Creator Gems: Avi Gandhi of Creator Logic

Today we’re sharing the scoop on Avi Gandhi, who's been in the creator game since the early YouTube and Vine days, has rolled out Creator Logic. Picture this: a super newsletter plus consultancy designed like a secret decoder ring for tech biz folks and creators to do business better together. Avi's dishing out the inside track on collabs, the coolest tools, and boss-level growth strategies. Get ready to level up your creator journey!

If you grab the ear of every creator across the globe, what insight would you share to help them with their business? 

Treat each gig like it's your golden ticket! If you take on a project, pour your heart into it and knock it out of the park. If you can't give it your all, better to say "no thanks" than to disappoint and ding your rep. Remember, it's all about making sweet harmony with your partners—get their goals, meet expectations, and keep those communication lines buzzing. It's all about playing the long game in this creative hustle!

What skill set do you find the best for working creators to be successful? 

Creators can focus on three main areas: content, community, and transactions. Content-focused folks are like artists, needing to be detailed, focused, and experts in crafting their stuff. Now, community-centric creators? It's all about the social vibes! They have to foster a sense of belonging and maintain genuine interactions. But the doozy is the transaction gang! It's like juggling both content and community, plus you gotta be a business whiz. Think about building trust, nurturing your audience, and setting up a sales funnel to turn fans into customers. So, pick your path, or master 'em all if you're up for the challenge!

When it comes to making money from a creator’s audience, what do you think is the easiest way to test it? (Tipping, affiliate, brand partnerships, etc)

Creators need to ask themselves, "What is it about me and my work that my audience digs?" Once they've figured that out, they can use it to level up their monetization game. For example, a musician could sell their original tracks or live performances to fans who love their cover songs. But hey, maybe you don't want to sell stuff to your audience. In that case, you could consider sponsorships and ads where brands pay you to reach your audience. The trick is figuring out what those brands want and how you can deliver it. It's all about leveraging what you're good at to get the money flowing.

You were head of Creator Partnerships at Patreon, can you tell us how tipping could be included in a creator's revenue stream and what steps they can take to implement it if they haven’t done so yet? 

Tipping is a good starting point for creators, especially in fields where monetizing can be a bit tricky like music or cosplay. But remember, it's more like spare change in a jar than a paycheck. It's like Patreon started as a virtual tip jar, but really flourished when it became a hub for creators to build real businesses. So sure, set up that tip jar as a bonus, but don't spend all your energy on it. It's a passive income stream, not the main event.

Tell us your take on the creator economy. Why build this resource for creators and not other freelancers? 

While many people have skills, not everyone can gather an audience, which makes the creator space so fascinating and tough. It's not just about talent; it's also about your ability to pull in a crowd. This often means more value and, in turn, more revenue. But hey, the line between creators, influencers, freelancers can get kinda blurry, and it stirs up a lot of debate. I guess it's about why the audience follows you - for your creations or your charisma? Anyway, labels aside, it's all about that sweet mix of talent and audience pull.

What do you think the biggest misconception is about creators? 

The biggest misconception about creators is assuming they're all entrepreneurs. I see creators on a spectrum, from artists who make content purely for the love of it, to entrepreneurs who create for profit. A lot of creators are somewhere in the middle, and companies often miss this point. Like, some platforms pitch to the entrepreneur side, while others cater to the artist side, and that's super important to understand when navigating the creator economy. It's not just one-size-fits-all!

You’ve done an amazing job at owning your audience with your newsletter, Creator Logic. Owning your audience is #1 on creators' minds to protect their income. What tips do you have for creators who want to own their audience? 

First, try to get direct points of contact like emails or phone numbers. This way, you can reach out to your audience directly without a middleman platform. But hey, it’s easier said than done. The second tip? Spread out your presence across different platforms. This way, if your primary platform kicks the bucket, you're not entirely out of luck. It's all about finding a balance that works best for you, and remember, every video or content piece you create can be turned into little nuggets for other platforms!

What’s your favorite platform to interact with creators on? Do you have a favorite creator genre that you participate in? 

For my line of work, I love creating on LinkedIn.It's the business district of social media where folks are there with a purpose, not just to chill. It's a hotspot for creators to connect with brands, execs, and other creators. But when I clock off, you'll find me geeking out to Dungeons and Dragons podcasts or catching up on gaming and anime videos on YouTube. I’m a bit of a super nerd, and I love it!

Thanks Avi for sharing your insight with us. To follow Avi, find him on LinkedIn and subscribe to his Creator Logic newsletter.