, calling them a waste of cash.

3. YouTube Promotions: Legit, but Not a Game-Changer

Now we’re getting to the legit stuff. Jones tests YouTube’s own promotion feature, a beta tool in YouTube Studio that lets you run ads for your videos. He drops $100, scoring 300,000 impressions, 1,580 views, and 240 subscribers.

The Damage:

• Cost: $0.063 per view
• Watch Hours: $7.70 each
• Subscribers: A stellar $0.42 per sub
• Organic Boost: No real algorithmic spike
• Vibes: 31-second average view duration—meh for all those subs

The subscriber cost is a steal, making this a solid play for boosting your sub count. But without detailed targeting options, it’s hit-or-miss for new channels or those with scattershot content. Jones gives YouTube Promotions a B-tier nod for its ease and sub-grabbing power.

4. Google Ads (Untargeted In-Stream): Cheap Views, Zero Loyalty

Jones jumps into Google Ads with untargeted in-stream ads—the skippable pre-rolls you mash “skip” on. He spends $100 targeting English-speaking folks in low-cost countries, aiming for max views on a budget.

The Damage:

• Cost: $0.011 per view (super affordable)
• Watch Hours: $0.39 each (not bad for racking up hours)
• Subscribers: $10 per sub (ouch, that’s steep)
• Organic Boost: Barely a blip from YouTube’s algorithm
• Vibes: Retention’s weak, and these viewers aren’t sticking around

These ads got cheap views and watch hours, but the audience wasn’t exactly loyal. Jones loves the low cost, landing this in A-tier for budget-conscious creators who just want numbers.

5. Google Ads (Targeted In-Stream): Better Viewers, Bigger Bill

To up the ante, Jones tweaks his Google Ads campaign to target higher-value countries like the US and adds keywords and topics relevant to his content. This is where things get wild—he drops $88,000 to snag 5.4 million views.

The Damage:

• Cost: $0.016 per view (pricier but still reasonable)
• Watch Hours: $1.42 each (a bit of a wallet hit)
• Subscribers: $35.84 per sub (yikes, that’s a premium)
• Organic Boost: Algorithm’s like, “Nah, I’m good”
• Vibes: Better viewer quality, but retention’s still meh

The targeted approach nabbed viewers more likely to matter for ad revenue or sponsorships, but the cost stings. Jones slots this in B-tier for its quality-over-quantity trade-off.

6. Google Ads (In-Feed): Less Friction, More Cash

Finally, Jones tries in-feed ads (once called Discovery ads), which pop up in YouTube’s search or suggested videos. These send viewers straight to your channel, cutting out the extra click.

The Damage:

• Cost: $0.06 per view (pricey town, population: you)
• Watch Hours: $0.95 each (decent, not amazing)
• Subscribers: Surprisingly high cost per sub (Jones doesn’t give an exact number, but it’s not cheap)
• Organic Boost: Algorithm’s still snoozing
• Vibes: Low friction’s cool, but the price and sub cost hurt

These ads make it easy for viewers to subscribe or binge, but the high cost per view and subscribers keeps it from shining. Jones gives it B-tier for the smooth user experience.

The Final Score: Tier List and Hard Truths

After burning through $100,000 and racking up nearly 6 million views, Jones lays out his tier list:

• A-tier: Google Ads (untargeted in-stream) for budget-friendly views and watch hours
• B-tier: YouTube Promotions, Google Ads (targeted in-stream, in-feed) for decent quality
• C-tier: Bot views—cheap but a guideline-breaking gamble
• D-tier: Click farms, aka bot views with a worse ROI

None of these methods lit up YouTube’s algorithm for organic growth, and fears of ads “killing” your video’s reach seem overblown—Jones’ tests showed no consistent drop in organic traffic. Bot and click farm views, while cheap, come from low-value markets, meaning they’re worthless for ad revenue or loyal fans.

The Verdict: Worth It or Bust?

So, can you buy your way to YouTube success? Kinda, but not really. Jones says buying views can juice up a video’s numbers for bragging rights or to impress sponsors, like when he boosted a personal video from 5,000 to a less-embarrassing view count. But for real, lasting growth? You’re better off grinding for organic reach through YouTube’s algorithm. Jones teases more tips on that front, so check his channel for the goods.

This experiment is a wild peek into the view-buying game—part cautionary tale, part playbook for creators who want to play it smart. Whether you’re tempted to dip into the dark side or stick to legit ads, Jones’ deep dive is a must-watch for navigating YouTube’s wild west.

Be sure to check out this creator on YouTube: “I Bought 5 Million YouTube Views… Here’s What Happened” by Marcus Jones is his official YouTube channel, Marcus Jones. The video was published on September 30, 2023, at 11:00 EDT. You can find it directly at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZmnju-fPoo