The Social Media Strategies Top Creators Use to Build Loyal Audiences | Marketing | YAPCreator Replay | E2

0:02Hala Taha:Yeah, fam, I have really exciting news. After almost eight years of running this podcast, I finally was nominated for an iHeart Podcast Award, which is like the Grammys of podcasting. I'm heading up against the Diary of the CEO, Acquired, Earn Your Leisure, and all these amazing shows for the best business and finance podcast. If you love Young and Profiting and you love this show and you want me to win, the best way to help me is to write me a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and also to subscribe to my YouTube channel and engage on our videos. I also was nominated for an Indie Pack Award. It's the first ever Independent Podcast and Creator Awards.

0:40Hala Taha:That's also happening in a couple of weeks. And I was nominated for the best business and entrepreneurship podcast. I'm competing against Ice Coffee Hour and a number of awesome shows. And again, if you want to help me win these awards, please write me a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and follow our YouTube channel and engage on our videos. I appreciate any support. If you guys have been to my free webinars, if you learn from the podcast, and you guys know that I never ask you for anything. This is the one time I'm asking you guys to support the show by writing us a review or engaging on our YouTube channel.

1:13Hala Taha:I hope to take home these wins and thanks again for supporting the show.

1:29Hala Taha:Yap Gang, we're continuing with the Yap Creator Series Replay. And today we're going to talk about something that I truly believe is the foundation of every great brand, trust and authenticity. In a world where everyone is creating content, the creators who actually win and stand out aren't just the ones with the best cameras or the biggest budgets. They're the ones that their audience genuinely believes in. And building that kind of connection takes intention. So in this episode, I'm breaking down why trust and authenticity matter so much, how to nurture that over time, and sharing some of the best lessons that I've picked up from past Yap guests that can help turn your casual followers into loyal ride-or-die communities.

2:09Hala Taha:So Yap fam, if you're building a brand online, you do not want to skip this one. Building trust online is crucial, especially when you don't interact with your audience face-to-face. In a digital world, trust transforms casual followers into loyal supporters and eventually customers. But how do you establish that trust from behind a screen? The first step is to get personal. That means being open about meaningful details from your life. Sharing who you are behind the polished brand makes you relatable, approachable, and real. Rory Vaden, a brand building expert, explained to me why this personal connection is so essential for building trust and why it even made him change his mind about the people on social media who like to post about their every meal.

2:51How do you best build trust online? We would say, how do you best build trust offline? If you made a list of the top 10 people you trust in your life, like would trust with your life or with your kids, there's a good chance you know those people intimately. You know where they eat. You know where they live. You know about their families. You know where they went to college. You know where they grew up. You know about their siblings. You know maybe some of their fears. You know some of their mistakes. You know those people intimately. And when I first got on social media, I was like, oh my gosh, this is so stupid.

3:25Why is everyone posting pictures of what they ate? And then I realized, oh, because we trust people that we know intimate details about their life. Now that doesn't mean you have to post pictures of your kids, right? There's a lot of reasons why not to, and a lot of fears why not to. AJ and I happen to do it a lot. AJ is my wife and she's also my co-founder and the CEO of Brand Builders Group, by the way. We were business partners in our former company that we sold and then we started Brand Builders Group, just the two of us. And she's the CEO and I'm the CMO. And we're married, right? So we got two kids.

4:02So we post, we happen to share those things occasionally. So we trust people that we know details about their life, right? If I see someone walking down the alley, I've never seen them before. I don't know anything about the person. I don't care what the color of their skin is. If it's dark and it's an alley and I've never seen the person before, I don't care if it's a man, a woman, or their age, my spidey senses go up. I'm in an alley with a stranger. And that's how it is, right? Who's going to buy from a stranger? Nobody. So they got to know something about you. Who else do we trust in real life?

