Why Rent Eyeballs When You Can Own Attention?

You’ve heard the real estate advice:

Makes sense, right? Owning a home means security, equity, and long-term value. Renting? That’s just lighting money on fire for temporary access.

Well guess what?
The same principle applies to your marketing.

RP+ Members: Dig into the advanced version of this guide here. Not an RP+ member? Join today to get in depth tactics and strategies that will elevate your business for less than the cost of 2 coffees each month.

Renting Attention: The Dangerous Game You’re Probably Playing

If you’re relying on Facebook Ads, Instagram boosts, or Google PPC to reach your audience — you’re renting attention. And here’s what that means:

• You pay every time someone sees your offer.

• You stop paying? You disappear.

• The landlord (aka Meta or Google) can raise rent whenever they feel like it.

• Algorithms can wipe out your reach overnight.

Let’s be blunt: Paid ads are traffic you rent.
And renting your business’s lifeblood is a dangerous way to grow.

Owning Your List: The Asset No One Can Take Away

Email marketing flips the script.

• You own the list.

• You control the message.

• You don’t pay extra to send an email.

• You build trust and brand equity with every send.

An email list is like owning your own plot of land in a digital world full of landlords.
Once someone gives you their email, you don’t have to fight the algorithm to reach them. You’re in their inbox — one of the most valuable pieces of digital real estate on Earth.

This is traffic you own.
And just like land, it appreciates over time.

RP+ Members: Dig into the advanced version of this guide here. Not an RP+ member? Join today to get in depth tactics and strategies that will elevate your business for less than the cost of 2 coffees each month.

Let's Talk ROI (Because Emotions Don’t Pay the Bills)

Here’s the cold, hard truth:
Email marketing outperforms paid ads on nearly every level — especially in rural businesses where ad budgets are tight and trust is everything.

• Average ROI on email marketing? $36–$42 for every $1 spent.

• Cold Facebook traffic? You’re lucky to break even without retargeting and a dialed-in funnel.

• Email lets you follow up, segment, and sell without spending more money.

And the kicker? That list becomes your biggest business asset.
You can monetize it with offers, partnerships, affiliate deals, events — you name it.

What I’d Do If I Were Starting from Scratch in a Small Town

If I had zero audience and a tight budget, here’s the game plan:

1. Set up a lead magnet — something useful, local, or niche-specific. Maybe a free guide like “The 5 Best Weekend Side Hustles for Small-Town Entrepreneurs.”

2. Collect emails in-person and online — local events, checkout counters, community pages, etc.

3. Send one valuable email per week — teach, share a story, give a tip. Build a relationship.

4. Sell softly, but consistently — your list isn’t a cash register, it’s a relationship. Earn trust. Then ask for the sale.

Final Word: Don’t Build on Rented Land

If your whole business depends on a Facebook page or Google ads account, you’re playing a high-risk game. The rug can be pulled at any moment.

Start building your own list. Own your audience. Control your message.

Because in business, like real estate, ownership is everything.

RP+ Members: Dig into the advanced version of this guide here. Not an RP+ member? Join today to get in depth tactics and strategies that will elevate your business for less than the cost of 2 coffees each month.