How I Built Leads (and Income) Organically Before Running Meta Ads

PLUS, HOW EVERY BIG CREATOR I KNOW IS SPENDING THEIR TO BUILD THEIR LEADS ORGANICALLY

Let’s be honest... you don’t need Meta Ads to make money.

You need momentum.

Momentum comes from visibility, trust, and showing up consistently enough that people start to think, “Okay, I see her everywhere… she clearly knows her stuff.”

And yes, this is coming from me: "the “Meta Ads girl.”

Because before I ever spent a cent on ads, I built my first wave of leads and income completely organically.

And when I finally did start running ads, they worked because I already had a proven formula for converting people into leads and then sales.

Here’s the kicker: every single big creator I know still spends a lot of their time doing these exact same things.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about creating content, it’s about building authority and traffic.

You can have the best offer in the world, but if no one’s seeing it, you won’t make sales.

As a guide, you generally need around 100 people visiting your page to get 2 sales — so the more eyes you get on your brand, the faster you’ll grow.

So if you’re not quite ready for ads yet, this is the playbook I’d use to grow your leads, income, and audience first.

1. BUILD AN AUTHORITY PLATFORM 

You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s the foundation every successful creator is built on.

You need a home base where people can binge your content and actually get to know you beyond the 30-second Reels.

Podcast. YouTube channel. Blog.

Pick one and go all in.

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of helping creators build audiences that actually buy. 

People don’t trust you because you post every day. They trust you because they’ve spent enough time hearing you that they start to see you as the go-to in your space.

It doesn’t happen in a single post.

It happens when someone’s heard your perspective, your stories, and your way of teaching for a decent amount of time, until they’re thinking, “I know exactly what she’d say about this.”

That’s what builds credibility. That’s what creates connection.

And that’s why every big creator I know still invests time into long-form content.

Because if you want to be seen as the expert, you have to share your unique perspective, not the recycled tips everyone else is posting.

So choose one authority platform — podcast, YouTube, or blog and treat it like your digital headquarters.

Then direct your Reels and emails there.

That’s where people stop scrolling and start listening.

2. CREATE A SIMPLE LEAD MAGNET (AND ACTUALLY USE IT)

Once you’ve got a platform where people can get to know you, it’s time to give them a reason to stick around.

Before you even think about ads, have at least one great lead magnet that pulls people into your world.

It can be as simple as a Google Doc — a guide, checklist, or a few plug-and-play templates that solves one specific problem your ideal buyer has.

Your goal is to move people from your social → email list, where you can build a deeper connection and nurture them long-term.

Your lead magnet becomes the bridge between “just found you” and “ready to buy.”

 And here’s a pro tip most people miss:

Be sure to include a link to your lead magnet (or at least mention it) on your main content channel, whether that’s your podcast, blog, or YouTube description. You never know when someone will discover you through AI search or SEO, so make it easy for them to find your free resource and join your world.

3. CREATE FAST, IMPERFECT SOCIAL CONTENT (AND BUILD REAL ENGAGEMENT)

When I first started (and even now, whenever I get the chance), I post 2–3 Reels a day.

Not because I have endless time but because I needed data.

 The goal isn’t perfect videos. It’s feedback.

You’ll learn what your audience actually cares about so much faster when you post more frequently. Then you double down on what hits and stop wasting time on what doesn’t.

That’s exactly what the big creators are doing: testing hooks, formats, and angles at speed and creating more of whatever is driving reach.

If you want to make sure your content is actually findable too, grab my FREE Instagram SEO Guide.

It walks you through how to get your Reels and posts discovered by people searching on Google.

But here’s the part most people skip: engagement.

Pick 5–10 people you’d love to work with, collaborate with, or simply build a genuine connection with and start engaging with them meaningfully too.

Comment thoughtfully. Reply to their Stories. Celebrate their wins. Be someone who actually adds to the conversation.

You don’t need to rotate through people every week just focus on those few and go deeper. The goal isn’t quick likes; it’s real relationships.

