Case Study: $0 to $100K Creator

Playbook
Yo, Dan here.

This playbook is a self case study. The story and strategy behind how I was able to
scale my creator biz to over $100,000 in take-home cash.

You might be thinking - “this guy doesn’t even have a thousand followers, wtf does he
know about being a creator?”

Which is technically true… if you know me from my @dapcaso account on X.

The truth is, I’ve grown and monetized 3+ faceless brands to over $5k/mo each, making
more than $25k/mo in total during my best months.

But today we’re gonna focus on the brand(s) responsible for 80% of the revenue and
the main study case behind this strategy.
I’ve always looked for ways to make money online by leveraging content.

Mostly out of creative survival, as I always moved around growing up. But that survival
instinct of turning to the online trenches to make money taught me valuable skills that
made it possible to scale my passions into a full time career.

The first time I made money online, I was 12 years old - selling custom tumblr themes
to hipsters.

It didn’t amount to much at the time, of course, I was 12 and had no idea how to scale a
business so I didn’t capitalize on this opportunity as much as I should have.

But I learned an important lesson that would be the foundation for earning 6 figures
later in life.

Leveraging a brand to sell a high-ticket service.

Of course, there’s nuance to that. This system doesn’t work for everyone.

If you’re not willing to learn, it probably isn’t for you.

If you’re not willing to create content, it probably isn’t for you.

If you’re not willing to put in the work, it probably isn’t for you.

If you don’t believe in the creator economy as a modern gold rush, it probably isn’t for
you.

But if you’re here, you probably already understand how important a personal brand is.
Whether faceless or doxxed - a trusted persona with an established reputation and
network is the greatest leverage you can have to make money online.

I won’t bore you trying to convince you of that.

Instead, I want to use this playbook to show you the exact blueprint of how to build a
creator business that leverages your skills and turns your passion into profit.

If this sounds like you:

- You work a 9-5 and want to escape.
- You’re in college and want more freedom.
- You tirelessly do cold outreach with no result.
- You want to create content, but have no idea what to post about.
- You’re currently creating content but not growing as fast as you wish.
- You have an audience but no clue how to monetize it.

This is probably for you. Ready?

Before we dive in,

If you’re hustling hard on X but you’re not seeing results or

Your follower count is higher than your bank account… listen up.

I’ve been cooking something for you.

I’m helping a select few creators scale to $3k/mo in 90 days.

DM me “create” for more info.

No awkward pitch or generic sales call. I’ll just ask you a couple questions to see if
you're a good fit. If you are, I’ll send over the info.

I only have a couple spots left this month, so when you see this they might be gone.

DM me “create” before spots are gone.

 Clusters
To take full advantage of the strategies in this playbook, you will need to understand
clusters.

What are clusters? put simply - clusters are communities on X.

They're formed based on data within the algorithm. Users and content that share
similarities get aggregated together into groups. This could be based on interests,
behaviors, aesthetics, conversation, engagement patterns, among other things.

Think of clusters like different lunch tables in the school cafeteria.

Each one has different types of people. Different aesthetics, different interests,
different conversations, different behaviors, different goals. You can have friends at one
table or at many tables. Once you get popular enough, you can even fill up your own
table with friends.

You get placed inside these clusters based on who you follow, who follows you, who
you engage with and who engages with you.

However, these placements are not set in stone.

There are over 145,000 of them on X and you can be in more than 100 of them at any
given point.
You’ll be ranked within each cluster based on your trust authority within that
community.

Kind of like how SEO ranking works (if you’re familiar with that.)

Your account is rated overall based on all the clusters you’re ranked in, with higher
rankings weighing more.

This overall rating affects how often your tweets get recommended and on whose
timelines.

Think of X like a house party.

There’s a bunch of little rooms inside one big mansion. Everyone’s partying and having
fun, but in their own little corner.

Everyone is shouting over the music but nobody hears them over the sound of
everyone’s noise.
Your goal is to break out of your corner, to be loud enough that everyone in the house
hears you.

