NOVEMBER 8, 2022

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

In This Issue: Brands and agencies share what they wish creators would know. We stan Charlie Chang and his lucrative content tilt. Plus, the upcoming changes to money-making on Twitter and some alternative sites.

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Securing long-lasting brand deals means understanding exactly what brands want. To pull back that veil, The Tilt checked in with brands and agencies that work with creators to find out what they really want to see.

1. Operate professionally: Answering emails in a timely manner, being available for meetings or calls during a brand’s business hours, and turning in projects on time within the agreed-upon guidelines might seem like table stakes. But if you operate that way, you could be ahead of the pack.

“Sometimes there is a bit of that artist notion where it’s like, ‘You’ve got to trust the process,’” says Jacquie Kostuk, director of creative strategy at FUSE Create, an independent ad and creative agency. “But [brands] are used to very precise check marks.”

Sarah Walsh, who manages influencer marketing for Branch & Bramble, a lifestyle brand marketing agency, agrees. “I try to work with people who are really passionate about the work they do. And that is exemplified through their professionalism.”

2. Support your pricing: Justify your pricing with the relevant stats, such as engagement rates and link clicks for past sponsored content. Your niche and location and your audience’s niche and location also may be of interest to brands.

“There have been times when we’ve asked, ‘Do you have any information on how your posts perform? Any insight on sales generated from your content?” says Sophia Rivera-Silverstein with Courtney Daniels Consulting. “And we have gotten, ‘No, I don’t really collect that information, which seems essential for influencers.”

3. Focus on the audience: Sometimes, a brand seeks creators with a huge online presence. But, often, micro-influencers and content creators with very specific niches can be far more helpful to brands that want to get their name out to particular communities.

“If you create good content, you can get all those eyeballs, and you can get all that engagement,” says Lauren D’Souza, founder of Ujjo, a hot sauce for coffee, who has had a lot of success working with micro-influencers.

At the same time, while numbers and metrics interest brands, so does the quality of the community you’ve built. Brands and their agencies dive into comments and likes to see what your followers are saying – and how you respond to them.

4. Get creative: Brands typically come to the table with a content brief that outlines the required hashtags, photo guidelines, and messaging. But they also expect you to bring creative ideas as well, including how you’ll use your unique voice to talk about the brand.

Ujjo created a number of recipes that they share with influencers to demonstrate the versatility of the product. But Sophia, who works with Ujjo, says they prefer when their creator partners use the provided recipe as inspiration for their own.

Let’s be clear: A brand deal is a business transaction. But this business is about relationships – with your community and brands. Building a strong partnership with a brand or agency can lead to more deals and opportunities.

– Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Get more tips and advice on what brands want to see before they execute partnerships with creators.

Tips for Creators Working with Brands: The more you invest in your relationships with brand partners, the more successful your campaigns will be. Learn more in The Business of Creators report from The Tilt and HubSpot.

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Entrepreneur: Charlie Chang

Tilt: Personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship

Scene: Website, YouTube (840K), TikTok (386.6K), Instagram (84.8K), Twitter (710)

Snack Bites:

• Charlie grew his audience steadily on YouTube and TikTok, publishing daily about personal finance. In April 2020, he capitalized on stimulus-related content to draw a much bigger audience and significant ad revenue from YouTube.
• A month after Charlie earned $15K in YouTube ad revenue, he did his first sponsored content post on TikTok for $250, as he explained to CNBC.
• As his business has grown, Charlie has diversified his revenue streams – affiliate marketing (40%), YouTube ads (25%), brand sponsorships (25%), online course (5%), and coaching (5%).

Why We Stan: Charlie didn’t have a content entrepreneur role model, but he forged a path to become a successful one. He didn’t get discouraged when he got only a dozen views on his first videos and spent time figuring out what his audience – and later, brands – wanted from his content.

– Ann Gynn

Read the longer story on Charlie Chang.

You know who else we stan? All the speakers with whom we are hard at work signing up to present at the 2023 Creator Economy Expo. Look for exciting announcements later this month. Register today before our fall pricing (lowest available) ends!​

Know a content creator who’s going full tilt? DM us. Or email tilt@thetilt.com.

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• An amazing reminder of how content, art, and commerce come together into something beautiful … or not. (Content Inc. podcast)
• ​Breaking Twitter News: Everything Marketers Need to Know (This Old Marketing podcast)
• ​Working with family is possible with these tips from a blogging family (The Cut)
• 15 free, creative ways to market your business (Forbes)
• Create a brand identity that resonates (Wamda)

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Your team for this issue: Joe Pulizzi, Pam Pulizzi, Ann Gynn, Laura Kozak, Marc Maxhimer, and Dave Anthony, with an assist from Sarah Lindenfeld Hall.

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