4:37Well, we tend to trust people who we learn from. We trust pastors. We trust lawyers. We trust accountants. We trust doctors. We trust experts. We trust people. We trust teachers. We trust mentors. We trust counselors. We trust people who teach us things. We tend to trust people who entertain us, right? They make us laugh. They make us inspired. We see them on movies. I mean, think about that. We trust movie stars who we've never met, but we see them a lot. Who else do we trust in real life? We tend to trust people who encourage us in our darkest moments. The people who were there when you had your heartbreak, when you didn't get into that school or you didn't get that job or the relationship fell apart or you lost money on that deal.

5:24The people who were there to encourage us in that moment. Those are the people we trust because it's like we've been through the fire, right? I know you. You got my back. So when you roll that forward to online, we have three simple strategies that we teach. We call the three E's for content marketing. First of all, educate, encourage, and entertain. We typically say, you know, your feed should be more of what you do, and it should educate, encourage, or entertain, because strangers don't care about your cat. The only people who care about your cat typically are going to be, once they're intrigued by you and they want to kind of really vet you out, that's where they go, who are you really, right?

6:05Hala Taha:Rory talks about how trust comes from familiarity. People trust those that they feel that they know, whether that's through personal stories, inspiration, or education. His three E's framework, educate, encourage, and entertain, is a simple yet powerful way to build genuine relationships online. But how can we take this trust building to the next level? Well, some of you are looking at it right now, and that's video. I learned about the trust building power of video from Sean Cannell, an expert on video marketing and the founder of Think Media, which has over 3 million YouTube subscribers. Sean explained why video gives your audience an instant sense of connection and trust, something that other content types struggle to match.

6:46We do business with people we know, like, and trust, and video is the best trust accelerator. If people read something you've written, they can get to know you a little bit. If they hear your voice on audio, that's great. They can get to know you better. But if they see you, they can get to know you best. And so it's kind of like old school, small town rules. You know, we meet someone face to face for coffee. You want to connect with your real estate agent in person, look them in the eye, firm handshake. What are you wearing? You know, every, all those details speak something about you. Well, in video, we are able to now communicate those details.

7:22And, you know, Google released a report years ago called, I believe the 7-11-4 rule, which was people need to consume seven hours of your content over 11 different touch points on four different platforms. And depending on your ticket price of your offer for there to be trust for them to become a lead or even more so a customer. And so the power of video is you're giving people a chance to get to know you pre-sale, pre-sales conversation and get to know your expertise, get to know some of your values and your principles. In fact, this would kind of be like a checklist of the types of buckets of content that you'd want to have.

8:05It's why that, yes, you want to establish your authority. So you have videos that, oh, this person knows what they're talking about. You establish something that'll help them. Wow, this person got me results in advance. So their content helped me solve a micro problem compared to the big problem they solve. Dang, I could see they're good for it. They know what they're talking about, and they've already helped me for free. But one of the missing pieces is they also maybe hear bits and pieces of your story. This whole idea of we do business with people with shared beliefs, and we do business with people with similar values.

8:37And sometimes we just go so logical and so practical, like, okay, cool, this person can help me with Facebook ads, this person can help me with my taxes. But when you start weaving in bits and pieces of your story, they start saying, oh, wow, this person has family values. Oh, wow, this person is of a particular faith. Wow, this person is even maybe kind of leans this way or that way in their ideology. These things, You don't have to put like politics and religion in your content necessarily. However, a lot of times those are polarized people to you as well as away from you. But the people polarized to you will be even better customers and will resonate with you even deeper.

9:11So over seven hours of content consumed, 11 different touch points could include a YouTube video, seeing you on Instagram, connecting you within the DMs, landing on your website and watching the explainer video. And four platforms also speaks to the power of being on LinkedIn, seeing a deeper dive training, listening to you on an audio podcast. When you start, this is the whole vision of content marketing is then all of this trust has been built and this familiarity has been built. And so for a lot of listeners, they might have a sales team or somebody eventually jumps on a sales call. You're not dealing with, if you will, cold traffic or even just slightly warm traffic at that point, you're actually maybe dealing with somebody who's like, listen, I already like really know, like, and trust you.

