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I want to discuss Neil Patel's post on email and social media. You’re probably doing both as a no-budget marketer, and I have some thoughts.
Check out these other newsletters if you’re looking for more business and marketing content in your inbox, and then scroll down to dive into this week’s topic.
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Revenue speaks louder than likes
Platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok offer massive audiences and the possibility of instant engagement, leading many marketers to prioritize building their social media following.
But when it comes to revenue generation, email subscribers consistently outperform social media followers.
Neil Patel recently surveyed 2,501 marketers, asking them whether they preferred 1,000 social media followers or 1,000 email subscribers. The results? Shockingly, most marketers chose social media followers.
I’d love to know more about the people Neil surveyed because pretty much every marketing professional I speak with prefers having email subscribers over social media followers.
In fact, many people use social media to grow their email lists because that’s where the best opportunities for lead nurturing and revenue generation exist. The revenue difference between these two groups is staggering.
The Revenue Gap between email and social media
While social media followers can engage with your content and amplify your reach, you’re at the mercy of algorithms. Your posts might only reach 5–10% of your audience organically unless you boost them with ads.
You own the list with email subscribers, and emails land directly in their inboxes. Email open rates are typically 20–30%, and click-through rates can be 3–5% or higher—vastly superior to social media’s engagement metrics in many cases.
Patel’s data shows that email subscribers can generate more than six times the revenue of social media followers. Why?
Ownership: You control your email list; no algorithm dictates visibility.
Intent: Email subscribers are often more engaged and ready to take action, like buying a product or signing up for a webinar. They’re more aware of your brand.
Segmentation and personalization: You can tailor emails to specific audience segments and send them personally interesting content, making your outreach more effective.
The Hard Truth: Email is Harder
Growing an email list is often more challenging than gathering followers on social media. It requires strategy, lead magnets, opt-in forms, and nurturing sequences.
Social media often offers instant gratification — likes, follows, and shares — with less friction. That doesn’t mean those algorithms aren’t hard to figure out. But it can lead to people engaging with your content who aren’t truly interested in what you’re selling or who might come and go from the platform.
However, marketers who focus on quality over vanity metrics will see greater ROI, and those who use social media to build their mailing lists will likely come out ahead in the end.
Sure, you might become the next big influencer or brand on social media, but it’s good to build an email list anyway. It’s like investing in the stock market or a savings account instead of just gambling.
Takeaways for No Budget Marketers
Here are some things to think about as you market on a small budget:
Invest in your email list: Even with limited resources, prioritize capturing emails over chasing followers.
Leverage social media to feed your email list: Use platforms to direct people to your newsletter or a lead magnet.
Measure what matters: Revenue speaks louder than likes.
Don’t just grow an audience. Build one that converts: A smaller, engaged email list will usually beat the fleeting visibility of social media when it comes to revenue.
Thanks for reading. I’ll talk with you again next Sunday.
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