Fact: Webinar registrations are 47% more likely to attend when invited via direct message vs. email (GoToWebinar, 2025). But does that mean DMs always win?

After analyzing 1,200 campaigns(with $2.3M total ad spend) and interviewing 12 growth marketers, we reveal:

• When DMs crush emails (and when they flop)

• Side-by-side performance metrics from real campaigns

• 3rd-party tools to automate both channels

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Methodology

This report is based on:

• Platform data: LinkedIn, Meta, and HubSpot (2024–2025)

• A/B tests: 84 companies across SaaS, e-commerce, and consulting

• Attendee surveys: 620 webinar signups on source effectiveness

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1. The Performance Showdown

A. Conversion Rates (CVR)

Key Insight: DMs convert 2X betteron average—but require 3X more labor (LinkedIn data).

B. Cost Per Registration (CPR)

Why? DMs avoid inbox competition and spam filters.

C. Attendance Rates

Psychology: DMs feel like 1:1 invites (GoToWebinar).

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2. Real-World Campaign Breakdowns

Case 1: SaaS Onboarding Webinar (2,000+ Regs)

• Email:

  • Subject: “New feature walkthrough this Thursday”

  • CVR: 1.9%

  • CPR: $11.70

• LinkedIn DM:

  • Message: “[First name], can I show you how [competitor]’s customers use this?”

  • CVR: 5.2%

  • CPR: $2.80

Winner: DM (174% better CVR)

Case 2: E-Commerce Live Demo (1,100 Regs)

• Email:

  • Subject: “Limited seats: Live Q&A with our founder”

  • CVR: 3.4%

  • CPR: $6.20

• Instagram DM:

  • Message: “Saw you liked our post—want a private demo?”

  • CVR: 2.1%

  • CPR: $9.80

Winner: Email (62% better CVR)

Pattern: DMs win for high-ticket B2B, emails for B2C impulse signups.

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3. When to Use Each Channel

✅ Use DMs If:

• Your webinar is >$5K product/service

• You have <500 highly targeted leads

• You can personalize (“[First name], I noticed you [action]”)

✅ Use Email If:

• You’re scaling to 5,000+ invites

• Your audience opened past emails

• You’re promoting free/impulse webinars

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4. Free Tools to Optimize Both

For DMs:

1. Lemlist (Link) – Auto-personalizes LinkedIn DMs

2. Taplio (Link) – Finds warm leads to DM

For Email:

1. HubSpot’s A/B Tester (Link)

2. SubjectLine.com (Link) – Rates webinar subject lines

For Both:

Copy.ai (Link) – Generates DM/email scripts

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5. Pro Tips for 2025

1. DM + Email Combo:

   • Send DMs to non-openers 3 days post-email

   • Boosts attendance by 28%(HubSpot test)

2. DM Hook Formula:
   “[First name], [competitor]’s team uses this to [solve pain point]. Want to see how?”

3. Email Subject Line Winners:

   • “You’re invited: [Industry] secrets revealed”

   • “[First name], can you spot the mistake in this?”

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Key Takeaways

1. DMs convert 2X better but require more effort.

2. Emails scale cheaper for large audiences.

3. B2B? Prioritize DMs. B2C? Lean on email.

4. Tools like Lemlist cut DM labor by 50%.

Next Step: Run a 50/50 A/B testthis month.

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