Hey, it’s Mark from MarksInsights.
If you’ve landed here, you’ve probably already seen Tom Bell’s ads or the Revenue Tactics native ads funnel and now you’re wondering whether the guy is legit and whether his training actually works.
Tom positions native ads as the “safer, cheaper, scalable” alternative to Facebook and Google. And to be fair, he is a real ClickBank Platinum super affiliate with a genuine track record.
But native ads have their own challenges, and the marketing often glosses over how much testing budget, patience and skill is required to make this traffic source profitable.
Quick Note Before We Dive In
If you’re mainly here looking for a stable online business model that doesn’t rely on ad spend, bans, or constant optimisation, this is the approach I recommend most after reviewing programs for more than 15 years:
👉 See my No.1 recommendation here
Key Takeaways (If you’re short on time)
- Tom Bell is a legitimate, long-time super affiliate with verifiable results and endorsements from major networks like Taboola, RevContent, MaxBounty and ClickBank.
- Revenue Tactics teaches real native advertising methods: advertorial funnels, competitive intelligence, traffic scaling and optimisation.
- Native ads are more tolerant than Facebook/Google — but they still require significant testing budget and a real learning curve.
- Most success stories are not beginners; they’re marketers who already understand funnels, tracking and paid traffic.
- The training is strong, but the biggest challenge isn’t the course — it’s the cost and complexity of the traffic source itself.
- For beginners without budget or experience, native ads are not the easiest place to start.
Verdict:
Legit training from a legit marketer but not beginner-friendly, and definitely not as simple as the ads make it look.
If you’re still comparing business models and trying to understand where affiliate marketing sits alongside things like ecommerce, lead gen, coaching, or content, this guide helps make sense of the broader landscape:
👉 How to Make Money Online (Without Getting Scammed)
Understanding the bigger picture makes it much easier to judge whether a paid traffic program like Revenue Tactics is the right fit.
What Is Revenue Tactics?

Revenue Tactics is Tom Bell’s education platform for affiliate marketers.
It focuses on native ads which is essentially traffic from RevContent, Taboola, Outbrain and similar networks that place advertorial-style ads on news sites.
Tom himself has:
- Multiple ClickBank Platinum awards
- A public track record as a media buyer
- Endorsements from networks like MaxBounty, RevContent, Taboola and Voluum
- Thousands of students
He’s not hiding behind a fake persona, which already separates him from the typical “guru.”
The training includes:
- Offer selection frameworks
- Advertorial and funnel strategy
- Competitive intelligence research
- Traffic sources and placements
- Scaling systems
- Case studies from students and Tom’s own campaigns
It’s designed for people who want to run paid traffic the same way professional affiliates actually do it.
Why Native Ads Are Appealing
Native ads are appealing because they offer certain advantages:
- They’re less strict than Facebook or Google
- Traffic volumes are enormous
- CPMs can be much lower
- Many offers that struggle on Facebook still work here
- Advertorial funnels feel natural on publisher sites
For certain verticals like supplements, weight loss, skin care, finance, survival — native ads often outperform everything else.
This is why high-volume affiliates love them.
Where Tom Bell’s Training Stands Out
The strongest part of the program is the depth of insight into competitive research and funnel structure. Native ads rely heavily on angles, storytelling and advertorial style pages, and Tom breaks down how experienced affiliates reverse-engineer winning campaigns.
He also does a good job explaining how to test systematically and scale responsibly instead of randomly throwing money at campaigns.
There’s no hype, no magic buttons, just the fundamentals of performance marketing laid out in detail.
The student case studies shown publicly appear legitimate, and many come from marketers who already run agencies or paid traffic businesses. That’s worth noting because it explains why some students scale so quickly.
The Realistic Challenges Most Beginners Don’t Expect
This is where the marketing (as with most paid traffic programs) can feel a little too optimistic.
The system works, but only if you’re prepared for what native ads actually involve.
1. You need a real testing budget
Native ads don’t optimise instantly. You’ll be testing multiple angles, headlines, images, and pre-sell pages while the algorithm learns. That requires money.
Expect to spend daily on testing before you find a winning combination. Some people hit early wins. Others take weeks.
This pattern is extremely similar to what we see in programs like Profit Avengers, where the method itself is legitimate but the marketing often minimises the real budget, patience and optimisation experience you need before you see consistent results.
2. The learning curve is long
Contrary to what many imagine, profitable campaigns rarely appear within a few days.
A realistic progression looks more like:
- Gather data
- Cut losers
- Refine your funnel
- Test new angles
- Slowly approach break-even
- Scale cautiously
Tom’s strategies help but they don’t eliminate the inherent difficulty.
3. Most big success stories didn’t start as beginners
This is an important nuance.
Many of the most impressive testimonials come from people who already:
- Understand affiliate funnels
- Have run ads before
- Know how to track, test and optimise
- Have email lists or warm audiences
- Have the budget to handle slow optimisations
A true beginner without any of those foundations will face a steeper climb and a higher learning cost.
4. Native ads are less strict but still require compliance
Native ads don’t ban as aggressively as Facebook, but you will still see ad disapprovals, rejected angles, or need to soften claims if promoting sensitive niches.
It’s more forgiving, but not a complete free-for-all.
Who This Training Is Best For
This program is helpful for someone who:
- Has a budget for paid traffic
- Wants a serious, scalable marketing method
- Is comfortable with data, tracking and testing
- Already has some experience in affiliate marketing or media buying
- Wants long-term skill development, not quick wins
It’s not ideal for someone who:
- Has no budget
- Wants instant results
- Isn’t comfortable with analytics
- Needs a low-cost beginner business model
Native ads can produce large income numbers, but only for people willing to treat it like a real advertising business.
A More Beginner-Friendly Alternative
Affiliate marketing with native ads can work extremely well but it’s capital-intensive and carries a steep learning curve.
If the goal is a business model that avoids:
- Paid ads
- Bans
- Volatile spend
- Tracking complexity
- Constant optimisation
Then the model I recommend most for beginners is local lead generation.
It works because you build simple websites, rank them, and rent the leads to local businesses for predictable monthly income. No algorithms, no bans, no daily ad spend.
👉 See my No.1 recommendation here
Final Verdict: Is Tom Bell’s Training Legit?
Yes, Tom Bell is a legitimate and highly knowledgeable affiliate marketer. His native ads training is one of the stronger, more grounded programs in the industry.
But the biggest misconception people have is believing the training itself is the hard part.
It’s not. The real difficulty is the traffic source.
Native ads require money, patience, strategy and ongoing optimisation. They reward disciplined marketers and punish impulsive ones. If someone is prepared for that reality, Tom’s training is a solid choice.
If not, a simpler business model will be a better starting point.
I prefer this👉 See my No.1 recommendation here

Mark is the founder of MarksInsights and has spent 15+ years testing online business programs and tools. He focuses on honest, experience-based reviews that help people avoid scams and find real, sustainable ways to make money online.