MAY 20, 2022

Welcome to The Tilt, a twice-weekly newsletter for content entrepreneurs.

In this issue:

Full Tilt: CEX Lessons
Stan: Bilingual TikTok Cooking
Tilt Education Free Course: How To Build an Audience and Generate Revenue

full tilt

Helpful Tips and Takeaways From Creator Economy Expo Main Stage

I learned so much at Creator Economy Expo that I created a mega Twitter thread. The Tilt asked me to share my highlight takeaways from the main stage presenters. Let’s get started.

Ann Handley shared a story about Robert L. May, a copywriter who was hired to write a story to sell toys. The result? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Ann turned Robert’s story into The Rudolph Storytelling Framework – nine prompts to help you fill in the blanks to create your own story. I put together the fun and actionable template she shared into this Google Doc template.

My favorite YouTube tip from Roberto Blake? If there are more than 1M users of a paying product, you better believe they are searching for tutorials on how to use it.

Among his other great tips: No other place will pay you to promote your business. Search is here to stay. If you care about discoverability, get on YouTube.

Wally Koval of Accidentally Wes Anderson is a testament to how powerful user-generated content can be and how being the most critical consumer of your product will ensure its high standard.

Among Wally’s advice: Members are better than followers. Let the community help guide your direction.

Next up was podcaster Jordan Harbinger. He shared one of the greatest tactical things I’ve seen by a multi-passionate creator: a podcast starter pack, a curated playlist of his most popular episodes grouped by topics to help new listeners get a feel for the content.

The absolute OG Chris Guillebeau always makes people think, and I love that about him. He says: “Become a translator for people. That is, bridge the gap for them. A lot of people are on the outside looking into your industry, trying to figure out how to get inside. Help them.”

Twitch streamer Leesh Capeesh reminded everyone to have fun with their communities – to show up and genuinely connect with those who want to connect with you. She hilariously said, “I’m not here trying to trauma-bond. I’m here to have a good time.”

Onto the man who heavily influenced my master’s thesis, author Daniel Pink. Here are some of his quotes that I’d love to see on a billboard:

You gotta take a lot of shots on goal.
You’re not a slave to your audience, but you are listening to them.
Rest is an essential part of optimizing performance

– Tanya Moushi

Get the rest of Tanya Moushi’s CEX takeaways.

Learn what Jim MacLeod and Darren Smith had to share from CEX.

FREE for The Tilt community

Thanks to Lulu, catch every word from these keynotes plus over 20 breakout sessions. Register now to access the 2022 Creator Economy Expo videos.

we’re a stan for … Jenny Martinez

https://www.thetilt.com/content-entrepreneur/kat-kamalani-changes-tilt

Entrepreneur: Jenny Martinez

Biz: Happy Bellies By Jenny & Jenny’s Kitchen

Tilt: Bubbly chef cooks up Mexican food

Scene: TikTok (3.1M), YouTube (115K), Instagram (331K)

Snack Bites:

Jenny shot to TikTok stardom after her daughter uploaded two clips with her birra and quesataco recipes.
She produces content in Spanish and English to help her videos appeal to a wider audience.
Major brands like Spam and Bounty have worked with Jenny on sponsor partnerships.

Why We’re a Stan: Jenny’s easy and natural delivery of Mexican recipes gives her an authentic content tilt that draws millions of viewers. Creating in Spanish and English, she connects with audiences familiar with the cuisine and attracts newcomers who aren’t as knowledgeable about the dishes.

– Shameyka McCalman

Read more on Jenny Martinez’s content entrepreneur success.

quick talk

Caught on … Instagram

“No business should be entirely dependent on one platform.” – Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram)

things to know

Money

Russia reduction: Since the country’s invasion of Ukraine, YouTube has paused its revenue-earning features for those who broadcast primarily to a Russian audience. These creators are now scrambling to move their audience to other platforms. (Insider; h/t Lindsey Gamble)
Tilt Take: You don’t control your business if you rely on a third party to set not only the parameters for earning but whether earning is even possible.
Don’t stop on graduation day: Stay engaged with students after they complete your online course and you won’t lose out on potential revenue and marketing help. Send them a survey. Ask for a testimonial. Offer a new course. Invite them to become affiliates. (Daniel Bustamante)
Tilt Take: Build your student relationship so you both can continue to learn and grow beyond a one-time course.

Audiences

Newsletters stylin’: Vogue says traffic isn’t as valuable as it once was. That’s why they used the Met Gala to create a multi-prong content strategy – earning 100K newsletter subscribers, 30K new registrants through its real-time fashion-voting feature, and the biggest membership day of its $25 monthly Vogue Club. (Adweek; h/t Inbox Reads)
Tilt Take: Vogue knows. Audience-based businesses are all permission-based relationships, not traffic.
Group win: Some of Simon Owens’ best community feedback comes from his Facebook group. How? He only promotes it at the bottom of his newsletter. He rejects any request from someone who doesn’t cite his newsletter as their discovery source. (Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter)
Tilt Take: It’s a smart strategy to develop a quality community that wants to engage.

Tech and Tools

Credit is due: TikTok creators now can link back to videos of other TikTok creators and trend originators. Previously, they could only tag other accounts. (Variety; h/t Adam Helweh in Tilt Discord)
Tilt Take: It’s the right move. Now, it’s in the hands of TikTok creators using those others’ videos to do the right thing.
Smooth listening: New Audio Player app lets creators control the audience experience outside of third-party streaming providers. Add a single audio file or tracklist, then customize its look and feel. (Koji)
Tilt Take: Audio isn’t all about the listening experience. Think about the visual package, too.

And Finally

Video vigor: Videos make up 50% of user time on Facebook and 20% on Instagram. That’s why Meta plans to eventually roll out its U.S.-only Reels bonus program worldwide. (Zawya)
Tilt Take: Meta sees the power of video to make money. You can too. Just don’t put too much time into playing the game to earn Meta’s bonus money.
Web3 wonder: Creators can build more sustainable business models and fans can get easier access to content in Web3 – but first, they have to know how to use the key tools. First up? Practical guidance on how to download a crypto wallet and use it to buy and store digital assets. (Coinbase)
Tilt Take: Being an early adopter is a great opportunity only if your audience is ready to join you and you’re ready to bring them along step by step.

the business of content

This Event NFT Is a Home Run (Content Inc.)
The Webby Award-Winning Episode (This Old Marketing)
Growing Business Relationships Grows Revenue (Entrepreneur)
Female Founders Unite for Success (The Motley Fool)
Networking Tips for Small Businesses (Star-Tribune)

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, Tanya Moushi, Shameyka McCalman, Kimmy Gustafson, and Don Borger.

A Gift For Creators – May 20, 2022