The three biggest issues creators face in 2022 (Results from 900+ creator survey) |
No two creator journeys are similar. To find out more about the challenges of running a creator business in 2022, we conducted a survey of 900+ creators. This is what we learned.
"Creators earn their first "online dollar" in the millions and are part of one of the fastest-growing ecosystems on our planet: the economy of creators."
A total of 50 million people consider themselves to be creators. There's now greater information than ever on becoming an all-time creator. The word "digital creator" is searched by search engines 2.5K times every month. Meanwhile "how do I become creator of content" receives 1.3K search results.
Creators are those who is creative. Sure, YouTubers, influencers bloggers, podcasters, and influencers are all creators - as are musicians, craft-makers, musicians teachers, worldbuilders and educators authorsand all the people that is in between.
This broad range of creative work means that no two creative journeys will be the same.
What kind of items do creators make and sell? What are their biggest challenges? What are their best sources for advice? What channels have the most success?
To learn more about what it's like to run a creator business in 2022, we surveyed over 900 creators regarding their own businesses. They were asked about the challenges they face, their sources of advice along with creative channels, as well as the content they create.
Here's what we found:
At all levels of experience, creators' biggest challenge is to increase the number of people who watch their content (32.9 percent) and then finding enough time for everything (21.6%) and being able to realize monetization (14.4 percent).
In seeking help to overcome these issues, creators typically learn from each other. YouTube (22.6%) as well as personal mastermind group (22.5%) are among the most popular sources that creators go to for help.
Social media is a way for creators to connect with their audiences as well, and with Instagram as the top platform (29.1 percent) -- but that means they have to depend on algorithms to bring their posts in front of the appropriate people.
Continue reading to take an in-depth look at the details.
What will be the most difficult for creators' issues in 2022?
We asked "What's your biggest challenge or battle as a creator now?"
32.9% Growing an audience
21.6 Percent Finding time for everything
14.4% Knowing how to monetize
8.86% Product creation
3.35 percent of followers are engaged on social media
2.27% Keeping up with trends and changes
In all levels of experience and kinds, creators have consistently mentioned the three biggest challenges they face that they face: attracting a larger following, having enough time to do everything and figuring out how to make money off their efforts.
Challenge #1: Growing an audience
Search engine marketing and.
7.68 percent would use the funds to build or improve their site by employing
5.66 percentage would engage a graphic designer, while 4.16 percent would put their money into a
Making sure your brand and content are in front of the right individuals can be time-consuming and cost prohibitive, especially for those who are new to running your own online business.
"While you're still trying to build your email list, you can't just email folks," Jessica explained. "I also have to still remain very active and noticeable via the social networks."
As Jessica has grown more involved and well-known on social media, she's able to find the right platforms to create material that is in line with her brand and narrative. "If you're trying to build an audience, they need to see you very often," she shared.
It's important to be consistent. crucial, but it doesn't mean your posts have be standardized. "You can create your own images, you could make [Instagram] Reels and also be humorous, you can perform Reels as well as be professional ... anything can be done to broaden the ways users can possibly locate you."
Social media is effective in reaching many more people. However, this can also mean that creators need to rely on the platforms' algorithms for their content to be displayed in their feeds. The discussion will focus on how creators want to -as well as how they can move away from the algorithm later on.
Email is another of the most cost-effective and scalable marketing channels for creators. By sending out regular emails, your newsletter keeps you in touch with your target audience.
If you're a creator who wants to expand your list of email subscribers and start your own email newsletter, you should take a look at these sources:
The second challenge is finding enough time for everything
If we asked people about their plans for spending $2,022, investing in external help was the most frequently requested response.
We also found that 5.2% of creators would use the money to cover personal expenses, such as rent, utilities, internet bills, and their own income to be able to work more in their work.
3.42 percent of creatives use the funds to pay for time-restoring costs such as childcare, household help or time off from regular jobs and fewer hours on side gigs.
Selecting the best tools and software helps creators get more of their time.
