Build a Dream 100 to tap existing followings

When Ana launched her eco-friendly candle line, she spent months designing the perfect scents and labels. When she finally went live, her site sat idle with only a handful of likes. Then she met Marcus, the founder of a sustainability blog with 50,000 monthly readers.

Instead of begging him to review her candles, Ana quietly subscribed, commented on his top posts, and congratulated him on hitting his five-year milestone. Weeks passed with little fanfare, but when Marcus asked for new content ideas, Ana replied with a free essay on eco-friendly packaging—her core expertise. He loved it and offered her a guest post slot.

The resulting article landed on his homepage and included a giveaway of Ana’s candles. Within 48 hours, she had 1,200 page views from Marcus’s site, 300 new newsletter subscribers, and her first 50 sales. Meanwhile, she repeated the process with other bloggers, growing her list and sales without paid ads.

Ana didn’t have a budget for big influencers, but by focusing on the Dream 100—those who already had her ideal customers—she hacked her way into ready-made audiences. That list became her company’s cheapest, most reliable source of traffic.

You’ve got your Dream 100 list and you’ve silently shown up on their radar—now spin that rapport into collaboration. Offer genuine help, then propose value-packed features or giveaways. When you see a window, pitch a guest post, joint live stream, or a discount code for their audience. These are your invitations into their kingdom—use them wisely.