This is not just a theory.

This was confirmed by Elon Musk.

You can read more about clusters here.

The Golden Formula

Over the course of this playbook I will also be referring to The Golden Formula.

The Golden Formula is a system I’ve used to identify a(n):

- Brand persona
- Target audience
- Irresistible offer

It works by combining two things to create a better third thing.

“The best of both worlds.”

Creating an authentic brand and building a community loyal to you and your products
is the closest thing you’ll get to building a money printer in today’s digital age.

Finding your tribe online is like finding little golden nuggets.

Building a community with them is like stacking gold bars.

Keep in mind, this playbook won’t go too deep into specific growth or content
strategies.

This is a branding monetization playbook. It will show you how to position yourself,
your brand and your biz in a way that attracts high-paying clients.

You will notice that a foundational part of the system works based on authenticity.

This is by design.

The system will likely not (and should not) work if you copy-paste it.
 The Mindset
Most monetization advice is the same.

“Get a lot of followers then sell them something”

Well, yeah, duh.

But the truth is, there are reasons why you may not want to be directly selling to your
audience all the time.

If you’re not careful, you can quickly burn through your community.

You essentially have to expose yourself to a bigger and bigger audience to keep the
cash flowing.

It can work but it’s not 100% sustainable long term.

And you’re here to build a business. Not a house of cards.

You must understand this:

Your followers are not just potential customers, they’re a business asset.

The point is to leverage them to go after the big fish.

That’s what most of this strategy is based on

This is not another guide about selling info products to your community, but rather how
to grow an audience with the right content and use that community to build credibility
around your offer.
 The Growth Partner Model
There are so many different business models you can follow as a service provider. The
most common one being charging a monthly retainer for your service.

This can work great. In fact, this is the same business model I started with. However, I
quickly ran into a frustrating detail.

I was generating hundreds of thousands and sometimes even millions of dollars in

revenue/raises for companies but only making $1k-$2k.

Don’t get me wrong, a couple grand a month was great money. I was finally earning a
full income online. I was even able to scale it close to $10k/mo.

But I hated it.

I had nearly a dozen clients and managed them all myself.

I was working 80-100 hour weeks. The sound of a new message coming in filled me
with dread.

I was working with clients all around the world. My chats were nonstop pinging.

“I started an online business for freedom” I thought.

But I barely even had time to sleep.

Something needed to change.

This was also around the time I decided to scale down my offer. I realized that the best
results I provided clients were strategic go-to-market strategies around product
launches.
So I started looking for brands that were pre-launch. Software companies, digital
products, branded physical merchandise, and paid communities.

So I tweaked my offer a little bit more.

I was no longer pitching myself as a freelance service provider. I was a growth partner.

The difference? Revenue share was now included.

Instead of charging $2k/mo, I was now asking for $800-$1k/mo + 15% of revenue on
launch.

Exact numbers would change based on the client but it was around that ballpark.

The idea was simple:

If I could create enough attention for the brand to generate $30k-$60k at launch, I
would walk away with $5k-$10k for a month’s worth of work.

My theory was proven right.

My best launch generated the brand $94,000.

I had myself a $20,000 payday.

Why would these brands trust you enough to give up revenue?

Well cause you’ve got a profitable brand yourself.

A brand with a community full of the exact audience they’re targeting.

This is why it’s important not to burn through your community by trying to
continuously sell them low-effort products in hopes for “monetizing your audience”
You don’t want just the vanity metric of a big following.

You want to foster a community of market participants that trust you, your word and
judgment.

Building Your Brand

The most crucial part for this whole system to work is arguably your brand. This needs
to be almost intact. The point here is to build a brand persona that seamlessly blends
you into the community (cluster) and undoubtedly positions you as an authority - we
do this by using The Golden Formula.

To break this down, we’ll first talk about the steps of building an authority brand.

