In 2021, 75 content entrepreneurs shared their stories with writers at The Tilt for our content entrepreneur profiles. Some of these creators still have their “day” jobs, while others are earning six figures and more from their content business. They publish blogs, videos, podcasts, and more. They’re doing deals with brands, and selling subscriptions, merch, etc.

What do the top five content entrepreneur profiles (based on total page visits) have in common? In short, they all have found a successful content tilt. In long? Read on for the spotlights and click the titles to read the full stories.

1. Creator Takes Tingling ASMR Content to Next Level, Attracts YouTube Audience (Nov. 8, 2021)

ASMR content from The Healing Room ASMR YouTube site.

Entrepreneur: Dee (she doesn’t use her last name publicly because of privacy concerns)

Biz: The Healing Room ASMR

Tilt: ASMR content for relaxation and entertainment

Primary Channel: YouTube (41.3K)

Other Channels: The Healing Word on YouTube (2.36K), TikTok (177), Patreon (43), Instagram (3K)

Time to First Dollar: 6 months

Rev Streams: YouTube ads, Patreon

Our Favorite Actionable Advice

  • Let your audience choose: Dee delivers her videos in two forms – with music and ambient sound and without. 
  • Stand out with creativity: In a crowded ASMR content world, she treats each video as an art piece, making it aesthetically pleasing and as immersive for viewers as possible.
  • Start with education, not creation: Dee advises potential content entrepreneurs to do their research before creating their first content. 

– Kelly Wynne

@TheTiltNews profile of @HealingRoomASMR creator was the most viewed #ContentEntrepreneur spotlight in 2021. #YouTube #CreatorEconomy Click To Tweet

2. TikTok Creator Kacie Burns Creates Content Business After Viral Video (July 22, 2021)

TikTok creator Kacie Burns finds her content tilt as an American living in Italy.

Entrepreneur and Biz: Kacie Rose Burns

Tilt: Real experience of living abroad.

Channels: TikTok (662K) Instagram (89.8K)

Rev Streams: TikTok Creator Fund, sponsored content 

Our Favorite Actionable Advice

  • Fill a gap: Just because you want to create in a crowded space, like travel influencers, doesn’t mean you can’t find a niche that needs to be filled.
  • Get your audience involved: Kacie uses her viewers to help in content-making decisions.
  • Publish consistently: Once you capture the audience’s attention, continue regular delivery of your content to keep them interested and engaged. 

– Bonnie Azoulay

#KacieBurns found a travel niche that needed to be filled: real-life experience of living abroad. Her @TikTok has over 662K followers and her spotlight in @TheTiltNews garnered the No. 2 spot for 2021. #ContentEntrepreneur Click To Tweet

3. YouTube Creator and Novelist Makes Surprising Addition to Her Content Business (May 13, 2021)

youtube content creator allison raskin

Entrepreneur: Allison Raskin

Biz: Emotional Support Lady and Just Between Us (with Gaby Dunn)

ESL Channel: Instagram Followers: 37.8K

JBU Channel: YouTube Followers: 679K Total Views: 174M

Rev Streams: YouTube, books, podcast acquisition, sponsored content, Patreon

Our Favorite Actionable Advice

  • Ask Why should this content exist in the world?”: You must have a good reason to motivate you to create and your audience to follow you.
  • View yourself as a storyteller, not a content creator: That shift in thinking will lead you to create narratives that resonate better with your audiences.
  • Bring your audience along: Allison built a following at Buzzfeed. Many of them followed her to Just Between Us and now Emotional Support Lady.

– Bonnie Azoulay

View yourself as a storyteller, not a content creator, says @AllisonRaskin. Her #ContentEntrepreneur spotlight was the third most-visited in 2021. Click To Tweet

4. YouTube Creator Andrea Russett Goes Pro Early (July 12, 2021)

YouTube Creator Andrea Russett goes from creating YouTube videos as a bored teen into a full-time content business

Entrepreneur & Biz: YouTube creator Andrea Russett

Tilt: Journey to real-life adulthood

Channels: TikTok (1.5M) YouTube (2.93M) Instagram (4.8M)

Rev Streams: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, music, merch

Our Favorite Actionable Advice

  • Not just the rosy: Andrea knows sharing her life means sharing the positive and the negative.
  • Read contracts: A professional can be essential to ensure you fully understand all the details in your brand sponsorships or other business contracts.
  • Don’t go for sensational: Building a business around controversy may prompt follower spikes, but it rarely is the best long-term, sustainable option. 

– Kelly Wynne

Building a content business around controversy may prompt follower spikes, but it's rarely the best long-term option, says @AllisonRaskin. Her #ContentEntrepreneur spotlight ranked No. 4 in 2021 for @TheTiltnews. Click To Tweet

5. Early-Stage Content Entrepreneur Makes First Dollar after 2 Weeks on Twitch (May 31, 2021)

twitch channel tamer gar featuring the T show

Entrepreneur: Tamer Gargour

Biz: TamerGar

Tilt: Streaming less popular video games

Channels: Twitch (1.1K) Facebook (10K) Twitter (10K)  Instagram (2.8K)

Time to revenue: 2 weeks

Monthly revenue: $1K after five months in business

Rev Streams: Twitch affiliate partner

Our Favorite Actionable Advice

  • Don’t stream more. Market and network more: Tamer attributes over 80% of his early success to interacting in Twitch-related groups, answering questions, posting comments, popping into and supporting other Twitch channels.
  • Go live when you have an audience: Ask family and friends to join your early streams. Having audience members is social proof that could spur non-relatives to watch too.
  • Pick standout stream topics: Tamer deliberately streams games that are less popular, so his channel stands out from the crowd.

– Emily Griffin-Wetzel

.@TamerGar attributes his early @Twitch success to interacting with related groups, answering questions, posting comments, etc. #ContentEntrepreneur spotlight No. 5 in 2021. Click To Tweet

And we had to throw in the sixth most visited spotlight as it is one of our faves.

BONUS: Slow and Steady: Koo Koo Kanga Roo Builds Diverse Fan Base (April 22, 2021)

Entrepreneurs: Bryan Atchison and Neil Olstad 

Biz: Koo Koo Kanga Roo

Tilt: Interactive dance music that appeals to bargoers and grade-school kids

Channel: YouTube (200K; 139M views)

Favorite Actionable Advice

  • Be flexible: The duo evolved their idea, which now appeals to the nightclub crowd and grade-school kids. 
  • Find your own twist: Take the cool thing you like and make it yours.
  • Don’t focus on quantity: They switched from doing a new video every two weeks to publishing three videos in a year. The three videos did better than the others.

– Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

List compiled by Ann Gynn.

About the author

Ann regularly combines words and strategy for B2B, B2C, and nonprofits, continuing to live up to her high school nickname, Editor Ann. An IABC Communicator of the Year and founder of G Force Communication, Ann coaches and trains professionals in all things content. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.