829: Use This Specific Strategy to Turn Customers into a Thriving Community

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2:01It's like obvious when you look at our social media and just the emails we get and our DMs, like people feel so connected to the products and connected to the brand. And I think that's because of everything that we've like poured into our community. I'm Jenna Kutcher, your host of the Gold Digger podcast. I escaped the corporate world at the age of 23 with nothing more than a$300 camera from Craigslist and a dream. Now I'm running a seven figure online business that feels even better than it looks all from my house in small town Minnesota with my family. Here we value time as our currency. We mix the woo and the work and we are in the pursuit of building businesses that give us the freedom to live lives that we love.

2:47I've always loved turning big goals into reality, and I'm here to help you do the same. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain. Come along with me and my guests as we tear the whole curtain down. Every week we tackle practical, no-fluff marketing strategies and host honest discussions on what works and what doesn't. Join me and my expert guests for actionable insights to help you grow your dream business with confidence. Pull up a seat and get ready to be challenged, inspired, and empowered. This is the Gold Digger Podcast. What if your brand could do more than just sell products? Like what if it could build an entire lifestyle that transforms followers into raving fans?

3:29My guest today, Bethany McDaniel, is a master of this approach. As the founder of my all-time favorite skincare Primally Pure, Bethany has tapped into the power of niching down, creating a brand that's deeply aligned with a wellness-focused audience who values more than just skincare. They crave a holistic approach to life. In today's conversation, Bethany and I explore how she brought Primally Peers' unique mission to life, how she's grown a community rooted in wellness and authenticity, how she's made her product an obvious extension of her customer's lifestyle, and she shares what it takes to build and attract a loyal, aligned community instead of just trying to get more customers.

4:09If you're ready to learn about how to build a business that resonates on a deeper level, or if you're looking for more ways to talk about your product without just focusing on the features of it, this episode is for you. I can't wait for you to hear Bethany's insights. And also real quick before we dive in, I have been a raving fan of this brand for the last seven years after Bethany slid into my DMs. If you want to see my skin transformation with your own eyeballs and learn what my favorite products are, head to jennacutcher.com forward slash Primally Peer and use the code Gold Digger to save 15 % on your first order.

4:46That's jennacutcher.com forward slash Primally Peer and use the code Gold Digger. All right, without further ado, Bethany, welcome back to the Gold Digger podcast. When all your marketing team does is put out fires, well, they burn out and they burn out fast. Can you relate? Sifting through leads, creating content for infinite channels, endlessly searching for performance KPIs, it all takes a toll on our productivity and our mental health. But with HubSpot, you can stop burnout in its tracks. Plus your team can achieve their best results without ever breaking a sweat. With HubSpot's collection of AI tools, Breeze, you can pinpoint the best leads possible, capture prospects attention with click worthy content and access all your company's data in one place.

5:32No sifting through multiple tabs necessary. It is all waiting for your team in HubSpot. Keep your marketers cool and make your campaign results hotter than ever. Visit hubspot.com slash marketers to learn more. That's hubspot.com slash marketers. All right. I am so happy to welcome back one of my sweet friends who I've known for so long. Bethany, welcome back to the podcast. Thank you, Jenna. It's so fun to be on again. I think this is the third time now. Yeah. I mean, third time, it's going to be the best time because there's so much to catch up on. Like there's just so much to cover. One of the things that I have just been watching you dominate on and just cheering you on behind the scenes is your mission and how it's expanded so much, especially in recent years.

6:21I know that holistic health is a huge part of like why you started this company. But I want to know from you and your standpoint, like, what does it mean for you and your team to keep this at the forefront as you continue to grow the brand and the business? Yeah, it's funny. It's always been so integral to the brand, like the education has always been such a core component. I mean, pretty much equal even to our product line. And so skincare products are kind of a vehicle for us to get our foot in the door with people to then educate them on how to live a healthier life. And our community has kind of come to expect that from us.

7:01Our educational content always performs really, really well on social media and our educational newsletters perform really well. So it's kind of just always been that way. And it's always been woven into the brand in every capacity. And so, So yeah, and I think that's kind of what attracts people that have come on to the team as well. Like they see that. And so they just, they know it's kind of what we do and it's what we've always done. And it's what we'll continue to do in the future. You know, I love it so much because I feel like the way that you are growing the brand and the business has not just created customers, but you have created a real community.

