Against typical advice, Dad Gang spent its initial ad budget boosting Instagram posts for "profile visits," not website clicks. This built a large, engaged community that was ready to buy when products dropped, proving the value of prioritizing audience growth over immediate sales for community-driven brands.
Dad Gang's founder believes perfectly polished graphics look like ads and fail to resonate. He advocates for creating more realistic, user-generated-style content. This approach removes the friction of perfectionism, allowing for more frequent posting and building a more authentic brand connection with the audience.
Dad Gang's success proves that a complex tech stack and big budget are not prerequisites for growth. By using a free Shopify theme, iPhone content, and simple ad tactics, they demonstrate that focusing on a core product story and authentic communication is more effective than chasing expensive tools and complex strategies.
For new product drops, Dad Gang staggers announcements across channels throughout the day: first to private groups, then email, app notifications, and finally SMS, while posting organic content continuously. This maximizes reach and creates an omnipresent feeling without fatiguing any single channel's audience with repetitive messages.
Dad Gang actively seeks quality content from regular customers and invites them to be collaborators on posts. This provides a steady stream of authentic user-generated content for their feed, highlights real community members, and shares the post's reach, amplifying organic visibility far beyond what a simple repost could achieve.
Dad Gang uses its 11,000-person private Facebook group to bypass social media algorithms. The group acts as a direct line to engaged customers for gathering feedback on new hat designs, fostering co-ownership, and granting exclusive early access to launches, ensuring new products are validated before release.