Followers ≠ Subscribers (Unless You Do This One Thing)

Hey, Alchemists

This week, we’re fixing the biggest lie social media tells marketers: “Visibility = Growth.” Spoiler: It doesn’t — unless you turn attention into action.

Today, I’m sharing a tactical guide to convert followers into subscribers using frictionless hooks, magnetic CTAs, and AI-enhanced microfunnels — so you can grow your list without begging for clicks.

Today’s Insights

🔍 Tutorial: 4 subscriber-killing mistakes even smart creators make — and how to fix them fast

📡 Radar: From Zoom’s Agentic AI to AI-powered chatbot ads — 5 trends that shift your marketing playbook

🏆 5-Minute Wins: DM funnels, upgraded CTAs, and AI-tuned copy to boost conversions in 5 minutes or less

🧠 Marketing Psychology: How anchoring bias makes your $149 offer feel like a steal — and how to use it

⚡ Productivity: The deep work block that helped me 3× output on big marketing tasks — in under 90 minutes

🔍 Tutorial

Likes Don’t Pay the Bills

A few weeks ago, I paused and asked myself a hard question:

“Why isn’t my email list growing?”

I had just passed 1000 followers on LinkedIn.
My content was getting decent reach.
Comments were showing up.
A few DMs rolled in each week.

But when I checked my email list?

Flatline.

No spike.
No opt-ins.
Just a few trickles here and there.

That’s when it hit me: followers don’t automatically become subscribers.

Social media gives you visibility.
Email gives you ownership.

To build something sustainable — something that actually grows with you — you have to move people from “just scrolling” to taking action.

Here’s what top creators are doing — and 4 tiny changes that can help you start converting attention into subscribers this week.

Problem: Your “Link in Bio” Is Too Weak

Most bios say something like “Join my newsletter.”

That’s not a hook.
That’s a chore.

If I don’t know why your newsletter matters, why would I click?

💡 Alex Llull (Twitter) changed his CTA from “Weekly marketing tips” to “Get my Notion system that helped me grow to 18K followers.”

Same link.
Better pitch.

Result? Signups tripled.

A weak CTA feels like a hallway with no signs.
A strong one is a spotlight saying “Here’s what you’ll get — and why it matters.”

✅ 5-Minute Action:

Update your CTA to promise value.

Use this format: “Get my [tool/resource] that helped me [achieve result].”

If you're starting out, even small wins work.
Just make it real.

A Comment Funnel That Feels Personal (and Scales)

What if people could join your list by simply commenting a word?

No forms.
No landing pages.
No awkward opt-in boxes.

Just a simple DM exchange that feels personal — even if it’s automated.

Savannah Sanchez (Instagram) used this exact approach.

She posted: “Want my ad checklist? Reply ‘AUDIT’ to this story.”

She sent them the freebie via DM.
22% of people became subscribers.

It worked because it felt natural.

Not salesy.
Not complicated.

When people feel like they’re chatting, not subscribing, they say yes more often.

✅ 5-Minute Action:

Pick a freebie. Then post: “Want this? Comment ‘YES’ and I’ll DM it to you.”

Automate the reply using Typeform + Zapier or ManyChat.
Set it once, let it run.

Big Lead Magnets Don’t Win - Clear Ones Do

Let’s bust a myth:

You don’t need a 20-page ebook to grow your list.
You just need clarity.

One of the best-performing lead magnets I’ve seen?

Matt Gray gave away a 2-line DM script as a screenshot.
That’s it.

No landing page.
No PDF.
No download.

And he got thousands of subscribers from it.

Here’s why it worked: it solved a very specific problem in 10 seconds.

Your audience isn’t avoiding your freebie because they’re lazy.
They’re avoiding it because it sounds like homework.

✅ 5-Minute Action:

Take your biggest lead magnet and cut it in half.
Now turn it into:

✔️ A checklist
✔️ A swipe file
✔️ A 1-page playbook

And call it what it helps them do, not what it is.

Sell the Result, Not the Newsletter

If someone asked you to subscribe to their “weekly updates,” you’d probably ignore them.

But if they said: “Want to double your open rates with 3 subject line tweaks?”

You’d probably say yes.

💡 Nicolas Cole doesn’t pitch “a newsletter.”

He says: “Learn to write online. I’ll show you the system I used to write every day for 5 years.”

It’s about the result.

The promise.
The transformation.

People don’t care how often you send.
They care what they’ll gain.

✅ 5-Minute Action:

Rewrite your pitch like this:
“Want to [do X]? I’ll show you how — one email at a time.”

This makes your newsletter feel like a tool — not a chore.

Already Posting? Do This Next

If you’re already creating content on LinkedIn, Instagram, or X — don’t let those posts end in dead ends.

Add a small opt-in hook.

👉🏻 That could be a comment keyword.
👉🏻 A stronger bio CTA.
👉🏻 Or a 1-page lead magnet that actually solves something.

Small shifts lead to big lifts.

