Ai Generate Review..
Webinar Introduction
David, a product marketing manager at ManyChat, opened the webinar, expressing excitement to have everyone gathered. He introduced Justin, an inspiring person whose story he admired. David mentioned that Justin became a good friend after they produced a case study on how he used ManyChat and Meta ads to scale his business. Justin was quoted as saying that thanks to ManyChat and Meta ads (DM ads or CTD ads), he no longer has to worry about money. The webinar was hosted by the ManyChat community and would be recorded and shared. Participants were instructed to be polite in the chat, ask questions in the Q&A box, and select "everyone" for interaction. It was mentioned that Justin was a speaker at the previous year's Instagram summit, and attendees were encouraged to sign up for the upcoming summit, which would feature more content on CTD ads, DM ads, ManyChat, and Meta ads. Lisa, a product marketing manager from Meta, was also introduced and would explain how businesses can be selected for case studies.
Justin's Summary of Scaling a Business with ManyChat and Meta Ads
Justin began by sharing his experience of generating over $8 million using ManyChat and Meta Ads, without the need to create constant content or chase leads, but rather through flows, ads, and automations. He demonstrated proof of his success with screenshots, showing $1.45 million spent on ads and over $8 million in revenue, with a 4x return on cash and a 5x return on revenue. Justin promised that after the masterclass, participants would know how to invest $1 in paid ads and consistently get $4 back, even as beginners. He compared it to a "rigged lottery machine" and asked how many times people would invest if they could guarantee a 4x return, with responses indicating "always."
Target Audience and Justin's Introduction
Justin clarified that the webinar was aimed at coaches, course creators, consultants, and anyone seeking more clients from Instagram through a simple and proven process. He emphasized it was not for those who did not want clients or sales. Justin introduced himself as one of the biggest spenders on DM ads in the world, verified by ManyChat. He started his first business in 2018, began using ManyChat in 2019, and in the last 30 days, has helped 14 clients reach $100k per month, up from less than $10k per month. Throughout his businesses, he has generated over $10 million online. He expressed gratitude for being able to live the life he always wanted, with his business running autonomously thanks to solutions like ManyChat and Meta. He also shared photos from his life, including a mastermind with clients and travels.
The "Industry Lie" and the Creation of the "Lazy Funnel"
Justin addressed what he called the "industry lie": the idea that you need to post daily to grow and get clients. He admitted to posting twice a day for two years, which led him to burnout and frustration with content and business. He even shut down a seven-figure business due to this approach. Seeking a more predictable way to grow a business without the need for daily posting, going viral, or being famous, he developed what he calls the "Lazy Funnel," a system that he and his clients use to generate millions of dollars. He promised to detail how to set up this funnel in a single day, starting with the importance of having an offer that sells itself.
Building an Irresistible Offer
Justin highlighted that 80% of sales problems stem from weak offers. He gave the example of Tristan and Juliet, a client who started at $2k per month and, after rebuilding their offer, reached a million-dollar prize. To build an offer that sells, he outlined three keys: 1) Solve a painful problem, where the problem is so significant that customers lose sleep over it, leading to higher payments. He suggested using AI like ChatGPT to identify these problems. 2) Stack tangible results, showing concrete transformations instead of vague statements, such as "lose 20 pounds in 90 days without carbs." He emphasized the importance of being specific and speaking to a single individual with a single problem for better results. 3) Reduce risk, by adding guarantees, payment plans, and bonuses to encourage quick decisions. The formula for a strong offer was presented as: Painful Problem + Irresistible Outcome - Risk = Strong Offer.
The Structure of the Lazy Funnel
Justin described the basic structure of the funnel, emphasizing the principle "simple scales, complex fails." Traffic is generated through Instagram (IG) ads and organic content. The funnel is activated when users send a specific keyword via DM or comment with a keyword. As an example, he used the request to DM a keyword to receive a resource. He explained two ad options: direct action ads ("Message me if you want to work with me") or lead magnet ads with valuable content (like a video explaining how he generated $8 million). The content would be delivered on a landing page, possibly as a mini VSSL (Video Sales Letter). The conversation then proceeds in the DMs, where "setters" (assistants) can manage interactions and book sales calls or close deals directly in the DMs, as his clients Tristan and Juliet did. For themselves, they prioritize sales calls to close higher-value deals, although they also sell low-ticket products via DM. He also mentioned the possibility of self-scheduling through VSSLs, which can eliminate the need for a setter. Retargeting was highlighted as the "secret sauce" to keep prospects engaged within the ecosystem.
