Nectar’s $5M Growth Strategy—No Ads, Just Organic Content

Caleb Alvarez is the founder of Shadow Light Studios, an agency specializing in high-converting paid and organic content. He has worked with major consumer brands like Monster Energy, Snapchat, and Samsung, as well as influencers like Tony Hawk, Logan Paul, Ice Cube, and many more.

In this episode of DTC Pod, Caleb breaks down how founders can create better content, build and scale a content engine, and strike the right balance between organic and paid content. He unpacks everything from finding your USP and mapping out content pillars to establishing a sprint-based production process.

Caleb also shares how he helped scale Nectar Hard Seltzer from $2M to $5M in revenue using only organic content.

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Fav Quotes from Episode #351

Mastering Content Strategy and Systems: “I think as a brand, especially going into 2025, obviously it's being aware of the different types of content that you can be implementing, but also understanding that people buy from people. And that's why influencers work as well. That's why founder-led content works as well. And the main focus shouldn't be what is the perfect strategy in 2025, but it's more so on the system side. How can we develop a system that allows us to play and implement ideas and concepts, bring them to life, get them out onto social media? Because social media just gives us data of what's working, what's not working. And a lot of brands/companies don't want to admit that they don't have the content figured out and that's why it's not performing. They don't have the right strategy. And so it first starts with having a very clear strategy, having a very clear message in terms of who does your product serve, why does, what benefit does it get to them? That unique selling point, right? What is the story behind it? Because that's where the why comes from. And then on the back end, having a system to be able to deploy concepts, ideas out into social media to get the data as fast as possible.” — Caleb Alvarez, 00:09:59 - 00:11:12

How Organic Nurtures Ad Attention: “We need organic to work to put fuel in the fire. Your ads are going to hit mass amounts of people. Mass amounts of people are going to see your brand, see the story, and you should be funneling that attention and using organic to nurture and to actually build a relationship with the customer." — Caleb Alvarez, 00:28:59 - 00:29:15

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3 Best DTC Practices from Caleb Alvarez

1. Build a content engine to fuel organic growth

Tired of feeling burnt out from constantly churning out content? It's time to build a system that sets you up for long-term success.

As Caleb explains, the key to effective content marketing is consistency. By establishing a repeatable process for ideation, creation, and distribution, you can produce high-quality content at scale without losing your mind.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

➤ Conduct regular "scrolling sessions" to gather inspiration and identify top-performing content types

➤ Hold bi-weekly sprint planning meetings to brainstorm ideas and assign tasks

➤ Leverage tools like Castmagic to manage your content pipeline and track progress

➤ Build out your team strategically with defined roles like creative director, videographer, and editor to streamline production

➤ Implement a post-sprint review process to assess performance and identify areas for improvement

With a well-oiled content machine in place, you'll be churning out thumb-stopping videos, viral campaigns, and high-converting assets in no time—all while keeping your sanity intact.

2. Prioritize founder-led content for maximum impact

You've got a unique story to tell. So why not let it shine through in your content?

According to Caleb, founder-led content is one of the most powerful tools in a DTC brand's arsenal. By putting a face to your brand and sharing your authentic journey, you can build deeper connections with your audience and establish a loyal following.

To get started with founder-led content, focus on communicating your core elements:

➤ Your unique selling proposition and product story

➤ The "why" behind your brand and what motivates you to keep building

➤ Your vision for the future and the impact you hope to make

From there, experiment with different content formats like vlogs, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage to give your audience an inside look at your brand.

The key is to stay true to yourself and infuse your personality into every piece of content. Don't be afraid to get vulnerable, share your challenges, and celebrate your wins along the way.

With founder-led content, you'll not only humanize your brand but also differentiate yourself in an increasingly crowded market.

3. Funnel viral attention to drive conversions

So you've created a piece of content that's blowing up on social media. Congrats! But now what?

Rather than letting that viral attention go to waste, Caleb recommends using it as a springboard to drive even more engagement and conversions.

Here's how to make it happen:

➤ Double down on high-performing content pillars and themes to keep the momentum going

➤ Direct traffic from viral posts to your other content pieces and product pages to encourage further exploration

➤ Leverage tools like ManyChat and BigCo to capture leads and build your customer database

➤ Retarget engaged audiences with personalized offers and exclusive content to nurture them down the funnel

The goal is to create a seamless journey from that initial burst of attention to a long-term relationship with your brand.

By funneling viral traffic strategically, you can turn one-time visitors into loyal customers and advocates for your brand. So don't let those 15 minutes of fame go to waste—use them as a catalyst for even greater success.