Supporting Creators
I received a lovely reader response to my last newsletter. She shared that she is no longer making purchases online from designers due to budgetary constraints, and is focused on using previously purchased content. I sat on it for a few days, because I wanted to make sure my response was just right. I want to be clear - I’m not upset by this attitude. I’ve become more thoughtful about how I spend my money, too.
I am not here to spend your money. Don’t get me wrong - I LOOOOOVE making money. Making money makes me proud. I have a lot of emotional baggage around money, but I’m working on it. Money is a tangible validation of my work. So, if you want to buy stuff from me, fantastic. My shop is here. If you don’t have money to spend on my offerings, there are other ways to support me, and I appreciate them all. (By the way, these will work for all of the creators you follow, not just me.)
Share my offerings with folks who will enjoy me. Spread the word. You don’t want to spend on my online class, but maybe your guild wants to hire me. Maybe your local shop wants to carry my patterns, but hasn’t seen them yet. You can help me find more of my people.
Engage with my posts on social media. Like, comment, share and save. It tells the social media companies that my content is desirable, and they promote it more widely. When my following grows, so do my opportunities.
Watch, like, comment and share my YouTube videos. Play the long ones in the background. YouTube pays me for views. Don’t get too excited - it took me like 10 years to get my first $100. The second $100 took me 6 months. But money is money, baby.
Use my affiliate links when you shop. Affiliate programs are great - you pay the same price as usual, and the company gives me a small commission. Here are some of the companies I participate in affiliate programs with.
When I advertise a summit, sign up for the free ticket. I only make money from sales, but demonstrating an engaged audience shows the organizers that I am a good business partner.
And, if all you have space for is to read my newsletter and consume what I’m giving out for free, that is fine. I send my newsletter out to over 5,000 readers each week. I typically generate 1 or 2 sales each time. If you aren’t making a purchase from me, you are in the majority, and I still love you.
Go forth and share the love.
Oh, and if you want to support me directly, I do have an account with Buy me a Coffee.
Now, it’s your turn. How can I support you? What content do you want to see?