5 Secrets to

Grow Your
Following
(And Convert
That Following Into
Paying Clients!)

B Y J E N N A K U T C H E R
W E L C O M E , F R I E N D !
It’s Time to Get Inspired!
This guide will walk you through how to create content that
converts followers into true fans, and true fans into paying clients!
Hey, hey,
Since you’re here, chances are you might
have struggled with writer’s block. Or that
blinking cursor has taunted you as you
try and find something to share online.
Or maybe your creative juices have simply
dried up when it comes to social media...
sound familiar?
Take a deep breath, friend, you’re not
alone. With more platforms popping up
daily, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
We’re struggling to beat algorithms,
screaming into the void trying to get our
voices heard, and wondering if we really
do have to “pay to play” in order to land
in the laps of our ideal clients. We’re in
this together, so before you throw in the
towel, read on.
J E N N
I’ve pulled together my top tips for
being inspired when it comes to
posting online! Because we all have
those dry spells where nothing feels
“Instagram-worthy” and we have
nothing to say… this guide will walk you
through how to create content that
converts followers into true fans and
true fans into paying clients - because
popular has never paid anyone’s bills…
But profitable? Yeah, I can get behind
that. It’s time to make your social media
work for you and those dreams you’ve
been dreaming.
H E R E W E G O !
A K U T C H E R 2
S E C R E T # 1
Hey, We Want a Brand!
(Not Just a Business)
It’s true, most of us entrepreneurs have
a brand. But frequently that brand stops
after you’ve picked out a logo, fonts,
and colors. The truth is, a true brand
has a voice and it makes people feel
something. When it comes to social
media, especially as business owners,
it’s easy to want to hide behind your
product or service, only showing your
work and ignoring the fact that you even
exist.
I get it: it’s scary to put yourself out
there! But the truth is, people are so done
with buying products and services from
a business. They want to buy from a
human that they connect with. What
does this mean for you? You want to
focus on building a true brand. And a
true brand is multifaceted.
Think with me for a minute: if I asked
your closest friends or family to tell me
five things about you, what do you think
they’d say? Would they tell me you’re a
bookworm or you love to run? Maybe
you’re obsessed with pineapples or your
dogs are spoiled. Yeah, they will likely
include what you do but there’s more to
you than that.
J E N N
Whenever you’re feeling stuck, I want
for you to think of these top five things
that make up who you are. Turn those
things into categories for posting and
cycle through them.
As an example, I’m known for: My
photography, my hand-drawn quotes,
my love for my hunky husband, my
obsession with dogs, and our travels.
If you post one category per day, you’ll
have 5 solid posts for the week! You’ll
also be creating connection beyond
what you do - which is critical for
creating a true brand.
K E E P I N M I N D
People are looking for connection, so
if you’re stuck only sharing your work,
you’re limiting your reach to only the
people who need what you have to offer
in that moment - and you’re not giving
them any reason to stay following after
their need is fulfilled. Drive a brand,
create connection, and share more than
your work: easy as that!
A K U T C H E R 3
S E C R E T # 2

Creating That Connection

So maybe you’re looking around and lit-
erally nothing in your life feels worthy of A S K Y O U R S E L F :
social media. You don’t have any perfect
white, bright spots in your home, your • What’s a new way I can share my
desk is a mess, you’re wearing yesterday’s work? Can I tell a client’s story? Style
yoga pants (that have never been to yoga), it in a new way? Pick an oldie but
and you’re questioning what you could goodie and re-share it - with a new
possibly post that could get you likes and spin?
comments.
• Can I go into my vault of images or
Welcome to life as an entrepreneur: my library on my iPhone and find some-
when it feels like everyone else is out for thing that has a story behind it?
happy hour on rooftops at sunset and
you’re heating up a microwavable dinner • How can I show ME? Whether you
have to take a selfie, grab your Insta-
so you can keep working, it’s important
gram husband or set up a self timer,
to remind yourself that social media feeds
YOU need to be showing up in your
are highlight reels. So how the heck do
feed. Seize that today and show up!
you get creative when your highlights feel
sparse?
• Give your followers a peek of behind
the scenes! Where do you work? What
The name of the game is thinking about
does your office space look like? How
how you can create connection. Choos-
do you create your magic? People love
ing things like food, animals, clothing,
to see how you do what you do!
travel spots, tv shows, etc. are easy
ways to create a connection with your
• What is something that my followers
followers beyond what you do. You want
may not know about me? Share your
them to feel like they “know” you be-
pets, kids, home, favorite vacation
cause that’s the first step in the know/
spot, the books you’re reading, pod-
like/trust factor that we know is critical
casts you’re tuning into!
in taking people from mere followers to
paying clients.

J E N N A K U T C H E R 4
S E C R E T # 3

Invite That Engagement

Authentically
We’ve all put out that post expecting
oodles of engagement and then… the
S M A L L A S K E X A M P L E S :
dreadful crickets. We’re refreshing our
feed waiting for the comments to roll on
• Double tap if:
in and yet there’s nothing but silence: it
didn’t work. The truth is, you have to
• Tag 3 friends below who:
consistently invite your audience to take
action. Every single post, every single
• Comment your favorite below:
day.

