monica,_michelle _ jan 15, 2024 001_riverside

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Monica: [00:00:00] and welcome back to inside the click your weekly dive into the creator economy. It is our 1st episode of 2024 and we're so excited to dive into 2024 trends that you're not going to want to miss and how to really stand out this year.

Michelle: Yeah, we should say first recorded episode.

Monica: Oh, yeah. First recorded episode. You're right.

Michelle: Because we have had a few, but like Monica said, we talk about what you can do this month to ramp up your success for the rest of the year. So let's do it.

Monica: About was like it, my brain is so fried it being like the new year and the big creators are taking January social media breaks. So if you're a smaller creator, that kind of is like an in for you because. The chances of that bigger creator being the last click [00:01:00] are lower because they're not really posting this month So it could be an interesting time to Ramp up even if you the assumption might be people aren't really shopping even if people are shopping less than they did in December you still have that opening

Michelle: that's really interesting and especially not only like They're taking a social media break, but there's a lot of planning going on and stuff because I feel like the holidays are this.

Period of rushing and yeah, you try to plan, but realistically, you're still going to be doing things on the fly. You're going to be tired. You just need a break. And another thing too, is brands tend to a lot of brands have their fiscal year like ending in January. So after December, they hardly have any funds left.

So that's a really good [00:02:00] point that's another factor that's contributing to just less going on right now and Yeah,

Monica: yeah, I would say just because The big creators aren't really posting much I wouldn't take that as a sign for you to not post much just because also I'm talking about those mega creators that really can take January off and nothing really changes income wise for them.

If you are either starting out or just kind of like in that mid area, use that as the opportunity rather than the copying their strategy kind of thing. That's where your strategy does depend on what stage in your business

Michelle: you are in. What stage in your business you're in and also what platforms you're on

so you were sending me a bunch of YouTube stuff this morning and I was like, Oh, maybe [00:03:00] she wants to talk about YouTube today. But something that I thought was interesting, I was watching the video and we can put this in the show notes. I was watching the video about the YouTube shorts algorithm and how that's different from the longer form content.

Algorithm. I was thinking we should talk about this today. I feel like it's, who's the guy in YouTube that's talking, he's like some VP of product. He's one of their head people. Yeah. Yeah. So he was talking about the difference in intention and audience between shorts versus longer form content.

So the longer form content, right? Like. You're even you're coming to the content, maybe from another social media platform or you follow the creator on their own YouTube channel. And that is [00:04:00] very different than in shorts, the way that they've set it up right now, right? It's just like this endless feed.

And people are scrolling and discovering and figuring that out and so how you need to tailor your content. It's different on both platforms. And I was like, oh, that's really interesting. I think that can apply to, like, whatever social media platform, because we've talked about as well on tick tock.

If you follow someone, you might not even see their videos because that's how the algorithm works. Is it just like reaches endless strangers and so making content on that you should have a different mindset than when you make content on Instagram or even in a private Facebook group or on your sub stack or all those different things taking that audience into account, I think, is really interesting.

And now is a good time to do that, especially [00:05:00] for. Yeah. Up and coming because it is less cluttered.

Monica: Yeah, I think what was interesting about that too, is that I kind of always assumed that the shorts on YouTube were to have like snippets of your full video. I think it's because I don't know, there's something about how I first saw it that I was like, oh, it's like a teaser.

It's like the trailer to your long form video. So that's really interesting that's actually not the intention of it. And it's just be that different. Form content,

Michelle: right? But I think that's also that. I think that's also because, like, in the early days of Facebook and all the different social media platforms, it was kind of how you would do marketing would be okay.

You make your. five minute video that goes on YouTube. Then you have a 15 second cut, then you have a 30 second cut. And I think that's just like how [00:06:00] we did things, but it's definitely evolving. And I think each platform wants to be so unique to the point that, you can't just use the same thing and just cut it up in a bunch of different ways.

Like, you do have to re tailor it.

