The way that an online cook has monetized her following on social media and built an income of six figures
Creator funds, such as TikTok's creator Fund offer creators with an opportunity to earn money for their work through social networks beyond deal with brands and sponsorships. In order to benefit from the funds, all creators need be able to satisfy a social media platform's requirements for follower and viewing. Easy, right? Think again.
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Alla Driksne, proprietor of Alla's Yummy Foods and Hero, can attest firsthand to the challenges that YouTube's monetization options. After growing the number of 126,000 viewers on YouTube, Alla expected to start earning income from the YouTube Partner Program but at her dismay, showed to the realization that she had no money.
"I created a massive following and thought that if I could build an enormous number of followers, I could make money through YouTube. I thought at least three, four, or five thousand a month. The biggest amount I received from YouTube was just $200, and that's having 126,000 subscribers."
After all her hard work came to zero, she was on the edge of giving up on her dream of creating a successful chef and pastry business. Before she put away her whisk and her flour aside in the end, Alla tested out one other way to earn money--through the use the social media.
For a quick version of the interview read Alla's replies to our Quick-Fire Q & A series, or keep reading for the full rundown!
Note: The responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Tell us your story of how you got started.
I came to London when I was 14--by myself. Crazy, right? I'm originally from Latvia, a small country situated in Eastern Europe. Eventually, I got into the London School of Economics and was offered a variety of positions in that field. I didn't like the work I was doing, but I always had a passion for baking. It was something that gave me a sense of calm and took away my anxiety since I was anxious living abroad and not being able to speak the language. When I was 25, I quit my full-time job for a year to try out baking. I thoughtto myself "You are so clever! I'm going to start with the YouTube channel and see how it goes. In the end, I'll be able to find another job." I decided to pursue another education and become an expert pastry chef and French chef, because I realized I needed credentials. And, it was nothing like I expected it to be. It was a struggle. I worked five jobs which included working for Alison Price, one of the most famous caterers in London. On the side I started my own online company, which at that time was all about social media. I thought eventually I'll get someplace and I'll get paid like everyone else.
What was the moment you recognize that you were required to create a company off of YouTube? What was the process of transitioning between social media and online classes like?
I began using YouTube because I thought that if I reach the number of subscribers and earn an amount of money. I was even thinking of an estimate in my mind. I thought at least three, four, or five thousand per month. In the beginning of my YouTube adventure I would film every weekend. I worked five jobs on a weekday and I would film content that was new. I basically sacrificed my life. In the next three years, I had made no money. I think the biggest check I received from YouTube was $200 and that's having 126,000 people on the site. There was something wrong. I thoughtto myself "Okay, maybe I should find more brand deals." I got a few, they were decently priced, but they were intermittently on and off. There was no consistency as they all had their own rules.
Then, a couple of months later, I held a discussion with my sibling to determine where the majority of my money was coming from. She asked "How many hours will it take to bake a cake? What is the amount you earn from YouTube?" We discovered that social media took the longest amount of time and made me less money. It was ridiculous. About two cents for an hour. My sister is in the tech space which is why she advised me to create an online course. She told me, "Even if you charge only $20 and five people take your course, it's a hundred dollars."
With no research I made my first cake. I signed up [for ] my first course and remember that being a bit scared because it was a hundred dollars a month. After I had began my course, I announced it to my social media followers. I priced it at a 100 dollars. Ten buyers signed up for my course. I earned a million dollars in an hour. It was my pay for the month I worked away. For me, it was a no-brainer and from that point on.
Was it like after you'd put all this work and effort into YouTube, only to realize that it was impossible to monetize the channel in a way that was scalable?
It felt awful--putting so much effort in YouTube as well as social media, without getting any revenue back. It wasn't the only reason I was driven by cash, but money is an important factor for everyone does it not? It's a fact that we have to pay rent. However, if you don't make an income, that's the toughest part since you're so disappointed, you're angry and frustrated since you're working so hard, and you feel like even if you're doing everything you can, then something has to take place, right? It really put me into a very depressive state a lot of the often, to the point that I thought that I would quit. My sister was my biggest supporter, and she would always tell me "You can accomplish this. You're capable of doing this." It was always a feeling that others are performing better due to an issue they've had but I never believed in my own abilities. That's my biggest lesson is to believe in yourself. If you know the work you're doing and you're passionate about your work, it's going to show.