Bonus Move: The One Line CTA Audit

Most creators lose subscribers before the click.

Why? Because their CTA sounds like a chore, not a win.

Before you optimize forms or funnels, use this diagnostic AI prompt to fix the friction at the top.

Try all 3 rewrites.
Then ask: Which one would you click — if you’d never heard of me?

🏆 Quick Wins

✅ Add “Comment YES and I’ll DM it to you” under your best-performing social post
Instead of dropping a link and hoping for clicks, use a DM comment trigger. It feels personal, performs better, and bypasses friction. Bonus: you can automate this with Typeform or ManyChat to make the delivery passive and scalable.
Expected Impact: Creates an instant low-friction funnel — up to 18–22% conversions

✅ Swap your bio CTA from “Join my newsletter” to “Get my [lead magnet] that helped me [achieve result]”
Generic CTAs get ignored. Specific ones drive curiosity. Rewrite your bio CTA to focus on the benefit and result — not the ask. It’s a 30-second fix that can lead to a 3x lift in opt-ins when done right.
Expected Impact: Clear benefit-driven CTAs can triple click-throughs — up to 3X increase in Opt-ins, per Alex Llull’s CTA test.

✅ Use AI to rewrite your lead magnet title in 3 emotional tones: helpful, urgent, and inspiring
Your lead magnet title isn’t just a label — it’s a conversion lever. Run it through an AI tone test to generate 3 variations. Pick the one that matches your platform energy. (Helpful for LinkedIn, urgent for X, inspiring for IG.)
Expected Impact: Testing emotional tone match can improve headline performance by 25–40%, especially in Instagram and LinkedIn bios.

📡 Radar

📣 Ad Revenue May Slow for U.S. Tech Giants Due to Tariff Disputes

According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. tech companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon are expected to see a slowdown in advertising revenue growth. This is linked to escalating tariff tensions between the U.S. and China, which may raise costs and reduce advertiser spending across international campaigns.

→ Key takeaway: If you're running paid campaigns, watch for increased CPCs and reduced ROIs in certain regions. Start diversifying lead gen through organic + email channels to maintain reach without ad spend spikes.
Read More →

🤖 Zoom Introduces Agentic AI to Transform Meetings into Actionable Workflows

Zoom is rolling out agentic AI features that go beyond passive meeting transcripts. The system can now create agendas, assign tasks, summarize decisions, and even follow up on action items — all autonomously. This marks a shift from AI being a passive observer to an active collaborator in workflows.

→ Key takeaway: If your marketing team runs async or remote workflows, start exploring AI meeting-to-task integrations. Tools that auto-capture insights and translate them into next steps can cut your campaign planning time by up to 40%.
Read More →

🤖 AI Chatbots Are Becoming New Ad Channels — and It’s a Game-Changer

Major players like OpenAI and Google are exploring native ad placements inside conversational AI tools. This shift could drastically change ad formats — from search-style banners to AI-generated responses with embedded promotions. The user’s intent, history, and chat context could soon drive ultra-personalized ad delivery.

→ Key takeaway: Start preparing opt-ins and lead magnets that can be embedded via chatbot recommendations, not just static landing pages. Expect hyper-contextual ad opportunities to emerge in AI chat flows — early movers here will win.
Read More →

📣 Threads Ads Now Open to All Meta Advertisers — With Native-Like Formats

Meta has officially rolled out Threads Ads to its entire advertiser base. The ads appear seamlessly within conversation threads, supporting image and text formats. While still in early days, the potential for low-CPC, high-attention placements is strong — especially with Instagram cross-promotion.

→ Key takeaway: Test low-friction lead magnet hooks in comment-style ads (e.g., “Want the checklist? Reply ‘YES’”). Brands with social opt-in flows can boost conversion rates by up to 20% through conversational CTAs paired with DMs.
Read More →

📣 Google Now Displays Top Ads at the Bottom of Search Pages Too

Google has confirmed that “top ads” (i.e., high-performing ads) can now appear at the bottom of SERPs, not just the top. This change aims to optimize user experience and relevance — but it may confuse performance tracking and reduce perceived prominence of prime placements.

→ Key takeaway: If you're running Google Ads, revisit your CTR benchmarks — especially for position-based optimizations. Ads with strong relevance may now perform well in lower positions, so test copy-first variants and placement-based A/Bs to spot hidden ROI.
Read More →

📫 INSIDEA x Mailchimp Partner to Boost ROI Through Smarter AI Segmentation

INSIDEA has teamed up with Mailchimp to offer AI-powered campaign strategy, advanced audience segmentation, and ROI-optimized automation to small and medium-sized businesses. This integration enables brands to unlock enterprise-level targeting with personalized workflows and predictive content recommendations.

→ Key takeaway: If you're using Mailchimp, explore INSIDEA’s strategic services or templates to refine your list segmentation and automate smarter welcome flows. Users report improved email performance with 15–35% lifts in open and conversion rates when segmentation is AI-assisted.
Read More →

⚒️ Tools

1️⃣ Canny – Collect and Act on User Feedback Without Disrupting Flow

Canny is a powerful user feedback tool that allows product and marketing teams to collect feature requests, prioritize them based on user votes, and close the loop with customers. It integrates with tools like Intercom, Slack, and Zapier for a frictionless workflow.

