The truth about email vs social for actual sales

I have this friend who is a pretty famous book author. 

A couple of years ago in the thick of his book launch, he paid just under a hundred grand to a top social media influencer to promote his book to their audience of tens of millions of followers. 

That’s a lotta bread. 

But hey, when your goal is to make an NYT or WSJ Best-Seller list, you prepare to fire up the financial ovens and get baking. 

Still, you may be wondering, as I did, so I asked him…

“Whaddya get for paying an influencer the cash equivalent of a Tesla Model X to promote your book?”

A couple of posts endorsing the book, and a podcast interview.

Yup. That was all this hugely popular influencer was obligated to provide under the agreement. 

But don’t throw your neck out shaking your head just yet… 

Turned out this influencer came to genuinely respect my author friend and believed in the message of his book SO much that he even “threw in” a few extra things.

A couple of extra mentions of the book title in other interviews… maybe even staged a Lo-Fi-filtered Insta snap of him reading it intently on the subway… or whatever it is influencers do to “subtly” promote things they’re paid bags of money to promote.

So, what did purchasing all this “love” to someone’s giant audience do for the author’s book sales? 

“Basically nothing”, he told me. 

That’s right. Eighty grand to become instantly “relevant” and have your book anointed a “must read” by a person with tens of millions of followers… and…

“The sales barely register on the list count.”

“Shit, man!”, was all I could muster.

Then he summarized the whole experience with this simple reality:

“What I learned is, social media is for social proof, but for sales, it’s always email.”

As someone in the early stages of writing a mass audience book, I’m wicked grateful to my friend for sacrificing his budget to confirm what we all suspect is a rock solid-truth, but can’t help but question when there’s so much attention on social advertising…

Yes, you need multiple streams running into your lead flow, but it’s THE LIST that drives your business. 

The list, the list, the list, the LIST!

This is especially true with information products (because we need that next level of personal connection beyond some 5-star reviews to earn our buyer’s trust)…

But, even with hard good E-com products, we discover and maybe even make the first purchase from social media ads, but we become loyal and make repeat purchases through email.

That’s why every product ad you click on bribes you with anywhere from 5-20% off your first purchase for joining their list. 

They KNOW you are far more likely to buy from their email list than to complete a purchase in the social ad itself…

See, that’s why becoming great at writing email copy is the most essential money skill for any copywriter or business owner.

All sales flow through the list… so it’s ONE place you can constantly improve your conversions. 

Plus, if you’re a freelance copywriter, any asset you’re hired to create (landing pages, FB ads, YT scripts, VSLs) your client will ALWAYS need email along with it. 

So, there you go… the truth about social vs email when it comes to actual SALES! 

Now you know…

Next week I’m teaming up with one of the best email copywriters I know – Chris Orzechowski – to bring you our Email Copy Academy program for nearly half the normal price (Black Friday style)

Chris is the most qualified copywriter I know to teach this because… 

Unlike most email copywriting guru types, he’s done it not just with his own list, but with clients in a wide variety of markets, from dating to self-help to information products to Ecommerce products of all types and price points.  

No one I know has more in-the-trenches email sales experience than Chris O. 

And he’s a legit teacher (as in former profession legit) so he knows how to give you the goods in ways that are usable and immediately actionable (think, samples, templates, formulas, etc).

There is no other place online where you can get this level of coaching and support to help you put what you learn into action the way we do it in CC. Plus – You get 30 days of access to the Copy Chief Community and private Email Copy Academy coaching club to check out everything risk-free. Love it like a new puppy or your money back – no hassles.

Stay tuned for this special deal to go live on Tuesday here, and I’ll look for you inside.