Monica: Yeah, and I do think it also works. In YouTube's favor too, because a lot of YouTubers truly are only YouTubers. So they do have the time to do that. I feel like when it comes to Instagram and TikTok, there's more crossover where they're on both and having to create content for both.

But when it comes to YouTubers, they really just stay true to YouTube. So it's almost like they do have the bandwidth to, to take full advantage. Of

Michelle: shorts. Yeah. It's even like, how you can do customer life cycle stuff. Yeah. The shorts are that [00:07:00] discovery elements still within YouTube and then the longer form videos are more once you have your audience, how are you retaining them?

Of course, this is when you're on the platform. People still share YouTube videos and stuff, but even just in thinking about how that life cycle can work. Just because it's the same platform doesn't mean that for each of the offerings within it, you need to use the same strategy. That's even the case with Instagram, right?

Like, with stories, a big thing there is that they will disappear if you don't save them. The intent needs to be different. Then link in bio or real or static post,

Monica: right? Another interesting YouTube thing that I saw. So today YouTube basically sent out an email with all these different, resources to old blog posts or videos from [00:08:00] 2023 to help you plan for 2024.

And one of them was about the YouTube shopping. So like their affiliate program. And I. I thought that what was interesting was it said something like creators who use YouTube shopping saw an increase in 20% in earnings. And I thought that was so low because I would like 20%. I don't know if you see people using like LTK for the first time, they see three to four times.

An increase in earnings , seeing that 20%, I just felt like that was kind of a low number and it made me wonder if maybe their commission rates are really low because they have Nordstrom. They have all the big. Brands they have, I think there's like, over 200 brands that you can link to. And if it's an increase in [00:09:00] 20%, I feel like they just must have really low rates.

Michelle: That also makes me think that if it is only that little, they're not using someone's involvement on that side of things to boost their videos in the algorithm, which I kind of like, but it also seems like a miss for them.

Right. Because like, if you're doing

Monica: more, they were acting proud of the 20 percent number, like they were using it as a marketing headline. Interesting.

Michelle: Man, all of these platforms are literally doing the same thing. I have not been on YouTube long enough aside from just watching videos that are shared.

Yeah, to see YouTube shopping.

Monica: Same. I haven't seen it. I honestly didn't know until I read this article that they had YouTube shopping. I knew that they had removed their creator fund or lessened it. . And then I guess not make [00:10:00] sense. They created this to kind of keep the creators earning, they call it fan funded shopping or something like that.

Michelle: Yeah. Interesting. There's definitely this trend and it's kind of happening too with streaming platforms, right? Where everyone's trying to do their own thing. Everyone's trying to like, you need to sign up for all of these different tools and they're all offering the same thing, but just different versions.

And there has to be something that consolidates it.

Monica: Yes, I agree. It's absolutely insane that we just have to be all over the place with everything. Yeah.

Michelle: Oh, wait, I feel like we should say, by the way, if anyone hears anything weird.

Monica: Oh, my dog. He like, I thought he was about to throw up just now.

Oh, my gosh.

Michelle: We're an indie podcast, so [00:11:00] we don't have advanced editing, so we're not going to be able to take out. No. Yeah, I think that there is a huge opportunity as well for a platform to come in. And be the consolidation expert and you kind of see that just going back to the streaming thing, you kind of see that with, I think I've seen Amazon has where you can subscribe to, show time through Amazon and then access it there within apple.

They have where you can set up, your streaming platform so that they're more connected to apple tv. So some platforms are starting to do that The same thing needs to happen for the creator space and I would even say there's more urgency because It is a bit of a free for all And like how is everyone going to manage their businesses across all these different

Monica: things?

You can't. [00:12:00] I think it's gonna, I think there's gonna be a point where creators are kind of like YouTubers in the sense of they just do YouTube that's their thing and that's just where they're at Instead of trying to be all over the place. I think there's just Not gonna be a lot of sustainability if you keep having to create for a million platforms And trying to get it right for each platform, I don't know, the further along in this space that we get, the more I'm like, I get it if you literally only want to post on Instagram, or only want to post on TikTok, and like, be the master at that, because it works for YouTubers, I'm kind of like, Youtubers are also the OG influencers.