7:44Like there is absolutely no denying how deep and how rich the community is. I mean, I have been a part of it for seven years now, which is absolutely wild. I'll never send me the DM after our second miscarriage. And it was just like, it just felt like this like candlelight in this cloud of darkness of like, there are things that I can do when I felt so helpless of like, how do I move forward? how do I do everything in my power to feel like the next time I go into a pregnancy, I'm just doing everything that I possibly can, regardless of what the outcome is. And so I just think what's so beautiful is that you have created just this beautiful group of humans that don't just love your products.

8:29They believe in the mission. They stand behind it, like they live it out. And so I'm curious, like, what have you found that works really well in terms of not just focusing on customers, but actually building like a movement in a community? Yeah, I think I've always known the importance of like connecting with customers and building trust with customers. Before I started Primally Pure, I did copywriting for other brands. And so I would write blog posts for other brands, anywhere from like a resort in Costa Rica to like this, this like Buddhist website, like so many different, so such random things.

9:07And so through that, I really learned like the importance of connection, especially in this digital world. And we're an e-commerce brand. So we sell all of our products on our website. And I just, yeah, I knew how important that was. And I knew that that was something that was so important to me in order to really enjoy what I was doing. And so how we've been able to build that trust is by connecting with our customers and our community through our blog. We've always put a lot of energy into creating amazing blog posts to help people to get the best results out of our skincare products. So like teaching people how to use them, but also giving people tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle, what kind of foods to eat for certain skin conditions, like all sorts of things that are going to really help people get the most out of using our products.

9:59And even if they don't use our products, like ways to help people even outside of that, if they're not ready to make a purchase yet or whatever. And we do that through our newsletters, through social media. And now we have a podcast that we started a couple of months ago that is kind of like the next vehicle of providing that education and that connection with our customer base. Okay. I want to call out something that I just think is so important in what you just said. and I want to make sure our listeners heard it is that the main ways that you are building community are through long form content.

10:34And I think that this is actually such an interesting theme and thread in what you're doing. Because if you think about it, blog posts, newsletters, podcasts, all long form content, right? And for brands that have this like education piece where people really need to understand the what and the why and likely your product service or offer is the how to get there, you have to harness the power of long form content. And I feel like people go so deep on social media. And I know you guys do amazing content on social, but I would argue that like social is kind of like the gateway into the actual content that's going to change somebody's life on a deeper level.

11:15Would you agree with that? For sure. Yeah. And it's a big investment. I mean, not just a money investment, but time as well and resources like we, and a lot of that you can't like see the tangible, like, okay, this blog post brought in this many purchases or whatever. Like it's, it's a long game. And I think because I've just believed in, in that so passionately and in the power of that, it's been kind of like a no brainer for me. It's just like, this is what we're doing. This is what's important. And this is what's going to work in the long run. Like regardless of whether or not we see the numbers like penciling out right now, it's just like, it's what we're doing because I see the benefit of it.

11:55And I think like we, we have experienced the benefits of that through our customer retention. And just, it's like obvious when you look at our social media and just the emails we get and our DMS, like people feel so connected to the products and connected to the brand. And I think that's because of everything that we've like poured into our community. This podcast is brought to you by Mercury, banking that helps entrepreneurs do more with their money. Okay. I remember in the early days of my entrepreneurship journey, clients would literally mail me checks and then I would have to drive all the way to the bank to deposit them.

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13:10Visit mercury.com to apply in minutes. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. For important details, check the show notes. You know, I only share stuff I'm genuinely obsessed with. And so when I kept seeing Bolin Branch sheets all over Instagram, I was like, okay, are these actually worth the hype? Drew and I have been using their sheets and duvets for over a year now. And honestly, our bedroom feels like a completely different space. The moment you touch these sheets, you'll get it they're incredibly soft to start but they literally get softer every time you wash them they're made from 100 organic cotton so they're super durable and they're breathable which is perfect for piling on cozy layers without turning into a furnace at 2 a.m this is hands down the best bedding i've slept on and i'm so genuinely excited for you to try it start building your sanctuary of comfort this fall with bowl and branch for a limited time get 20 off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at bowlandbranch.com slash gold digger.

14:11That's bowlandbranch, B-O-L-L-A-N-D branch.com slash gold digger to save 20 % and unlock free shipping. Exclusions apply. And I would argue like, because a lot of people, especially when you're just starting out, I feel like they go strictly onto social, right? Like a lot of the time, energy, costs like goes into like, how do I create content? How do I grow my following? And I think that's awesome. But if that's like the end game, it's really hard to get people directly off of social and into like a purchasing position. Yeah. And what I think is, yeah, what's so beautiful about long form content is like, I've even had it with you with your support people where I'm like, Hey, you know, one of my followers has a question about this.

