Typo Today

The internet is a vast place, and there’s more content uploaded every day than any one person could consume in a year. If it were easy to forge a career or build a business as a creator, everyone would do it.

And because everyone else is trying, you need to stick out. That’s why you need a blog, but don’t just take my word for it. I’m obviously biased as a professional blogger. However, I’m not offering my services to you – you’re my readers, not my ghostwriting clients.

In fact, I just cut off my writing agency this week and have been going through a few shifts in that business. It’s a long story, but overall I was paying a 20-percent premium for representation that wasn’t representing me the way they should’ve been.

So as much as it sucked, I had to cut them off. I renegotiated my contract with my biggest client through them and split the difference with him so he’s paying 10 percent less and I’m earning 10 percent more representing myself again.

It’s been five years since I worked without professional representation, but if I’m going to pay for a writing agent, they need to maintain their value. They put me in a position to choose between them and the client, and I chose the client.

Thus is life, and my blog will easily get me another agent. That’s why we’re diving into the business of blogging today.

Do Content Creators Need a Blog?

Today’s video had issues streaming to YouTube and Facebook, but I got it on Twitch, so you can watch here. We’ll be dissecting Twitch as soon as I get more experience with it to break it down like I did Discord yesterday.

However, there are five main reasons you need a blog as a content creator. They’re the same reasons for any business or brand really, as the basics never change.

1. Blogging Increases Online Visibility

Online search relies on more than just keywords – context is necessary to truly set yourself apart from the competition. No matter what niche you’re in, there are competitors. You need to stick out using blog posts that provide detailed information about the topics that relate to you and your brand.

2. Blogs Encourage Incoming Links

A blog is like any other type of content – you’re not entitled to readers just because you create it. There’s no magical blog mafia that’s constantly scraping the darkest corners of the internet looking for you. You need to find them, and that requires inbound links from blogs they’re already reading. Send your posts to those people and introduce yourself to expand.

3. Your Blog Is Your Property

You don’t really own much about your social media presence. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Clubhouse, or anywhere else online, the platform ultimately controls you. If you want to own your own content, you need it on your own website and blog, where it can be accessed even if you or a platform are cancelled.

4. Blogs Explain Who You Truly Are

A big reason to have a blog is to let your fans (and potential clients) get to know you. Every day I wake up, I have over 1,000 published blog posts that I can easily send out to anyone who’s not finding them on their own. It’s my portfolio and leads to a trickle of gig offers every day, rain or shine, whether I’m awake or not.

5. Blogs Help You Scale Your Brand

It’s because of blogging that I have time to dedicate to this newsletter and channel. Like I said above, every published blog I have works for me. Think of it as automation – there are messages I’m reaching people with every minute that I published up to a decade ago.

There’s no way you’re going to work harder today than my pre-existing content is working, and that’s why you need a blog. But that’s not the end-all solution, and even I’m trying out new marketing techniques.

Using Cameo for Your Brand

I’ve been having fun on Cameo these days. If you’re unfamiliar with it, there are two ways to do it. If you’re a creator, you can sign up as talent to get paid to message fans or send short video greetings.

Typically, they want you to submit business requests through their business department. But I found it a great way to connect with a broad array of creators to both help me promote my newsletter to them while they help promote to everybody else.

Next month, I’ll break down exactly how I spent $1000 on marketing Clubhouse Convos this month. I spread it among a variety of initiatives to see the return and figure out the most effective route.

Here are some clips I spent anywhere from $1-$10 for.

Kanye East Loves Clubhouse Convos

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/aHXvuOMRO0w?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0

Kanye East is a parody of rapper Kanye West created by rapper Mike Manik. He blew up on TikTok for his hilarious rap lyrics about meme culture. In doing so, he’s quickly becoming a meme himself. With 620,000 followers and 6.5 million likes, his Fornite Ballz song proved East is a verifiable social star.

TikToker JessetheGooch Backs Clubhouse Convos

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/jBDBWzL6f64?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0

JessetheGooch is a twentysomething Australian creator who blew up on TikTok, attracting 6.7 million likes and over 145,000 follows. Real name Jesse Kingsford is just starting his career and looking to expand beyond TikTok into mainstream media. He’s part of a new class of creators that also includes Clubhouse creators.

Social Media Sensation Amir Yassai Chooses Clubhouse Convos

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/uXUvSgjubgo?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0

Amir Yassai is a Los Angeles-based former publicist and self-proclaimed queer Persian Muslim I had the pleasure of meeting on Clubhouse. In fact, I issued a May Day special on May 1, 2021 asking Clubhouse creators to protest to help Amir and others feel safe on the platform. While many users obliged and helped create PTRs to protest, nothing came of it because I left the platform and nobody else had the balls to pick up the torch.