The Truth About Advertising a Book with Zero Social Proof
One of the most common questions new KDP authors ask us at INKPROFIT is:
“Should I even bother running ads if my book doesn’t have reviews yet?”
And honestly—it depends. Let’s break it down.
📉 The Risk of Running Ads Without Reviews
Amazon is a trust-first platform. When a potential reader clicks your ad and lands on your page, they’re asking:
- “Is this book worth buying?”
- “Have other people read and liked it?”
If your book has zero reviews, or worse—a low rating with only 1–2 reviews—your chances of converting those clicks into sales drop dramatically. That means your ad spend can quickly become a loss.
So yes, running ads without any reviews is a risk—but it’s not always the wrong move.
📈 When It Does Make Sense to Run Ads Without Reviews
There are 3 scenarios where advertising early can actually be strategic:
1. You’re Launching and Trying to Get Sales Fast
Early ads can help generate momentum, push organic rank, and signal Amazon that your book is active—even before reviews roll in.
2. You’ve Optimized Your Listing
If your title, subtitle, cover, and description are professionally optimized, you can still convert cold traffic. A polished listing builds trust—even without reviews.
3. You’re Using Ads to Drive ARC or Beta Readers
Some authors run ads intentionally to get more eyes on the book and encourage reviews via follow-up (within Amazon’s TOS). It’s a long game.
🧠 What We Recommend at INKPROFIT
We typically advise authors to:
- Aim for at least 10–15 reviews before turning on full-scale ads
- Focus on listing optimization first (cover, description, A+ content)
- If running ads early, start with a test budget and monitor your conversion rate closely
We also help authors get review-ready with: ✔ Pre-launch review strategy
✔ Beta reader coordination
✔ Promo planning that doesn’t violate Amazon’s terms
💬 Final Take: Ads Without Reviews Can Work—But Only With Strategy
Don’t fall into the “build it and they’ll buy” trap.
Running ads without reviews can work—if you treat it like a testing phase and not a sales machine from day one.
💡 Ready to Launch Ads the Smart Way?
Whether you have 0 reviews or 100+, our team will help you run data-backed Amazon Ads that actually make sense for your book’s stage.
Let’s figure out if you’re ready to advertise—and how to do it profitably.