JANUARY 23, 2024

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

Be More Than a Creator

The monolith known as the creator economy is in an identity crisis. Fortunately, that identity crisis means positive things for content entrepreneurs.

​Business Insider recently tackled a good attempt to explain why the creator economy isn’t all it was cracked up to be. Startups thought offering services for creators on TikTok, YouTube, Substack, etc. would lead them to billion-dollar businesses. Investors bought into that promise, believing a total addressable market of 50M to over 300M in some estimates would be good business.

But, many got it wrong, and those startups have stopped, and investors are reluctant to go further.

“The term ‘creator’ has been spread too far,” according to Business Insider, and we at The Tilt agree.

Startup founder Grant Long tells the media outlet, “If you go after creators at some generic segment of decision-makers, then you’re going to be frustrated.”

That may sound like bad news for creators, but it’s good news for content entrepreneurs.

The identity crisis can prompt a more sophisticated understanding of what you do – and an opportunity to educate those who don’t.

It’s not just investors and creator-service startups that are recognizing the nuances. LinkedIn gets the term “creator” is trendy but not always accurate. It recently began changing its language, as Lindsey Gamble explains in his recent newsletter.

He quotes Daniel Roth, editor-in-chief at LinkedIn, about the change. “One of the big lessons for us the last few years was that the term ‘creator’ wasn’t a fit for LinkedIn. Contributors saw themselves as “an accountant who posts” or a “consultant who shares news about logistics” or whatever. But not a ‘creator.’”

You’re not a creator influencer who is building a business based on popularity and mega-size audiences on social media.

You’re a content entrepreneur. You are building a media company. You grow an audience to monetize your content. You sell subscriptions, advertisements, sponsorships, online courses, and may market coaching and consulting services, too.

You’re an expert creator. You are building a business that revolves around your expertise, knowledge, or passion, not around your personal identity. You recognize access to your audience requires an owned-media strategy and not a reliance on rented land like social media.

You just need to be ready and able to tell that story to everyone, from casual acquaintances to prospective subscribers and brands interested in paid partnerships.

In identifying yourself as a content entrepreneur, explain your tilt (but don’t call it a “tilt” as the jargon will turn away prospects). In today’s newsletter, Ryan Sneddon easily explains his newsletter focuses on how to have fun within a 10-mile radius of Annapolis, Maryland. Now that’s a niche. And it’s attracted 17K subscribers in a town of 40K residents.

While your tilt doesn’t have to be that narrow, you should be able to explain it that succinctly.

[Business name] delivers content about [tilt] through [primary format and distribution channel] every [frequency] to people who [two to three characteristics of audience].

The business earns revenue through [revenue streams] to grow and sustain a long-term, successful operation.

Here’s how that simple exercise works for Jen Mann:

Now, take a few minutes to craft these statements for your business. After all, you’re not just another number in the fracturing creator economy; you’re a content entrepreneur. Just be ready to tell that story.

- Ann Gynn

Need help crafting your statement? Reply to this email or contact Ann directly and we’ll be happy to help.

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Entrepreneur: Ryan Sneddon

Biz: Naptown Scoop

Tilt: How to have fun in Annapolis, Maryland

Scene: Newsletter (17K), Instagram (20.7K), Facebook (6.3K), X (139)

Snack Bites:

• Ryan found an unfilled hyperlocal content tilt – news about how to have fun in Annapolis, Maryland.
• The daily newsletter has a 65% open rate, with restaurant reviews attracting the most clicks.
• In 2023, Ryan hired one full- and four part-time employees.
• The secret sauce to the business launched in August 2020? Ryan says it’s replying to every single email or DM – positive and negative.

Why We Stan: Ryan limits his coverage to a 10-mile radius from the city center but has attracted a subscriber base that represents almost half of the city’s population.

​Read more about Ryan and the Naptown Scoop.​

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

CEX is the in-person event for serious content creators interested in building and growing their content businesses without total reliance on large technology platforms.

Now in its third year, CEX has become one of the leading events for content entrepreneurs (including authors, bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, newsletter writers, speakers, coaches and freelance writers) to learn new content creation skills and network with other creators dealing with similar audience-building and revenue-growth challenges. Register today!​

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• ​To Succeed, Don't Hold Back (Content Inc.)
• ​Apple Plays Havoc with Podcast Industry (This Old Marketing)
• ​Self-Publishing is a Team Sport (Publish & Prosper)
• Let’s chat at 12 p.m. US EST Tuesday on LinkedIn for Tilt Your Business: A Weekly Mastermind for Content Entrepreneurs.

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