Below is the transcription for this episode:
Dave: Hey, what's going on my friends? Happy Thanksgiving. giving you this session today in pre recorded fashion is we actually did pre record this but I want to point out that that's the power of the internet. That is the power of the internet. As you're watching this right now, who knows, maybe I slept in today. Maybe I'm in my backyard playing with my kiddos. Who knows, I live in Florida. Maybe I jumped in the pool. But the power of this online marketing thing we do is that you can have 1000’s, 10’s of 1000’s. Hundreds, millions of people watching your videos and content buying from you doing all sorts of business with you, even if you're not currently present and or live within their in person. So just a thought to think about as I bring on our guests for this show, I believe all the way from Massachusetts. Dana, what's going on? Good morning. Massachusetts. Am I right?
Dana: Yeah, we're from Massachusetts. Yeah, Boston. Okay.
Dave: Oh, wow, Boston. Awesome. This is one city that embarrassingly I have not been to yet I've been all over the country. So gotta come visit. Yo they're nice. Nice. Nice. So tell us how you found Legendary what? What brought you here, what led you here? And, you know, give us that nutshell backstory. So we can learn a little bit more about you.
Dana: So what brought me to Legendary is, you know, obviously, the pandemic I'm sure you know, everyone's been saying that pandemic and the online space and I started looking for ways to make money online and I bought into other courses and things that just just didn't work out. And I was getting really frustrated. I had mentors that advised me to, you know, start eBay stores to help pay for ads. It just didn't feel right so I just happened upon tick tock. I've never even had a tick tock before in my life. But someone told me to check it out. And then I happened upon someone that we all know, Calvin Hill. I jumped in on one of his lives and the information that he gave was just amazing. And I just I went immediately all in on Legendary, so
Dave: Nice, nice. Yeah, he's a cool dude and super smart and has a great ability to be able to make you know complicated ideas. Really simple. We love Calvin so much. So what has your experience been? If I'm not mistaken, you're an educator. Administrator. Is that what your career is? And has been up until this point?
Dana: Yes.
Dave: You have a lot to live up to. I kind of feel intimidated.
Dana: Certainly not all that. So I started my background in special education. You know, I primarily work with kids who have, you know, autism, developmental delays, those kinds of things. I moved up the ladder, you know, doing all the things you're supposed to do, went to college a couple of times, got different degrees and, and then eventually advanced myself to become an administrator. So now I oversee classrooms and supervise teachers and really just help to design programs. public school, but I'm the administrator. Yeah, so that's what I do, that's my nine to five.
Dave: Okay. So, what has your experience been like with going through this education, this experience and learning something that's not offline really at all except when we meet for events, but it's completely online?
Dana: Honestly, it's a whole world. It was really extremely challenging because I had no I didn't. I never even heard of digital marketing. I didn't even know what affiliate marketing is. You know, less. I saw little, you know, things about it here and there, but I didn't know it just seemed like a whole nother world. And as I started to really dive in and learn it was just like, it felt like I was getting a doctoral degree and a whole other avenue and it was tough in the beginning, but I think because I made it. I made it more complicated than it needed to be. To see if that makes sense. What I'm saying is we made it way more complicated than it needed to be. I made it way more complicated. And when I decided to really just break it down, take it step by step and really like to sort of keep myself on track. It just became natural. Really, it didn't, it became natural at once I got past my, you know, confidence of just hitting records, getting the content out there. And rather than kind of speaking to the camera, just like talk to people just just get on a line, talk to people and the rest will really just flow. And what I didn't learn or didn't know, honestly, I learned it as it came up, if that makes sense. Like I took the information that I needed to know like in that week, that month, and that's all I focused on, and then as it started to evolve then I had to dive in on other aspects and that's really what made it so much easier for me.
Dave: Well, I love that and as somebody who designs education programs, if my lord my friends, if you can't take it from her I mean that's how she's done it then what more can we say? I mean, I think I think when you go into something new people have a tendency to go through the entire thing. And I've even seen these comments. Well, I've binge watched every video and now I'm confused and overwhelmed and that makes sense. This is not a Netflix series. You know, this is not something that you can passively just sit back and just, you know, almost go into a trance like when we watch videos, movies, entertainment, we're in a trance state so we're not in an active state. We're not even retaining information. You know, we're just passively relaxing. And we might remember a scene or two or how funny the movie was, but we're not going to remember the details and, and so a lot of what you just said about taking it step by step implementing one thing, you know, getting that kind of down. And really, I think the other thing is giving yourself a break and realizing that you don't need to know it all in. If you're starting out as an affiliate marketer. It's actually better if you're not an expert, because you're just recommending products you are not in the guru seat. You are not the expert, you are simply talking about things, dropping small gems of value, but ultimately you're recommending products in solutions. And I do think that oftentimes affiliate marketers overlook that and try it too hard and put too much pressure on themselves to be the expert. Does that resonate with you?