1. Find your golden cluster

2. Construct your profile
3. Craft golden content
4. Grow your network

Let's start one by one.

1. Find Your Golden Cluster

First of all, niches are a scam.

The worst thing you can do as a beginner on X is getting stuck in the niche trap.

“Find a niche, then niche down again.”

The usual advice regarding branding sucks.

The problem with choosing a niche from the start is that all you do is lock yourself
inside a box.
Making your personal brand a lot less personal.

Nobody wants to listen to a generic brand shouting out generic advice.

People follow people.

People buy from people.

The ultimate goal here is to find that broader community that will relate the most to
your content and overall brand.

Then we filter them further to carve out your core community. Your super fans.

We want people that speak your lingo, respect your opinion and root for your growth.

The easiest way to do that is by using The Golden Formula.

You want to choose:
- One passion
- One skill

Package them together to find your cluster. Your tribe. Your community.

For example,

If you’re a developer and you love finance. You can be the dev guy in the finance
cluster.

If you’re a marketer and you love sports. You can be the marketing guy in the sports
cluster.

If you’re a designer and you love gaming. You can be the graphics guy in the gaming
cluster.

So on and so forth. You get the point.

2. Construct Your Profile

Most profile branding advice on X sucks.

It’s surface level advice.

Get a good profile header.

Get a good profile picture.
Get a good profile bio.

Well, yeah, duh.

But what is a good profile picture? What is a good header? What is a good bio?

The truth is, it’s different for every cluster.

Each community inside of X has its own profile physiognomy.

If you’re from Money X, you’re probably used to the colored background with
professional headshot pfp, slogan in header, resume in bio type of profile.

But it’s not just about looking professional.

It's about matching the vibe. You gotta fit in, but also stand out. Crazy, huh?

Think about it:

In real life, a crisp suit in your pic screams 'I'm the boss' in some circles.

In others, you’re a fed.

Your profile is someone’s first impression of you. It takes half a second for someone
who sees your profile to position you as high value or low value depending on how
they analyze you.

The key is to use the digital real estate provided to convince them to stay.

Look at the big creators in your cluster. What’s their style? How do they communicate?
How do they present themselves?

Mimic, but don’t copy. That's how you get noticed.

So, yeah, get a good profile pic, header, and bio. Obviously.

But remember, 'good' is relative.

It's about blending in while standing out.

It's an art, not a checklist.

 3. Craft Golden Content
Your content can make you or break you.

Your content could be the only reason someone eventually pays you.

As well as the only reason someone never does.

You must be intentional in your posting.

Always post with a direct person in mind. (Your ICP)

The type of content you post should do two things:

1. Position you as an authority

2. Push your reader a certain direction

Authority Content
Positioning yourself as an authority through content is an art form as much as a
science.

The types of content that can position you as an authority are:

- Alpha
- Educational
- Transformational
- Storytelling done right
- Shitposting done correctly

Let’s break them down further.

Alpha
This is the best type of content to position you as an authority. The reason being that
it’s not easy to replicate authentically.
This content showcases extreme deep knowledge about an industry.

I’m talking about the kind of "secrets" that only come from years of experience or inside
access.

Think of it as the wisdom you'd get from a goated mentor, the kinda stuff you don’t find
in YouTube tutorials or generic guru courses.

Sharing this content positions you as a gigabrain off the jump, you’ll quickly become
the go-to person for an opinion, an authority with unparalleled wisdom.

Educational
Beyond just teaching, educational content should elevate your status as an authority.

It’s about diving deep into topics, breaking down complex ideas into simple words.

This includes:
- Threads
- Long forms
- Infographics
- Video guides

This type of content proves you’re an expert in your field and can communicate it
effectively, further establishing your credibility.

It also walks the reader through the stages of awareness in a not-so-salesy way.

Educate them on their problem. Then, the solution you have for it.

Transformational
Here, focus on showcasing real-life case studies.