To see how makes it simpler to manage a successful creator business, get started for absolutely no cost or join our weekly demonstration.
Challenge #3: Understanding the best way to make money
14.4 Percent of creators agree that figuring out how to earn money from their work is the most difficult thing they have to figure out. You've produced valuable content and gained an enthusiastic audienceNow, how do convert that into money?
On, we've witnessed thousands of creators earn their first online dollar by selling digital goods, such as digital downloads, online courses webinars, memberships, and other. Selling digital products lets creators make money without relying on advertising or sponsors.
For instance, take entrepreneur, web developer, and creative director John D. Saunders as an example. When he launched his online course on , John earned $10,000 on launch day and $100,000 overall through his website.
But once you create your online class, the majority of the task is taken out of the way, and you can earn ongoing revenue. "While I'm asleep I'm earning money. When I'm at the park with my kids, I'm getting sales," John explained.
Find out more about the monetization options for creators in these articles:
With the many options for monetization available, many creators seek out each other's ideas, examples as well as guidance in their own personal journey. That brings us to our second key lesson from the survey: Where creators look for guidance.
Where do creators go for advice?
We asked "What's the top source of advice for tackling your most difficult problem?"
22.6 percent YouTube
22.5 Percent A personal mastermind group
15.4% Google
8.86% Facebook group
7.89 789 % of Podcasts
5.95 5 % of non-Facebook community
4.11 41% Blogs
1.41% Public forums (ex: Reddit)
Although no two journeys of creators are identical, we know that creators from different niches, product types and experiences levels are faced with the same issues.
It makes sense, then it makes sense that they can find answers to and advice on the issues they face by talking to each the other.
Creators learn from other creators. Through YouTube's mastermind groups, Facebook groups, forums, communities podcasts and blogs, 73.3% of creators have surveyed turn to other creators for guidance.
Google is the sole advice source that isn't in that category -- though it's a safe bet that creators produced a big part of the results of searches, too.
It is estimated that 70% of online users participate in some type of virtual group, and 66% of them claim to join groups on the internet to connect with others who share their interests.
These communities for creators are a vital resource. Creators connect in order to learn and grow We've observed creative professionals who are successful be generous with their insights and experience to aid the new generation of creators.
How do other creators operate their companies? What do they sell? Where does most of their income be derived? What is their method of building their followings?
Creators are aware of many questions, and frequently turn to one another for answers and inspiration.
We have created the Creator Community in order:
Provide entrepreneurs and creators with a place to connect and collaborate
Create a journey that is more enjoyable and less lonely
Make creators feel part of a community that is accessible only to them
Develop exclusive content specifically to share with community members. This includes tutorials, interviews with creators and community-driven contests
In the initial two weeks after we opened our community to everyone who is a creator, we saw over 1600 users and hundreds of posts with thoughts, queries and tips.
Experienced creators like Emily Mills contributed helpful posts like this one:
Emily's hacks are an excellent instance of how participants can benefit from one another's knowledge One of the greatest benefits of joining a creator community.
What kinds of content do creators produce? What is the best place to share their material?
We asked "What is your primary type of content that you develop?"
33.6% courses
13.8 percent coaching
13.4 percent social media
16.54 percent video (9.19 percent short-form, 7.35 percent long-form)
6.38% blog posts
4.76 percent of downloads
4.43% email newsletters
2.81 per cent of webinars
Nearly one-third of the respondents that took part in the poll created online courses as their primary form of content. Following courses, coaching, social media, and video were the most widely-used types of media.
Here are some resources for creators who want to create and sell an online course:
Also, we learned that authors have an average sales of 10.95 items.
We then asked "What's the most important channel that you use for your business?"
29.1 percent on Instagram
22.4%
17.4% Facebook
8.97 Percent YouTube
5.41 percent Blog
5.08% Zoom
2.49 29% TikTok
0.865 0.65 % of Shopify
0.541% Etsy
Creators are using social media for interaction with their followers, with Instagram being the most popular social media channel (29.1%), being followed by Facebook (17.4%) and YouTube (8.97%).
