Episode #
The Metric That’s More Important Than Customer Acquisition Costs #2486
June 18, 2023

In episode #2486, Neil and Eric do a deep dive into the metric that’s more important than customer acquisition costs! This episode was inspired by a blog post by Elena Verna and in it you will hear why it is more important to focus on the lifetime value and the payback period of your customers than your customer acquisition costs. 
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[00:00] Today’s topic: The Metric That’s More Important Than Customer Acquisition Costs.

[00:18] The importance of understanding your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

[00:47] The blog post by Elena Verna inspired today’s episode. 

[01:17] An example that highlights the problem with focusing only on customer acquisition (CAC).

[02:45] The benefits of looking at LTV per channel.  

[03:20] Why the length of your payback period matters more when your business is just starting out. 

[03:50] Understanding the paid marketing loop. 

[04:21] What does the payback period metric measure? 

[05:06] Key takeaways from today’s episode! 

[05:51] How losing money in the short term can benefit your business in the long run. 

[07:10] How to optimize your payback period.  

[09:01] That’s it for today! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Go to https://www.marketingschool.io to learn more!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Elena Verna

Cost of Acquisition (CAC) trap 

Microsoft

Microsoft Clarity

Timothy Sykes

Don’t forget to help us grow by subscribing and liking on YouTube!

Leave Some Feedback:

What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.

Connect with Us: 

Single Grain << Eric’s ad agency

NP Digital << Neil’s ad agency

Twitter @neilpatel 

Twitter @ericosiu

Discover Latest Episodes

Episode
The Wells Fargo Client Retention Strategy That Actually Works
October 16, 2026

Some agencies win clients by inviting decision makers to Formula One boxes, but Neil prefers the way banks play the wine and dining game. Bank of America sent his CFO to a World Cup game with the hote...

Episode
ChatGPT Took Our YouTube Views From 800 to 15,000
October 16, 2026

Eric built thumbnail, editing and posting skills, and his long-form YouTube videos went from about 500 views to 15,000 to 25,000. Some of the team wouldn't use them, so they had to let people go, and ...

Episode
ChatGPT Plugins Added $500K ARR in Days
October 14, 2026

Someone added $500K in ARR in a week by putting their app in ChatGPT plugins, and Eric wants Carrot, Answer the Public and Ubersuggest in there too. Neil says that at scale, plugins help retention mor...