14:51Can you help with this? And instead of having to sit there and manually answer the question, you already have content created that answers that question. Right. And so it's interesting with long form. I think I learned Like you're literally building out this resource library that not only helps people connect and buy the product, but it saves you support time. It answers people's questions before they can ask them. Like there's just so many different benefits. It increases your search engine optimization. Like and so I think what's interesting and I said this at the very beginning of this year, I did like kind of what are the annual predictions that I'm thinking for this year?

15:26I think long form content is something that a lot of creators need to either begin or focus back in on because I think a lot of times with those like quick hit reels and things like that, it's like you can't possibly express the entire story or the entire reason or the research or any of that in a 10 second clip with a short caption. And I think a lot of people are craving to like go deeper and to understand on a deeper level. And so I just, I love that long form content is something that you guys have always done and that you're even doubling down on further right now. I think it's, it's been huge for us.

16:05And, and now we're kind of like, we're still committed to our blog and the success of our blog, but we are spending, shifting a little bit of the time we put into our blog into the podcast now, because if I'm honest, like that's where I consume most of the content that I take in. And so, and that's always been kind of a, a guiding like way of thinking of things for me with the brand is like, what am I doing? Because I still think of our customer as like someone like me, you know, even though I'm 10 years older now than I was when I started. Yeah. I just, if something like, if we're doing something that isn't in line with like how I'm living my life, then that's always kind of a light bulb for me of like, okay, what do we need to shift around here?

16:48Yeah. And I would just like add in the caveat that as you're doing the podcast, the show notes and things like that are actually adding to blog content. And so you're kind of killing two birds with one stone if you do it right. So I'm just saying you're going in the right direction and serving people that consume content in different ways, which also too, you're getting awesome social clips out of your podcast episodes. So it's kind of like three birds with one stone, which is why I love podcasting. One of the things that I think is so awesome and why I'm so excited about this conversation is that so many people work so hard on the product, the service or the offer itself, right?

17:25Like that is their baby. They have poured their blood, sweat and tears into it. They want to tell everyone about it and the features inside of it. And they're just so focused on all of the things that they poured into. And I think that's a really powerful place to begin. But if that is the only way that you're positioning yourself and sharing about what you do with the world, people likely one, don't even know that they need your product in the first place. And two, people don't understand why the features benefit them. And one of the things that I think is so powerful about what you've done is you've taken a really unique approach as like looking at skincare as a part of a bigger culture of wellness.

18:02And you've done this from the very beginning. And so what advice would you give founders who are maybe stuck in that position of only talking about their product, service or offer in terms of creating this culture where your product is just a piece of the culture. You're literally building out a lifestyle for your customer where your product is a solution that is obvious to them. Yeah, no, I love that, that conversation. I think you need to figure out a way to sell the lifestyle, not just the products. Like how does this make your life better? How does this impact someone's life positively? And like, what does that look like?

18:41Like that's, that's the idea. That's the concept that, that you need to focus on, on selling and not just the product itself. And for us, that's easy because like, this is what I'm passionate about. And I truly believe in it. And I believe that skin health and whole body health are inextricably connected and you can't separate the two and that we would be doing people a disservice if we only talked about our products and not overall full body health, because that has a direct impact on the health of your skin. And so I think the passion has to be there. And if, if you're not sure like how your product fits into the bigger picture, like just spend some time thinking about that.

19:19Like what problem does this solve for people? And, and really focus on that and focus on, you know, the, the hope and the, just the, the cool like idea and message that comes with that instead of just like the features of the product. I mean, and those, those can be talked about as well, but also like how it fits into, to this bigger thing. Yeah. It's kind of like that idea of like sell people what they think they want, but serve them what they really need. And I think that the best marketers are able to do that because you're marketing to someone who say wants clearer skin, but what they truly need is beyond just products.

19:58They need a lifestyle change. They maybe need to change their diet. They maybe need to change their environment, different things like that. And so it's like the marketing that I think works the best is like, you're hitting on what people really think they want, but you're giving them so much more than that. And a lot of times people don't pause to think about that because they're so wrapped up in the actual creation that they forget about like, well, what is this actually doing for someone? And I feel like you've done such a beautiful job of doing that because for me, like even in my own experience with your products, which by the way, I still have this first generation bought like tube of deodorant from you because to me, it just shows like the evolution of you and this company and just what's possible.

