What are the best ways to discover a good platform for creators? Advice from 4 successful creators |
Each creator needs tools that are able to meet their demands and help them grow -However, platforms often don't meet their promises. Here's what 4 creatives who are successful look for in creator-friendly platforms.
"It was a nightmare," claims Em Connors of The Creative Bodega .
When Em first began the Canva course, the course's plugin she used to create a WordPress site wasn't working. The students had registered to the course but on day one, nobody could log in.
"We couldn't figure out why. Talk about anxiety! I don't think my heart rate has been this high. There was absolutely no one to speak to," she remembers. Em was searching for answers on forums and online which included a Facebook forum for plugin users But there was nothing.
This is a familiar experience for the majority of creators. Too many platforms in the market for creators do not put creators' needs first -and operate with unsound practices including a absence of transparency, false charges, and a lack of support.
Every creator deserves creator-friendly tools, which prioritize their needs and encourage their development. To gain a better understanding of what the concept of "creator friendliness" -- and its absenceis actually as, we talked to four creatives on their experience:
Em Conners , solopreneur, marketing and branding expert as well as an educator and the founder of The Creative Bodega.
Becky Mollenkamp Feminist life coach, podcaster, and creator of the Gutsy Boss Club community.
Adrian Dalsus musician, marketer instructor, founder Despegue Musical. Despegue Musical.
Khe Hy , a.k.a. "Oprah to Millennials" The founder of RadReads and a Notion pro.
What are the characteristics of a platform that make it creator-friendly?
There are many factors which create a platform that is creator-friendly -- but it comes to the extent that creators feel that the platform is there for them.
1. Accessible assistance
If you are stuck, you must be able to get the assistance you require. Although it sounds easy, it isn't always available. For Em Creator friendliness, it's having the ability to communicate with a real human being to work through any questions or issues.
"Creator friendliness is being able to pose a question to somebody and receive quick answers. I just want to speak to someone else, which isn't often in the present."
-- Em Connors, The Creative Bodega
Entrepreneurs are able to create experiences by creating relationships, the majority of makers want to do it like this in their business. "I'm going to help you in any way you can." Em says. "Ask me questions- I may not always know the answer, but I'm going to attempt. I think that makes people feel relaxed."
Becky agrees: "Knowing that the company will be responsive to customer needs means you can always be sure to get the assistance you need in a timely way. If a company doesn't do this at the outset then run the other way."
2. User-friendly
Creator-friendly tools also need to be user-friendly regardless of backgrounds or experience levels. Simply because something is natural to a particular category of users doesn't mean it's easy for all users.
"Addressing the requirements of all different age groups is crucial since anyone is a creator at any age!"
--- Becky Mollenkamp
Becky views herself as an excellent yardstick
"One way for me to gauge whether a tool is creator-friendly is whether I can intuitively figure out what I can do with it, without screaming. Although I'm pretty tech-savvy however, I'm now in my forties and no longer the prime demographic for tech companies."
She goes on to say, "Too often, tools are made for people that grew up with the Internet, not folks who are like me. If I am able to figure out how to use an item, then the company thought beyond the twenty-somethings and truly cares about creating a tool that is accessible to everyone makers."
3. Provides for the creator journey to come
Platforms should be able to support creators throughout their journey, says Khe Hy whether it's making a sales page responsive or a checkout experience extremely smooth, all the way to having features that handle processes involving affiliates, upsells, or other upsells.
"Creator-friendly is a term used to describe a product that is aware of and anticipating the needs of creators."
--- Khe Hy, RadReads
The ability to create is next for the person who created it "before they realize they need to get there," he explains. "A lot of times, people are starting with a simple product and later expanding their offerings."
The stress of unfriendly creator platforms
It's a bit frustrating feeling as if you're unable to get the help you need from a platform you rely upon to manage your company.
As Em, Becky has found herself battling the silence treatment. "I started my course-creating experience on a platform that offered poor customer service," she shares. "When I had problems, I had to send an email. There was no automatic response to acknowledge that they received the question. In addition, I didn't get any answers to the majority of questions I submitted."
The importance of being a good friend to creators doesn't stop at support requests. Companies have the opportunity to ensure that the needs of their creators are at the forefront of their customer experience. Missing or disregarding these opportunities creates a feeling that creators are dependent on the platforms' whims.
For Adrian, a platform's disregard of creators is evident by adding or deleting functions that make him re-learn how to use the tool. Communicating with supposed experts doesn't feel friendly even when, as Adrian says, "you can clearly see they're trying to persuade that you spend more time and money inside of the platform."
The worst experience Adrian had as a creator as well as a businessman was using the tool for creating websites. "It needed a long learning process to do very easy tasks, and it could be susceptible to errors at any moment due to a plugin, upgrade, or even bad luck," Adrian recalls. "Knowing that my websites as well as websites of my clients as well as clients may cease to function in any moment, no matter the cost hiring all the essential tools to have a professional web site is absurd."
It is easy to see his blood pressure rise in his words, "Just thinking of [theseplatforms makes me very angry and helpless. overwhelmed, confident and nervous about every bad thing that can happen the event that I don't have any control!"
Where can you find platforms that are creator-friendly?
As with most purchasing decisions, creators can be taken in by brands. However, according to Adrian explains, they're getting experience from their hard-earned knowledge on how to recognize a brand which puts the needs of creators first:
What's the result? The creators believe they've made the most appropriate choice but end up repeatedly frustrated when they must figure things themselves, with no assistance from their service provider."
So what should you avoid? "Tools with higher costs with the growth of your database]. This is the case with the majority of marketers who use email. These services have additional fees or hidden fees within their subscriptions to access templates, training or information."
Beware of devices that are expensive, especially as you're starting with. Khe cautions that "Creators want to pay money for services, but if you start too expensive -- either via tiering or how you design your plans -- the cost could become too high, too early." Adrian states, "Having to pay over $100 upfront per month -in order to understand how to use the platform, or to find out how you can make profits there isn't going to be the ideal solution for most creators."
What are the attributes you seek? Adrian recommends seeking for tools that were designed with the creator at the forefront from the beginning that are affordable in price as well as customer service and complete transparency from the business.
"Although it may sound cliche, ask what are the company's values, goals, and mission of the organization? What are their future plans? Are they really looking to grow? Perhaps they've created something or a service they're now trying to sell, with no interest in improving it?"
-- Adrian Dalsus, Despegue Musical
There are numerous other factors that go into making an online platform user-friendly, from the way transaction fees are structured to whether you can take direct payment . (Learn more about the ways in which's chief executive officer, Spencer Fry, thinks about the concept of being a creator-friendly platform and the reasons it's the guiding principle of the company.)
As Becky summarizes, "There are always choices. My money will always go to those who truly are concerned about me and my experiences and not only about getting my money."
The Creator Friendliness Index
The Creator Friendliness Index uses 20 rating factors to determine the extent to which a firm's policies are for creators. -- Find out which platforms have your back