Because when you keep showing up in their world, they will start to notice you.

💡 Pro tip: add their IG profile to your Favourites list on Instagram.

That way, their posts always show up in your feed and you’ll stay genuinely connected without relying on the algorithm to remind you they exist.

And remember: every Reel and interaction should point somewhere intentional — your freebie, your offer, or your email list.

Because followers don’t pay the bills, leads do.

3. COLLABORATE YOUR WAY INTO NEW AUDIENCES

If there’s one strategy I’ve used again and again, it’s collaborations because they just work.

Guest podcasts.
Instagram Lives.
Joint trainings.
Even popping up inside someone else’s membership.

Collabs are the fastest way to grow because you’re borrowing trust from someone who’s already built it with your ideal audience. 

Their audience trusts them so they instantly have more trust for you when you’re introduced.

You can use Meta’s Creator Marketplace to find aligned creators, or just do it old-school — DM someone you genuinely like and suggest a collab that adds value to both audiences.

If you want my simple pitch template for collabs, DM me and I’ll send it your way.

4. BUILD AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIP SYSTEMS

Affiliates have been a quiet hero in my business and in most creators’ too.

They help you grow and reward your biggest supporters at the same time.

When I started adding affiliates for my programs, I saw some of my biggest sales months simply because I made it easy for them to promote. 

I created email templates, social captions, and promo graphics they could use right away during a digital product launch.

If you’re offering a higher-ticket course or program, the industry benchmark is around 50% commission, but the best incentive is one that feels exciting for them and makes sense for your margins.

Software like Kajabi has inbuilt tracking, so you can see exactly where your leads and sales are coming from without needing to manually track anything.

Start small with a few aligned partners who already believe in what you do. Those relationships can compound fast.

5. STAY CONSISTENT WITH EMAIL (YES, EVEN NOW)

Your email list is where conversions actually happen.

 Even with a tiny audience, weekly emails build trust. It’s where you can share insights, results, stories, and behind-the-scenes lessons that don’t fit into a Reel.

 My mantra? Nurture, nurture, nurture.

It might feel like it’s not doing anything but it’s one of the most powerful (and completely free) ways to stay top of mind with your audience.

Think of it as a slow burn that pays off when people are finally ready to buy because you’re already the name they think of first.

Your list becomes your warmest audience and when you’re ready to run ads, these are the people who’ll buy first.

BUILD MOMENTUM THEN GO BIG

So if you’re not quite ready for ads yet, this is the exact playbook I’d use to grow your leads, income, and audience first.

But let’s be real, that’s the warm-up.

I know what it’s like when you’re first getting started.

If you’re still in your 14-hour-days, hair-in-a-top-bun, eating-noodles-on-repeat, trying-to-do-everything-yourself era, 2026 doesn’t have to look like that.

It’s time to stop fragmenting your marketing and start building one simple, scalable system that actually works for you.

This is the exact plan that worked for me and it’s what all the big players are doing too.

So before you jump into Ads Manager, get your foundations right.

If your sales are sitting in that “it’s okay, but not amazing” zone, this will get you traction.

If you want big-girl sales, the kind that scale while you sleep, that’s where Meta Ads come in.

Once your organic sales are converting around 2%, it’s time to play bigger. You know where to find me.

WHEN YOU'RE READY TO SCALE BIG WITHOUT SPENDING BIG

And look, I know I just raved on about organic growth, but lately I’ve been testing something new low-ticket offers.

And honestly? The results have been gangbusters.

It’s the simplest, most fun way I’ve found to make daily sales and actually fund your ad spend.

 That’s why when you’re ready to launch your bigger offers, you’ll already have a fully-fledged, quality list of people to sell to.

The best part? You don’t need a huge budget to get started with ads, you can start small, see results, and scale from there.

If you want a simple, step-by-step way to set up ads that don’t break the bank (and start getting leads straight away), stay tuned.

I’ll be launching something super low-cost soon to help you get set up in less than an hour.