They were the first ones to really do it, monetize it. If it works for them, then everyone [00:13:00] else, at a certain point, maybe are just having shiny object syndrome, and you just feel so compelled to be on the others instead of just staying in your own lane until you have a team of people to help you and then that changes the story a little bit but if it's just you and the style that you do on tiktok Is very much you, but it doesn't really work on Instagram.

At what point do you just stop trying to force Instagram or vice versa? Right.

Michelle: And we actually talked about this with Alexa where you can very easily overload yourself. It's, I think there's always a part, especially since you're working for yourself that like, you never think that you're doing enough.

Yes. Yeah. But with a lot of the updates to algorithms. If you do just focus on your bread and butter, bread [00:14:00] and butter channels and you're paying attention to the analytics, you can cut, even if algorithms change, you should be able to see what's working versus I think a lot of the times it tends to be these knee jerk reactions because everyone's trying to do all the things and they don't have the time to dig into what's going on with Instagram reels.

It's like. Okay, what's still working? What's not working? And a lot of these platforms, like we've talked about, they do update you. So it's the time, I think it's the time constraint, especially for people that are on the cusp and they're trying to balance nine to five and content creation. Same thing with us, right?

I guess a little announcement for everyone. We're pushing pause on sub stack because it was just too much. You want to have a really good podcast and then if we get to the point [00:15:00] where we would be able to. Have someone else edit it then we can focus on Substack or other things but right now I think we're like, okay podcast Instagram a bit of tick tock and that's even a lot

Monica: Yeah And I think that it makes you go into the new year so much less overwhelmed Because you're focused You know that you have an appropriate amount of work on your plate, and you know what to do with it.

Rather than being so scatterbrained and all over the place and trying to do so many things, I feel like that gets you to March. And then by March, you're just like, what is going on? I have no idea. I can't even look and reflect back at the work I've created because I have so many million things that I'm trying to do that are different and so your brain can't keep changing up that fast.

And so [00:16:00] I think giving yourself that permission to be like, I'm going to focus on one thing and I'm going to do that well, that's just feels so much better than just trying to do everything because you don't want to miss an opportunity. And I feel like too, that's such scarcity mindset of if I don't post here and here and here, it's not going to work. And that's just not true because people have over and over proven that they've been able to find success without having to do every single little thing. Right.

Michelle: You know, What's kind of interesting, I'm seeing a parallel right now with doing all the things. Yeah. And in a way, like fast fashion, yeah, because it used to be where people would, and there's definitely still a contingency of [00:17:00] people that like you buy little things that are of high quality and like you hold onto that and that will always be there.

But with the rise of fast fashion, right? It's like you can buy 20 different things for 30. It's this, it's like that abundance mindset. It's very similar with doing all the things. Like you think that you just can never get enough. You can never do enough when in reality. When we were thinking about, okay, at least for right now, pause on the sub stack.

It's like thinking about, I don't quite know how to explain it, but like the energy, if you're feeling resistant. And something feels like it's going to be a lot of work and you're forcing yourself to go in and do that. Yeah. Then people are going to feel that. [00:18:00] Yeah. I know that it seems like a little bit of , what's that term?

Woo?

Monica: Yeah. Whatever. But like. Yeah. But yeah, and I feel like the collective as a whole is feeling that too, because even with the fast fashion example, I'm seeing a lot of accounts, fashion accounts take off that are accounts that really promote shopping in your closet.

And I think people are craving that because I think everyone's overwhelmed. I think everyone spent 2023 feeling very overwhelmed. Not just from your to do list standpoint, it's just like everyone wants everything to be a little bit more simplified. And I think there is going to be a shift in that fast fashion where people are starting to feel like it's okay to not be pressured into buying things over and over again, or think every time someone posts pair of Amazon leggings or a sweatshirt that they feel they need to buy, I think they're going to go to one of those other accounts that are promoting shopping in your closet [00:19:00] and be like, Oh, yes, I feel better about where I'm at with my clothes and there was actually a business of fashion article that someone sent me last week.

