TAS 142 – Building a Brand on Social Media to $6M revenue in 3 years – Ben Leonard explains
May 30, 2023
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Ben Leonard, a dynamic entrepreneur, shares his journey from a health scare to building a $6M brand in just three years. He dives into the power of social media in cultivating customer loyalty and discusses strategic product launches, including insights on navigating market saturation. Alongside guests like Kirsty Verity and Steve Simonson, they reveal valuable e-commerce tactics and the importance of establishing a legitimate brand. Leonard also teases his upcoming Kickstarter product, inspiring aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams in e-commerce.
A health scare led Ben Leonard to pivot from traditional employment to e-commerce, successfully building a $6 million brand by 2019.
Emphasizing strong brand identity and customer engagement through social media, he fostered community loyalty beyond mere product listings.
Deep dives
From Health Scare to E-Commerce Success
A health scare in 2016 prompted an entrepreneur to pivot from traditional employment to the world of e-commerce. Unable to engage in his usual fitness activities due to a heart condition, he turned to building a fitness brand as a distraction. Initially focusing on selling jump ropes directly to gyms, he soon realized the potential of selling online, discovering platforms like Amazon and Shopify that allowed for direct-to-consumer sales. With this newfound direction, he successfully grew his brand, reaching an impressive turnover of $6 million per year before ultimately selling it in 2019.
Building a Brand Beyond Amazon
The entrepreneur emphasizes that a strong brand identity is crucial for success, particularly in a competitive landscape dominated by Amazon sellers. Instead of simply listing products, he focused on building relationships with customers through social media engagement and targeted marketing strategies. By fostering a community around his brand, he was able to create loyal customers who returned for future purchases, regardless of whether they bought from Amazon or his website. This approach highlighted the importance of constructing a multi-channel presence to mitigate risks associated with relying solely on one sales platform.
Innovative Customer Engagement Strategies
To build brand loyalty, the entrepreneur implemented creative strategies for engaging customers, including personalized communication through direct messages and social media. By encouraging customers to share their experiences online, he cultivated a sense of community and connection that traditional marketing methods could not achieve. He also utilized product insert cards to direct buyers to his social media, offering incentives like discounts for sharing their purchases. This method not only helped build a robust customer base but also provided valuable customer feedback and insights to improve future products.
Future Ventures and Continuous Growth
After exiting his first brand, the entrepreneur continued to expand his expertise in the e-commerce realm by co-founding a brokerage firm and developing new brands, including a sports line and a baby product set to launch on Kickstarter. He plans to document his journey of launching the new brands publicly, aiming to provide transparency in the entrepreneurial process for others. By focusing on principles that endure over time, he is committed to sharing insights about brand building through a forthcoming book. This ongoing pursuit demonstrates his dedication to mentoring others while continuously evolving within the e-commerce industry.
Time is almost up to come to the Amazon Collective Mastermind Regina and I are holding in June this year, between the 18th and the 22nd in beautiful Ubud, Bali. You’ll be joined by our invited VIP guests, Kirsty Verity, Leo Sgovio and Bradley Sutton and Steve Simonson.
This week I chat to Ben Leonard from www.benleonard.pro. Ben’s popping up everywhere in my feed – he was recently featured on my good friend Danny MacMillan’s Seller Sessions Podcast and he even spoke at Seller Sessions Live recently. Before that he was in Vietnam with Meghla Bhardwaj for the Vietnam Sourcing Trip.
Today, Ben discusses how he went from a heart scare in 2016 to building a brand from scratch that in 2019 was turning over $6m annually before exiting. He’s now building a new brand and he’ll be launching his first product on Kickstarter in December this year, 2023. If you want to follow along head over to www.benleonard.pro/chris and if you’d like a copy of his new book due in October, book, you can join his waiting list over at www.benleonard.pro/book. Ben’s an amazing entrepreneur and I hope you enjoy our chat.
And I am offering private coaching so please head over to www.theaustralianseller.com/chris to book an hour session with me to make sure you’re heading in the right direction!
If you own or work for a consumer products brand and need help setting up or running your Amazon business, feel free to get in touch with me – I have a new agency, www.Amasphere.com.au – an official Amazon Service Provider.