She didn't have the money for ads and had to dedicate time to grow slowly and organically.
Serve before you sell; focus on providing value and building trust before asking anything of the audience.
She built a quiz funnel that offered a free personalized money plan in exchange for email addresses.
Social media platforms are unpredictable; moving followers to owned platforms like email ensures better control and sustainability.
Money is political and influenced by systemic oppression, not just personal choices.
Worry less and enjoy the process more, trusting that things will work out.
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:
Twitter )