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There are lots of ways an online creator can get paid. Which are the most common, and which are the most profitable? If you're getting started, or adding another source of income, what should you pay attention to?
Hey Chris, this is Chase. I'm wondering, what are the top ways that today's creators get paid? Do they make more money from courses or affiliate sales? I guess the answer probably varies a lot depending on the individual or their topic or industry, but I'm wondering if there are some clear trends.
First, what do we mean by creator? It's an old word with a new meaning. I think of a creator as someone building a micro brand, usually based on their personality or lifestyle, and sharing it through a blog, a YouTube channel, or another medium. They also have a monetization strategy. They're making something and trying to make money from it.
Chase mentions courses and affiliate sales. I'd put those into broader categories, because there's more than one way to sell education besides courses, and more than one way to earn commissions besides affiliate links. That gives us four big categories:
- Education, including courses
- Commissions, including affiliate sales
- Advertising or sponsorships
- Services, such as coaching or consulting
If you're building a following, with an email list and people who keep up with you over time, I generally vote for education. It can scale, it can serve a growing group of people, and you can offer it over and over.
If you're building a high-traffic website around a specific topic, based on SEO, commissions might be a better bet. Most visitors come for specific information and won't necessarily come back or follow you. We've featured people who built sites around home exercise equipment, different types of fashion, and plenty of other categories.
And here's something Chase didn't ask: if you're starting out, what should you pursue? Generally, I'd focus on some aspect of education or a personal service like coaching or consulting. Those are broad categories with a lot of room inside them. Pick one, and focus on your ideal customer.
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