Email list ownership vs platform dependence

What happens when your entire business depends on a social media’s algorithm and the rules overnight?  I watched this reality happen to a founder.  Over the past 12 months his business had all but dried up. Not because his product was bad or the market crashed. Because he let someone else control his audience. Here’s the story: From 2020 to 2024, this guy was crushing it on X (Twitter). His posts about real estate best practices were getting hundreds of thousands of views. And generating dozens of B2B leads per week from owners and operators. What went wrong? The algorithm changed overnight. Instead of rewarding niche B2B content. The platform started amplifying controversial posts and viral media. His reach vanished. His leads dried up. His business died. The insight: The problem wasn't the algorithm change. It was that he never owned his audience. The founders who are still thriving did the opposite. The difference? They built email lists. While everyone else was chasing likes and retweets, they turned followers into subscribers. When the platform changed the rules, they had a direct line to their customers. Here’s how to start building yours: Create something valuable in exchange for an email address. A guide, a template, a mini-course. Give people a reason. Then nurture that list: • Send regular value • Build solid relationships • Turn subscribers into customers Build the moat that the algorithm can’t guarantee. The platform will change again. But your email list will keep your business alive. Don't let someone else control your future. Own your audience. Want to learn how real estate entrepreneurs are building sustainable businesses? Our "Selling into Real Estate Owners" course teaches you how to find customers, build relationships, and create systems that don't depend on social media algorithms. Next cohort starts soon. Details in the comments.

The TikTok "Ban" Wake-Up Call: Why Email Infrastructure Matters The recent TikTok ban scare highlights a critical reality in the creator economy: platform dependency equals business risk. While the debate continues, the data already validates email as the stable foundation creators need. Email marketing ROI: $36-42 per $1 spent Average “real” email open rates: 21.5% Creator newsletter conversion rates: 3-5% Email list monthly churn: 0.1-0.5% Platform ownership: 100% creator-controlled Social media platform volatility impact: - TikTok ban threatens 170M+ U.S. users - TikTok algorithm changes affected 76% of creator reach - Instagram engagement dropped 44% post-updates - General social platform policy shifts displaced ~30% of content Email platforms offer infrastructure stability with nearly 100% uptime and complete data ownership. A creator charging 1,000 email subscribers just $50/year generates $50,000 in predictable annual revenue - significantly outperforming median social media monetization.  The owned infrastructure of email provides stability while social platforms face regulatory uncertainty and algorithms shift based on the whims of a company executive. Email isn't just a backup plan - it's the bedrock of sustainable creator businesses in an increasingly volatile digital landscape.

What the TikTok ban really, teaches us marketers... For me, it’s a HUGE reminder of one thing... The importance of having your own owned data and not relying on social media platforms. Because, if you’re putting all your energy, content, and strategy into one platform - you’re risking your entire business. Because you don’t own anything!!! TikTok could be banned. And then reignited! Algorithms change. Platforms could die out (Hello, MySpace - who is as old as me and remembers this one?). And when that happens, where does your audience go? Not with you. Because you don't know who they are and can't contact them. This is why owning your data, your email lists, your website traffic, your CRM - is EVERYTHING. Your social following? Yes it's great for visibility. But let’s be honest...You’re just RENTING that audience. So, here’s what we should ALL be doing right now: 🩷 Diversify your strategy: Don’t put all your eggs in one platform’s basket. Think email marketing, your website, podcasts, events and platforms you control. 🩷 Capture data: Every touchpoint is an opportunity to bring your audience into YOUR ecosystem. What’s your plan to turn that social engagement into leads and meaningful connections? 🩷 Focus on community: Create value, provide insights, and give people a reason to follow you beyond just liking your posts. Build trust—offline and online. The TikTok ban isn't just about one platform. It’s a wake-up call to stop relying solely on platforms you can’t control. Because the algorithm doesn’t care about your business. But your owned audience? They do care - so you need to make sure you can speak to them! Agree? Disagree? #tiktokban

