Why Twitter Ads Are a Smart Choice for List Building (Even If You’re Just Starting Out)

A beginner-friendly guide to building your list with Reach + Engagement campaigns using DM-delivered lead magnets

If you’re just getting started with list building and want faster traction, you might be wondering: Where’s the best place to advertise my lead magnet without burning through my budget?

While Facebook and YouTube get all the attention, there’s a hidden gem more marketers are waking up to: Twitter Ads (now X Ads). When used right, they offer one of the simplest and most affordable ways to grow your audience and build your email list — even if you’re brand new.

Let’s break down how you can use Twitter’s “Reach” and “Engagement” campaign types to warm up cold traffic, build awareness, and get people commenting, liking, and following you — all while delivering your lead magnet via DM.

Step 1: Use “Reach” Campaigns to Introduce Yourself

Top of funnel (TOFU) campaigns are all about getting seen. You’re not selling. You’re not pushing. You’re getting noticed.

Twitter’s Reach campaign objective is designed for this. It puts your tweet in front of the maximum number of people who are likely to engage with it — perfect for building visibility with cold traffic.

Why Reach Ads Work at the Top of Funnel:

• You can target users by keyword, interest, or who they follow.
• CPMs are still relatively low, letting you reach thousands affordably.
• The goal is visibility — not conversions — so there’s less friction.

we’ve spent 64k on Google this year and made over 800k in sales

if you want to know how, comment ‘GOOGLE’

(must be following) pic.twitter.com/ywHW2leFfu

— Manny Barbas (@mannybarbas_) April 6, 2025

Step 2: Use “Engagement” Campaigns to Drive Lead Magnet Requests

Once your tweet has some traction, it’s time to push it harder with an Engagement campaign.

This campaign type is optimized to get:

• Likes
• Replies
• Retweets
• Follows

Why is this powerful for list building? Because it sets up a natural trigger: people engage with your post, and you send them your lead magnet via DM.

The Playbook:

1. Create a valuable, curiosity-driven lead magnet.
2. Write a tweet asking people to engage to get it.
3. Run a Reach campaign for awareness.
4. Retweet it and run an Engagement campaign to scale.

Here’s an example of an Engagement-optimized tweet:

Want my list of top 10 free tools I used to get 1,000+ leads from Twitter DMs?

Comment “TOOLS” and I’ll DM you the link.

No spam. Just straight-up value.

— YourName (@YourHandle) April 6, 2025

The DM Follow-Up That Seals the Deal

Once someone engages, you send them a pre-written, friendly DM with:

• A short thank you
• A link to your lead magnet
• A soft CTA to join your list or check out more

Example DM:

“Hey [Name], thanks for commenting! Here’s the link to the swipe file I mentioned: [your link]. If you’re into this kind of stuff, I share tips like this weekly – happy to keep you in the loop!”

Why This Works So Well for Beginners

For internet marketers just getting started, this approach is a goldmine. Here’s why:

• No fancy funnel setup needed – You can start with just a tweet.
• No complicated automation – Just manual or semi-automated DMs.
• No big budgets required – You can test with $5–$10/day.
• You build both audience and list – likes, follows, and emails.
• It’s scalable – Find the winner and increase ad spend.

But What About the CTA? That’s the Crucial Piece

Your lead magnet needs to pull people in fast — it has to be specific, useful, and delivered with clarity. That starts with the Call to Action in your tweet.

Crafting a good CTA takes time — but now it doesn’t have to.

This is exactly where EASY CustomGPT Builder comes in.

You can use it to generate high-quality CTAs and lead magnet ideas in minutes, without guesswork. Just feed it a topic or headline, and it returns tweet-ready hooks, CTA lines, and even DM templates that get people to take action.

Perfect for:

• Creating lead magnet CTAs that get engagement
• Writing tweets that convert impressions into comments
• Crafting DMs that feel personal and non-spammy

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly, low-cost, and scalable way to start building your list, Twitter Ads using Reach + Engagement objectives should be on your radar.

It’s simple. It’s effective. And when you pair it with a strong lead magnet and a compelling CTA, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can grow your list and your following.

Try EASY CustomGPT Builder and start creating CTAs people actually want to click.