And it was about the future of creators in 2024, and it was really centered around the creators that are going to succeed are the ones who are creative and have their own voice. And the ones that are going to be hit hard are the ones who post like, here's my leggings today. Here's a hall. my leggings. It's basically said consumers are really burnt out on just watching people try on clothes and what really excites them is The unique point of views and the storytelling and the creativity and I'm so excited about that because it is So boring to watch someone post the same Amazon sweatshirt and five different colors every day and then from the inside of the industry [00:20:00] I see that those creators are not matching their sales year over year.

It's not working. The business of fashion article is on point with the way I saw 2023 and those creators performance. It makes sense that if they don't add some creativity and uniqueness and a point of view, and I can hear someone being like my point of view is Amazon finds.

And it's like, that's not a point of view anymore. Anyone can find an Amazon dupe. That's point of view is

a point of view is a story that you can tell about yourself or a creative video. Like the examples they gave were, I think one was Stodd guy and he does. He does kind of parody videos, but he's been able to have really high end [00:21:00] collabs with brands like Laura Piana, who you would think would never work with an influencer, but because his content is so unique and engaging, he has basically two personas.

One is like this, wealthy European man who like vacations in Stade and travels all over the world and then his other persona is cousin Colton And it's this LA Influencer bro And it's so good, but so when he's the

Oh, I can't remember the name, Constance, I think is what the European character's name is. The fancy one. He'll be like, okay, and so it's time to head out on the promenade and I'm going to put on my Laura Piana shoes. And so it, it started to become a thing and now he collaborates. With these very, very high end brands.

And it shows also that these brands [00:22:00] are going to start to realize actually we want to work with the creatives rather than the copy paste, right. They're wearing all the exact same thing.

Michelle: So two things I don't know if you saw as well, but Whaler, they just posted, you know, how everyone's doing that in and out thing, they just did a social post that basically said that same thing, like in is really creative storytelling out is just generic copy paste.

Like, so that's definitely something that. Everyone needs to be honing in on in 2024. And I think what's interesting is. With these platforms it's kind of like the platforms, they have their audiences and if you think of it like a circle, the audiences are pretty much staying the same, but the number of influencers in it are [00:23:00] like.

Getting more so your chance of like your slice of the pie is getting smaller. So, Okay, like,

Monica: don't use that as like, uh, maybe I shouldn't do this anymore, but just have the awareness.

Michelle: Yes. And that makes it really important. To be unique. So we think that's one thing. And another thing going off of the Amazon everyone's posting the same clothes I even think outside of that it's like, okay I don't think that taking that thought and being like, okay so I'm going to post outside of Amazon and now I'm going to incorporate pottery barn for home stuff for Whatever is if it's the same type of still just posting, like, yeah, here's a stool.

Here's an outfit. Here's that like, that's the thing that is not expanding [00:24:00] retailers. Yeah. Yeah. That's not the takeaway. The takeaway needs to be around creativity. And going back to the audience stuff and what your people want, it's outside of, cause, even from my perspective, if a influencer is only posting items, I don't like to buy a lot of things.

So for me, I find that not super valuable. And I think that in this world where people kind of went nuts in 2023, it was our first kind of normal year is since 2019. And people are going to just like, I mean, the economy is still like, no one fully knows what's going to happen. People don't just want to buy things.

Monica: Yeah. Another account that. I'm inspired by with how she works with brands. She's on TikTok. I think it's [00:25:00] so pretty things. And she does dating diaries. Oh, I

Michelle: like her.

Monica: Yes. I love her. And the way that she incorporates brands is the way that her vlog style videos are set up. She basically is telling a story voiceover and then showing clips of either video or photos just from her.

day of getting ready for the date and then going on the date. So like her plate of food, things like that. And where she incorporates a sponsored post or something like that is in, it'll be a shot of her desk and a perfume. And she'll say like, and I grabbed my Carolina Herrera perfume and It's just a part of the story.

