Social Curator

How Jasmine Star Built a Multimillion-Dollar Business Empowering Entrepreneurs

December 12th, 2024

Founded By

Jasmine Star

Monthly Revenue

$83.3K

Founders

Monthly Traffic

53.8K

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2017

Customer

B2B

Revenue Per Visitor

$1.55

Founded By
Jasmine Star: Monthly Revenue
$83.3K: Founders
2

Monthly Traffic
53.8K: Profitable
Yes: Year Started
2017

Customer
B2B: Revenue Per Visitor
$1.55

Who is Jasmine Star?

Jasmine Star, the co-founder of Social Curator, is a photographer and business strategist from East Los Angeles with a resilient entrepreneurial spirit, who left UCLA Law School to pursue her passion for photography and later transitioned to teaching and consulting. Her diverse heritage and personal challenges have shaped her journey into entrepreneurship, where she has become a well-known speaker, podcaster, and community leader.

Social Curator solves the headache of planning social media content for small business owners, letting them spend less time stressing and more time engaging with their audience.

The idea for Social Curator took shape when Jasmine Star, a photographer and entrepreneur, noticed a recurring challenge among business owners who struggled to find the time and resources to maintain a consistent social media presence. This insight came from her own experience as a photographer where finding engaging content and the right words to connect with audiences online was a constant hurdle. Realizing that many entrepreneurs faced similar struggles, she saw an opportunity to provide a solution.

Jasmine initiated her journey into this venture by actively engaging with her community and listening to their specific pain points regarding social media marketing. This direct communication helped her fine-tune the concept into a membership platform that not only provided ready-to-use resources like photos and caption templates but also included educational elements and community support.

Before fully diving in, Jasmine tackled several uncertainties about the technology side of building a SaaS company by collaborating with her husband, JD, and seeking advice from experts and peers. She was determined to navigate the challenges associated with tech development, which included building a platform that could seamlessly integrate with social media sites. Throughout this ideation process, key lessons learned included the importance of community feedback and the need for adaptability in addressing evolving customer needs.

Jasmine Star, co-founder of Social Curator, transformed the business from a simple membership platform into a full-fledged SaaS product by initially bootstrapping its development. She and her husband, JD Stark, decided to build their own tech stack in 2021 to eliminate friction in user experience, which involved hiring an in-house development team. The development process focused on integrating with major social platforms to streamline the user journey from content creation to scheduling. Throughout development,

Jasmine faced the challenge of balancing technical innovation with user-friendly design—a task made harder by the need to rapidly upskill in tech as a first-time SaaS founder. Despite these challenges, Social Curator's evolution from a resource hub to a sophisticated subscription service was achieved without traditional VC funding, validating customer need and product-market fit along the way.

Fundraising: Social Curator raised $555,000 from their community in just one hour by offering 300 lifetime subscriptions at $1,500 each.

Community Fundraising

Social Curator's innovative approach to growth included leveraging their existing community for fundraising. In 2020, when they needed financial backing to expand their tech team and improve their product, they directly engaged with their community rather than seeking traditional investments. They initially planned a flash sale offering lifetime subscriptions at $1,500 each.

Through personalized outreach, Jasmine Star, the CEO, recorded over 600 individual video messages to create a sense of exclusivity and urgency. Their community's response was overwhelming, raising $555,000 in less than an hour. This method worked because it capitalized on existing relationships with users who were already invested in the platform's success, demonstrating the value of a dedicated community.

Social Curator utilizes a comprehensive social media strategy to maintain engagement and attract new users. They provide subscribers with a package including lifestyle photos, customizable captions, and Instagram templates, allowing businesses to maintain a consistent and professional online presence without the extensive time commitment. This strategy is effective because it offers tangible, easy-to-use tools that directly address a common pain point for small businesses: time-consuming content creation. By keeping users engaged with high-quality content, Social Curator helps ensure ongoing subscription renewals and user loyalty.

Educational Events and Resources

Another growth channel for Social Curator is their focus on community education and support through monthly events, workbooks, and online groups. These resources are designed to help users develop their social media strategies and improve their engagement rates.

By hosting live coaching sessions and providing actionable strategies through workbooks, Social Curator empowers its members with the knowledge needed to thrive in digital marketing. This approach boosts user retention as members see direct benefits from their subscription, reinforcing the value of the service. Through these educational efforts, Social Curator enhances customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, driving growth and maintaining a vibrant user community.

Social Curator offers a monthly subscription at $59, providing users with over 3,500 lifestyle photos, 30 caption templates, and a social media action plan.

Emphasize Community Trust: Social Curator’s success in quickly raising substantial funds from its community highlights the importance of building trust and rapport with existing users. Personalized engagement, like the 900 tailored videos Jasmine made, fosters a deep connection that can translate into strong support when needed.
Leverage User Feedback: The shift to integrate tech into their offerings came from understanding and acting on user feedback. This shows the value of listening to customer needs and using it to drive continuous product improvement, ensuring the product evolves to meet market demands.
Adapt to Scale: Transitioning from a membership model to include a SaaS offering required strategic planning and financial maneuvering. This story underscores the importance of being ready to adapt business models in response to growth opportunities and market changes.
Staying Resilient in the Face of Adversity: Jasmine’s journey from law school dropout to tech founder shows that resilience and the willingness to pivot in the face of personal and professional challenges are crucial for entrepreneurial success.
Celebrate Successes and Learn from Setbacks: By scheduling celebrations regardless of the outcome, Jasmine and her team maintained morale and created a culture of acknowledging progress, which is essential in managing the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

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