The Creator Economy: How to Monetize Your Content

creator economy and what you need to know

If you’re a creator, chances are you’re always looking for new ways to monetize your brand. The good news is that there’s a growing space online that’s perfect for creators like you: the creator economy.

In the creator economy, creators make money directly from their audience. This means that you don’t have to rely on things like advertising or sponsorships to make money – instead, you can just focus on creating great content that your audience loves.

See how!

The Breakdown

There are plenty of ways to use the creator economy to leverage your content online. For example, platforms like TikTok, Teachable, and Patreon connect creators directly to consumers. These platforms allow them to raise funds and offer unique experiences. Other businesses, such as analytics software and content creation tools, support independent creators.

Consumers looking for this niche content are willing to pay money to be a part of a community dedicated to their passion. A creator’s brand should feel like an experience and can/should exist outside of the normal social channels.

The creator economy is a network of people that are passionate about what they do and want to see others succeed. There are key players in different areas online that are leading the way for people to achieve their creator goals, like Roberto Blake.

A Creator Success Story

Roberto Blake is one of the leading creators in the creator economy that’s helping motivate other creators to succeed and find ways to monetize their content. And he just published a book all about it!

In his new book, Create Something Awesome, Roberto explores the opportunities available for creators in the creator economy. He provides insights on how to unlock these opportunities and grow a successful channel as a full-time creator.

Roberto has helped hundreds of channels grow from zero to 100,000 subscribers and knows what it takes to succeed in the content game. In his book, he covers topics such as understanding the “creator mindset”, setting goals, and monetizing your channel. Spreadshop is proud to receive a shout out from Roberto in the book!

If you’re looking to get started in the creator economy or want to take your channel to the next level, Create Something Awesome is a must-read. Order your copy today!

How to Monetize Your Content

When you have a dedicated audience, it’s easy to seek out other opportunities to monetize your content. And remember: It’s better to have a thousand supportive followers than a million followers that aren’t engaged.

By finding different ways to monetize their content, creators can earn money from their fans. But you should always lead with your niche if you want to succeed in the creator economy. For example, gaming live streamers should leverage Twitch, whereas videographers monetize platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Are you a YouTuber? We know Adsense can be confusing and annoying, so consider monetizing your channel with officially-branded merch. If you have at least 1,000 subscribers, you can feature your products directly below your videos. Not at that number just yet? We have some suggestions for you!

You can also make money by partnering with brands that are relevant to your niche. If you’re an outdoorsy vlogger, for example, reach out to companies that share your vision. The key to making money as a creator is to have a dedicated audience that cares about what you’re doing.

How We’re Making an Impact

Last month, we launched the official Spreadshop Creator Advisory Board to empower creators everywhere. This means we’re bringing 12 top-notch creators in on internal conversations to make sure creators are at the forefront of the Spreadshop decision-making process.

At Spreadshop, helping creators succeed is one of our biggest passions. We’ve already seen so much success working with a few of these pros. We have experience helping smaller creators monetize their channels/brand, so being able to scale that program with a wider variety of experts is exciting. Our goal is to help even more creators in the future. We will shape the new creator economy!

Spreadshop’s Creator Advisory Board meets regularly to give feedback, discuss the creator economy, and demo upcoming platform features. Check out the full line-up of creators on our blog.

Are you ready to join the creator economy? Start monetizing your content with merch. Open your own Spreadshop today!

Spreadshop or SPOD? Which Print On-Demand Tool is Right For You

If you’re looking to get into the merch game, you might be wondering which print on-demand service is right for you and your merch needs. Spreadshop and SPOD are both great options, but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Let’s take a look at the two side by side to see which one is better for your needs!

Spreadshop is perfect for creators and businesses who want a basic shop setup all-in-one. The platform is easy to use and has all the basic features you need to get started selling your merch right away. Plus, it’s FREE – you can start selling without zero money upfront!

SPOD is great for wherever you’re at in your creator/career journey and is also FREE to use. It integrates easily with your existing e-commerce website. Sell print on-demand merch via your online store and reap the benefits of social marketing tools from e-commerce sites like Squarespace, Shopify, and more.

The Platform

If you’re running a print on demand shop, then the interface is probably really important to you. The main difference between Spreadshop and SPOD is the fact that SPOD is an extension. It’s an app you can connect to your Shopify, a plug-in on WordPress, and an extension on other e-commerce sites. Spreadshop is its own platform that doesn’t require any extra integration but still allows you to link to relevant socials and control the layout of your shop.