Include both those of others and your own self-transformations, especially in terms of
beliefs or business improvements.
Highlighting these stories demonstrates the practical application of your knowledge
and expertise, showing that you don't just talk the talk but walk the walk.

It's proof of concept, in human form.

Storytelling
A powerful story can do more than just entertain; it can illustrate your expertise and
authority.

When done right, storytelling reveals your journey, your struggles, and how you
overcame them.

It connects on a personal level while also showcasing your knowledge and resilience.

It’s not just about the narrative; it’s about the message and the lessons learned,
presented in a way that underscores your authority.

Shitposting
This is about demonstrating deep knowledge of your industry with a touch of humor,
irony, or satire.

It's not about being funny for the sake of laughter but about simplifying complex
topics, inside jokes, and cultural references of your industry in a way that showcases
your expertise.

Correctly done, it can break down barriers, making you more approachable while still
highlighting your deep understanding and ability to communicate complex ideas in a
relatable manner.
 4. Grow Your Network, Grow Your Networth
Expanding your network is the next step in leveling up your brand's visibility and
authority.

Leveraging social proof through mutual followings with established accounts can
significantly boost your credibility.

The followed by [respected account] tag is a strong endorsement.

It acts as a trust signal to potential clients.

Networking on social media is easy - just be fucking friendly.

Comment genuine insights under bigger creator’s posts.. Don’t reply with boring
generic stuff. You want to stand out without shooting yourself in the foot. Don’t kiss
ass, don’t insult. Put them as your equal and talk to them as friends. The point here is
to make them click your profile.

If your profile is optimized, they should follow the first couple of times.

Even if it's not, if your comments are good enough - they’ll eventually follow to chat.

Distribute Your Offer

One thing I always hated was cold outreach.

Sure, it may work for some. Really well actually. But not for me.

There’s many other strategies that have proven effective for me, but let’s talk about the
easiest and most simple one to execute.

Using X Search.
Now, you already have crafted a perfect profile. Built up a perfect brand with perfect
content.

Why not let it speak for itself?

Simply search “is hiring” on X and filter by users. You’ll find hundreds of people looking
for all kinds of roles. Qualify and reach out to the ones that are looking for roles that
match your skill set. Your pitch should be short, direct and include some relevant study
cases.

The most important part here is to keep it natural.

Don’t just follow and DM a copy and pasted script. You’re gonna seem like a robot at
best and an asshole at worst. Make it personal and keep it conversational.

My specific strategy was to follow them and like ONE recent tweet (this makes them
think you found them through that tweet) and add them to a private list. I don’t DM
them yet at this point.

For the next 24 hours, I would study their old tweets while engaging with their new
tweets.

If your profile and content is set up the right way, 75% of the people should follow
back.

This is when you DM them. Your pitch should be short, direct and include a relevant
study case.

The key is to keep it conversational.

“Hey [Prospect Name], noticed you’re on the hunt for a social media marketer so just
had to reach out. Recently helped [Study Case] with [Your Results + Offer] - would
love to chat more if you’re open to it”
 Summary
This is the system that helped me go from $0 to $100k as a creator.

This guide barely scratches the surface. There’s nuance in every brand. There are
several other advanced strategies I keep private for my clients and students.

Regardless, this should be enough information to push you in the right direction.

Here’s a quick recap:

1. Build an authentic personal brand.
2. Create authority content to draw in an audience.
3. Leverage the platform’s algorithms for visibility.
4. Grow a powerful network with the right connections.
5. Strategically distribute your offer to match with active seekers.

If you’re ready to start building a brand that prints cash, keep reading.

I’ve got something for you.

I’m helping a select few creators scale to $3k/mo in 90 days.

This is for creators serious about making their online business a full time income.

DM me “create” for more info.

No awkward pitch or generic sales call. I’ll just ask you a couple questions to see if
you're a good fit. If you are, I’ll send over the info.

I only have a couple spots left this month, so when you see this they might be gone.

DM me “create” before spots are gone.