Building a massive following takes blood, sweat, and tears. A content creator’s life is full of struggle. But the real struggle in a creator’s life is deciding whether to go full-time or just keep up as a side hustle till you reach the golden line. 💫 

In today’s edition, we’ll talk about

• Deep Dive: Challenges of Creators 🤌

• Creator Economy Roundup: Creator gets arrested! 😯

• Featured Creator of the Week: Aatman Desai 🎉

From Side Hustle to Mainstream: Challenges of Earning Content Money in a Creator's Life 🙌

India is home to a staggering 8 crore (80 million) content creators. Yet, only 150,000 of them have managed to go full-time and earn a sustainable income. Why is this the case? 🤔

Now here’s the flip side.

Since COVID there has been a shift in Indian consumer's content consumption patterns. When people were shut in their homes they consumed content online voraciously.

It was due to this shift in consumer preferences that many current star creators that we see today gained popularity.

The love for online content and the consumption pattern continues even today. 

The proof is in the numbers. 🙌

Now here’s the question -  why are these hot stats not contributing to the rise in the number of full-time creators? 🧐

In this edition, we will be touching on the most touchy subject of content creation.

Why are so many content creators still in hustle mode and not full-time creators? And what’s holding them back from going mainstream and monetizing the content?

Before we answer these questions…

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The fact that Indian creators are still side-hustling is that they are either…

• Not ready or hesitant to move into the mainstream business 

• They face monetization and income challenges

Let's take both issues one by one.

The Mainstream Challenge 🤳

Becoming a full-time creator is a process!

The struggle is real behind becoming a creator if you consider going all in! This is what it takes…

But How many are actually ready to take the leap?

Then comes the “The Creators’ Dilemma”

This term captures key questions many Indian content creators ask themselves:

🤔 Should I go full-time?
🤔 How will I monetize my content?
🤔 Can I create sustainable income?

The hesitation to move from side hustle to mainstream stems from these doubts and uncertainties—The Creators’ Dilemma.

Beyond the fundamental questions of whether to pursue full-time creation and its viability, there are layers of complexities that fuel this dilemma:

• Consistency concern 

• Creative burnout 

• Identity crisis

• Work-life balance

Monetization Challenges 💸

Despite a surge in content consumption and the potential for online fame, many content creators in India continue to struggle with monetization. 

The first hurdle is to cross the…

📌 10K Followers Hallmark! 

10k following is considered the golden number in creator economics. It is a hallmark of a creator's popularity and quality, marking the point at which they can start effectively monetizing their audience.

But how many creators are able to make it to this number? Some put in years of hard work and still see no luck or even if they do, there is little to no avenue to make big money.

📌 Unreliable Brand Deals

Brand deals are often seen as the primary source of income for creators, but they are highly unreliable. Not every creator lands deals, and those who do may find them sporadic and inconsistent. Also, how can we forget the barter deals where creators end up with no money really!

📌 Declining Ad Revenue

Advertising has traditionally been the main way creators make money, but ad revenue has been declining in recent years. This decline is due to several factors:

• Rise of Ad Blockers

• Subscription-Based Streaming Services

📌 The Ever-Evading Algorithm

Social media algorithms are unpredictable, volatile, and change faster than Nitish Kumar changing parties (just kidding). 😅

Creators struggle to keep up with these changes, and no amount of “how to hack the algorithm” content can reliably ensure success. This volatility causes many creators to give up or, at best, keep content creation as a side hustle.

💪 How to crossover - from convenient side hustling to the dreaded mainstream! 

The road to full-time content creation remains fraught with obstacles. As many of you continue to hustle, we will explore possible solutions and strategies for overcoming these monetization challenges in our next issues. 

So stay tuned and keep creating 🫶

Creator Economy RoundUp!

Let’s wind up the Top 5 Creator Economy News This Week.

1. AI Generative Image Trends on IG

2. Nancy Tyagi Steals the Show!

3. Bhuvan Bam Trademarks his Character!

4. Bobby Kataria Gets Arrested

5. Instagram Explores Trending Memes!

👑 Featured Creator Of the Week! 👑 

🌟 Aatman Desai: Bridging Cultures, Crafting Comedy 🌟

Meet @aatmeme.in, whose journey from computer engineering to digital sensation is as inspiring as it is innovative.

🎨 Aatman's Gujarati heritage infuses his content with a unique charm, appealing to a broad audience while celebrating his cultural roots.

💡 Innovation drives Aatman's creativity, ensuring his content remains fresh and engaging. His upcoming venture with MTV promises even more excitement for fans!

🌟 Recognized as a rising star in the digital realm, Aatman's future goals are ambitious yet grounded in his commitment to touching lives through music, entertainment, and authentic storytelling.

Thanks for reading this issue of The Creator Whisperer,

We at Spreadd, are looking for amazing content creators for new brand campaigns in 2024.

So, If you are an Instagram or YouTube creator and looking to work on high-quality brand collaborations, sign up on the button below.

If you liked this issue, share it on your social media profiles and with your fellow creators.

We’ll see you next week, straight in your inbox.

Keep Creating !!
Team Spreadd