Creators should keep costs low until they find their audience

Transcript

Transcribed by machine (Whisper) from the episode’s audio, so a word may be off here and there.

1. 22:19

   what do you think of the the phenomenon now of building audience to distribute a product because this is infected this is a great by the way let's just ask the broader question what's the business model you have a new creator they're starting to build an audience advise them on what are the paths they can walk and where that can go because this is one of the paths it's a great one that we're talking about but like what are the options and when does one become an option sure i mean no matter what, everyone is making videos, attracting an audience, and selling a product. That product is either theirs or someone else's. Like, if we go back in the history of media, why are they called soap operas? They were literally created to sell soap. Yes. Right? And so, I think... Is that right?

2. 23:04

   That is right. Yeah. Interesting. That was like... The car companies and Ivory Soap were the big sponsors. Yeah. No, but like, it was programming that was created to attract a specific audience that was interested in buying soap. Totally, yeah. Right? And so that's why the programming happened in the middle of the day. And so the reality is like- You can say housewives at that time. Nobody's going to think you're a misogynist.

3. 23:27

   You said it, not me, but you know- I mean, at the time, that was the nuclear family. Yeah, that was the nuclear family. That's why they were called soap operas. So, you know, the reality is for a young creator, I would say that the number one piece of advice is actually keep your operation lean and your costs very low. So most great creators can create, if you're a good storyteller, you can make videos right now on the internet with your iPhone.

4. 23:50

   The number one thing you have to think about is the audience that you are engaging. Because at the core of it, your product is your relationship with the audience. It's the trust that you have. with the audience. And so that takes a long time to build. Some creators make the mistake of raising money to start making their content, or some creators make the mistake of hiring a big staff. That creates too much overhead. You're going to start doing deals that maybe you don't want to do. You need cash to finance your content. First and foremost, it's like, keep it lean, make good stuff, find the audience. Your first 100 videos are going to suck. Just build until you find the audience that you want. And then the business models will start to emerge, whether that's, hey, you know what? I built a great brand. And part of my content, I'm Emma Chamberlain. And

5. 24:34

   part of my content is I drink coffee every day. So maybe I should launch a coffee brand. I take the coffee that I'm drinking every day. Meaning make your own brand. Yeah. And that's, but that's hard. That means you have like critical mass, big scale. You're reaching millions and millions of Cost, challenge, but payoff is higher. Yeah. And that's the big... It can be. It can be. I think CPG is really hard.

6. 24:55

   It's all predicated on connecting with an audience first. First. So the advice, I think what I'm hearing is, hey, connect with the audience and put on the back half of your career monetization, but just connect. And Marquez, I don't know if you've ever seen his early reviews. Of course. I mean, it's hilarious. He's like, how old is he?