MARCH 18, 2022

View in Browser

Welcome to The Tilt, a twice-weekly newsletter for content entrepreneurs. Each edition is packed with the latest news, strategies, and tactics, plus inspiring creator stories and exclusive education, all to help you create, grow, and monetize better.

​

​

In this issue:

• Full Tilt: Audience or Community​
• Stan: Total Annarchy​
• Please Complete This Survey on the State of Content Creators​

​

​

With the onus on Web3 and the new dawn of co-creation, shared ownership, and collaboration, many creators are drawn to the utopia of building a community they can call their own. However, before you make that commitment, you should investigate both the audience and community options.

An audience is made up of people who agree to receive information from you. If the content is good enough, more people come on board. You can monetize; you can connect; you can grow.

Having an audience in front of you is a privilege; it’s down to you to serve your audience well.

They are the people who sign up to receive more from you. Then, when it works, others can take notice. For instance, The New York Times wanted to grow its subscriber audience more quickly, so they recently bought sports media outlet The Athletic for $550M.

What you create must connect with others. Whether the content is an online course, an in-person event, or a newsletter, your audience is in the moment and is committed to the content. A laser focus on building your audience from a point of interest can help you scale.

A community is made up of people who maintain a shared belief, whether you direct it or not. Things can happen without your direction. But you create a deeper sense of kinship as you interact with others. You can monetize; you can connect; you can grow.

You have to invest time to be of the community, to get to know others, to be the bridge for people, and to carry the torch for the shared mission you are all reaching for. It can sap so much energy from you, but when it works, you see a return for your efforts.

At my content-based business, You Are The Media, the audience isn’t huge (2K subscribers for the weekly email), but the sense of community is liberating. The community:

• Works together, from guesting on podcasts to working together where their skillsets complement each other.
• Shows forgiveness. When the power went out at an event, the show moved to a pub. No one went home or asked for their money back.
• Steps up and leads. Matt King signed up as a subscriber in 2019. Now he hosts one of our online learning events.
• Provides feedback and perspective on new ideas, lessening your risk at launch.
• Co-creates. Our Thursday newsletter always starts with a community member introducing themselves and providing helpful recommendations.

The winner in the audience vs. community rumble? Either one. It all comes down to what you want for you and your business.

– Mark Masters

​Go deeper in the audience vs. community rumble.

​

​

​The Publish Press is a project from longtime YouTubers Colin and Samir, who designed the newsletter to curate and analyze the most important new stories for creators, by creators.

Join nearly 20K readers by signing up here.

​

​

Entrepreneur: Ann Handley

Tilt: Friendly approach to writing

Scene: Website, Newsletter (42K), Twitter (458K), Instagram (25.4K), LinkedIn (433K)

Snack Bites:

• Five years after launching a newsletter, Ann pivoted it to be a letter, writing about what she’s doing and what she thinks is important. The newsletter audience has grown to over 42K.
• She’s written a Wall Street Journal bestseller that frequently pops up on creators’ “favorite” lists: Everybody Writes.
• A speaker, Ann recognizes the value of working with clients before she takes the stage and with the audience after she steps down from it.
• An advocate for great writing, Ann says, "Our online words are our currency."

​Why We’re a Stan: Ann’s funny, personal approach to writing and creating resonates with many. She takes what can seem like a boring topic (writing) and turns it into a fun show.

– Shameyka McCalman

Hear and connect with Ann Handley as she speaks at the first-ever CEX: Creator Economy Expo May 2-4 in Phoenix. Register today.

​

Caught on … Protocol​

“We're seeing a new economy rise up and a new source of revenue for people, whether people make this a full-time living, whether it's through platforms like Twitch or YouTube or TikTok being a secondary source of income.” – Anthony Zaccaria

​

​

​

• ​Don't Do What Disney Just Did (Content Inc.)
• ​Brands Still Shortsighted with NFTs (This Old Marketing)
• ​SBA Extends Deferment for Small Business EIDL Covid Loans (Small Business Trends)
• ​Bitcoin for Small Businesses: Front Line Options (Bitcoin Magazine)
• ​Advice From 5 Female Entrepreneurs on Money, Tech, and Resilience (Mastercard)

​

​

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

​

​

​

​