Where can you discover a good platform for creators? Four successful creators share their advice |
Every creator deserves tools that are able to meet their demands and help them grow -however, they don't always deliver. This is what four successful creators look for in platforms that are supportive of creators.
"It was an absolute nightmare" declares Em Connors of The Creative Bodega .
When Em first started the Canva course, the plugin she used on a WordPress website wasn't functioning. Students had signed up to the course but the first day, no one was able to log in.
"We couldn't figure out why. It was a case of anxiety! I don't think my heart rate has ever been as high, and there was no one I could speak to," she remembers. Em desperately searched for help online and in forums and forums, such as a Facebook group of plugin customers But nothing.
However, it could be a familiar experience for numerous creators. Many platforms within the market for creators do not put the needs of creators firstusing questionable methods which include absence of transparency, false fees, and silence instead of offering support.
Everyone deserves tools for creators that prioritize their needs and support their growth. To gain a better understanding of what the concept of "creator friendliness" -- and its absencereally looks as, we talked to four creatives on their experience:
Em Daniel Connors , solopreneur, marketing and branding expert teacher, the founder of The Creative Bodega.
Becky Mollenkamp is a feminist lifestyle coach, podcaster and the founder of The Gutsy Boss Club community.
Adrian Dalsus musician, marketer, teacher, and founder Despegue Musical. Despegue Musical.
Khe Hy , a.k.a. "Oprah to Millennials", the founder of RadReads and a Notion pro.
What is it that makes a platform user-friendly?
There are many aspects that create a platform that is friendly to creators and user-friendly, but it boils down to whether creators are confident that the platform is there for them.
1. Support for accessibility
If you are stuck, you should be able to find assistance. It sounds simple, but the assistance isn't always readily available. For Em the term "creator friendliness" means being able to talk to a real human being to work through any questions or concerns.
"Creator friendliness is being able to pose a question to someone and get an answer quickly. 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 entrepreneurs want to work like this in their businesses. "I'm going to help you in any way you can." Em says. "Ask me any questions you have- I may not always know the answer, but I'm going to do my best. I think that makes people feel really at ease."
Becky agrees: "Knowing that the company is dedicated to being responsive to the needs of its clients will ensure that you're able to have the support you need in a timely way. If the company isn't doing this from the start and then you're left with no choice but to run."
2. User-friendly
Tools that support creators also have to be easy to use across backgrounds and experience levels. Simply because something is intuitive for one person does not mean that it is intuitive for everyone.
"Addressing the needs of myriad different age groups is crucial since anyone is a creator at any age!"
Becky considers herself to be a reliable yardstick
"One method I use to determine if a program is creator-friendly is whether I can intuitively figure out how to use it without having to shout. Even though I'm extremely tech-savvy, I am at the age of 40 and am no an ideal target for tech companies."
She elaborates, "Too often, tools are designed for those that grew up with the Internet and not for people who are like me. If I'm able to easily figure out how to use some thing, it means that it was designed by a company that thinks beyond twenty-somethings and truly cares about developing a product for every makers."
3. Provides for the creator journey to come
A platform should also work for creators all along their journey, says Khe Hy -- regardless of whether you're making your sales pages flexible or a checkout experience very smooth. This includes the use of features to manage the workflow of affiliates and upsells.
"Creator-friendly means that a product recognizes and anticipates the requirements of creators."
-- Khe Hy, RadReads
The ability to create is next for the creator "before they even know how to go about it," he explains. "A lot of times it's the case that people start by offering something simple, and later expanding their offerings."
The anxiety of creating unfriendly platforms
It's frustrating to feel like you can't get the assistance you require from a platform you rely on to run your business.
Similar to Em, Becky has found herself battling the silence treatment. "I began my experience of creating courses with a platform that had terrible customer support," she shares. "When I encountered issues and needed to contact them, I sent an email. The email didn't get a response automatically to confirm that they had were aware of the issue. There was no response to most of the questions I submitted."
The importance of being a good friend to creators doesn't stop at help requests. The companies have the ability to ensure that the needs of their creators are first throughout the entire customer experience. In the absence of these opportunities, or ignoring them creates a feeling that creators are dependent on the platforms' whims.
For Adrian an online platform, the disdain for creators looks like suddenly adding or deleting functions that make him re-learn how to use the application. Communication with supposed experts doesn't feel helpful when, as he points out, "you can clearly see that they're trying to persuade you to spend extra time and money in the of the tool."
The most difficult encounter Adrian had as a creator and business owner was using an online tool. "It required a lengthy learning process to do very easy tasks, and it could be susceptible to errors at any moment due to a plugin update, or bad luck" he remembers. "Knowing that the websites and websites of my clients and customers could cease functioning in any moment, no matter the fact that it is expensive hiring all the essential tools for a professionally designed website, is a travesty."
We can practically see his blood pressure rise as he tells us, "Just thinking of [theseplatforms makes me feel very frustrated and helpless. feeling powerless, anxious, and insecure and nervous about every bad thing that can happen which I am unable to take action!"
What platforms are suitable for creators?
Similar to the majority of purchasing decisions, creators can be taken in by companies. However, like Adrian explains, they're making a decision based on their experience and learning to identify a company which puts the needs of creators first:
What's the result? People believe that they've made their best decision but get frustrated over and over again because they have to figure it out on their own, with no assistance from their service suppliers."
And what are the things to avoid? "Tools that increase their costs with the growth of your database]. This is the case with the majority of companies that offer email marketing. Services that have extra payments or hidden charges in their memberships for access to templates, courses, or information."
Additionally, be aware of equipment that is expensive in the beginning, particularly as you start off. Khe warns "Creators are willing to make a payment for services but if you start at a high cost -- whether through your tiering or through the structure of your plans -- it could be expensive and too soon." Adrian says, "Having to pay over $100 per month upfront- just to learn the basics of using the platform, or to figure out how to make profits there isn't going to make sense for most creators."
What attributes do you look for? Adrian recommends seeking out tools developed by the designer of HTML0 in mind right from the start, with affordable pricing along with customer support and transparency from the company.
"Although it may sound cliche, ask what are the core values, mission and the vision of the business? What are their future plans? Do they actually want to grow? Did they create an item or service they're currently trying to sell without any interest in improving it?"
-- Adrian Dalsus, Despegue Musical
There are many additional factors that make the platform more user-friendly. These include how transaction fees are structured to the possibility of accepting direct payment . (Learn more about the way in which's chief executive officer, Spencer Fry, thinks about creator friendliness and why it's an important guiding concept for the company.)
As Becky puts it, "There are always choices. I'll only give my money to companies who actually care about my experience rather than just getting my money."
The Creator Friendliness Index
The Creator Friendliness Index uses 20 rating factors to determine the degree of how accommodating a business's policies are for creators. - See which platforms are on your side