As we mentioned earlier, social media could be a terrific way for creators to reach new audiences and build their niches and communities. But there's one major downside to relying on social media the algorithm.
Social media platforms make use of algorithms to determine the content that appears in the feeds of users.
Creators are subject to the whims of the algorithms. Your organic content might show up in your followers' feeds However, it may not. The algorithms can change without notice, and social media companies aren't being transparent with regards to how they operate.
For example, updates to the Facebook algorithm in the last couple of years have resulted in a decrease in organic reach which means that fewer users see creators' social posts in their news feeds.
Here are some more motives why some creators do not like Facebook:
"I think FB is distracting and people won't be able to find my post or will not stick on the site."
"FB groups are untrustworthy as well as a bit clumsy, and many people are fleeing from FB in the present, and it's difficult to build engagement there."
"I truly hate sending my people to Facebook and similar tech companies that harvest data that they use to lure users to distract us."
"I have to pay the full-time VA to allow members in, welcome them and moderate them. We have Google Sheets and separate Facebook Messenger software that costs $30/month as well as being slaves to Facebook's algorithm and interruptions. The mess is so messed up."
Creators tend to build communities of sorts using social media platforms due to lack of a better solution. Facebook Groups make it easy to sign in, however this is where the majority of benefits end.
However the all-in-one creator platform like gives you complete control of the contents you offer to your audience and how you interact with them.
The members of the Community have the ability to:
Purchase your items
Get access to your content
Post and participate in discussions between each other
...all all in one place.
Since they're already signed in to shop for your goods or access your content, you don't need to sign them to a different platform or depend on Facebook. This is a more enjoyable experience for both you and your customers.
All in all, social media can be a useful advertising tool for creatorshowever, it should be used as part of an overall strategy and toolkit. Creators succeed in the event that they control what and how they share their content.
Who filled out the survey?
For the opportunity to apply to the fellowship, candidates must be active creators as well as members of the Creator Community. They filled out an application in which they explained how they planned to spend the prize money and also provide information about their business product, their challenges, and goals.
The majority of the information included in this report is derived from questions in which creators were asked to select from several answers. For the question "If you received the $2,022 fellowship, which would you use it for?" we included an open-ended answer field.
In response to questions about their experience in the field:
30.85% identified as beginners, with an average of 2.40 years of work experience
8.11% identified as novices and an average of 2.77 years of expertise
40.98 percent of respondents were classified as mid-level, with an average of 4.98 years of work experience
15.80% identified as advanced, with an average 7.69 years of experience. 7.69 years of experience
4.27% identified as experts, with an average of 15.3 years of experience
We also asked whether they're a full-time or part-time creator, or in between:
39.13 percent of respondents are classified as full-time creator
18.81 Percentage identified as creator who has a full-time work
18.59% identified as a creator or freelancer
14.70 percent of them are classified as part-time creator
8.76 percent of them identified as creator who has a second part-time work
We thank every artist who applied for the fellowship and gave us a peek inside their ideas, challenges as well as their journeys.
The most important takeaways
The market for creators is growing with each passing year, and no two journeys are the same. We interviewed more than 900 creators in order to find out more about what it's like managing a creative business by 2022.
These are the most important takeaways from their responses:
Creators across niches and experience degrees face the same challenges: Growing their audiences (32.9 percentage) while also finding time to get everything done (21.6 percent) as well as knowing how to monetize their efforts (14.4%).
If creators seek advice for overcoming these difficulties and obstacles, they seek advice from other creators. It is essential to have a community as aspect of the creation process. Experienced creators have walked in the shoes of younger creators' shoes. As such, they've got plenty of tips to offer.
The primary reason for social media use is for sharing their content to their followers which is why they have Instagram being the most well-liked channel (29.1 percent). Relying on social media means creators are dependent of algorithms, which gives the creators less control over their content and their audience.
Out of the 900+ replies we used to calculate this information, none of them were alike. Each creator's journey is unique -- and we're there to help you through every stage.