Dana: That's absolutely correct. It becomes like this. This is like nine to five thinking versus an entrepreneurial mindset because a nine to fiver goes into it. Well, give me all the information and training so I can get to work right and that's where I can do my job. what I need to versus like you said just really taking it slow taking your time and the thing is I think I started to see the biggest growth in my channel and things when I just started resonating with people not trying to be the Know It All right, because I don't I didn't know what I didn't know what I was just
doing.
Dave: And you know what, you know, I don't either isn't it, isn't it? So it's so nice for me to say that because now I don't have to have all the answers for you, even as my client because ultimately, I'm in the trenches with you. I'm doing content every day. I'm just my job as an educator building courses in doing coaching is to pave a road and then set up opportunities for you really to figure out what makes the most sense for you while giving you boundaries. Like hey, here's the field let's play. Oh you did you that's how that play went well let's talk about it didn't go well. Did it go bad? Or you want my opinion, my feedback, like even the guru doesn't need to know everything and I think you probably know that or have experienced with some of the best teachers that you've seen, probably have that same approach. They're not waving a finger at the front of the classroom. They're sitting down beside the child and saying, Well, what do you think?
Dana: Yep, that's exactly right. Yeah. And that's what really resonates, you know, and it takes a lot of the pressure off of you as a beginner, you know, when you're just taking it step by step, and realizing you're not supposed to have all the answers, man, you're just supposed to get out there. Share the opportunity and more importantly, more importantly, share your own story, right when people see themselves and I, the more that I learned, you know what Dana? is just trying to be whatever, just share your story. Share yourself and let people see themselves in you. Right and your journey and that's when it just everything clicked and changed. And then I was able to just hit records, just relax and have fun.
Dave: Have fun like you do on Facetime with friends. I mean, really, it's, it's simple. Well, I put your TikTok handle up there. And you have grown your TikTok channel to over 200,000 followers. Yes, folks. I did say 200,000 followers. Congratulations.
Dana: Thank you.
Dave: How does that feel to have gone from watching somebody who's you know you're you're impressed by and he is impressive to now knowing that people are likely watching you feeling the same way.
Dana: Yeah, it's some days still when I go into my tick tock channel. I still can't believe it. But it's, you know, like I said, I think it's just one of those things where I just stopped getting out of my own way and just tried to tell my story and just stay focused on helping people truly just stay focused on helping people, giving them value, giving them information. And I think that's just where the channel really just took off and go up and I just I just doubled down on that right rather than trying to stay on trend or virality or views just kept getting out there and giving my message and helping people and you know, there were some days I woke up and I would literally see, like the follower count. Jumping. Wow, that's it's it's a blessing. It's an honor truly, you know, many people really believe in what you have to try to help them improve their lives. It's really an honor.
Dave: Yeah, I feel the same way. I feel the same way not coming from an education career as an educator and as somebody who is you know, if I think of what is the most opposite on the spectrum, from sales and marketing, it would probably be a teacher. Or somebody in the education profession. So how have you blended in and gotten comfortable with making recommendations in giving calls to action and being I would assume direct and clear after you deliver value or tell whatever story then you know, there is a time when every great marketer must ask for something or give a call to action? How have you navigated that?
Dana: So while I was teaching, you know, like most teachers do, they either have another job during the summer or they look for multiple streams of income and there was a time where I was really into network marketing. You know, I had worked with a couple a couple of different companies, you know, I would do the home parties, I would, you know, bring all the stuff and, and so I was kind of used to having sort of that call to action at the end in terms of you know, an exchange of value, if that makes sense. But what I tried to stay focused on is again, the story in the message, so the call to action was really blended in with the actual message. And I also, you know, tried not to, you know, stay focused on selling, you know, just giving people what they need to hear, giving them the next step. And really that was it. The call to action is just the next step, either like and follow or you know, what have you but it wasn't really about trying to sell them it was just next steps of giving them more information. And so that just became really natural and easy for me to do.
Dave: Yeah, got it. I'm reading what you wrote here to us that most affiliates have no clear understanding of what to post and how to post to gain momentum and ultimately sell whatever it is that they're selling. Now maybe they're an affiliate for legendary and they're selling our products. Maybe they're an affiliate for some other company or in some other niche. Talk to us about how you have developed a content strategy, and some helpful tips that would help you know our community and folks in our community get more clear and be more effective.
Dana: So the first thing I would say is they need to be very clear on who they're speaking to. Right so they need to know you know, just because they're an affiliate like you said for legendary what have you they need to be very clear on who their target customer is and who they're speaking to. And then know the pain points and problems of the person that they're trying to speak to. And so I built my content strategy, there's really, you know, six main problems that I'm trying to solve within my content. And I rotate through that week after week after week. Dave: So would you give us an example of what one or two of those problems are that's powerful.