How did you come to the conclusion that you have to control your market and pursue direct monetization through online training courses?
When I was talking to someone, I discovered that I don't own anything after all I've built for the past seven years. It made me realize that I can't just go on like that as when Facebook fails or any other social media platform goes down, I'll be out of my world. Actually, my Facebook got hacked, and at that time there were 250,000 users. The reason why I was compromised was due to money, as the hacker informed me that you can put ads on Facebook and get paid $300 a day. I added him to my Facebook administrator and, within few minutes, the whole thing changed. I got kicked out of Facebook in the process, and Facebook began deleting everything I had. That was the moment when I realized that I could erase everything at a single moment. All the things you've built over decades. Lucky for me, my sister works working in technology, and she knew someone to contact via Facebook. It was a long 2 days but due to some connections I was very lucky. They requested me to provide evidence like my tax return to show that I'm who I say I needed to hire legal counsel, but they restored my website in just a couple of days. At that point, my website had been removed from Alla's Yummy Food anymore. This is what hackers do. they will steal your audience and remove all the content you have posted. It was at that point I realized, "I don't own my own followers. I have to have emails, I have to have some place to have them all there."
When did you first begin with building your email list? What was that process like?
How hard was it to create your list first?
The initial pace was slow but I believe it will take some time however, as you gain experience and understand what people want and provide them with a premium product or some sort of value, they do join. With my latest lead magnets, I can effortlessly generate thousands of leads in a few hours. But I do still go on every single social platform to encourage my followers to join the list. Do you really want this fantastic or whatever it is, one vanilla cake or something like that.
You clearly use social media to grow your followers. Do you have a way to describe what you do with social media in the present?
Yes, I make use of social media regularly. However, now I use social media because it allows me to bring individuals to my funnel, or to my online courses. It's the main place where I find them (a new market].
Knowing what you know now What advice would you give creators that aren't directly making money and are relying on brand agreements or sponsorships to monetize?
I would say to create something that people are able to sell. Create a really good lead magnet to show the people who will receive in your online course. Make sure to begin to make money from the content. Do not be afraid to take the first move! I was really scared, and it took me a long time to take the first steps. I would have done it earlier. If the method doesn't work then try something else. In addition, I'd recommend not creating the entire course , especially if it's a huge undertaking However, if there is a lot of interest, maybe do an initial trial and invite some people to try it out. Then, get some testimonials and then try to promote it.
What do you think it is to help entrepreneurs and creators succeed?
The thing I liked about it is the fact that it contains everything in one place. It is a major game changer because I realized I can accept payments, create a website, have email addresses, and much more. I appreciated the assistance I got. I joined my Facebook community. I recall asking a question and everyone was quick to assist me out. And of course, it provided me with the chance. Without it, I never have even begun, would I? I wouldn't even consider that I could be a teacher. Now, I'm as a teacher.
What advice would you give to a creator that's just beginning?
I'd recommend having the right vision and to go into it understanding that this is a business, regardless of whether it's a hobby and you may be in love with the topic you're trying to impart but there's a business aspect to it. Think about it from a sales perspective as opposed to a creator perspective since you're selling your products and yourself 80% times a day and the remaining 20% of your work is your work. Don't be scared of the possibility of failure. It's been a while since I've been able to admit that I' often in my own life, and I experienced moments when I was crying and thinking, "That's it, I'm over it." However, that inner drive constantly helped me rise up and made me realize I need to do this.
The bottom line social media is to use it to funnel traffic
With an enormous following and a high view count not necessarily equates to success on social media the creators have to change their strategies for using social media.
As Alla stated, "Of course, I am still using social media all the time. Now, I have a social media account because it helps me bring people to my funnel or to my online courses. It's the main place where I gain a new target audience]."
If you're feeling that the old-fashioned creation economy isn't making sense to you, join the Creator Challenge, and launch your venture with the assistance of creators and entrepreneurs who are able to make today's economy work for them.
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