In my dream world, I’d be a content material creator full-time. I’ve been an influencer at coronary heart since 2009, earlier than that was even a factor you possibly can be, and have spent my profession searching for methods to make a sustainable dwelling from sharing my passions and experience with the world. Because the face of Interval Nirvana—probably the most complete web site and academic useful resource on the matters of menstrual cups and different reusable menstrual merchandise—I spend a very good portion of my time making faux blood and sitting on a rest room filming myself, and I really like each second of it.
However I’ve additionally been within the on-line content material world lengthy sufficient to know that making a dwelling from content material alone is a grind. You’ll be able to have 1,000,000 views in your Instagram Reels or YouTube movies and nonetheless not make practically sufficient cash to help your self. Your revenue can be wildly inconsistent month to month. I’m not saying it’s not possible to make a dwelling as a content material creator, however I discovered it difficult to make the maths add up based mostly on my earlier experiences within the trade. After I began brainstorming the launch of my new model, I noticed that if I needed to have the ability to constantly present free, instructional content material that makes tens of millions of peoples’ lives simpler, I wanted to search out one other method to monetize it.
So, alongside my instructional model, I made a decision to launch an e-commerce retailer devoted to reusable menstrual merchandise: Interval.Store. Due to this distinctive hybrid enterprise mannequin, I’ve been capable of attain multi-six figures in income inside simply two years of launching the model. This yr, I anticipate that I may attain $1 million in gross sales.
Whether or not you’re a enterprise proprietor wanting to make use of content material to develop your model, or a content material creator questioning about launching one other stream of revenue, right here is why this strategy works so effectively, plus a few of my recommendation for marrying content material and retail in a method that may result in unbelievable outcomes.
I take advantage of my content material to promote for my very own merchandise
The content material I create on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and my weblog serves as advertising and marketing for my store. Not solely does it assist me construct thought management and a following of potential clients who belief me, I can use each single video I create as an commercial for the merchandise I inventory.
For me, that is more practical than attempting to get different manufacturers to pay me to promote their merchandise in my content material, particularly contemplating corporations in my area of interest don’t are likely to have big advert budgets. My retail retailer additionally permits me to earn cash from the merchandise I’d be recommending anyway—as an alternative of sharing an affiliate hyperlink and making a small 1-5% fee, I can push viewers towards my retailer that has increased margins (40% on common). Although these increased margins additionally include the upper overhead prices of working a retail retailer, I nonetheless discover I’m capable of flip a greater revenue than I might be capable of through advert income, affiliate hyperlinks, and sponsored posts.
In April 2021, our content material technique paid off with our first viral TikTok that netted Interval.Store an $8,000 day. One video immediately boosted consciousness of our account and model. A number of viral movies on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have fueled continued success and progress whereas gaining our model world recognition as the highest supply of menstrual cup and disc training.
@periodnirvana Is that this a world document? #periodtiktok #menstrualcup #periodstories ♬ Steven Universe – L.Dre
The revenue I make from the shop provides me the liberty to create the content material I need to, with out juggling different manufacturers’ calls for or stretching myself too skinny doing one thing else on the facet to earn a living. The content material itself can be monetized by way of applications that pay creators for the eyeballs they obtain—such web site advertisements, Reels Bonus, TikTok Creator Fund, and YouTube advertisements—although I see that extra as bonus revenue every month quite than having to depend on it to help myself and my household.
I’ve stored my content material extra instructional than promotional
That mentioned, the most important mistake I see individuals make when attempting to develop content material channels to help their enterprise is focusing an excessive amount of on promoting their merchandise. A much more partaking strategy is to teach your viewers in your area of interest.
Sure, I discuss and demo the merchandise I promote, however I additionally reply questions on merchandise I don’t inventory and menstruation normally. Why? As a result of I would like my neighborhood to really feel like I’ll present worth whether or not they purchase one thing from me or not. Once they really feel like I’m actually right here to assist them and am not simply out for the sale, it helps individuals join with the model. Plus, it builds belief: after I share details about my merchandise or suggest one thing I do promote, my followers understand it’s coming from a spot of true experience.
Take into consideration what you’re the knowledgeable on, or what you’re enthusiastic about, associated to the merchandise you promote, and lean into sharing that. It should assist you to create content material that basically resonates as an alternative of content material that comes throughout as disingenuous and salesy.
I created a powerful lead magnet to tie the whole lot collectively
In fact, you don’t need the content material you create to be utterly disconnected from the merchandise you’re promoting, both. A robust lead magnet—or a free useful resource you supply clients, usually in trade for his or her e-mail handle—could be a good way to drive individuals to your web site with out it feeling such as you’re pushing a sale.
My major supply of gross sales is our quiz funnel. My movies on TikTok or YouTube primarily level to additional content material on my instructional web site (quite than pointing on to my store), the place our quiz will assist individuals discover the suitable product (even when that’s not a product we inventory!) and encourage them to hitch our mailing listing. We additionally produce other assets on the positioning that present worth whereas additionally driving towards a few of our merchandise, like our complete menstrual cup chart and our filterable cup and disc finder.
If I ended all of my movies by pushing individuals straight to purchase my merchandise, they might begin sounding too marketing-heavy, quick. As a substitute, a compelling lead magnet permits me to have a gentler name to motion, directing viewers to a useful resource the place I might help them discover the perfect merchandise for his or her wants and additional construct belief.
I didn’t put all my eggs in a single content material basket
One other mistake I see companies and content material creators make goes all-in on one channel. Possibly they’d a video go viral on TikTok so determined to double down there, or they really feel most comfy on Instagram.
I get it: Creating content material takes time, so that you don’t need to stretch your self too skinny over a number of channels. However I all the time remind individuals that you simply don’t personal your viewers on social channels, they usually can change the algorithm and take away your progress at any second. That’s what’s occurring for me on TikTok proper now: I used to get 30,000-100,000 views even on my lowest-performing content material, and now I’m seeing 1,000 views or fewer.
Fortunately, YouTube is on an upswing proper now, so I’m not shedding site visitors on the entire—which is precisely why companies want to verify they’re placing out content material on a number of channels. You don’t even have to begin from scratch every time: I’ll frequently reformat movies from my YouTube into shorter-form clips for Instagram and TikTok. (I additionally know enterprise homeowners who rent digital assistants to tackle the work of reformatting.) Sure, it’s a bit extra time-consuming so as to add this step, but it surely’s so value it in serving to shield me from the whims of social media.
I streamlined enterprise operations to go away time for content material
I received’t lie: Working a content material model and a retail retailer concurrently is a variety of work. And transitioning from a solo content material creator to a enterprise proprietor having to take care of clients and sophisticated logistics was an enormous adjustment.
However I’ve discovered methods to streamline my enterprise operations to make sure I nonetheless have loads of time and mind house to be inventive and make content material. As an example, I’ve labored with a neighborhood 3PL (third-party logistics) achievement middle from the beginning, which suggests I don’t must spend time transport out orders. I do customer support myself, however attempt to time-block it, beginning and ending my day answering emails so I can have massive swaths of content material creation time in between. However there’s a lot to do when operating a store—from managing distributors to creating listings and product images—and I’m nonetheless the one doing most of it myself.
When I’ve to take time away from my old flame (creating content material) to work on constructing the retail facet of my enterprise, I attempt to remind myself that I’m investing in monetary stability, each now and for the longer term. One of many different challenges of creating a dwelling as a content material creator is that once you cease creating content material, you cease earning money. I really like that I’m constructing a basis in order that, if I ever determine to step away as a public determine, I can nonetheless have a thriving enterprise.