Dana: So one or two of the problems are, you know, my target customers are really moms and nine to fivers who are trying to build multiple streams of income but just have very little time. So they want to make more money. They're just beat and done at the end of the day. And so I stay on message with trying to show them how they can accomplish their goals in a little time and work efficiently to actually derive extra streams of income, right? So I just stay on message with the problem.
Dave: And I Interrupted you. I'm so sorry. I just want but I wish you would continue with your flow of thoughts from the original question because I felt badly interrupted. I wanted an example. But please continue telling us kind of how you approach the way you solve, one is Get clear. Step two that you said is you made a list of problems that your target customer has if you rotate your content to address those problems?
Dana: Yes, yeah. And so that's what I do. I plan it out by the week so that the problems basically stay the same, but my content strategy is by the week, and so I rotate through the problem. So I'm basically not saying the same message, same story, same call to action, because you know that people get sick of hearing that especially after they're following you, they already heard you say that message. But if you continue to kind of rotate through lack of time, lack of money, how to get started, first steps in starting and tools, right, those are really my pillars, and I just rotate through that. And I try to make sure that my content is sort of evolving as my audience evolves. That's the other thing is you're not just I don't just represent defaults right? And so I sprinkle a little bit of you know, someone who is just being made aware of affiliate marketing or digital marketing and then someone who's gotten started and then someone who's now kind of in the trenches and stuck, right, so that's what I rotate through and then you know, obviously you got to sprinkle in staying on trend with TikTok, right. Hashtags and sounds and that's really the core strategy that led me to, you know, lower my channel as quickly as I was able to do.
Dave: What you're saying, that is what helped you to blow up your channel the way that you have?
Dana: Yes
Dave: Can you say more about that?
Dana: So you know, with TikTok, it's all about trends, right? TikTok is all about, you know, keeping with what keeps people on the platform. And so from week to week, I started rotating and identifying what was hitting what was not only hitting for my audience and resonating with them, but what was also resonating with the algorithm. At the end of the day, you know, there's two people that you got to please you got to please your target customer and you got to please the algorithm. And so looking at you know, what's trending in terms of the hot sounds that were coming up on the for you page, and I would jump on those, and then also what was just trending with regards to you know, hashtags and things of that nature and maximizing on that as well. And then the last thing is always looking at the watch time and the duration of the videos that I would post so what I found was when you can really find the sweet spot, right between content that resonates and then keeping the algorithm happy. And once you once I found that once I hit that I just stayed on message and I just doubled down on it, and that's how I was able to really kind of move so quickly through legendary as well as resonating with my ideal audience.
Dave: Well, that's really, really powerful information. I wanted to go back to something that you said that reminded me of a concept that was originally kind of clarified or whatever created by Eugene Swartz. Can you see that again? Yeah, so you were talking about speaking to people and evolving your content. So speaking to people at different levels, and this concept that Eugene Swartz kind of coined, will in his book, breakthrough advertising, which is like one of the best marketing books of all time. And the reason is, is because of things like this. There's five stages for all of our customers. The first is they're completely unaware of anything, and they need to be educated, demonstrated and entertained. Some are problem aware, so they're aware for example, if we take, like, people who can potentially be our target customers, or your target customers, if you're promoting Legendary, for example, that the next stage would be problem aware. So they're aware that they don't have enough time, aware that they don't have enough money, but they don't know how to. I don't know what to do about it. Right. content in the marketing that would work best with them would be to stress those pains. Right? Yeah. Push those buttons that you have arranged struggling with time so they can go yes, I am. And then the next is solution aware. So they are aware that it's kind of like somebody who wants to lose weight. They're probably not about and they're also aware that there are solutions, okay, there's diets, there's gym, there's exercises. And for these people, you want to prove that your product, your gym, your diet is the right size. These are people that are already somewhat aware of affiliate marketing and have heard it from other people. And then there's people who are, you know, the last two are your solution aware and most aware, which are people who are already even familiar with your company with the product that you're promoting and stuff like this. So I almost feel like those last two like it's like it's like you can really boil this down to like kind of three stages like it's like the unaware and problem aware, when you really just need to stress and press pains. They're solution aware, where they're familiar with affiliate marketing. And then there's kind of the people who are already heard of whatever product or company you're promoting. But if you're looking to be able to model what Dana's talking about, and I think it's so important that you do this, because in each one of your audiences, there's going to be people's people who are in all of these stages. And if you're only and always talking about just problems, like hey, are you looking you're struggling with time? Are you struggling for money? Well, let me talk to you about affiliate marketing. And if they already know about it, then you're probably not going to resonate the most with them. Right. It's it's about I love your I love how you're planning your content by rotating those those six main problems you say that your target customer has, as well as rotating content for those people who are unaware, then who are solution aware and then who are most aware of who maybe they've heard you talking about a specific product, it's really spot on. And hopefully this was sort of helpful with what you were already saying for those who are watching. Yeah, so awesome.
