When I first started as a creator, my career was highly centered around TikTok. Over time, I've realized an undeniable fact – no matter what social media platform you opt for or how they choose to remunerate or interact with you, you don't own that platform. This reality introduces a level of instability, even when things are seemingly going well. In response, I've prioritized diversifying as rapidly and broadly as possible and reconfiguring my expectations.
At the outset, I thought achieving success meant having 100,000 followers across all platforms. I believed that once I reached this milestone, I could work with any brand I desired and attain my goals.
However, my new outlook is that with 5,000 solid followers or a similar number of dedicated subscribers to my newsletter, I can still achieve my goals. I have control over those email contacts; I can reach out to them whenever I wish and host live events if I want. They are genuine followers.
It's crucial to remember that we don't own these social platforms. They're never going to prioritize us, nor are they going to compensate us based on our perceived worth. There's never been a moment in history when creators have been wholly satisfied with a platform.
So, with this perspective, I've diversified by establishing an email newsletter list, which currently comprises around 500 subscribers. These individuals truly appreciate my content and are loyal followers.
I've also made a conscious effort to derive income not solely from social media but also through starting my own business. To be clear, I'm not anti-social media; I believe it's important for creators. However, as a creator, you should view social media as a tool for building a business rather than the platform that defines your business.