Strategies to Move Paid Ad Traffic to Email List

I see at least 90% of brands treat email and paid ads like divorced parents. Here's why this lazy approach is costing you at least 40%+ in performance: #1 Paid Ads Fuel Email Growth • Add email capture forms to every conversion ad • Set exit-intent popups on all paid traffic landing pages • Create lead magnets specifically targeting your ad audiences • Track email signups alongside purchases in ad reporting #2 Email Data Improves Targeting • Upload your customer segments to Meta monthly • Build lookalikes from your highest-value email subscribers • Feed purchase events directly into your Meta pixel • Segment audiences by 30/60/90 day purchase behavior #3 Email Reduces Ad Pressure • Build automated sequences that convert cold email subscribers • Use email revenue to fund aggressive ad testing • Create backup income streams independent of ad performance • Test risky ad strategies with an email safety net #4 Lead-Gen Ads Build Lists Cheap • Run $2-3 lead gen campaigns before every launch • Collect emails with BFCM pre-sale hype campaigns • Build engagement audiences through video view campaigns • Retarget email lists with specific product sequences Stop siloing channels when integration drives exponentially better results.

We grew an email list from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months. If I were starting from scratch today, here's exactly how I'd do it again: 1) Nail the Lead Magnet: The fastest way to grow your email list is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email. Think of it like this: people won't give up their email for nothing. Create something they can't ignore: a discount, exclusive content, or a tool they can’t find elsewhere. For us, offering free travel guides was a game-changer. 2) Optimize for Opt-Ins Everywhere: Your website, blog, and even social media accounts should work like opt-in machines. For example: - Add pop-ups and fly outs on key pages. - Place CTAs above the fold. - Use scroll-triggered modals when visitors are engaged. We tested endlessly, and this attention to detail paid off big. 3) Tap Into Paid Growth Early: Ads get a bad rep, but when done right, they’re a growth accelerant. We launched targeted ads promoting our lead magnet and built a funnel that turned traffic into email signups. Paid campaigns helped us scale fast while testing which offers resonated with our audience. 4) Partner with the Right People: Collaborations can grow your list faster than any single effort. Whether it’s co-branded giveaways, email swaps, or shoutouts, find brands or creators that share your target audience. A well-executed partnership will unlock exponential growth. One really unique thing we did: We bought a bunch of viral social accounts and rebranded them for our business. This was huge in kickstarting massive and sustainable growth. And we fast-tracked the social proof we needed to build trust and scale quickly. 5) Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: A big list is meaningless without engagement. From Day 1, we focused on high-value emails to ensure subscribers opened, clicked, and stayed. Here’s a pro tip: Consistency wins. Sending emails weekly or bi-weekly keeps your list warm and engaged. 6) Build a Content Machine: Pair email growth with an organic content strategy that feeds your funnel. Blog posts, social media, and SEO aren’t just good for traffic—they create trust. The more valuable content you share, the more people will want to hear from you. 7) Leverage Cheap Marketing Channels in Ways Others Haven’t: This is going to ruffle some feathers but we absolutely dominated cold email for user acquisition. To the tune of 6 figure subscriber acquisition. No one was doing cold email for B2C the way we did it. This proved to be the most scalable yet cheapest acquisition channel we had. — To recap: - Offer something valuable for free to grow your list. - Use every channel—paid and organic—to drive opt-ins. - Build relationships with partners who already have your audience. The result? A system that scales. Your list is the one asset you fully own—start building it ASAP!

Your email list is your most valuable marketing asset. So here are 5 funnels you can use to build it starting today: Template 1: The Bare Bones The simplest one: you post content, drive it to your profile where they can join your email list. It works well as long as: - You’re attracting the right crowd with your content. - You’re having enough traction to get meaningful signups daily. The problem is that beyond the qualify of your content and your profile, your audience doesn’t have an incentive to join your email list. Which brings us to number 2: Template 2: The Magnetized I call it “Magnetized” because it involves a lead magnet: a valuable, free resource that your subscribers get in exchange for their email. Here are a few rules of thumb to follow: - It must be so valuable people would willingly pay for it. - It must solve a specific problem your audience is facing. - It should tie directly to your core offer. That will increase the number of conversions. But it doesn’t solve for the amount of traffic. Which brings us to number 3... Template 3: Augmented I like ads for 4 reasons: 1. They allow you to increase traffic 2. They allow you to do that quickly 3. They allow you to do that without relying on other creators. 4. They also allow you to target specific people (either via targeting or specific copy) Those get more people to see your lead magnet, download it and join your email list. Template 4: Collab The next level is to leverage other people’s audiences via guest posting. Here’s how it works: 1. Make a list of newsletters in your niche 2. Guest-write an issue of that newsletter 3. Add your lead magnet link to the bottom 4. Make sure to offer the owner of the newsletter to do the same with your audience. Just like collabs in music: this tactic allows you to get in front of a qualified warm audience. The only problem is that you have to rely on someone else’s goodwill. Template 5: Viral Who are your best sales reps? Happy customers. How do you make them promote your newsletter? Do this: - Create newsletter-specific content (not recycled stuff) - Provide non-obvious insights - Make it actionable. - Incentivize them By doing all 4 you’ll create growth loops that will allow your newsletter to grow on autopilot. Template 6: Pinnacle Combine all of the above. Complex, but unstoppable.