The biggest marketing mistake filmmakers and film investors make (and how to fix it) Most filmmakers and investors believe the key to success is growing a social media following. More followers means more funding, right? Wrong. Here’s why that’s a risky strategy and what to do instead: 1. The social media trap • You don’t own your audience. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn—those platforms do. • Algorithms decide if people see your content. Most posts reach less than five percent of followers. 2. The power of an email list • Unlike social media, you own your email list. • Email open rates average 20-25 percent, while organic social reach is below two percent. • Your message lands directly in inboxes, not lost in a sea of posts. 3. The Terrifier 3 case study • The indie horror film Terrifier 3 built a niche audience through direct marketing, including email. • Instead of spending money on mass advertising, they focused on reaching the people who actually cared. • The result? A high return on a small marketing budget. 4. How to start building your list today • Offer a lead magnet (behind-the-scenes footage, a film preview, or an exclusive investor guide). • Set up a welcome email sequence to engage new subscribers. • Stay consistent with a weekly or bi-weekly email. 5. The bottom line Film is a relationship business. Your email list is your most valuable asset—not your follower count. Are you building an email list yet? If not, what’s stopping you? Let’s discuss. #IndieFilm #Filmmaking #AudienceGrowth #InvestorRelations

Email is dead. Long live email. For 20 years, we’ve been hearing that email marketing is obsolete. Yet here we are, in 2024, with email outperforming every other channel in ROI. Social platforms? They come and go. Algorithms shift, engagement drops, and creators lose access to their followers overnight. But email? It’s the most resilient, direct, and profitable communication tool businesses have. No middleman. No gatekeepers. Just you and your customer. Sure, it’s not “sexy.” It doesn’t have the flash of TikTok or the virality of Instagram Reels. But here’s the truth: 💡 Email marketing is the workhorse behind most successful businesses today—and it’ll still be here in 2044. Why? Because: • Ownership: You own your email list. No platform can take it away. • Predictable ROI: Every $1 spent on email earns ~$36. Try finding that in ads. • Personalization: It’s the only channel where brands can truly have a 1:1 conversation with customers. So, why do so many brands neglect it? Why do people claim it’s “dying” when it consistently outperforms? Answer: because they’re chasing trends instead of focusing on what works. Email marketing isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving. And it’ll outlast the next wave of shiny platforms, just like it did MySpace, Vine, and Clubhouse. Are you betting on trends—or the timeless workhorse? Drop your take below 👇 What’s the next “email is dead” prediction you’ve heard recently?

Your Email List > Social Followers. Here’s Why Chasing likes won’t grow your bottom line. If you're still prioritizing social followers over email subscribers in 2025, you’re leaving serious revenue on the table. 5 Data-Backed Reasons Email > Social 1. You own your list  Social = rented audience.  Email = direct access. No algorithms. No platform risks.  2. Email = 4,200% ROI  $1 in = $42 out (avg.)  Compare that to 29% ROI for social (mainly via paid ads).  3. Engagement > Vanity Metrics  3–5% CTR in email vs. 1–2% on social media.  Segmentation = 50%+ higher CTR.  4. Long-Term Value Wins  Email subscriber = $45–$60/year in LTV.  Social follower? Nearly $0 without ads.  5. Real Brands. Real Results.  WPBeginner: 600% list growth = 3x revenue  E-comm brand: 95k subs = $1.2M in email-driven sales  Adam Enfroy: 17% product conversion via email    3 Steps to Maximize Your List  Convert followers → lead magnets, popups, and exit-intent offers  Segment & personalize → tailor content to interests  Automate revenue → cart abandonment + re-engagement flows  Email isn’t just a channel. It’s your most valuable asset.  Invest in your list—because algorithms don’t pay the bills.  #EmailMarketing #GrowthStrategy #DigitalMarketing #ListBuilding #MarketingROI #LeadGeneration #OptinMonster #MarketingAutomation 

Imagine running a business where every time you want to meet your customers, you have to pay the landlord. That’s exactly what happens when your entire digital presence depends on social platforms. A freelance designer I once spoke with had a beautiful Instagram profile—but when the algorithm changed, her reach dropped overnight. What saved her? A simple website with a portfolio, testimonials, and WhatsApp contact list that funneled leads straight into her inbox. She moved from renting attention to owning trust. - Email list - Personal website - WhatsApp contact list These became her true digital assets—platforms she controlled, not just borrowed space. 👉 Social media is your megaphone. But your owned platforms? That’s your home. What’s your plan if the algorithm stops playing nice tomorrow? (Views are personal) #DigitalAssets #DigitalOwnership #CreatorEconomy #ContentStrategy #OwnTheSpace