As a SPOD merchant, you can sell your products not only in your own store, but also on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as on digital marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay.

Business Owner or Creator?

If you’re looking to start monetizing your content without any extra hassles, Spreadshop is the way to go. With its easy-to-use interface, Spreadshop makes it quick and easy to start making money on platforms like Facebook and Youtube thanks to partnerships. You’ll be able to connect with your audience and start generating revenue in no time.

– Sell your merch on YouTube with YouTube Product Shelf and link your shop on socials.

– Spreadshop regularly adds new products and has promotional offers to help drive sales every month.

– A Creator Advisory Board to help creators monetize their channels successfully.

SPOD is favored by all kinds of entrepreneurs and creators. With SPOD, you have more control over the prices and marketing of your shop. While you don’t have access to promotional offers, you can decide when you want to do FREE shipping and mark up the price on your products so it doesn’t cut into your payout.

– You control features like pricing and shipping.

– You own data regarding your customers and can see specific insights.

– Sell products in addition to your SPOD merch in your e-commerce store – e.g. a coffee shop that also sells specialty coffees, barista classes or accessories.

Specific Capabilities

Spreadshop is a platform that lets you design and market your products yourself, while we take care of everything else like customer service, shipping and returns, production, etc. Plus, Spreadshop is always free for you to use.

SPOD takes care of things on the production and shipping side with those costs being charged to merchants. SPOD merchants, however, are in the drivers seat when it comes to customer data, taxes, prices, margin, and more. These functions are set by the merchant, rather than being directly handled by SPOD.

When someone buys your merch, merchants are charged for the product, print and shipping. But when that customer gets their order, they’ll never know it was sent from SPOD thanks to white-label packaging, unlike with Spreadshop. SPOD gives merchants more control of their margin and how much money they can make, but it takes extra effort. With Spreadshop, there’s a base price for every product, and shop owners can set how much money they want to make with their prices

So, which one is right for you? If you’re looking for a platform that allows you to start selling without any additional steps, Spreadshop is a great option. But if you’re comfortable managing your own brand on your own and want to control more of the process, SPOD could be a better fit.

Whichever route you choose, you’ll be able to create some amazing custom products. Start selling your print on-demand merch with Spreadshop or SPOD!

How to Get 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube

It’s a goal among many YouTube creators to attract more subscribers. But there’s a certain number that stands out.

When creators reach 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, it unlocks a lot of opportunities. It’s not only an indicator of a dedicated following, but an opportunity to start monetizing and growing their channel.

They can finally join the YouTube Partner Program and make money from their content with ads. Or sell products like merch using YouTube Product Shelf. Here are some ways creators can make better content, attract more viewers, and reach that goal without getting burnt out.

Be Reasonable

Remember, be reasonable with yourself when setting your goals. 1,000 subscribers might seem like a lot, but it’s actually not that bad when you break it down into smaller goals.

For example, if you want to get 100 subscribers by the end of November or 250 in the new year, that’s much more manageable. Plus, it’ll be more fun when you achieve these mini goals along the way.

Include keywords like “YouTube” and “subscribers” in your content to help people find your channel more easily. And most importantly, don’t give up! With a little consistency and dedication, you’ll reach your subscriber goals in no time.

Use That Button

The YouTube subscribe button is a great way to increase your subscribers. You can create your own button or download a graphic you find online.

How to add a Subscribe Button:

– Go into YouTube Studio.

– Click Customization in the left hand menu.

– Select the Branding tab.

– Find the Video Watermark section.

– Upload your graphic and choose the time during the video you want the button to appear.

– Finally, hit publish!

Identify Key Content

DID YOU KNOW: If you have over 30 videos on your channel, you can see which videos brought in the most subscribers? You can track this in the YouTube Analytics page of your YouTube Studio. It’s incredibly helpful to see what content is resonating with people and bringing in subscribers.

This also makes it much easier when you’re coming up with a content plan for your channel. You don’t have to waste time trying out a bunch of different video ideas when you know what’s the most successful. Identify the titles and keywords that are successful for your channel. The numbers don’t lie!

Expand Your Audience

If you’re looking to grow your YouTube channel, consider collaborating with other YouTubers who share your interests. This can be a great way to expose yourself to new audiences and come up with fresh video ideas.

To find potential collaborators, start by searching for popular keywords related to your niche. Then reach out to creators who seem like a good fit and see if they’re interested in working together.

