EP9: SandCloud: $1 Million Without Ads, Scaling with Ambassadors, and the Secrets of Shark Tank

“People are smart, and they’re catching on to what's happening and what's authentic and what's not.” Steven Ford (34:53-35:03) In this age of high customer-acquisition costs, you can’t just rely on paid marketing to grow. That’s why brands are finding other channels and new ways to scale.  Steven Ford and the Sand Cloud team have focused on community-building, which made it possible for them to hit their first million dollars in revenue without spending a single dollar on paid marketing.  Everything they did to reach that first million was focused exclusively on building a community through a brand ambassador program.  Discovering What Works for Creating a Seven-Figure Business Sand Cloud achieved early success by growing through social media. They focused on building a community of ambassadors on Instagram.  The Sand Cloud team would reach out directly to Instagram users to find ambassadors. They messaged thousands of people every single week to invite them to join their community,  These users became a part of building the brand by choosing the designs and products they liked. They enjoyed exclusive discounts and were compelled to talk about Sand Cloud to their families and friends.  As a result, half of the initial sales came from ambassadors who purchased their products while the other half came from the content those users shared.  “If you can build an engaged community around a brand, that’s really the Holy grail.” - Allen Burt (16:23-16:28) Building a community around their brand gave Sand Cloud an large pool for testing and sourcing product ideas. They could run polls and determine if something was actually going to work before launching a product.  Taking Sand Cloud to Shark Tank The Sand Cloud team set their sights on getting on the popular television show Shark Tank early on. They applied each year, getting turned down every time because they just weren’t ready.  Thankfully, the team knew someone who had been on the show and knew what the ins and outs of getting through the vetting process.  The Sand Cloud team eventually made it to the show and negotiated a partnership with resident shark Robert Herjavec. This gave the company an invaluable resource for continuing to grow their brand and reach more customers.  As customer acquisition costs have gone up for today’s businesses, it’s more important to have a robust brand story.  Growing the Sand Cloud Community Through Offline Events  Sand Cloud started setting up live events like beach clean-ups and programs that supported animal rescues and releases. This aligned the company even more with their customers and followers while expanding their reach to others who could join their community.  You can take that same model and create live events and meetups that build community and create conversations where people talk about your brand and share it with others.  Sand Cloud has invested in creating a story around what makes their brand special. They’re investing in content, such as entertaining videos that tell their story.  “Something that’s engaging , funny, and captures someone's attention and tells your story...that’s been the framework of what we've seen work really well.” - Steven Ford (31:09-31:23) The team has had multiple viral videos that have generated millions of views. Investing in content has been one of the big successes Sand Cloud has had.  Sand Cloud is now focusing on building strategic partnerships and growing wholesale and retail sales. They’re increasing the number of touch points for reaching new customers.  But they haven’t forgotten the importance of community. They’re building their relationships with influencers who deeply care about marine life and sustainability. They’re targeting people who live the beach lifestyle.  Today’s businesses have to make sure that the audience and influencers they’re connecting with are congruent with their brand story.  Building a community around your brand can grow your business and help you reach the seven-figure mark. You can get the traction you need without spending on paid ads that are getting more expensive every day. A community of people who are aligned with your brand message can give you the feedback you need to create and launch successful products while making an even bigger impact on the people you serve.  How to get involved Join the community of brand owners and industry influencers in the Facebook group The Commerce Lab or visit thecommercelab.com. Visit www.bluestout.com for more info If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we’d love for you to help us spread the word!

Om Podcasten

The Commerce Lab, hosted by Allen Burt , the Founder and CEO of Blue Stout, is the community for growth-minded eCommerce business owners. On this podcast, we'll dive deep into the eCommerce economy, analyze cutting edge strategy, meet with industry leaders, and above all, provide you with actionable advice to engineer consistent growth in your business. To access any of the resources discussed in today's episode, join us in the Commerce Lab Official Community on Facebook or visit www.bluestout.com