💸 When to monetise

“When should I start monetising my audience?”

This is one of the most common questions we get asked by creators.

You know what you want: to build a business around being a creator. 

What you don't know: when to take the first step from creator to entrepreneur.

Maybe you want to turn on Adsense, add affiliate links to your posts, work with sponsors, or sell your own products and services. What’s holding you back is the fear of doing it too early. You're afraid of being viewed as a sellout, of having too small an audience, or experiencing an unsuccessful launch.

I’m here to reassure you that these fears are limiting beliefs.

💰 If you're worried about being labeled as a sellout, reframe how you view monetisation: Justin Moore encourages creators to think about sponsorships as providing value to your audience. You’re not annoying them, you're sharing brands and products they might love. It’s also worth remembering that getting paid helps you to provide free valuable content. That’s something your audience will always appreciate.

👥 Whenever you think you need a huge audience to monetise, remind yourself that there are plenty of smaller creators earning more than creators with millions of followers. Thomas Frank is making more money with his smaller YouTube channel than with his main channel with 2.8 million subscribers. This is because he was able to be more specific on the value he could bring his audience by providing niche content.

🍾 If you think you need a hugely successful launch to kick off your business, think again. Matt Ragland believes that most creators wait too long to start earning money because they put pressure on themselves to go all in. Instead he advocates for an incremental approach. Start with a few smaller launches and figure out what works. Eventually, you’ll build a business model that works for you.

If you’re still waiting for permission to monetise, you might want to consider the benefits of monetising earlier:

• You can manage your audience’s expectations by exposing them to your business sooner. Your followers won’t be shocked to see a sponsored video or a product launch if you make it a normal part of their experience early on.

• The stakes are lower. Monetising is daunting enough without waiting for a large audience and more eyes on your work.

• You can get feedback earlier which can help you to refine your offerings.

• You can figure out the nitty gritty details of running a business, like creating invoices, while your business is still small.

• You’ll make money sooner. I know that’s an obvious point, but who doesn’t want to see their hard work finally paying off?

I know it’s a huge leap to go from someone who creates great content on the internet to someone who gets paid for it.  

If you want to run a creator business, you eventually have to make money. That doesn’t mean you have to make money in a way that doesn’t feel right to you. On the contrary, so long as you’re bringing value to your audience, you can always build a business authentically and with confidence.

So, what are you waiting for?

Finally, we have some insights on how to grow on Twitter! And it might come as a surprise: likes are more important than replies.

If you’re thinking about scaling your business, building a team might be on your mind. Ali Abdaal shares how he grew his team and the roles each of his current 12 employees have. 

This conversation demonstrates why Alex Hormozi has become a go-to online presence for everything entrepreneurship-related. 

One of the questions I always ask guests on the Creators on Air podcast is, "what's your favourite tool to help you create?". One answer has been the most popular: Notion. The Notion Zeitgeist is not your typical productivity Notion newsletter. Curated by Frances, founder of The Notion Bar, you'll be joining 1.5k+ global Notion Rebels indulging in the latest Notion community updates, 'profuntivity', and trends.

Navigating Uncertainty as a Creator with Paul Millerd

If you've ever struggled with the uncertainty of being a creator, our latest podcast episode is for you.

Paul Millerd left the traditional path behind in 2017 and he hasn't looked back since. He shares why:

• Uncertainty is an opportunity

• The default path is an illusion

• The creative process demands truth

• Sharing what matters to you is the most important thing

Are you monetising? When did you feel ready? I’d love to know!

Stay passionate,

Akta