Email Interest Targeting: 10x Conversion Rate vs. Meta Ad Targeting

WARNING: Reading this can make your customers addicted to buying from you

There’s a new scaling secret that outperforms even the most dialed-in Facebook ad targeting…

One that produces 3x more revenue from an asset you already own: Your email list.

By tapping into email interest tagging, you can generate 3x more revenue from your email list…

And the best part, is this boost in revenue doesn’t require you to spend any more money on ads. 

It’s basically a free way to make more money. 

And I’m gonna show you how to do this in today’s newsletter. 

Here’s proof this works:

I reveal 2 client case studies below. And the leading email software company, Klaviyo, analyzed over 2.6 billion emails and discovered that 3x is the norm in terms of how much more money you make per subscriber by using email interest targeting for segmented email campaigns.

What Is Email Interest Targeting?

Think of email interest targeting as a way to categorize and track exactly what your audience cares about, without them ever needing to tell you directly. It’s about quietly understanding their behaviors—what they click on, what they read, what they buy—and using that to deliver hyper-relevant messages based on their situation.

As I always say: 

Sending the right message → to the right person → at the right time

Another way to think about it too, is like when you’re talking about something to a friend and then you open social media and suddenly see an ad for that thing. Lol. 

But instead, you’re actually showing them something they really want. 

It’s like Facebook ad targeting. But rather than relying on a weird algorithm you can’t control, and that basically plays the guessing game… 

Instead, you’re following what people ACTUALLY do. You can do this because you OWN the audience, and your targeting is much more relevant, too. 

Let me show you:

For example, you can tag your subscribers based on their interests. Also, with site tracking set up inside your email service provider (ESP), you can see if a customer views a blog article 3 times. This shows you that they’re curious and researching a particular thing. Plus, it also helps you determine their Awareness Stage in their buyer’s journey.

When you know what they’re looking for, you can stay one step ahead, delivering exactly what they need, when they need it. These hyper-targeted messages are why email interest targeting can generate up to 3x more revenue compared to other email campaigns.

Email Marketing Interest Targeting vs. Facebook Ad Interest Targeting

Facebook ads can be powerful, but they come with flaws…

Rising ad costs, algorithm changes, and the looming issue of customer privacy all add complexity. Not to mention, you’re often at the mercy of a system that changes faster than you can optimize your campaigns. And don’t forget, you’re renting attention on Facebook’s platform—if something shifts in the algorithm, your results can drop off overnight. Plus, 66% of people say they buy from Email Marketing Interest Targeting vs. 20% from Facebook ads. That’s more than 3x. And when you factor in the CPM of targeting your customers through email marketing vs. targeting them with Facebook ads, email targeting easily gives you 10x higher conversion rates than Facebook ads.

Why Email Targeting Wins

With email interest targeting, you own the audience and the data. 

There’s no rising costs or algorithm shake-ups. 

Every time someone opens their inbox, you have a direct line to them. More importantly, email lets you deliver personalized, hyper-relevant content. So you won’t be shooting in the dark. And you definitely won’t have to deal with nasty comments on your Facebook ads, from people who apparently were “mis targeted” by an algorithm that thought they liked something they didn’t. 

Instead, customers will thank you for your emails. 

Because you’re giving them exactly what they want, right when they want it the most. 

That also provides a way better customer experience too. 

The 2 Main Methods of Email Interest Targeting

Now let’s get into how you can actually use email interest targeting to drive conversions for 3x more revenue. It’s all about leveraging data to anticipate what your audience needs and delivering it with precision.

A. Product Categories

This is the most straightforward method—tagging based on product interests. Whether you’re selling courses, supplements, or e-commerce products, you can tag subscribers based on the categories they interact with the most.

For higher-ticket items, like a $5k coaching program, you can use income-based tags to identify who’s in a position to invest. For instance, if someone says they don’t have $5k to invest either on your form or by clicking a trigger link in your email, you can maybe down-sell them to some info products or something. Or maybe you can find some other creative ways to add more value to their lives and make them wealthy enough to afford to invest $5k in a coaching program. 

This way, you’re not just sending random offers—you’re delivering offers that match what they’re ready to buy.

B. Behavioral Targeting

Here’s where it gets interesting. When you track how people engage with your content, you start to understand what they’re looking for.

If they view a particular product on your e-commerce store multiple times, now you know they’re interested in that product… or maybe they still have some questions, that’s why they keep visiting the page seeking more information. So you can hit them with FAQ emails, or testimonials about the product, or other things… of course, in a more subtle way to make it seem like we were not spying on them, and you can make it seem nonchalant.

The idea is to anticipate their next move based on what they’ve already done, which naturally leads to higher conversions. Once they’ve engaged with this content, you’re in a perfect position to follow up with a sales sequence.

More Proof That Email Interest Targeting Works!

Recently, I decided to deploy email interest targetting in 2 leading education businesses. 

2 Case Study Examples:

One of them, I used targeted email marketing campaigns, based on a users form submission. I set up a unique quiz that got subscribers to tell me exactly what courses and programs they wanted to learn from…

Then, (unbelievably), I offered them what they told me they wanted! 

By giving them what they told me they wanted, we got close to 37.5% lead to purchase rate. 

I realized this method worked so good, I decided to “plug in” this email marketing interest targeting tactic into another education business, and their conversion rates have doubled. We’ve even been able to boost our retention rates after I set up one of my “secret segmented upsell flows.”

My favorite part about all of this was that, these 2 businesses didn’t have to spend a single dollar extra on ads. 

It was basically a free way of making more money. (Besides, investing to work with me.

Now, a lot of people might tease you on how to do this, and force you to book a call to learn how to set all of this up…

But I honestly HATE people who do things like that. 

So instead, I’m gonna show you how to set all of this up next. And then, I’ll just leave a link at the bottom of this newsletter for you to book a call with me and my team and have us set this up for you. In case you prefer to save time or wanna outsource this task, which can make you 3x more sales without you lifting a finger. 

How to Implement Email Interest Targeting in Your Business

So how do you set this up? It’s simpler than you think. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown to get you started with email interest targeting:

  1. Set Up Site Tracking
    The first step is to implement tracking on your website or store. This allows you to see what content or products people are engaging with the most.
  2. Create Your Categories and Behavioral Tags
    Segment your audience based on the product categories they interact with, or tag them based on their behavior—how many times they’ve viewed a blog post, a product, or even clicked on a specific offer.
  3. Trigger Segmented Email Flows
    Once you’ve tagged your audience, set up automated email flows. These flows can send targeted emails based on specific actions, like viewing a product page multiple times, opening certain emails, or clicking through key links.
  4. Monitor and Tweak
    This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Keep an eye on your email metrics—open rates, click-through rates, conversions—and adjust your strategy as you go. The more refined your targeting, the better your results.

By following these steps, you’ll be tapping into the real power of email interest targeting, making your email campaigns more efficient and personalized.

And you can feel sophisticated, knowing your targeting is most likely better than your competitors. And you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on ads to run a decent test. Simply send an email to your list and see how they respond. 

Best of all:

Your customers will like your messages way better than your competitor’s messages, because they’re so personalized and relevant, and always deliver what they desire most…

…which practically forces an “ethical buying addiction” from your customers. 

If you want your customers addicted to buying from you:

Click here and see if you qualify to work with me and make 3x more money from your email list.

About the author:

Matt Hommel

Matt Hommel is a multi 8-figure email and growth marketer. He’s the publisher and editorial director for the popular email and growth marketing newsletter known as Email Growth Marketer, and he’s founded H&C Media, a leading marketing firm now scaling today’s most sought after education and media brands.
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