• Use emojis to describe:

One of the biggest pits I see entrepreneurs
fall into? Posting their work with a short
• Click my latest post to see:
little generic caption and then a giant call
to action (like: “Click to the blog to see
more” or “Head to the site to buy now!”).
But here’s the thing: that’s a BIG ask. When you include small invitations in
You’re asking your followers who never every post, people get excited to take
take action with you to click off of the app action with you. Sometimes they just
and go to something they might not even need that little nudge or invite in order
know if they are interested in… total flop. to feel permission to do those things.
So, how do we avoid this?
Sure, some of your posts will still hear
Well, you have to have a lot of “small crickets, but on the ones that take off -
asks” leading up to those big ones. Hav- they will REALLLLLY take off and
ing simple, clear calls to action in your helllllo, engagement is the name of
posts can get your followers comfortable the game when it comes to conquering
with taking action when it comes to your the algorithm!
content so that when you have that big
ask, that right hook, they are excited and
willing to follow your invitation.
J E N N A K U T C H E R 5
S E C R E T # 4
Tell Compelling Stories
Maybe you read this heading and said,
“But Jenna, I’m not a writer.”
I get it, you might not be a writer, but you are
a story-teller… you just might not have rec-
ognized that yet. I like to think that I am not
just a photographer or a podcaster; that I am
a story-teller and my camera or microphone
is simply the vehicle that allows me to tell the
stories.
Perhaps I should back up a touch, explain
why this matters. A few years ago we lost one
of our best friends in an unexpected accident.
I remember scrolling his Facebook for hours
on end, wanting to feel connected to him,
yearning to feel his presence. It hit me then,
that our feeds aren’t just marketing or high-
light reels, they are our modern day journals,
the way that we store our memories. So
when you start to look at your feed not just
as marketing but as a LEGACY, it changes
everything. If you’re feeling stumped on what
to post, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself what
stories you can share.
How could you tell your audience a story
about your work: the creation process, the
pieces of it, how you chose the medium, what
the clients were like, why they hired you.
J E N N
A S K Y O U R S E L F T H E S E :
• Why does this matter to my ideal client?
• Am I doing this story justice?
• Is this post serving anyone other than me?
If you’re REEEEALLLLY struggling here, ask
your clients to share THEIR stories! People
LOVE talking about themselves, so ask them
things like: why did you hire me? What
inspired you to choose XYZ? What was
something memorable of the experience?
Did you have any fears before we worked
together? If so, what happened with those
fears? Your clients stories can be even more
powerful than your own!
Your feed? It can be a story where each post
is telling your followers more about you,
your passions, and the dreams you are
chasing. I never want to look back at my
feed and say, “That wasn’t my real life, I don’t
even remember that time.” So I choose to tell
stories - and those stories create connections,
those connections lead to clients. Are you
starting to see how this could work for
you, too?
A K U T C H E R 6
Telling Your Story Through Social Media
T O P I C G E N E R A T I O N I D E A S

Talk about why Talk about your

Link to a blog post
you became an personal experience
or your online
entrepreneur in the hiring someone or
portfolio.
first place. eating somewhere

Blog your personal Share a personal

Talk about your
travel photos and story about what
favorite food and
what you did while you wanted to be
why you love it.
there. as a kid.

Give tips for your Ask people for Share a post about
ideal client, things their opinion on your favorite past
they need to know! something you made. time beyond work.

Talk about your Share your Talk about things

greatest success and experience getting going on in your
your biggest struggle married/having a industry and how
of this year. baby/graduating! you feel about them.

Talk about things Ask people about Don’t forget to share

going on in your their favorite TV your personal story,
industry and how show or a recent this space on the
you feel about them. movie. web is YOURS!
S E C R E T # 5
You Got This. Seriously.
If you’ve made it here, chances are you’re
feeling inspired…or maybe a little over-
whelmed. It’s time for a pep talk before I
send you out into the social media crazed
world, young grasshopper. I want you
to remember a few things before you
franctically start scrolling through your
camera roll trying to find something
that’ll get a lot of “likes.”
J E N N A ’ S P R O T I P S :
1) Your worth is NOT wrapped up in
numbers: that number under your name?
It doesn’t define YOU, your success, your
talent. In fact, it says nothing about YOU.
Whether it’s 200 or 200k, I want for
you to seize the opportunity to show up
in other’s lives in a meaningful way. No
matter what the number, what was the
last time you had a stage in front ofo that
many people?
2) It doesn’t have to be perfect to be
good. In fact, I think people are getting
tired of perfect. Share your real heart,
share YOU and what sets you apart. Stop
waiting for the perfect moment or the
perfect lighting or for when you lose those
last 10 lbs. STOP WAITING to live your
life and write your legacy. You’re living it
daily - share your message with the world.
J E
3) No one is paying as close attention
to YOU as you are. If you ever feel like
others have a microscope on your life, re-
member this: everyone is so busy looking
at their own feeds, their own problems,
their own lives to notice yours. Take that
pressure off yourself, love.
4) Take breaks! Everything recharges in
life when you give it a little breather, espe-
cially you. No one will miss you if you take
a week off while vacationing in the South
of France. No one will send search parties
if you disappear for a weekend - chances
are, no one will even notice. Give yourself
time to make memories that never see the
light of the internet!
5) Experiment often. There are no suc-
cesses/failures, only experiments. Some
yield awesome results, some totally flop.
Embrace this fact in life, in business - it
takes away the pressure and allows you to
have fun trying new things!
Social media truly is one of the only
chances in life we have to really share
our message with the world! YOU have
something to offer that only you can offer.
Embrace it. You’ve got this, friend!
Now go have some fun!
N N A K U T C H E R 8