9:55I've seen this content. I'm just curious the details of your offer. And so conversions increase, impact increases, sales increases, and you grow your brand wider and wider in the process.

10:07Hala Taha:As Sean highlights, video gives your audience a chance to know you behind written or audio content. With repeated exposure across platforms, your audience builds familiarity and confidence in your brand. setting the stage for deeper engagement. We talked about trust. Now let's move on to authenticity. One of the best ways to appear authentic is to embrace what makes you unique. By incorporating your own interests and quirks, you're bringing more than just a polished image to your brand. You're showing the real person behind it. Kat Norton, aka Miss Excel, is a perfect example of how authenticity and unique interests can make content stand out.

10:46Hala Taha:With over 1.1 million followers on Instagram and 2.3 million followers on TikTok, Kat has mastered the art of capturing attention. She told me how combining her distinctive passions for dancing and Microsoft Excel created an unexpected level of engagement from her audience. So I was really just learning by the seat of my pants. Like I would read the comments people had and I'm like, okay, what do they like? What do they not like? But also for me, it really came down to authenticity. So I love dancing. I love helping people and I love Excel. So I was like, what would happen if I put all of that inside of one video, right?

11:23And so for me, it was just an authentic expression. It was cool. It was something I had never seen anybody do before in terms of the Excel space, especially, but also in a lot of learning spaces, integrating dance, which is more native to the TikTok app, but then layering in the educational piece. And that polarity is what really helped the videos take off. Because if I just posted Excel tip videos, people would have been like, cool. like I don't use Excel and moved on. But so many people were commenting because they were like, what the heck is this girl doing? She is dancing. She's doing, you know, Tuesday slot, left and right function.

11:57Hala Taha:What is going on here? And that's really what helped it go through the algorithm. And I want to laser in on something you said. You talked about polarity. So the fact that you combined two things that are really uncommon together, dance and Excel, it gets people talking. It gets people like complaining. Why are you dancing, talking about Excel? or some people will love it. And it gets people talking, which really drives everything up in the algorithm. Do you have anything else to say about polarity and how important it is for social media? I think it's a combination of polarity because obviously you want like a healthy polarity, right?

12:31You don't just want to like say things to create polarity. It needs to be something that's actually authentic to you. So I think that's like the nuance when it comes to polarity because a lot of people too, when it comes to polarity, it's important to make sure that your mental health is in a great spot to be able to receive what comes with polarity, right? Because a lot of times when a video goes viral, negative comments are, you know, the majority of the ones in there because it's being shown to people, it's being shared. And that's just the nature of the planet, right? We live on a polarity planet.

13:03There's always positive and negative forces. So it comes to, you know, making sure that your nervous system is able to hold the energy of what is going to come through from creating the polarity in that content. So for me, that was my biggest work. I was constantly working on myself because easily some people get some negative comments and it'll take them out. They'll be like, I don't want to post anymore. People think this, or you start having certain limiting beliefs that then are adjusting the actions you'll take. So instead of following your intuition, you're following the actions that'll please the most people or things like that.

13:36So it's really important to keep coming back to yourself, come back to that intuition and know that, you know, the polarity is going to trigger some people and that's okay. That was a big lesson for me as a former people pleaser.

13:47Hala Taha:You know, I had to let that go. As Kat Norton points out here, combining contrasting elements in a genuine way, what she calls polarity, can drive engagement and deepen connections. It's a reminder that showing up authentically may involve quirks or unique passions, even if they seem unconventional. When people see those real unfiltered sides of you, they're drawn into the person behind the brand, not just the content. Okay, speaking of drawing audiences, audiences today crave authenticity. They want to connect with somebody who feels real and relatable, not just some polished, perfect version of you.