By collaborating with others, you can not only get more subscribers but also have more fun creating content that you’re passionate about. So don’t go it alone – there are plenty of other YouTubers out there who would love to team up with you!

Always Have New Videos

It’s easier to get subscribers than it is to be consistent with uploading new videos onto YouTube. The YouTube algorithm is less likely to boost your channel and content to other YouTubers when you haven’t posted in a video in a month or even two weeks. People will find another creator that can satisfy their viewing needs and feed the content machine.

That doesn’t mean you have to go overkill with the videos, though. Find a schedule that works for you. Once a week is a good model to follow. Make it easier on yourself when you plan ahead. We have some tips on that:

– Make sure your videos are high quality and offer value to viewers.

– Don’t post too frequently or infrequently – find a happy medium that works for you.

– Be consistent with your posting schedule.

– Have a content plan to make things easier on yourself.

– Use keywords and tags to help YouTube’s algorithm boost your content.

– Interact with other YouTubers and viewers in your niche to grow your audience.

We know growing your channel is hard work, and we hope these tips help that subscriber count grow in time. When you do reach that 1,000 subscribers benchmark, merch is a fun and easy way to monetize your channel.

Start selling your own merch for FREE with Spreadshop!

Football (Soccer) World Cup 2022 – Info on Trademarked Brands

Looking to add some world cup fever into your Shop? Great idea, but there are some things you need to watch out for. Not every design can be accepted. Because many brands and logos are legally protected, it’s important not to stray offside. Read more

Start Planning for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a big time for shopping and gifting – and that includes your merch! Start thinking about what your merch marketing strategy will be this holiday season. Tease merch drops and create exclusive, themed designs to generate hype. Drive sales to your shop and make your customers happy when you take time to plan for the holidays!

People Like Promos

One of the best parts of the holidays is all the savings you can get on clothing, toys, and new tech. We have promos every month that your customers can take advantage of. Our Holiday promos are going to be announced soon, but we will have some great ones for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

These are the days when everyone starts their holiday shopping. Let your customers know that your merch will make for great gifts and advertise these promos in advance. Make graphics or short videos to tease these offers. Wear your merch or photograph it in front of a seasonal display to make it festive. Get more tips on how to run a promotion on our blog.

Upcoming Promos:

Nov. 2-6: 20% off everything

Nov. 15-20: 20% off everything

Nov. 25 (Black Friday): 35% off everything

Nov. 28-Dec. 4: 15% off everything & free shipping

What’s Your Strategy

Posting on socials is more than just advertising promos and sales, it’s another way to reach your customer. More and more users are turning to social media as spaces for shopping inspiration. These purchasing decisions make it or break it for small shop owners, especially during the holiday season.

Take advantage of features on Instagram like the Instagram Shopping Tab. Upload your products and create listings under different categories so interested parties can find your merch. You’ll be more easily accessible to users who have similar interests and shopping patterns. Now that’s holiday merch marketing made easy!

Did you know that you can sell your merch on YouTube? If you have at least 1,000 subscribers, you can feature your shop products directly below your videos using YouTube Product Shelf. Monetize your channel all year!

Be in Season

It’s important to have the products that are most in-demand out front on your site. We’re talking about the seasonal go-tos: hoodies, beanies, stocking, etc. Bury the tank tops for now.

Spreadshop makes it easy to place the attention on these designs with a feature called design view. Activate this in your shop so people can see what you’re offering the moment they click on your link. This is great for new designs that you want to focus on or related Holiday merch products.

Plush teddy bears are a cute, classic merch option. These cuddly plushes are great for the young ones in your life: nieces, nephews, cousins, the list goes on. The bears wear a t-shirt that you can upload any merch design into. They would look adorable under the tree or in one of our stockings. Look out for that upcoming product announcement!

Add Some Seasonal Touches

Bring seasonal cheer to your Spreadshop with some simple design changes. You don’t need to do a web design overall, just add a few extra touches. Use Canva and other design tools to create Holiday related icons you can add to your logo or header. Canva makes it easy: just set the size dimensions and start designing!

If the “About Me” page on your site hasn’t been activated, then what are you waiting for?! This is the perfect place to tell your customers more about yourself and your journey to becoming a shop owner. Add some Holiday cheer to this part of your website with themed photos. Product shots of new merch whether they are holiday related or not are always a good idea for promotion. And it puts your personality to the table.

You might think it’s too early to start planning for the Holidays, but it’ll be here before you know it! You’ll be ready for the bustling shopping season when you follow these tips.