Don’t be a Broke Creator, Be an Entrepreneur
It's more than just growing numbers- it's about growing income
Before Elon Musk bought Twitter (and destroyed it), I used to own an account with over 90k followers.
I started this account in 2021, posting a bunch of random stuff, and it grew fast.
I was excited, thinking that having a large following would automatically lead to financial success.
But here’s the reality: I struggled to make real money with it.
Why?
Because most of the content I posted was just funny memes and random things I found on Reddit.
It got a ton of likes and retweets, but that didn’t translate into cash in my pocket.
That’s when it hit me — followers don’t mean anything if you can’t turn them into paying clients or customers.
The Illusion of Followers
A lot of content creators focus on the wrong metrics.
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers — chasing likes, followers, and viral moments.
Don’t get me wrong, it feels good to see your posts blow up. But none of those vanity metrics add to your bank account.
When I had 90k followers, I thought I was on top of the world. But when I tried to monetize, it didn’t work because I hadn’t built anything of value.
I was only entertaining people, not solving problems or offering anything useful.
This is the same trap many creators fall into. You get so caught up in making content that entertains, you forget to make content that converts.
From Creator to Entrepreneur
There’s a huge difference between being a content creator and being an entrepreneur.
Content creators often focus on making content that’s fun or gets engagement.
Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, focus on building something that generates revenue.
Creators think about how to make the next viral post, while entrepreneurs think about how to serve their audience and solve problems.
They ask, “How can I create value for people that will lead to a sale, a business opportunity, or a new partnership?”
I learned this the hard way. Just because I had a ton of followers didn’t mean I was running a business. I was only posting random content with no strategy for turning those eyeballs into income.
The Importance of Audience Over Followers
You don’t need 100,000 followers to make money. You only need the right audience.
An engaged group of 5,000 people who care about what you offer is far more valuable than 50,000 random people who like your memes.
Let’s say you’re a fitness coach. If you have 10,000 followers all interested in fitness, you can monetize by offering workout plans, coaching sessions, or even fitness products.
But if those 10,000 people are only there for your funny posts, you’re not building any real business opportunities.
That’s why it’s so important to think about who your audience is. Are they potential customers or just passive consumers?
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
The difference between a broke creator and a successful entrepreneur is mindset.
As a creator, you’re focused on making content. As an entrepreneur, you see your content as part of a larger business strategy. Your content becomes the funnel that brings people into your business.
Start thinking like an entrepreneur.
If you’ve built an audience, big or small, you’re sitting on opportunity. Capitalize on it by creating offers that serve your audience and put money in your pocket.
The goal is to move from creating content to building income streams around your expertise. That’s what separates broke creators from successful entrepreneurs.
People get all excited about all kinds of metrics. The only metric I normally monitor is $$$.
Great reminder.
Mel
This post does a great job of getting one to think about what their goals are for putting stuff out there on platforms in the first time. It's all explained very clearly the way this is written. It's the quality of the audience that is key is the takeaway and a must to build from an entrepreneurial perspective.