The Lindsey Anderson Show: Creating a Social Media Community That Converts with Dylan Jarus

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Introduction

In the latest episode of The Lindsey Anderson Show, host Lindsey Anderson welcomes Dylan Jarus, a powerhouse in the e-commerce and digital education space. With a decade of experience in e-commerce, Dylan has successfully transitioned from corporate roles to scaling multiple ventures, including a profitable Etsy shop that surpassed $1 million in revenue. Her expertise extends to YouTube, where she has cultivated a community of 91,000 subscribers, and her top-rated podcast, Etsy Seller Success. In 2024, Dylan launched E O, a SaaS tool focused on Etsy SEO optimization. Balancing her roles as a wife and mother, Dylan brings integrity and dedication to every aspect of her business.

Success Factors: Endurance and Resilience

When asked about the cornerstone of her success, Dylan emphasizes the importance of endurance and a relentless work ethic.

“I would say endurance, not quitting. I will outwork. I would say work ethic really is what comes down to I will do what I do not feel like doing day after day for years.”
— Dylan Jarus [02:08]

Dylan attributes her resilience to overcoming significant personal hardships, including growing up as the daughter of an addict and dealing with her sister's prolonged coma. These experiences instilled in her a mindset of not letting circumstances dictate her future.

“I'm not going to let my circumstances, I'm not going to let these bad things really take control of my future.”
— Dylan Jarus [02:24]

Building a Successful Etsy Shop

Dylan's journey with Etsy is a testament to strategic thinking and consistency. Starting with no sales in the first two months, she applied corporate e-commerce principles to achieve rapid growth.

“I started with who do I sell to? Which customers do I want to serve... I focused my product mix around those milestone events that people were going to be spending money on no matter what.”
— Dylan Jarus [04:15]

By prioritizing customer needs over specific products, Dylan identified steady demand areas such as weddings, births, and memorials, leading her Etsy shop to generate over $50,000 monthly within eight years.

Scaling Through Education: The Ultimate Etsy Course

Recognizing the demand for her expertise, Dylan launched the Ultimate Etsy Course, which has since attracted over 3,000 students and generated $28 million in student revenue.

Initially, the course offered high-ticket packages with six months of coaching, evolving into a more intensive one-on-one private coaching model with five live coaching calls weekly.

“Most people didn't think of sharing this depth of information on YouTube. I can't believe she's giving this away for free. What more could she help me with what's behind the paywall.”
— Dylan Jarus [05:21]

YouTube and Community Building

Dylan has leveraged YouTube as a powerful tool for community building, amassing 91,000 subscribers through consistent, valuable content. She shares her strategy for maintaining consistency by outsourcing non-core activities like video editing, allowing her to focus on content creation.

“Consistency is important if you're posting inconsistently, it does break down trust... I go live, I have a couple points that I want to talk about, but ultimately I'm listening to them, answering their questions and giving a ton of value.”
— Dylan Jarus [09:27]

Her commitment to live interactions fosters intimacy and trust within her community, essential for converting followers into loyal customers.

Content Strategy and Personal Branding

Balancing educational content with personal relatability is key to Dylan's strategy. She maintains an 80/20 split, dedicating the majority of her content to providing value while sharing personal anecdotes to humanize her brand.

“For me, I'll share my kids maybe once a week putting up Christmas ornaments or something funny... 80% giving value, 20% relatability.”
— Dylan Jarus [11:56]

This approach ensures her audience sees her as both an expert and a relatable individual, enhancing trust and engagement.

Optimizing Social Media Platforms for Sales

Dylan emphasizes the importance of tailoring content to each social media platform rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. While YouTube serves as a primary sales driver due to its search engine capabilities and longevity of content, Instagram is optimized for engagement through lifestyle-oriented posts and trends.

“We're highly leverging manychat automations. So it just doesn't work the same on YouTube. We keep the content pretty separate.”
— Dylan Jarus [14:09]

Her sales system integrates a robust team that manages direct messages and sales calls, transitioning leads from social platforms to high-ticket sales without relying solely on automated messages.

Mentorship and Continuous Learning

Dylan credits mentorship as a critical component of her business growth. Engaging with industry leaders like Cole Gordon and Alex and Layla Hormozi provided her with invaluable insights and best practices, facilitating her journey to eight-figure revenue without traditional advertising.

“Finding people who are doing what you want to be doing is very lonely... So getting recommendations from other people in the industry...”
— Dylan Jarus [17:10]

Integrating AI and Technology

With the advent of AI, Dylan has cautiously integrated it into her business, particularly in developing her Etsy SEO tool. She prioritizes maintaining a personal touch, ensuring that automated processes do not alienate customers seeking personalized interactions.

“We use it very selectively and we always do post production on it.”
— Dylan Jarus [19:14]

This balanced approach allows her to leverage technological advancements without compromising the quality of customer experience.

High-Ticket Sales Through Direct Messaging

Dylan explains her transition from selling high-ticket packages directly through Instagram DMs to a more structured sales process involving setters and sales teams. This shift improved professionalism and set clearer expectations for clients.

“We're not selling, we're really learning about them. We're not saying, looks like you need some help... we're saying, what are you struggling with?”
— Dylan Jarus [20:29]

This empathetic approach transforms sales conversations into personalized consultations, enhancing client relationships and conversion rates.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Dylan offers crucial advice for those looking to scale their businesses:

“Hire before you think you need to because you can easily get out over your skis where you are panicking.”
— Dylan Jarus [23:37]

Proactively building a team and anticipating growth needs can prevent operational bottlenecks and ensure sustained business momentum.

Conclusion: Connecting with Dylan Jarus

Dylan encourages listeners to connect with her across various platforms to access free educational content and explore opportunities to transform digital products into passive income streams.

“Connect with us on Instagram... Dylan Jarus on YouTube... definitely reach out and we can share more about how to do that.”
— Dylan Jarus [24:07]

Her multifaceted approach to business growth, community building, and education provides invaluable insights for entrepreneurs aiming to scale their ventures effectively.

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Lindsey Anderson Show offers a comprehensive look into Dylan Jarus's journey from overcoming personal adversity to building a multimillion-dollar e-commerce and education empire. Her emphasis on resilience, strategic content creation, personalized customer interactions, and the judicious use of technology serves as a blueprint for entrepreneurs seeking to cultivate a thriving social media community that not only engages but also converts.

For more insights and actionable strategies, tune into The Lindsey Anderson Show and take your business to the next level.