This Is How Creators Really Make Their Money

How do creators REALLY make their money?

I’m sure you've heard it before:

"Content is king."

So what do you do?

You get to work to create and post content on social media.

This is the creator economy, they say.

Content is what makes you noticed, they say.

Content is the foundation, they say.

Now, you posted something online.

Yet you find it vanishing into the abyss of the internet.

No likes, no shares, no engagement.

No leads, no opportunities, no sales.

It's frustrating, to say the least.

Right?

We've been told that content is king, so that's where we put most of our focus on.

But unfortunately, that's a mistake.

I learned that from experience…

The hard way.

Meaning that I've learned this from my own trial and error.

I used to post into the void.

I created content that no one saw. I created products that never launched. I made landing pages with no views.

For so. Damn. Long.

That’s NOT cool at all.

Discouraging and sad.

It can mess with your drive, energy, and overall motivation.

So it’s a problem.

But the good news is that it can be solvable.

This framework will show you how.

I truly wish I would have seen this a few years ago.

But anyways.

Here's what to do instead so you can learn the lesson the 'fast' way.

There's a specific strategy behind making money in the creator economy.

There is a precise framework to use the creator economy to sell stuff.

It's not just about creating content.

It's about understanding how to apply timeless marketing principles to the creator economy.

Big shift.

This framework is what most successful creators do.

But they don't share this insider knowledge.

Instead, they keep it secret.

Why?

BECAUSE IT WORKS.

My guess is that they use it to gain an unfair advantage over other creators.

Meanwhile, you struggle to gain traction.

But this ends now.

In this article, I'll break down the ACTUAL social media marketing funnel that works.

It's the step-by-step process that turns strangers into loyal customers.

If you're tired of getting nowhere on social media, it's time to learn the truth.

Let's dive in.

1. Noise

First, you start with NOISE. Noise is about media. It's about reaching people. If you can't reach people, you can't influence anyone. And if you can't influence anyone, you can't sell your product, service, idea, or whatever you want to do.

You need to reach people.

Guess what?

Content isn't the key to do that.

I know you're skeptical.

We live in the creator economy after all.

But think:

How many accounts don't get many views?

How many songs have less than 1000 streams?

How many videos get less than 100 views?

The vast majority.

That's why content isn't king, media is.

A piece of content that gets seen 1M times is much more powerful than 100 pieces of content that get 100 views each. It has much more potential.

The difference so big it's simply obvious.

So the first step in your creator funnel isn't to come up with the content.

It is to come up with how you're going to reach people.

You can do it in 3 different ways.

The first, is content. Yes, I know what I said. The truth is that it can be content, but it needs to be strategic and it needs to work. Meaning, the algorithm must like it and it needs to get pushed by it to get the views you want. Or it needs to be shared by people so you can reach more. The good news is that is free. The bad news is that it's a freaking roulette's game. You don't actually know what hits and what fails until you post it.

The second way is advertising. This is better than content because the reach is guaranteed. Why? Because you pay for it. The problem is that you are an 'unwelcome pest' in their lives. They didn't want you there. They didn’t ask to receive your ad in their feed. They would rather consume the content they were about to consume. So you must be strategic to be worth the interruption.

The third way is outreach, aka messaging people. The reach isn't guaranteed like ads but still better than content on average. The principle is similar to ads but less obvious. You could write an email to someone and they may not see you as an unwelcome pest or 'pushy salesman'. It depends on what you write, of course. But your message lacks the 'sponsored' tag (like with ads). So, you have a chance of seeming more genuine. And it also feels more human 2 human.

2. Hook

The second step is HOOK. Noise gives you reach.

The hook should turn visitors into followers and subscribers.

In other words, the hook should give you the lead.

It’s a specific message that hooks your prospect into your world and makes them interested in who you are.

You need a hook no matter the platform, the niche, or market.

Here's a practical example.

If crafted strategically, a tweet could be a hook.

You post it. The algo pushes it (or you promote it).

People see it, and click to your profile.

They see your bio (another HOOK).

They then decide whether to follow you, to click the link in your bio, etc.

Notice how it’s all based on whether you hook them in.

This step is about creating attention-grabbing headlines, stories, and messages.

Make sure you are noisy to reach people.

Make sure you hook them into your world.

Then, move to the next step.

3. Lead

You get leads when your hook works.

To keep things simple, let's define a lead as someone you can reach in some way and is interested in your stuff.

You have leads if people want to follow you, message you, subscribe to you, etc.

Anything that clearly shows they want to know more is a sign you are getting leads.

In the example I showed you earlier, maybe they liked your tweet and bio. They choose to follow you on that platform. This is a clear signal that they want more of what they liked. This works no matter the platform you choose to operate on.

If they liked your landing page, they might download your lead magnet. They might also subscribe to your newsletter. They will give you their email in exchange.

If they liked the first video they see from you, they will subscribe to your channel.

These are all examples of lead generation activities.

Pay attention to the principles, not the platforms or tactic.

You communicate with your audience via YouTube.

It's the same as having an email list for marketing.

You are talking to an audience trying to persuade them to do something.

The problem is that no platform is created equal.

Meaning that some platforms work better than others.

Maybe YouTube could shut down your channel overnight.

Maybe Instagram doesn't show your post to all of your followers.

Maybe Tik Tok gets your video under 200 views.

But the principle is the same.

You are trying to reach people with a message for a reason. That's it.

The more interested people you can reach, the more effective you marketing efforts will be.

4. Content

The fourth step is CONTENT. Notice how it’s the FOURTH STEP (!)

Not the first one. Not the second one. The fourth one. Crazy, right?

Content is what you are actually about. It’s the knowledge and perspective you bring to the conversation.

But without noise, a hook, and leads to talk to…content is basically useless.

If you follow the steps in this funnel, you should have all of these.

And once you have all that?

You have an 'audience' of listeners.

You can now make 'content' that speaks to their problems, tells stories they can relate to, etc.

This content brings you to the next step in the funnel.

You don't need to focus on bringing new people in.

This is usually done better in media you own, like an email list. But it could be done anywhere.

For example, A YT community posts that says ‘download my lead magnet’ isn’t going to get noticed much by people from outside your community.

You are talking to the people who already know you who are (NOISE), are interested in what you do (HOOK), and want to know more about it (LEAD).

That's what content is really for.

The problem is when you confuse content with a hook.

The difference is not much in the information, but rather in the purpose of it.

A piece of content dedicated to educate and entertain your audience is different than a hook designed to grab people's attention.

The hook is the headline. The content is what's inside.

People click based on the headline. They stay based on the content.

But if you can't grab their attention and make them notice...your content will be useless.

5. Action

The fifth and final step is ACTION. This is about what you want them to do next.

Your content educated them on who you are and what you do, your offers, etc.

Now you need to tell them where you want them to go.

Maybe it’s a purchase, maybe a call, or maybe an application.

Whatever that is, this is your 'action.

It's the final step in the funnel.

You now ask for action and get the result you want or achieve the goals you’re looking for.

Depending on your offer structure, this is what makes the money.

I hope you see by now that there is much more than just 'posting content'.

Leveraging social media to market your stuff is not just about posting content.

You can't just publish and hope for the best.

You need to understand the steps of the creator funnel.

You make noice to get noticed.

You hook people into your world.

You turn visitors into leads that want to know more.

You create content to educate them about who you are and what you do.

You ask them to do something after you provided value and established a relationship.

That's a proper creator funnel.

If leveraged correctly, this framework will help you attract, engage, and convert your audience into customers.

You can now create a more effective social media marketing strategy that drives real results for your creator business.

Hope it brought value to you.

Talk soon,

Nick