Like you were talking to a friend. Okay. Yeah. So I went on a date and so I was getting ready. I was like, okay, I'm going to wear my red cardigan. And I think I'm going to wear my Carolina Rara perfume. It's exactly how you would be telling your friend about getting ready for a date. [00:26:00] And. It's not and the video isn't about the perfume the videos about her story But it's like product placement in a movie kind of thing.

The product that the creator is selling is not the main character and I really like that I like that the creators the main character and then the product is kind of just like A piece of it, whereas I think for so long, especially with, these halls and just like pictures of product, the product is the main character and there's just, there's no creativity to that.

I would equate it to it being the difference of . Catalog shopping and no, commercial, like a commercial telling a story but catalog shopping, you're [00:27:00] literally just looking at the pictures.

Michelle: I don't even know if it's a

Monica: commercial. Think of like the, like holiday commercials, like where you, like, they like, make you cry.

Yeah. Then things like

Michelle: that. It could even just be like like catching up with a friend and they're just mentioning it because they liked it so much that, like when you talk about the perfume, I always think like, I will take this as. Long as I live, Britney Spears had the best.

Monica: It wasn't the, was the blue teal bottle.

She

Michelle: had curious. Yep. That was that one. And then fantasy. I loved them. But it's like, I think that, and even that guy with his shoes, I was thinking about this the other day. It's kind of like, um, [00:28:00] a product review., it was like, you're. You're incorporating it into your life because you like it so much?

But I like the concept of it's a secondary character or even a background character. It's an ensemble character. It's not the lead. Yeah. The lead is the other stuff going on and how would content change if. Everyone started pivoting and thinking that way. I think that just the whole industry would be so much more interesting and engaging

Monica: interesting.

Yes, because I do believe everyone has a unique perspective. I think. That just a lot of people, which is human nature, just assume they have to do what everyone else is doing to succeed. And it can be really scary to share your own point of view and your own style. And at first, it might not hit because for, [00:29:00] like everything else, most consumers also consume content that they're used to.

To consuming and it'll be a lesser amount of people who are like, oh cool She's doing something different something different always makes people so uncomfortable and with this move to DC, I'm so reminded and how Uncomfortable people get when you do something that they wouldn't do or are too scared to do, and that can't be a reason for you to not do what you want to do or Create or tell a story or just be yourself just because it makes other people uncomfortable because at the end of the day, it affects them 0%.

You doing you, but it makes you feel so much more fulfilled. And the only reason why they're not resonating with it is just because to them, [00:30:00] they haven't given themselves permission to be themselves. I have a friend who told her siblings that she was going to start doing content creation and they shit on her so hard.

They were so judgy about it. They were so mean and so cruel. And then two weeks later, one of her sisters messaged her and was like, can we get coffee? I want to learn how to make videos. The way that they were saying, like they were telling her, why it's a bad idea was just all the reasons why they haven't tried to do it.

Right. Like that's embarrassing. That's cringy.

Michelle: It's all, have you heard the saying how you React to people is your problem. How they react to you is theirs. Yes, and true. Yeah, I do think that is where [00:31:00] some therapy can come in handy. So even now, I think I used to be like, so nervous whenever I would post something I was like, Oh my gosh, people are gonna judge me.

And now I'm just like, I don't care. I'm just gonna do what I want. But,

Monica: If you're not, as long as you're not being cruel, mean, inappropriate, all those things, then it's literally affecting no one, and if someone's getting frazzled by it, then that's unlocking some insecurity that they have.

Yep, totally agree. Because it's so much easier to try to keep someone on your level if you're scared of,, what they have. It's easier to be like, Ooh, I don't want to be jealous of them, so instead I'm going to try to, [00:32:00] bring them down to stay here with me where I'm at. And it's just human nature to do that.

I feel like that's probably just existed since the beginning of time. Yeah,

Michelle: that is why even entering into the space is a bit brave. Yes,

Monica: because

Michelle: you do have, there are some accounts that are very good at remaining anonymous, but you do have to like, put some of yourself out there and you can't be afraid.

