How to drive revenue without losing community trust

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 $𝟐𝟎𝐊 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭: 𝐀 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 Alex ran an eco-friendly home goods store making $50K monthly. But constant trend-chasing left profits slim and stress high. One month it was Instagram influencers. The next, elaborate email funnels. Then Facebook ads, TikTok challenges, and podcast sponsorships. Alex was always busy, always stressed. Despite decent revenue, customer retention was low. People bought once but rarely returned. Alex came to us burnt out, questioning the whole business. That's when we suggested a "radical shift": focus on people, not trends. We implemented a strategy centered on one principle: People > Profit. We revamped product descriptions to focus on customer benefits. Started a genuinely helpful blog about sustainable living. We created a customer feedback loop and visibly acted on suggestions. Launched a loyalty program rewarding engagement, not just purchases. The transformation was significant. Within three months, monthly revenue increased by $20K. But more importantly, the business changed fundamentally. Customer retention skyrocketed. People weren't just buying products; they were joining a community. The sales process became smoother. Customers came pre-sold on the value because they trusted the brand. Alex's team felt reinvigorated. They were having meaningful customer interactions, seeing their real-world impact. Surprisingly, profit margins improved too. Focusing on retention and community-building decreased marketing costs while increasing average order value. The lesson is clear: Prioritizing genuine connection and value over short-term tactics doesn't just boost revenue. It creates a sustainable, fulfilling business model. People > Profit isn't just a nice slogan. It's the most important lesson in business, regardless of your industry. When you truly put people first, profits naturally follow. This principle transcends e-commerce - it's the cornerstone of any successful business. #PeoplePowerProfit #AuthenticBusiness #GrowthThroughConnection

The most expensive startup mistake: “Let’s double our ad budget.” AKA startup suicide. I've seen SaaS brands find an ad channel that works, scale budget aggressively, see a spike in signups… …and THINK they’ve cracked GTM & PMF! Until: 🔴 CAC creeps up 📉 Conversion rates drop 💣 Churn spikes They’re burning cash to buy growth - rather than earning it. Don’t build your revenue engine on paid ads. Because the cost of your fuel will increase (OR burn faster than you can replenish!!) Here’s a BETTER strategy: 1/ Borrow trust, don’t buy attention Ads give you reach. But reach ≠ trust. That’s why I’d pay B2B creators - not FB or Google - to talk about my product. When a trusted voice recommends you, you skip the cold-start problem: - You attract high-intent buyers, not just clicks - You drive pipeline, not just impressions - You tap into pre-built credibility B2B buyers trust industry "thought leaders" more than: - Company-branded social posts - 57-page research reports - Whitepapers no one reads PROOF: B2B influencer campaigns drive 11x higher ROI than traditional ads (TapInfluence). 2/ Turn customers into brand champions Your happiest users are your best sales team. Activate them. - Make it effortless to share testimonials & case studies - Spotlight power users on LinkedIn, podcasts & events - Offer referral incentives worth talking about 92% of buyers trust peer recommendations over ads (Nielsen). So why spend millions on CAC when you could turn customers into a self-sustaining growth engine? 3/ Use paid ads to accelerate, not replace demand Paid ads aren’t bad. But they should amplify what’s working: - Boost high-performing influencer content - Validate messaging + positioning - Retarget warm traffic, not cold If paid is your primary growth lever, you’re not scaling - you’re renting. 4/ Build a growth engine, not an acquisition treadmill The real play? Own demand, don’t just buy it. Instead of spending $100K/month on ads that stop working the second you cut budget… → Invest in content that compounds → Build a trust-driven social selling ecosystem → Partner with creators who influence your ICP Most startups throw money at ads to fix weak GTM fundamentals. Smart ones use them to accelerate what’s working! BOTTOM LINE: If your growth plan is “let’s double ad spend”, you don’t have a growth plan. You have a capital tax. The #1 sign of success? Scaling revenue without scaling burn. The magic number matters! P.S. Where do you think paid ads fit into a healthy GTM strategy?

