How to turn followers into dollars

The 1 reason why most "big" accounts are broke

Author

Dakota Robertson
February 02, 2023

In today’s email, I’ll show you how to build the foundations of a brand that not only gets high engagement, but creates die-hard fans.

Fans that turn on notifications, share your content, and pay well for your services.

Now, can you get a lot of followers by tweeting about everything?

If you have the right network, absolutely.

But there's a problem with only tweeting generic stuff…

Their content grows their followers, but not their brand.

This leads to lots of followers, but absolutely no sales.

So, why not?

Most people don't know, like, or trust them. And if people don't know, like, or trust you, they won’t listen to you.

Everyone tweets the same things in the same way. Their message becomes noise. They're afraid to be different, so they play it safe, making them the average.

If they stopped tweeting, no one would miss them.

But not you…

You want to build a strong brand that you can make money from, right?

Yes, the answer is yes.

What is a brand?

A brand is more than just a logo, website, or Twitter account.

Your brand has 3 parts:

1. Who You Are

Sharing your story and experiences creates relatability with your audience. This connects them on a deeper level and gets them invested in you.

2. What You Say

Your message is the idea behind your brand. What’s the change you want to make in your audience and how can you help them achieve it?

My highest value is freedom, so I want my audience to live where they want and do what they want. My mechanism for doing so is teaching them how to monetize their passion with writing and marketing.

3. How to Say It

How you present yourself is a filter for who you attract. This can be how you write or how your profile is put together. I like to think of myself as funny but also someone who can get shit done. So my content and profile reflect that.

But there ya have it, my friend. A quick lil’ rundown of how I see branding. To finish things off, I’ll leave you with a quote I love:

If Nike opened a hotel I think we would be able to guess pretty accurately what it would be like. If Hyatt came out with sneakers we’d have no clue because Hyatt doesn’t have a brand, they have a logo. If I swapped the signs on a hotel at that price point you couldn’t tell. If you were a Marriott, if you were a Hilton, Hyatt, the hallway, the room, I don’t know where I am. No brand.

What it means to have a brand is you’ve made a promise to people, they have expectations, it’s a shorthand, what should I expect the next time? If that is distinct you’ve earned something. If it’s not distinct, let’s admit you make a commodity and you’re trying to charge just a little bit extra for peace of mind. The problem that Hyatt and Hilton and Marriott and the rest have is sort by price. If I go online now to find a hotel it’s really simple, sort by price. Why would I pay $200 extra to go a block away? I don’t.

Seth Godin

Your Canadian friend,

Dakota “Brand Building” Robertson

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