→ Key takeaway: Embed Canny on your newsletter confirmation page or thank-you screen to ask: “What kind of resource would help you most right now?” This insight can drive your next lead magnet — users applying real-time feedback see 15–25% higher opt-in relevance and engagement.
Learn More →

2️⃣ Scrybe – Grow Your LinkedIn Following in Under 5 Minutes a Day

Scrybe is an AI-powered LinkedIn assistant that helps creators and marketers ideate high-performing post hooks, draft content in your tone, and analyze post-level data to understand what resonates. It’s designed for speed, simplicity, and repeatable growth.

→ Key takeaway: Use Scrybe to identify your top 3 performing posts, then retrofit each with a lead magnet CTA in the comments or bio. Creators using this loop have seen 12–20% lifts in opt-in conversion from already-viral content.
Learn More →

⚡️ Productivity

Deep Work Scheduling

Ever sit down to “get stuff done”... and somehow do everything except the thing that matters? Yeah, same.

That’s why I started blocking deep work hours. When I do this, I get 3X more done — and the work? Way better.

Why it Works:

Your brain needs space to go deep. But when you're checking Slack, fixing typos, or toggling tabs — your focus resets every time. Deep work blocks give your brain time to warm up and actually create something great.

Quick Implementation:

• 🕘 Block 90 minutes on your calendar with zero notifications

• 🚪 Step away from chat tools and inbox — no peeking

• ✍️ Pick one high-impact task (not five) and go all in

Pro Tip:

Marketers: Use deep work for idea generation, campaign writing, or planning — not admin. Save the shallow work for later.

Want to go deeper? these resources will take it even further.

🔗 The Complete Guide to Deep Work 
🔗 What is deep work? 7 ways to boost your concentration

🧠 Marketing Psychology Unlocked

⚓️ Anchoring Bias

How first impressions shape pricing and offer perception

Ever seen a $1,500 course… right before a $149 one?
Suddenly, the second one feels affordable.

That’s anchoring bias in action — your brain locks onto the first number it sees, and everything after gets compared to it.

We don’t just judge prices.
We judge value, quality, and urgency based on the first impression we’re anchored to.

Real-World Example:

Kajabi creator Justin Welsh often shows his full $1M+ earnings before pitching a $150 course.

It’s not flexing — it’s anchoring.

You expect expensive.
You see accessible.
You buy.

Why It Works:

• Your brain hates uncertainty — so it grabs the first number it sees to feel in control.

• Anchoring reframes perceived value — your mid-tier product looks like a bargain next to a premium decoy.

• It speeds up decision-making — by guiding what “worth it” feels like without a hard sell.

Action Step:

In your next email, mention a “full-service” price anchor before your actual offer (e.g., “I used to charge $2,000 for this — now it’s yours for $79”).

🚀 Case Study

Foundit Success Story

• ↑ 1.7M+ users updated profiles

• ↑ 3x user engagement from interactive vs static emails

• ⏱️ 6 months of strategic rollout

• 💡 Used gamified elements (progress bars, clickable CTAs) to drive action

What made it work?

Anchoring users’ attention with embedded interaction inside the inbox — reducing friction, boosting response rates.

👉🏻 Read full case study here

🎙️ Podcast You’ll Love

🎧 Episode: The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Ads

📢 Host: Daniel Rowles

🎯 Guest: AJ Wilcox, Founder of B2Linked

🗣️ What it covers:

A tactical masterclass on LinkedIn Ads from one of the top experts in the game. AJ reveals how to run high-performing campaigns without burning budget — and where most marketers go wrong.

💡 Key takeaways:

• LinkedIn ads behave like top-of-funnel but cost like bottom-of-funnel — plan your funnel accordingly.

• Ditch “default” advice. Manual bidding and smart segmentation can cut costs without hurting lead quality.

• Run campaigns like live focus groups: micro-segments teach you what’s working while they generate leads.

🛠️ Why it’s worth your time:

Whether you run email, content, or paid—this episode teaches you how to test smarter, convert better, and stop wasting money on tactics that don’t scale.

🎧 Listen here

📚 Growth Shelf

A must-read for marketers who want to outthink the spreadsheet—and outsmart the market.

Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life

Why it’s worth reading:

✔️ Learn how irrational choices drive real behavior—and why logical solutions often fail in marketing.

✔️ Grasp Sutherland’s core principle: it's better to be vaguely right than precisely wrong in an unpredictable world.

✔️ Apply real-world lessons from absurd yet successful campaigns, like how Red Bull became iconic despite its taste.

✅ Perfect for email marketers, brand strategists, and creatives who want to win through psychology, not just data.

🧬 The Elixir

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AI prompts + plug-n-play templates to achieve 3X marketing results.

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