Podcast Summary

Podcast: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson (Presented by Marigold)
Episode: How to Spend $1000 to Massively Grow Your Email List! | Ep. 405
Date: September 3, 2025
Host: GURU Media Hub (with Jay Schwedelson)

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the question: “How would you spend $1,000 to grow an email newsletter using paid social?” Jay Schwedelson dispels common misconceptions about social ad spend, delivers a detailed, actionable playbook for leveraging small budgets, and drops timely insights into the fast-evolving world of lead generation on social media. The second half of the show lightens up with Jay’s TV-watching habits and rants on streaming services.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Question: How to Spend $1,000 for Newsletter Growth?

[01:51]

• Listener Jared from Pueblo, CO asks for the best paid social media strategy to grow a newsletter on a tight budget.
• Jay underscores that you don’t need a huge budget or fancy tools; $1,000 can go far with the right tactics.
• Challenges traditional thinking about where to spend (e.g., LinkedIn) and stresses the power of lesser-employed platforms and formats.

Notable Quote

“So let’s say, oh, I think my audience is on LinkedIn. I’m going to run paid ads there, and that’s going to win the day. That ain’t going to win the day. You have to undo almost everything that you think...”
— Jay, [03:07]

2. The #1 Strategy: Instagram Reels Lead Gen Ads

[04:20]

• Instagram Reels is “the secret sauce.” Jay’s agency has seen outstanding results across 100+ clients, B2B and B2C.
• Ads work best when users stay ON the platform—never ask them to click away.
• Technically, use Instagram Reels lead gen ad units to capture emails within the app itself.
  • Average cost per subscriber: $2.50–$4 each.
  • With $1,000, expect 250–400 new subs.
• Demystifies the perception that Instagram is only for consumers, stating B2B marketers get excellent returns as well.

Notable Quote

“You want to not just any ad, you don’t want to run regular post ads, you want to run Instagram reels ads... If I only had a thousand dollars, that is where I would spend my money to grow my newsletter.”
— Jay, [06:06]

3. Where NOT to Advertise: LinkedIn

[07:00]

• Don’t waste budget on LinkedIn for newsletter list growth.
• LinkedIn’s cost per subscriber for similar lead gen ads: $30–$40, “that ain’t it.”
• Jay debunks the assumption that LinkedIn, being a “business” platform, would be more effective for B2B list-building.

Notable Quote

“Lead gen ads on LinkedIn… it is not. It’s going to cost you anywhere between 30 to $40 per subscriber. That ain’t it. That’s not going to get you very far.”
— Jay, [07:15]

4. The New Frontier: Reddit Lead Gen Ads

[08:00]

• Reddit just introduced on-platform lead gen ads in the past 30 days.
• Works similarly: users submit info without leaving Reddit.
• Early results: $5–$10 per email, “brand new, limited but promising data.”
• No minimum ad spend; available to all marketers.

Notable Quote

“In the last 30 days, Reddit came out with lead gen ads… you can have it show up in different Reddit commentary and subreddits and whatever and it pops up a little form on platform… This is literally brand new.”
— Jay, [08:11]

5. Universal Takeaway: On-Platform Lead Capture is Key

[09:22]

• No matter your industry, always use on-platform forms; frictionless experience outperforms click-to-website ads.
• Test these channels—there are no minimums and huge potential in both “boring” (B2B) and consumer sectors.

Notable Quote

“If you’re not using on-platform lead gen captures for social media…this is it. This is the most cost effective way to grow your database.”
— Jay, [09:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On platform friction:
  “If they have to leave the platform, forget it. Your cost per registration goes into the stratosphere because nobody wants to leave the platform.” — Jay, [03:41]

• On confidence in tactics:
  “You could run this ad for five to ten dollars a day and see if I’m a doofus. And if I’m wrong, I am telling you, it crushes it.” — Jay, [06:26]

• Universal recommendation:
  “No brainer. If you’re not testing this… you need to be testing this.” — Jay, [09:38]

TV & Ridiculous Question Segment

[10:02]

• Jill from LA asks what Jay is watching now that “Love Island” is over.
• Jay recommends Leanne on Netflix, describing it as a “mental massage,” despite expectations.
• Tangent on how unintuitive Peacock and other streaming platforms are compared to Netflix.
• Short, irreverent reviews of upcoming reality shows.
• Classic Jay humor and self-deprecation throughout.

Notable Quote

“If there’s a less intuitive streaming platform on Earth, I’d like you to tell me what it is… It thinks I’ve never been on the platform before. I cannot figure out how to find a show, how to start a show.”
— Jay, [12:20]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:51] Listener question: How to spend $1,000 on social ads for email list growth
• [03:07] Why LinkedIn is NOT the best place to advertise for newsletter growth
• [04:20] The Instagram Reels lead gen playbook (+ cost per subscriber math)
• [07:00] The problem with LinkedIn ads for list-building
• [08:00] Reddit’s new lead gen ads—what, why, and how
• [09:22] The universal playbook: Use on-platform lead forms, test, repeat
• [10:02] TV/reality section—Jay’s current recs and streaming gripes

Actionable Takeaways

• Test Instagram Reels Lead Gen Ads for subscriber acquisition—most cost-effective and scalable for both B2C and B2B.
• Do Not Rely on LinkedIn for cheap newsletter growth. LinkedIn is expensive per subscriber, even for business audiences.
• Explore New Reddit Lead Gen Ads—brand-new channel, promising results, no minimum ad spend.
• Always Use On-Platform Capture Forms to make sign-up frictionless and drive down cost per email.

This episode is energetic and packed with extremely current marketing advice, especially for marketers or newsletter owners working with small, scrappy budgets. Jay’s humorous delivery makes advanced advertising tactics accessible—and memorable.