Beautiful photography doesn't sell rooms. Let that sink in. A perfect drone shot of your pool, a staged breakfast on the balcony, a sunset time-lapse over your infinity pool, none of that will fill your property. You can pump out content every day and still wonder why bookings are flat. The problem isn't the content. The problem is you never built the brand. Content without trust is noise. Content without community is wallpaper. Content without brand is just decoration. And decoration doesn't move revenue. If you already have trust, community, and brand, then yes, photography becomes rocket fuel. Video becomes a magnet. Storytelling becomes a weapon. But you can't skip to the end. You can't buy credibility. You can't shortcut relationships. Companies fade. Brands last. So how do you actually build brand in hospitality? Here’s the framework: ➡ Earn trust daily. Reply to comments. Share behind the scenes. Show real people, not just staged perfection. Every piece of content is a deposit in the trust bank. ➡ Build community like your life depends on it. Stop thinking of guests as numbers. Think of them as insiders. Treat them like family long before they step onto your property. Community scales faster than campaigns. ➡ Stand for something. Most hotels market like they're scared of offending anyone. Vanilla never wins. If you want loyalty, be bold. Take a stance. People follow courage. ➡ Stop talking about features. Start showing values. A comfortable bed is not a story. A welcome ritual that makes someone feel like they belong, that's a story. And stories spread. ➡ Consistency beats intensity. A viral reel won't build your brand. Ten years of showing up will. Brands are built in the boring work nobody wants to do. ➡ Humanize every message. Guests don’t care about your occupancy rate or your ADR. They care about connection, belonging, and memories. Build marketing around that and bookings follow. Photography then becomes a multiplier. Video then becomes proof. Ads then become accelerators. But only when the brand is already there. The best hotels in the world didn't win because of better photography. They won because of relentless consistency, clear values, deep community, and trust built brick by brick. The photos just poured gasoline on a fire already burning. If you're in hospitality and you're still obsessed with quick wins, you're playing the wrong game. Build the brand first. Then everything else gets easier. I'll say it again. Companies fade. Brands last. --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let’s chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

Last week, a founder told me: "I feel like a fraud every time I post on LinkedIn. Everyone else sounds like a genius, and I'm just trying to run my business." Plot twist: That "fraud" got over 100,000 impressions & helped his team book 26 meetings in 90 days on LinkedIn. BACKGROUND We had a client who tried copying viral trends & reposts. Result? Crickets. So they stopped trying to be a thought leader and started being a problem solver. Chasing "thought leadership" often backfires. Instead, they shifted the focus to actually helping their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) solve real problems. Results? Keep reading. REAL TALK You don't need 100,000 followers. You need 1,000 of the right people. Smaller, targeted audiences often convert better. Case in point: That "boring" B2B founder generated $210K in new revenue with just 5,000 followers. They did this by selflessly sharing their knowledge. This provided real value to prospects, which built trust. Turns out, when people trust you they are more likely to pay you. TRY THIS (1) Start with customer problems, not your knowledge (2) Document what you're actually doing (not theory) (3) Share real results (even small wins) (4) Build trust through transparency EXAMPLES Instead of "5 leadership principles..." Write "How we reduced turnover by 40%" Instead of "The future of SaaS..." Write "3 problems our customers solved this week" Instead of "Why you need to innovate..." Write "We lost a deal last month. Here's what we learned" TAKEAWAY The founders bringing in the most net new revenue for their businesses aren't sharing profound wisdom. They're helping their target audience solve specific problems. Instead of trying to sound smart, try documenting your journey & sharing your industry specific knowledge. BOTTOM LINE You don't need to be Tony Robbins to win on LinkedIn. You just need to help your target audience solve their specific problems.

I've built two businesses worth ₹300 crores over the last 20 years. And here's the secret I used to solve any business problems. A few years ago, I came across a concept called Occam's Razor, which means values are the simple solution. Nowadays, many entrepreneurs complicate things when making decisions instead of keeping them simple. But what they didn't understand is true simplicity comes from our decisions in values like trust, integrity, and long-term thinking. Here's how you can apply this principle: 1. Build trust through transparency:  📌 The problem with most companies is they don't have open communication, which makes it hard for others to understand what you're doing. Be honest about challenges and decisions with both your team and customers. 📌 Example: Zomato shares its operational metrics and also openly communicates about its struggles; as a result, now Zomato has a culture of trust and accountability. 2. Focus on long-term customer relationships:  📌 Companies need to understand that it's easier to retain customers than to acquire new ones. So, focus more on improving your retention by building a solid and loyal community of customers. 📌 Example: There is no company in India that people trust more than TATA across sectors—this is only because of their customer-centric approach in every business they do. Most importantly, they back their customers at every stage, ensuring customers feel valued and engaged. 3. Lead with purpose:  📌 More than products, people love to associate sincerely with the company's mission. A mission with which the people can resonate is crucial for lasting success. 📌 Example: Over the last 78 years, Amul (GCMMF) has built a brand around community impact by supporting local farmers and promoting dairy products. This commitment resonates with customers and strengthens their relationship. Remember, building a successful business often comes down to these simple values: trust, integrity, and long-term thinking. By applying these core values, you can make a big impact on your business and its people. What simple solution has impacted your business more? Let me know in the comments! #entrepreneurship #businesslessons