JANUARY 13, 2023

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

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Build an Ecosystem of Partners

Pamela Slim, business coach and author of The Wider Net, turns business models on their heads – and it’s a framework that can work particularly well for a content-first business. She says finding your business model starts with a community approach.

Here are five steps on how to do that, just some of the advice she shared with the entrepreneurs at Creator Economy Expo in 2022.

1. Do this audience audit method: Describe your audience as a problem to be solved or an aspiration to be attained. So don’t say, “I work with speakers in the financial services industry between the ages of 45 and 55.” Instead, say, “I help business owners become prosperous.”

2. Define the solution: By defining your audience by the problem or aspiration, you can better define your offer. Think about what the audience needs in their transformational journey. Complete the phrase: “Going from ______ to ______.” Then think about the solution that solves the problem AND zeroes in on your unique skills and strengths.

Knowing your audience and offering lets you begin to see the natural connections that exist in the ecosystem, those potential partners – organizations, brands, individuals, etc.

3. Put your ideal customer in the center of the ecosystem: Where is your audience? Pam refers to these as their “watering holes” – strategic places where a great number of your ideal customers have already been gathered together by someone or something else. It could be podcasts, newsletters, software services, events, etc.

Narrow the options by creating your Justice League – the service providers, thought leaders/influencers, complementary product providers, etc., with whom you would be best to connect to.

4. Pick partners for a reason. Know what each ecosystem partnership could bring to your business. Pam shared a formula created by Charlie Gilkey. Is it cash flow? (How much, and by which means?) Is it opportunities? (What kind of opportunities are you looking for?) Is it visibility? (Where do you want to be seen? What action do you want them to take once they see you?)

With that information, you can better explore specific opportunities.

5. Find partners in your ideal customer’s ecosystem: Break down your list of potential partners into three levels – strong partners you know right now (start), good partner candidates you don’t know well (cultivate), and moonshot partners you dream of working with (big dreams).

Pam concludes with this advice: “Building a business through the lens of community and ecosystem means you do the work of strategy, obsess about problem-solving, and seed with patience regularly.”

And my favorite piece of advice from Pam: For 15 minutes or less every day, complete tiny marketing activities, and over time you’ll build your brand, business, and bank account.

- Ann Gynn

Learn more from Pam by watching her Creator Economy Expo presentation – free access. She also tells about her business’ “viral” moment thanks to Guy Kawasaki.

Get more takeaways and expert advice this May at Creator Economy Expo 2023. Register today! (Prices go up on Jan. 27.)

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Sponsored Content

The future of marketing is community. Mark Schaefer explains why in his sizzling new book "Belonging to the Brand." This is an essential book for today's creator economy!

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• Listen to the full story behind why we created $TILT coin and how its demise was due to building on rented land. [Content Inc. podcast]
• Joe and Robert go in-depth on their business models in this special episode. [This Old Marketing podcast]
• Need a refreshed website for your podcast in 2023? Podpage lets you create a professional, listener-friendly podcast site with no coding or technical knowledge necessary. Create your free page and wow your listeners.*
• New items are available at the Tilt merch shop. Free shipping on all US orders, too!
• ICYMI - Affiliate Marketing Brings Big Revenue to Content Creators Who Build Big Audiences​

*The Tilt receives a small commission if readers (at no additional cost) make a purchase using this link.

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• ​Create a sponsorship package that brands will want to read. [article + 11 mins; video + 32 mins]
• ​Creator Jay Clouse breaks down the revenue streams that brought in $328K in revenue last year. [thread + 2 mins]
• ​Financial Freedom author says 2023 will be a golden age for creators, but that won’t last long. [article + 5 mins]
• ​School dropout, now successful creative entrepreneur, shares three lessons. [article + 5 mins]
• ​Your personal health is critical for your entrepreneurial success. Here are some ideas for self-help. [article + 6.5 mins]

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Your team for this issue: Joe Pulizzi, Pam Pulizzi, Ann Gynn, Laura Kozak, Marc Maxhimer, and Dave Anthony.

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