Dana: Yeah, that's absolutely it, and I think even more so now, you know, for the audience who's watching is, you know, the algorithm has, I'm gonna say slowed down a little bit, right. Since the holidays are coming into play. You're not hitting the for you page. If you're on TikTok as much as you were. So the audience is half the people that you're following that are following you right now. Right now. It's about community building. It's about nurturing. It's about educating truly right. And bringing them through those stages, because most, most often is the videos that you're posting, aren't jumping out to new audiences and staying within your community first. And so people really need to be aware of that as they're creating content so that they continue to stay on message and more importantly, give value. So I love that you just put that presentation up. Because people really need to, I would say, start to learn that you know, as much as possible and really be as strong as they can and understand that process of how to take their ideal target customer through that journey to really be helpful in order for the content to resonate. Dave: What I just did by kind of showing that graphic like what we're doing, a lot of times people are watching us deliver value and then they're like, I wonder how I should deliver value. Well, we're doing it right now. So each of these little concepts and points that we're talking about could be a 60 second TikTok could be a three minute Instagram post could be a five minute YouTube video, right? You could expand on a little bit. Me, just as you were talking, I Googled Eugene sorts breakthrough advertising five levels of awareness, right. And I grabbed that and I snapped and I screenshotted it and I pulled it up on my computer like that fast. I didn't just not have all of these things. That I'm like, the magical David Copperfield where I'm like, Oh, you're talking about this. Are you talking about it? Like that's not like behind the scenes because I have evolved my learning and reading and studying. I know so I can go grab it. But you know what, if you're watching this, you could sound just as cool as I just did before you knew that I just went and Google that and screenshots like, do you know what it looked like behind the scenes? You can look just as cool as I just looked by just going and doing that and screenshotting yourself. And then talking about that to your audience. It's like it's not that hard to live out all you when you realize that if you're still watching 24 minutes, and it's because you're getting value, so how can you use the things that are being modeled for you that I'm modeling for folks every five days? A week that you're modeling for your 200 Plus 1000 followers every single day? Right? We overcomplicate it, don't we do that? We overcomplicate it, right and that's why I like to talk about the ugly behind the scenes and be transparent with people because I want you to know that no one knows. You got to give yourself permission. And I've already given you permission, but when you finally give yourself permission to just go into the kitchen I have I can be a much better cook. Because when I go into the kitchen, I think I have to be perfect and I have to read the recipe. And all this kind of stuff. But you know what, and I don't know how you are in the kitchen, Dana but the best chefs and cooks and the people in my family they go and sprinkle a little bit and a little bit of that, you know?
Dana: And that's exactly what it is with regards to creating the content. Like I was saying when we first started the conversation is Don't overthink it get out of your own way. You know and I love it again that you put the presentation up because you know as if you decide to sell Legendary whatever it is and affiliate marketer you have to remember where you were when you first started right? You were going through all of those phases or I was going through all those phases. So when I step back and really look at problems that I'm trying to solve, that's your job as you're just having conversations with people to help them solve their problems. It's literally kind of that simple. help people solve their problems and have a simple conversation. Don't worry about trying to sell, we're trying to convince or be perfect. Just have a conversation.
Dave: Yeah, this was a perfectly imperfect conversation and delivery of value today. Thank you for your time, Happy Holidays to you and your family. And thank you for sharing this time and in sharing with our audience. And please come back and keep us posted on your journey and help me to deliver more value to our community as you did today.
Dana: Thank you so much. It was an honor. Thanks for having me. Happy Holidays to you too.
Dave: Alright, see you later. Alright, my friends go and give Dana a follow on TikTok and her Instagram. It's right there on the screen. If you're listening to this, maybe on a podcast @makemoneywithDanaD. Let me tell you something. If you can take learning tips from a woman a professional educator in person who designs education programs that boy it's time we all got to hang it up. Okay. She laid out some beautiful, beautiful tips that are worth a realist and and just a real Listen, but to implement have a wonderful holiday Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for our community what we have here. It's changing lives, but it's changing lives because you are deciding to show up and change your life and that's why it's changing lives. It's not just because of us or because here is because you are right legendary in you are locking arms to transform your life for the better and this next year. You know this holiday season in 22. Can be will be should be your best year ever. And we're going to support you every step of the way. Alright, peace. Have a great dinner. Eat a lot. No, don't listen to people who say Don't eat too much. Eat a lot. All right. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy family. Enjoy friends. And we'll see you back here. Tomorrow for another episode.