The Six Steps to Creating the Lazy Funnel
Justin detailed the six steps to creating the Lazy Funnel: 1) Instagram funnel setup, optimizing the profile with a professional photo, relevant username, a concise line about what they do, a clear call to action (link in bio or DM), 3-5 story highlights, and 3-5 pinned posts to impress potential clients. He suggested modeling his own profile. 2) Necessary content, which includes stories, credibility, proof, client results, belief-shifting posts, arguments against old methods, and explanations of how systems work. He reiterated that content doesn't need to be overly produced, with raw, authentic videos often outperforming polished ones. 3) Simple ads that generate revenue, using tools like Canva and focusing on good copy instead of Hollywood production. He introduced the ABC formula for ad copy: A - Attention (call out the right audience), B - Baseline (present proof, shift beliefs, or describe the current/desired state), and C - Call to Action (instruct on the next step). 4) ManyChat automations, called "the engine," essential for the funnel to work. He described three flows: keyword automation (for paid and organic), story sticker automation (organic), and comment growth tool (paid and organic). 5) The mini VSSL (optional, but recommended for more advanced offers), which can be a more produced video or a simple recording using tools like Loom. 6) Tracking KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to make decisions based on data, not emotions, focusing on metrics like cost per message, cost per booked call, ROI, and ROAS. He promised to provide templates, flows, and scripts to assist with implementation.
Details on Ads and ManyChat Automations
Justin provided details on creating ads, stating that effective ads are a combination of math and messaging, and that film-level production is not necessary. He highlighted the importance of a strong offer and good copy, introducing the ABC formula (Attention, Baseline, Call to Action) for creating ad copy. He also elaborated on the role of ManyChat as the "engine" of the funnel, explaining three main flows: keyword automation, story sticker automation, and the comment growth tool. He emphasized that the key to successful automations is making the prospect feel like they are talking to a person, not a bot, which can be achieved by waiting a bit before replying. He also promised to share ready-to-use flow templates.
Retargeting Strategy and Mini VSSL
The concept of retargeting was explained as a "spider web," where prospects who enter the business's ecosystem are seen repeatedly, turning the business owner into a recognized expert in their niche. Justin mentioned that retargeting is crucial for the consistent success of the funnel. For those who watched until the end, he promised to offer a retargeting masterclass for free, normally sold for $200. Regarding the mini VSSL, he described it as an optional but advanced step that can enhance the funnel. He suggested that for those with no experience with VSSLs, a screen recording with Loom can be an alternative. He showed an example of his own mini VSSL, which included social proof and details of financial results, and noted that many of his clients only start using mini VSSLs when they are already generating over $75k per month.
Data-Driven Decision Making and the Summarized Playbook
Justin emphasized the importance of making decisions based on numbers, not emotions, citing a value from his company: "we base decisions on numbers, not emotions." He presented a KPI tracking spreadsheet that includes metrics like ad spend, quality leads, cost per quality lead, booked calls, show-up rate, close rate, cash collected, and ROI/ROAS. This data-driven approach allows decisions to be made based on concrete facts rather than feelings. The summarized playbook for success includes: an offer that sells, the Lazy Funnel, Meta ads (with ABC copy), ManyChat automations for an evergreen process, and KPI tracking. He reinforced that the combination of these elements was fundamental to scaling his business to over $8 million.
Bonuses and Additional Resources
As a thank you for their time and attention, Justin offered all the templates, flows, and scripts he discussed for free, including the KPI tracker with formulas, the retargeting masterclass (previously sold for $200), the KPI tracker (normally only for clients), ad setup videos, a complete funnel guide, and ManyChat templates. To access them, interested parties should send a direct message to Justin J. Saunders on Instagram with a specific keyword. He also mentioned that he included additional bonuses that could be useful.