14:23Hala Taha:So don't shy away from sharing the ups and the downs. True engagement comes when you share your failures, your setbacks, your lessons in progress. These raw, unpolished moments build authenticity and foster deeper connections with your followers, making them feel like they're part of your growth story. At Yap and on my personal profiles, we blend polished visuals with everyday moments. So for example, one day I might put up a photo from a photo shoot that was professionally shot. And the next day might be a selfie that I shot myself. Let's hold that thought and take a quick break with our sponsors.

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16:15Hala Taha:Or would you say, ignore that, it's under construction? For two years, I've been there. At one point, our site didn't reflect the level we were operating at at all. It felt so outdated, and every small update required way too much back and forth. That's why I love Framer. Framer lets you design and publish a premium professional website without writing a single line of code. It's fast and you can launch pages in minutes. You're in control, no waiting on developers, and the designs look modern, clean, and polished on any device. Serious founders know your website is your first impression, so let's upgrade it together.

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18:28Hala Taha:That's B-I-T defender.com slash profiting. So we've talked about sharing personal details, the power of video, and not being afraid to be our unique and authentic selves, even if that means leaning into being imperfect and unpolished. Another aspect of building trust with your audience and establishing authenticity is consistency. And by consistency, I'm not really talking about posting frequently, which is important, but I'm talking about aligning with your brand voice and visual identity across every piece of content. This alignment helps you reinforce your brand message, making it recognizable and trustworthy.

19:05Hala Taha:This starts with visual identity. Elements like colors, fonts, and logos can help you create a cohesive and instantly recognizable look. For example, by choosing a color palette that aligns with your brand's values and personality, you can differentiate yourself and promote instant recognition with your followers. And when it comes to branding, less is more. If you stick with two to three colors max and two fonts max, the more clear and the more memorable you'll be. And I don't think anybody I've ever interviewed is more memorable than the marketing and paid ads king, Rudy Moore. See if you can tell why.

19:41Rudy Mawer:My whole office is red. So we grew a 12 ,000 square foot office in Tampa, 50 staff. Everyone had to wear red, they got sent home if they didn't come in uniform, which was red. The whole office was red. The Miami offices are red. The brands are red. The cars are red. And people even ask me when I'm on stage, yes, my underwear is red, if you're wondering. So all in on the red.

20:02Hala Taha:What has that done for your brands? How do you feel like it's impacted your brand?

20:06Rudy Mawer:I would love to say I came in with this exact plan. That wasn't the case. But I think one thing that made me successful is I'm really good at looking and learning and adapting and pivoting and then going all in. So I started my personal brand when really when COVID hit, I really wanted to grow my personal brand in the business marketing world. I'd already done it in the fitness space. I had a million followers there. I've sold out events around the world, had a Facebook group, 60 ,000 members, and I saw the power of it. And so I was like, okay, well now I'm moving into the business space. I'm going to do the same here.

20:38Rudy Mawer:So I brought someone in to run my agency. I went all in with my personal brand and we did$25 million in three years, just selling courses, programs, coaching programs. So we grew it super fast. And I'm saying that because I think half of that is because I went all in on the personal brand and the social and the organic and stages and all of that sort of stuff. So it had a massive impact. I don't think I would have grown it to that amount so quickly without the brand. But during that time, we were just getting feedback. People were buying courses, programs. I had this like red backdrop, nothing as extreme as I've got now, but it was kind of similar to this if you're watching on video.

21:16Rudy Mawer:And people loved it. They were buying 20K masterminds saying, I don't even know who this guy is. I just see his red ads everywhere and his branding's on point and he clearly knows what he's doing. Luckily, touch wood in this industry, I do feel I know what I'm doing. It's not just a facade like half the industry we live in is. And then I was going to events when COVID lockdown ended and all the friends that I'd known for five years were like, dude, I love your branding now, like how you did this whole red thing. So it just got more and more and more. And I'm a very extreme person, which is sometimes great and sometimes terrible.

21:48Rudy Mawer:So I just went all in. I just, all my cars are red. I made all the offices red. I made all the staff wear red and I played into it. And now it's very recognizable and I'm well known for it.