20:44But when I think about that, like I was really intimidated at learning how to clean up my lifestyle. Like once I started looking into things, it's almost like you can't unsee it. And I think for a lot of people that can feel incredibly overwhelming, right? Like I picture somebody sitting like at their kitchen sink and going through all the bottles underneath it and throwing everything away and being like, now what? And so what's interesting is, is it's like, if you can provide the path of somebody making the first choice and then guide them along the path of making the next choice and the next choice and the next choice, that's where people change their lives.

21:21And somehow you've managed to do that. What does that look like on like a backend? Like, let's say somebody logs on and they're like, okay, I can start with deodorant. I need clean deodorant. I don't want to be putting like aluminum or phthalates like on my armpits where my lymph nodes are. How do you kind of guide that person along the journey or what does that look like for you? Yeah. I mean, we, that's what we encourage. Like just, just make one swap at a time. Like you don't, I mean, if you want to go all in great, but you don't have to. And, and just trust that like any swap you make and every swap you make is going to be something that will, will improve your health and it doesn't have to happen all at once.

21:59But once you're kind of on that journey, like that's what we love. We love supporting people every step of the way, like, and helping them kind of make that next step. And so if someone like goes onto our website, purchases deodorant to start, I mean, then they're, they're connected with us. They're getting our emails and, and our emails are oftentimes like educational pointing people to blog posts or now podcasts. And I think our goal with that, and we have lots of different flows and things like that set up, but our goal is just to continue to be a resource, a trusted resource that people can come to for, for help along the way.

22:36I mean, we put a lot into our customer service as well. Like our customer service team is amazing. And the most detailed questions, the most personal detailed questions, and they do such a good job of really like meeting people where they're at and helping them coming alongside them and just kind of supporting them with whatever they need help on. So that's something I'm really proud of too. I think with natural skincare, it can be overwhelming. It can be confusing. And we just try to like support people in any and every way that we can. Can we just like, if somebody is listening to this right now and they're like, wait, crap, what is this about deodorant?

23:13Like, why do I need a new deodorant? Can we just walk through like how you started this and why? Because honestly it'd be like, when I look back, I'm like, you were kind of ahead of your time in a lot of ways where now I feel like people are waking up to it a lot more, but like, let's just walk through a tiny bit of like the science behind Primally Pure and the products you've created, because I think people are listening and they're like, wait, why do I need to do what's going on with my deodorant? Let's talk about it. No, absolutely. So back in 2012 is when I started researching all of this stuff.

23:48And I was looking into skincare products, personal skincare products, because I had always struggled with acne, went the conventional route and always knew there had to be some, something deeper going on. But the information just wasn't there back when I was in like high school and trying to figure this stuff out. And so Primely Pure really started out of my own journey and how to figure out my acne and improve the health of my skin and then improve the health of my, my whole body as well. So it started with food for me. And then I looked at skincare products. I realized that not everything sold on store shelves is safe, which was news to me at the time.

24:25And as I started researching these different products, I found that deodorant really stood out as being the most problematic one for me. I learned about aluminum and deodorant and how it blocks your pores and stops you from sweating, which sounds like a good thing, but really we want to sweat. It's such an important way that our body gets rid of toxins. And so we don't want to get in the way of that process. And aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's disease as well. You also mentioned phthalates, which is right on. Phthalates have been found in 98 % of breast cancer tumors in one study. And so it's such an absorbent area, our underarms, and it's connected to so many lymph nodes.

25:04It's close to breast tissue. And so with conventional deodorant, not only are we putting all this junk up there, but we're also sealing and blocking off the pores with aluminum and preventing the body from getting rid of that stuff and other things that it just naturally would detox from. So I was like, okay, I've got to figure out how to make a natural deodorant that works because there were a few on the market at the time, but they were not effective. I tried them and they did not work. And so I was really committed to figuring out how to create a natural deodorant that actually worked. And I had this formula, it was baking soda and coconut oil.

25:40And I would like dip my finger into each one and rub it on my underarms. Wanted my husband to do the same thing. He was like, no, that's weird. Not doing that. So then I was like, okay, I need to figure out how to make this in stick form. And it was just a hobby that I just kind of worked on in my spare time. We were married. We didn't have kids. So after I got home from my normal nine to five job, I would just go to my kitchen and like mix up different batches of deodorant. I would give them to friends and family to try and they would give me feedback and I would make tweaks based on their feedback.