Lisa from Meta and What's New in Messaging Ads
David then introduced Lisa, a product marketing manager at Meta, to discuss CTD ads and how they work with ManyChat. Lisa shared exciting news: Instagram has reached 3 billion monthly active users, with private messaging being the most popular form of sharing. She highlighted that Meta is focused on messaging ads to connect people and businesses meaningfully. The new features include: messaging ads that can be shown in feeds, stories, and reels with a "Send message" call to action; new features for websites, combining "visit website" with a floating "send message" button; and the ability to add a "send message" CTA directly on the Instagram profile to drive traffic to the funnel. Meta is also working on optimizations for leads and purchases. Lisa expressed a desire to feature businesses like those of the participants in case studies and encouraged those interested to contact the ManyChat team to share their results and interest in being featured.
Q&A and Justin's Recommendations
During the Q&A session, Justin answered several questions. Regarding the minimum conversion rate for sales pages, he suggested focusing on optimizing ads to attract the right people rather than worrying excessively about the sales page itself, especially when selling to cold traffic. He explained that the simplicity of the DM ad strategy allows for performance evaluation based on the quality of opt-ins. To test offers, he recommended testing different "hooks" in low-budget ads to see which ones generate the most demand. He also applied this testing approach to target audiences, using a low budget to test different interests and identify the most effective ones for scaling.
Starting Budget and Strategy Applicability
Justin advised that a starting budget of just $5 per day can be sufficient for ads, emphasizing that the main function of ads is to generate exposure and that tracking KPIs will reveal when to increase spending. He confirmed that the strategy works for e-commerce, service-based businesses, and products, as long as profit margins allow for covering the cost of acquisition. For e-commerce or low-ticket product businesses, he highlighted the need for a back-end offer or a robust sales process to ensure profitability. For those starting without testimonials, he suggested using themselves as the first case study, conducting a beta launch at reduced or free costs, and creating client interviews to obtain social proof.
Maximizing Show-Up Rates and Managing DMs
To maximize show-up rates for booked calls, Justin detailed a process that includes a "Before the Call" page with a video and testimonials, direct message reminders 24 and 12 hours before the call, and removing participants who do not confirm. He mentioned that these steps can be automated with ManyChat and Zapier. Regarding the use of Hyros, he explained that he uses it for low-ticket products but not for the DM strategy, as DM tracking is not yet as effective. He mentioned that ManyChat might have better solutions with the conversion API.
Setting Up DM Campaigns and Defining "Low-Ticket"
Justin confirmed that the DM ad strategy works best with the "Engagement" objective in Meta Ads, although he has seen success with other objectives like "Sales" and "Traffic." He promised to include a step-by-step guide for setting up engagement campaigns in the bonus material. He defined "low-ticket" as any item under $200, noting that it's possible to sell higher-value offers (up to $1,000 or more) directly through DMs if a strong brand is established, but they usually require webinars or sales calls. He explained that for high-ticket offers, sales calls serve not only to sell but also to qualify leads, ensure they are a good fit, and align expectations, which leads to better clients and results.
Lead Qualification and Exclusive Use on Instagram
Justin mentioned that the criteria for determining if a prospect is not a good fit for high-ticket offers include an unwillingness to do the work, unrealistic expectations of getting rich quick, lack of funds to invest in the service, financial stress, and "weird" behaviors or a lack of initiative. He emphasized the importance of setting clear expectations to ensure compatibility. He confirmed that the strategy is executed exclusively on Instagram because they found that Instagram, combined with ManyChat, allows for the creation of an ecosystem where retargeting can be effectively optimized. He noted that Facebook does not offer the same funneling capability to optimize the customer experience, as users rarely interact with profiles on Facebook in the same way they do on Instagram.
Lead Management and Tips for Starting Out
To manage DMs at scale and stay organized, Justin suggested using ManyChat tags to filter leads and exporting leads to a spreadsheet. He also mentioned using Zaps to transfer information to spreadsheets. Answering the question of what he would do if he were at the beginning of his journey four years ago, he advised focusing on high-demand and profitable areas to generate initial capital, such as AI, before potentially pivoting to passions later. He stressed that it is crucial to have money to run a business and that identifying a significant problem in the market and offering a proven solution, especially by utilizing AI, can lead to success. He also shared an example of how to create an AI solution to optimize expensive business processes, such as hiring high-performing "setters."
