MARCH 22, 2022

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.

See who is speaking at the Creator Economy Expo this May!

In this issue:

Full Tilt: Battle Trolls, Haters, and Abusers
Content Entrepreneur: Homerun on TikTok

full tilt

Trolls, Haters, and Abusers: What Creators Can Do About Online Bullying

A 2021 Pew Research Center study found online harassment, including offensive name-calling, purposeful embarrassment, physical threats, and sexual harassment, has intensified in recent years. The survey found the majority of online harassment – 75% – happens on social media platforms. Another 16% occurs on gaming sites.

“This is not a social media or internet problem. It’s a social problem,” says Kelli Dunlap, a clinical psychologist, game designer, and community manager for Take This, a games-focused mental health nonprofit.

The first step to dealing with hateful comments or nasty DMs is calling them for what they are and realizing all the negative energy isn’t coming just from trolls.

“If we minimize what happened, we tend to blame ourselves for not being able to handle it. But nobody expects someone who receives harassment or abuse to just brush it off like it’s nothing,” Kelly says.

Though there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, you can structure a response process.

1. Decide how to react

If somebody comes on a stream and shares a single offensive comment or punches out a one-off comment, it’s probably not worth validating the response with a reaction, she says. But, if the person continues to cause harm, it might be time to step up and do something.

In a Twitch stream, for example, moderators could warn the commenter to get their act together or get out. If the behavior continues, the mods can remove them. If a harasser shares a stream of nasty comments, a YouTuber or Instagrammer can simply delete them.

And in some cases, creators decide to clap back, responding to negative feedback in a dedicated post or as part of a stream. There’s no right answer. Do what you feel most comfortable with, Kelli says.

2. Gather your people

Finding support in your loved ones, friends, and community is more important than ever. Look to other content creators who understand what it’s like to be a victim of online harassment for tips, advice, and an understanding ear. Go to IRL friends and loved ones for in-person support.

It also might be time to talk to someone trained in mental health – a counselor, a therapist, a pastor, or somebody at school, she says. The Games and Online Harassment Hotline provides confidential emotional support for gamers and other creators. Kelli’s Take This also offers resources for online harassment support.

3. Report the behavior

If the abuse is potentially criminal, creators can report the activity to local law enforcement. They also can report other harassment and bullying to the hosting platform. Here are the reporting procedures for:

Kelli acknowledges it often can feel futile to report abuse or bullying. “There’s a very strong belief that the system doesn’t work,” she says. “There’s no promise, but then you can at least tell yourself that you tried, you did something, and maybe there will be a change,” she says. “I can guarantee you that if you do not ask, the likelihood of that changing is very minimal.”

– Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Learn the differences among trolls, abusers, and harassers, plus preventative and coping tips.

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content entrepreneur spotlight

Entrepreneur: Jay Prather

Biz: Jay Prather

Tilt: Comedy from a professional ballplayer

Time to First Dollar: 6 months

Channels: TikTok (343K,) Instagram (4.9K)

Rev Streams: Merch, TikTok Creator Fund, Cameo, sponsorship deals, tips

Our Favorite Actionable Advice:

Don’t rest on your virality: Creators must publish consistently to retain an audience that may have come through viral content.
Create unexpected content: Jay gained some fans on the ball field, but his content isn’t about sports. He brings comedy and his home life to the TikTok screen.
Expect criticism: Sharing your life online can bring negative responses from the public.

– Kelly Wynne

Read all about Jay Prather and his advice for content entrepreneurs.

Know a content creator who’s going full tilt? DM us. Or email [email protected].

quick talk

Caught on … Twitter

“The big trend for creators right now? Owning your relationship with your audience.” – Spencer Fry

things to know

Money

Free advertising: Karat Financial is known for its credit card for creators. Now, it’s taken 80 of those creators to billboards in New York and Los Angeles free of charge. (tubefilter)
Tilt Take: Think up some unique ways to cross-promote through your service providers and vendors.
Linktree revenue: The billion-dollar valued Linktree lets creators consolidate links into a single URL. Recently, it raised $110M. But it still needs to make money. One option is taking a cut of transactions already incorporated into the platform – cash tips, Shopify integration, or video shout-outs. (The Motley Fool)
Tilt Take: Always have a Plan B because third-party platforms can change the business arrangement whenever they want.

Audiences

No Meta: Social networks for distribution at Morning Brew? Twitter. TikTok. LinkedIn. “Instagram & Facebook didn’t make the cut. Too hard to grow. Organic reach is terrible.” (Jack Appleby)
Tilt Take: If you can’t grow an audience on a platform, it doesn’t make sense to be there. (Jack Appleby)
Growth by acquisition: Digital media publisher Underknown made its first acquisition – a previously independent YouTube channel known as Aperture. (tubefilter)
Tilt Take: Solo channels can make ideal acquisitions for publishers to grow their audiences. Are you setting up your business to attract a buyer?

Tech and Tools

TikTok tales: TikTok’s expanding its Stories feature pilot phase. You’ll see how many people viewed the story but not the handles that viewed it. (Tech Crunch; h/t Created Economy)
Tilt Take: Numbers can be particularly helpful when comparing your 24-hour vanishing videos to see what works better than others.
Clip it: An option tested at Twitter allows creators to cut audio clips up to 30 seconds from their Spaces content. (Social Media Today; h/t Matt Navarra)
Tilt Take: You can use audio clips like this as self-contained content or promotional content for your Spaces sessions.

And Finally

Tripod success: Most successful creators seem to perfectly balance consumption, creation, and promotion. You can’t just focus on one or two of those levers. (Growth Currency)
Tilt Take: Creating content is not the only thing that needs doing to become a content entrepreneur.
Target fail: Youtubers Saucey and Honey face charges of trespassing and conspiracy for spending a night at a Target as part of a YouTube challenge. They also have been banned from the company’s stores in Pennsylvania. (PennLive)
Tilt Take: Breaking the law isn’t the best way to get attention to sustain an ethical content business.

the business of content

Creators: Is Your Audience Buying Power the Problem? Content Inc.
Brands Still Shortsighted with NFTs (This Old Marketing)
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Now Open to All – No Funding Needed (Microsoft)
This Freelancer Went From Foreclosure to Financial Freedom With One Tweak in Her Business (Time)
3 Reasons To Seek Wealth That Have Nothing To Do With Greed (The Good Men Project)

the tilt team

Your team for this issue: Joe Pulizzi, Ann Gynn, Laura Kozak, Marc Maxhimer, and Dave Anthony, with an assist from Angelina Kaminski, Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Kelly Wynne, and Don Borger.

Don’t Just Take It – March 22, 2022