And you really just have to go for it, especially, and we talked about this with Alexa, you have to just act like you've already made it. And that's, I actually love this saying, I say this a lot now my trainer, we were talking about mindset with swimming because, and I think anyone that's done a like numbers based sport has felt.

This is that, like, with swimming, if you don't get a best [00:33:00] time, it's like, you didn't get a best time. And that's what everyone always wants to do. You always want to be faster. It's very easy. Like, that person's faster than me. Like, it can be a mind. Trip and I even I see it too now that I'm watching the formula one stuff same thing, right?

Like there's a winner you go a fast time. You have a fast car it's very easy to get in your head, but something that he said is winners win if you start and you're losing And you get in that mindset where it's just like, you keep doing bad, you keep doing bad, you keep losing. And, you can even see it with like, Formula One is a great example.

Monica: Max Verstappen, he's literally like, his baseline is winning. That's just his baseline. It's not even in his reality anymore to not win, whereas,, the other ones who are, like, right on the cusp, all their mistakes are [00:34:00] always mistakes because they got in their head.

Michelle: Yup.

And so that is just like training your mind and guarantee that when Max Verstappen goes into a race, which by the way, at first I was kind of man him and now I'm like. Okay. He's fine. Because I like when people are very mentally tough. Yeah. Even though when he's in the car, I feel like he always kind of sounds like he's having a hard time.

Like he'd be like, Oh yeah. Okay. copy. He's not really like, like, okay. Yes. He's just always kind of seems like he's, but whatever. I, it works for him. He definitely has a different mindset than let's say Daniel Ricardo, who is like, Troubles and past challenges, they're always in his head, like something that I, I think it's like also a really cheesy saying, but I think it's true.

And this is something that I made [00:35:00] up, 1 bad race cannot. Break you, but one good race can change everything. Yeah. And it's because if you can get into that mindset and then just channel that over and over again, and actually I have one of my swimmers, she just turned 10 and at.

a meet a week and a half ago, or no, I think it was this past weekend. She went a really fast time, but she has the mindset where something can go wrong and she can have an awful race and she's just kind of like, okay. And then she just gets into the next one.

Monica: And you have to have that mindset and especially in content creation, because some posts are gonna, most posts aren't going to perform the best, right?

But just because those aren't, if you don't keep going, then you're not gonna hit that. Viral [00:36:00] video or whatever.

Michelle: Yeah. And it can't just be, Oh, okay. I'm going to show up and I'm just going to, try to make some content and here it is, but like, I believe in myself, we can't be doing that. It needs to literally be like when I'm making content.

It, my presence in the video, how I edit it, how I'm doing everything it is in that winning mindset because that is what's going to help you stick out. And that's why going back to what we talked about earlier, it's not just about being everywhere, how you can't have that many, that winning mindset.

Do all the things, especially if you're trying to get out of doing a full time job, you're going to be exhausted. You're going to get sick. So to channel that winning mindset, it does require focus.

Monica: If you think about it too, there's a lot of athletes [00:37:00] that could have gone pro for. Let's say baseball and football or something like that.

They had to pick one just because you can do it and you can do it. Well, If you want to perform at the highest level, you're still going to have to pick your focus.

Michelle: Yes, yeah, that's really smart. And it's the same thing too with balancing weight lifting and bulking with Endurance and distance stuff like you literally can't do both your body will not Or

Monica: like another athlete example, the swimmers who are competing in the swimming races are not the same swimmers who are participating in like the triathlon. You can't like do both, but the ones who are excelling at both are not doing both activities. Right.

Michelle: Yeah. Um, [00:38:00] So theme of January, 2024 focus. And also I would just say be a badass.

Monica: Yeah, just do you.

Michelle: Cool. So that wraps up this week. Please like, subscribe, rate, and review. Yes.

It really helps, especially now that we're like, we're just trying to hone in on this, make really high quality content. We really appreciate all of your support. Thanks, y'all. Bye.