NOVEMBER 15, 2022

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

In This Issue: The end-of-year countdown has begun. Are you ready? A family built a global YouTube channel that started with their kids’ excitement about unboxing. And those platforms? They are a changing.

Speaking of countdowns … We are counting down the days left of our lowest pricing tier of the year for Creator Economy Expo 2023. Register today before prices go up at the end of the week!

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The calendar is neatly laid out – 365 days covered over 12 months.

And yet, the end of the year seems to sneak up on many of us. Here are some revenue- and operations-related tips to execute so you’re well-positioned to start 2023.

Let your audience give (and buy): Even if you are a content creator in the early stage of your creator economy business you can take advantage of the season. The only technical requirement is that you sell something – subscriptions, classes, memberships, shoutouts, merch, etc.

While merch is an obvious category for gifting, you can get creative in selling gifts of your intangible content products, too. When I led marketing for a global inclusive sporting event, we had no merch but wanted to sell registrations for an event 10 months away. So, we sold registration gift “cards” and created customized certificates, each with a unique code.

What offerings do you have now or are planning for 2023 that you could promote and sell in 2022?

Reach out to brand partners and prospects: It’s not too late in the year to contact brands and revisit partners to talk about more business. While some brands may have spent their 2022 budgets, others may have some money left. Often, they are eager to spend it because if they don’t, they may not get that money in 2023.

Follow up with brands that have shown interest but haven’t closed deals. Let them know you have some space or time to execute sponsored content, partnerships, etc. Offer them at least a couple of options in case they have a little or a lot of budget to spend. Be prepared to execute quickly. In some cases, it may simply be sending an invoice for future work. In other cases, it will be completing the brand deal.

Say thanks: Businesspeople often use the last six weeks of the year as a time to give gifts to clients and employees. You don’t need to spend a lot or anything at all – the point is to show your gratitude for the business relationship.

As a small business owner, you likely have a small number of recipients, so you can tailor the gift to the recipient. Consider a gift card for a cup of coffee at their neighborhood café or Starbucks if you’re not sure where they live. Pack a gift box with some treats mixed in with your branded merch. Make a donation to their favorite charity. Or simply send a note thanking them for their business and explaining what the partnership has meant to you.

Plan for January 2023: If you don’t plan for January now, you’ll be scrambling over the holidays, especially if you depend on other people as they may not be working. Detail your editorial calendar for the first 31 days of the year. Plan to create the content in December for at least the first week of January.

– Ann Gynn

For three more tips about business operations, read the full story.

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Entrepreneurs: Diana and Jeka Bolbat

Biz: Vania Mania Kids

Tilt: Fun, educational content for kids featuring the family of seven

Primary Channels: YouTube (25M) across 15 translated and localized channels

Other Channels: Mom Diana’s Instagram (347K)

Time to First Dollar: 6 months

Rev Streams: YouTube advertisements; content also is distributed on Amazon Prime

Our Favorite Actionable Advice:

• Hire help to spur growth: The Bolbats brought in a professional video editor, so they could focus on what they did best – the creative ideas and shooting the videos. They continued adding partners and team members, each time growing their subscriber base exponentially.
• Put your spin on a hot topic: “Unboxing” videos weren’t new when Vania Mania launched, but they found a hook and went with it. “It’s very important to look carefully at what is popular for the target audience and work with that specific topic or type of video format,” Diana says.
• Have patience: Too many YouTubers also don’t give their content enough time to grow. Diana says the first year is an investment period. The second year begins to bring results.

– Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Read about how this former Ukraine family had their business and life impacted by the war.

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

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• Joe discusses five things you need to do now to solidify yourself into the speaking hall of fame. (Content Inc. podcast)
• Joe and Robert discuss B2B Content Marketing trends, including email-first opportunities. (This Old Marketing podcast)
• Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran shares her 5 tips for small business entrepreneurs. (The Ascent)
• Are you ready to make the best tech decisions for your business? (Yelp)
• Consider these elements when calculating your take-home pay. (CNBC)

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Your team for this issue: Joe Pulizzi, Pam Pulizzi, Ann Gynn, Laura Kozak, Marc Maxhimer, and Dave Anthony, with an assist from Sarah Lindenfeld Hall.

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