About this episode
Tori Dunlap, founder of *Her First $100K* and the bestselling author of *Financial Feminist*, who shares her expertise on organic growth, audience engagement, and brand building. Tori delves into her philosophy of "serve before you sell," explaining why businesses should focus on providing value before asking anything of their audience. She emphasizes that creating trust through valuable content—not simply promoting products—is the foundation of a loyal community. Tori also highlights the importance of narrowing down a brand’s message and voice to resonate deeply with a target audience, as trying to appeal to everyone often results in a diluted brand identity. As the conversation progresses, Tori explains her strategic use of automated messaging for identifying and engaging her most loyal followers, which allows her to tailor content and even upsell products based on their engagement level. She discusses the value of moving followers from social media to platforms she owns, like email lists or her podcast, so she’s not reliant on the algorithms for business stability. Tori concludes by stressing the significance of being authentic and even polarizing in her messaging, which helps attract a committed audience aligned with her values and vision. For those looking to grow a community or launch a brand, Tori’s approach provides practical insights into cultivating an engaged audience that’s built on trust and shared values. CHAPTER TITLES 3:00 - Serve Before You Sell 5:20 - Using Automated Messaging for Audience Engagement 7:45 - Evolution of Messaging Rules and Strategy 10:12 - Building Customer Support Through Custom Conversations 12:30 - Targeting Ads to Highly Engaged Followers 15:03 - Importance of Audience Engagement Over Conversion 16:22 - Strategies for Organic Growth on Social Media 17:02 - Top Lessons for Growing Your First Followers 18:04 - Creating Value First: Why Trust is Key 18:48 - Developing a Strong, Clear Brand Identity 20:06 - Using Social Media as Top-of-Funnel Engagement 21:12 - Moving Followers to Platforms You Own 21:57 - Finding the Right Niche and Audience Sweet Spot 22:10 - Building Stronger Connections by Being Polarizing Connect with Tori Dunlap: Herfirst100k.com IG - Herfirst100k Connect with Rudy Mawer: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Twitter