I was paying $15k+/month to keep my content team running. The team was lean, focused and optimised, but… The brutal truth? Content alone didn’t solve our biggest problem Which was getting cancelled in 2024. Because we had no ownership or control over the audience we’d built. We didn’t have a newsletter. We didn’t own digital assets. We didn’t own a database. I’d learnt this the hard way… Spending 5 years building to 10M followers, becoming the biggest British creator in China and then losing it all. This mistake taught me what most people miss: OWNERSHIP IS EVERYTHING. Here’s what I'm doing differently: 1: Creating authoritative content: Virality builds followers. Authority builds trust, positioning, and deal flow. Example: In China, we’re producing more makeup focused content. It gets less views, but the viewer is higher quality. 2: Capture emails from day one Followers are borrowed. Emails are owned. Even if your accounts get banned, you’ll still own the email list. Every piece of content should lead to somewhere you control. 3: Build a simple lead magnet. Struggling to get people onto the newsletter at scale? One high-value resource that pulls people off socials into my ecosystem will solve it. 4: Send a weekly newsletter People disconnect to a glossy PDF. Instead, just consistently share stories, insights, opinions, etc. Compound the trust via their inbox. 5: Centralise traffic Build a one-page hub where everything points back to you, not scattered across social platforms where deliverability is unpredictable. Most founders wait until it’s too late… But it can happen at anytime, to anyone. One algorithm change, one platform shutdown and everything you've built vanishes. Don’t make the same mistake. I’ve opened 5 spaces to my 60-Day Founder Sprint to fix this. Two are already gone. Three remain. 👉 DM me ‘Sprint’ or head to: https://lnkd.in/ezuRnxg3 Secure a space before they're all gone. #founder

My LinkedIn was hacked. Instagram suspended. TikTok banned. Facebook deactivated. Nightmares that could strike without warning. Yet, there's a power move within your reach: turning a rented audience into an owned one. Here's the playbook that converted 30,000 followers into 3,500 engaged contacts: ✅ Live Events/Webinars: I leveraged the registration process to build my contact list. ✅ Email Campaigns: I offered irresistible incentives to encourage sign-ups, converting passive viewers into active subscribers. ✅ Lead Magnets: High-value resources were exchanged for contact info, positioning my content as must-have. ✅ Exclusive Accounts: Creating a sense of exclusivity around account sign-ups on my platform, driving engagement and loyalty. I focused on gathering key information: ➡️Email Address ➡️Phone Number ➡️First Name ➡️Last Name Armed with this data, I crafted personalized experiences, communicated on my terms, and built a resilient community independent of social media's whims. What's the difference? Owned audiences are yours to engage directly, through channels you control. Rented audiences, found on social media, are subject to the platforms' changing rules and algorithms. Do you prioritize audience ownership in your digital strategy? Comment below with your approach or ask a question to join the discussion on nurturing a loyal community. ~~~~~~~~~~ PS. If you enjoyed this post, join other founders, sales & marketing profesionals who receive 1 actionable tip on how to find their ideal customer, capture their attention, get them to pay for their product or service, and automate 90% of the process every other week. https://lnkd.in/dCN3pEwM

"Dhruv, social media is where my audience is. Why should I focus on email marketing for ROI in 2024?" 😤 I get this question all the time (especially from prospects doubling down on social media ads) Yes, you’re building brand awareness on social platforms... That’s great! But that won't give the highest ROI. You’re attracting some followers But you're failing to convert them. And that’s where email marketing steps in. That’s not all!!! Email marketing still outshines social media in 2024 because of: ➡️ Unmatched ROI Email marketing delivers an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent Compare this to social media ads ↳ results can be highly variable and costly eCommerce giant Wayfair generated significant ROI with targeted email campaigns, which led to a 5x higher conversion rate than their social ads ➡️ Direct and Personalized Communication Social media algorithms constantly shift So, only a fraction of your followers see your posts In contrast, 99% of people check their emails daily and expect personalized communication in their inboxes. Email marketing enables segmentation and targeting (based on user behavior) This allows you to send hyper-relevant content to the right audience—something social media can’t match. ➡️ Full Control Over Your Audience Social media platforms own your followers If a platform changes its policies or algorithms, your reach can drop overnight. Email marketing = you own your email list 🎯 No algorithm will restrict your reach to the people who opted in to hear from you. And the best part? Combine email with insights from social media: And you can drive your leads from ↳ casual followers ➡️loyal customers Still think email marketing is less powerful than social media? Think again 😅 Are you curious how email marketing can transform your business in 2024? 🤔 DM me “Email” and I’ll guide you! #emailmarketing #emailcampaigns #socialmediamarketing #leadgeneration