JULY 1, 2022

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Welcome to The Tilt, a twice-weekly newsletter for content entrepreneurs.

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Today, we’ll be brief, talking about how your fellow creators operate their businesses, and why we stan Dasha Kennedy of Broke Black Girl. Got time to learn this three-day weekend? We’re here with free courses.​
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The results from The Tilt’s content entrepreneur research released intrigued me. As I dig in today to what and how of the surveyed content creators, a few things are worth pointing out.

To no surprise, 77% of all creators cite social media as a top channel. It was by far the most frequently cited choice. I get it. Social media encompasses a lot of platforms with minimal barriers to entry and a lot of people.

But I was pleased to see so many creators take advantage of owned channels – 61% use email newsletters and 60% blog on their own websites.

Between one-fourth and one-third use educational channels – online events (30%), teaching (27%), and in-person events (26%). Podcasting and blogger/columnist for others also came in at 26% each.

Only 16% use paid promotion channels. Given how many use social media, it’s interesting to see that number so low. In today’s social media environment, if you don’t pay to promote your content, particularly if you’re starting out, it’s unlikely that your content will get found on those channels.

Perhaps that might explain why “making sure my content gets found” is the top challenge for both part- and full-time content creators. Fifty-four percent of full-time and 60% of part-time creators say it’s a problem.

Monetizing content also was a challenge for about half of each group – 47% for full-time creators and 51% for part-time creators.

The biggest differences in challenges between part-time and full-time creators are regularly publishing (52% for part-time vs. 36% for full-time), creating enough content (42% vs. 36%), and finding my niche/audience (40% vs. 27%).

All of that makes sense, but the one that concerns me the most is those who have trouble finding their audience. If that’s your challenge, spend your time doing online research, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, etc., until you figure out who your audience is.

Making money: Consulting/coaching was the most frequently cited revenue stream with 62% of creators. Online courses and workshops (39%) and books (27%) rounded out the top three monetization channels.

Affiliate marketing and links were used by 23%, and one in five (21%) earned speaking fees. Memberships (17%), advertising (15%), live events (15%), sponsored content (14%), online events (14%), and paid subscriptions (11%) all made the double-digit list.

Interestingly, one in 10 barter with others. Opportunities to trade services, promotion, etc., can be a great way to build your business in the beginning.

– Joe Pulizzi

The tiny use of social tokens and NFTs as a revenue stream is only one of our Web3-related findings. Learn what creators have to say about Web3 and a lot more in the free 2022 Content Entrepreneur Benchmark Research.​
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Looking for another revenue stream to add to your content business?

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Entrepreneur: Dasha Kennedy

Biz: The Broke Black Girl​

Tilt: No-b.s. financial literacy expert for Black women

Scene: Website, Instagram (196K), Facebook (80.2K), Twitter (8.4K)

Snack Bites:

• Former accountant Dasha Kennedy's The Broke Black Girl started as a popular Facebook group, drawing 60K followers in its first year.
• Blogging, uploading informative posts to social media, and selling ebooks are part of her business activities.
• Dasha’s advice is informed by over a decade of professional experience in finance and her experiences as a young Black woman. Clients and followers connect to her brand because of its authenticity.

Why We Stan: Dasha found her passion and her content tilt at the same time. Her willingness to tell the whole story, not just the best parts, sets her apart from many financial content creators. She also runs a smart business, sharing testimonials on her site so other brands can see why they should work with her.​
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• Here's a simple process to get you started with your exit strategy.
• Listen to Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose break down what makes a successful content creator.
• Will you end up default live or default dead?
• ​What the heck is ransomware, and how can you thwart it?

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Please note: $TILT subscription and referral program is subject to change, at any time, without notice. The Tilt reserves the right to reject referrals at their discretion.

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Your team for this issue: Joe Pulizzi, Ann Gynn, Laura Kozak, Marc Maxhimer, and Dave Anthony, with an assist from Angelina Kaminski, Shameyka McCalman, Leo Bonacci, and Don Borger.