#general-chat
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Hey all! I'm trying to start my own successful DTC brand and would love your expert advice! I have a product idea and am in the process of validating the product idea/market fit with ads and a landing page. Assuming the testing goes well, I wanted to ask those here - if I'm on a limited budget, bootstrapping with like $15K, and want to grow the brand as organically as possible without running ads in the beginning - what are the steps I should take? Has anyone taken this approach?
Her hard to grow organically but if you want to do that, start building the audience now. You need an audience before you can sell organically.
Build a following on social, an email list etc but do that now, not after launch. Otherwise it’ll take years to get to that stage.
Thanks Karan! My option of going this route was social media (including paying some influencers) and SEO with articles people are searching for within the space that leads to product/website.
SEO takes at least 6 months to show results. Plan accordingly.
If you want to bypass ads then you would either be looking to go the UGC with influencers route or pay for reviews/quiet placements.
Most brands that we work with that have start up budgets we have them create a dozen TikToks a week across a myriad of different topics and styles until we find the content type that resonates with their audience.
Then we use that information to find creators that match that style as well as use that to format their own content.
Ideate Ideate Ideate until you find your connection.
Also if there is a leading creator in your products space look at how they connect with their/your audience and you can use that for inspiration too.
Thanks Christopher! Thats the idea/plan - try to leverage social media as much as possible and influencers within our space. Appreciate your insight!
Good call Karan! SEO is a pairing with hopefully a successful social media play
By collaborating on monetary terms and leveraging distribution other's have built can be one way
Yes, I think what Christopher said is right. If you are on a limited budget the best thing you can do is have a product that you would personally use. This allows you to constantly make content at home, if you watch Tik Toks and Reels long enough you can come up with plenty ideas to draw inspiration from.
Depending on the product, you may also be able to work it at in-person events--do some sampling, talk to people, raise awareness, run giveaways to get people to sign up to your email list, etc.