Latest news with #Kajabi
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Top Creators Are Outsmarting The Algorithm For Good
Young african american woman smiling while recording an audio broadcast in a modern cozy studio. ... More Cheerful black female content creator hosting an internet podcast. Copy space. Looking into the camera. getty In the early days of digital content creation, success was measured by exposure: the number of likes, shares, followers and views a creator could accumulate. But increasingly, creators are realizing that virality doesn't always translate into financial sustainability. Platform algorithms change frequently, monetization models are inconsistent and dependence on a single social media channel introduces risk. Ahad Khan, CEO of Kajabi, a platform that has powered more than $9 billion in creator revenue, has seen firsthand how creators are adjusting their approach. 'At first it was, I just want exposure,' Khan says, describing the early mindset. 'But it wasn't translating into income for a lot of creators who wanted to do this full time and wanted to take it a bit more seriously.' The turning point often comes when creators stop viewing themselves solely as entertainers and begin identifying as business owners. This shift brings new priorities, such as data control, audience retention and reliable income streams. Khan explains that creators who succeed on Kajabi are those who adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. 'They start to think of themselves as business owners and entrepreneurs... and start thinking about the people who engage with their content at the top of their funnel.' In practical terms, creators are using social media as a discovery tool. But instead of keeping their audiences there, they invite them to join email lists, pay for premium content, or enter private communities. 'How do I get their email address so then I can interact with them directly?' Khan says. 'I'm not dependent on a third-party platform that can turn me on and off for the algorithm changes.' Forbes You Went Viral, Now What? How Creators Are Turning Attention Into Income By Ian Shepherd What emerges from this shift is something Khan refers to as creator commerce. It mirrors the rise of ecommerce in the early 2010s. Just as Shopify allowed businesses to move beyond Amazon and build independent storefronts, platforms like Kajabi are enabling creators to own their customer experience, brand, and revenue. Creators on Kajabi are launching courses, newsletters, coaching offers and subscription-based communities. These are often built around deep expertise, whether in personal development, education, creative skills, or even niche hobbies. 'It creates, for the entrepreneur, for the creator, an opportunity to build livelihood around what they're putting out there,' Khan says. One major differentiator is Kajabi's focus on enabling full ownership. 'I build my audience on socials,' Khan says, 'but I build my business on Kajabi, and I build my brand on Kajabi.' From Free to Fee This transition is about self-perception and pricing psychology. For many creators, charging for their work requires a mindset adjustment. 'Here's something of more value,' Khan says. 'But I want to engage in some kind of transaction... I should earn something from it, too.' That line of thinking is helping creators shift away from a culture of giving everything away for free and toward one where expertise, creativity, and connection are recognized as valuable products. Forbes The Secret Strategies Behind the Creator Economy's Best-Selling Products By Ian Shepherd Cody Detwiler's Path to Physical Product While digital products dominate the conversation around creator monetization, some entrepreneurs are exploring a different path. Cody Detwiler, better known as WhistlinDiesel, recently launched ALCOLO, an alcohol brand that reflects the high-energy lifestyle of his YouTube content. 'We were brainstorming ideas for a way to branch out from YouTube,' Detwiler recalls. 'In a way to develop a legendary, iconic brand that would be passed down from generation to generation, as opposed to something more temporary and disposable.' The idea came together quickly when a team member accidentally misspelled 'alcohol' on a whiteboard. 'We looked at the board and laughed, 'that says Alcolo…let's f***ing do it!'' While Detwiler's approach leads to mass retail rather than a subscription model, the principle is the same. His audience loyalty gives him leverage and his brand strength offers an off-platform future. Forbes Gen Z's Underground Social Network Just Went National And It's Blowing Up By Ian Shepherd The Strategy for Long-Term Success As the creator economy matures, the path forward is becoming clearer. Here are a few key takeaways: Own your audience . Move beyond platforms by collecting email addresses or building private communities. . Move beyond platforms by collecting email addresses or building private communities. Create aligned products . Digital or physical, the offer should reflect your expertise and the needs of your audience. . Digital or physical, the offer should reflect your expertise and the needs of your audience. Focus on brand over virality . A strong personal brand builds trust and long-term connection, which is harder to disrupt. . A strong personal brand builds trust and long-term connection, which is harder to disrupt. Use platforms as pipelines. Social media can still bring in new viewers, but make sure your core business happens somewhere you control. As Khan notes, creators are evolving. The new model is about building equity in a business that's truly your own. This article is based on an interview from my podcast, The Business of Creators .
Forbes
20-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Creators Are Making More Money Off Social Media Than On It
Sierra Fernald just launched her first course, "The Escape Plan" In 2025, the term 'influencer' no longer tells the full story. According to Kajabi's new State of Creator Commerce report, over half of content creators now identify as entrepreneurs. This is a shift that marks a new era in the creator economy. Unlike the social-first creators who rely solely on brand partnerships or platform bonuses, 'entrepreneurial' creators are building businesses that go beyond the social platforms, tapping into digital products and services to generate real, sustainable income. Not only are these entrepreneurial creators earning more, they're also feeling more confident. Kajabi's data shows that entrepreneurial creators make 25% more than their social-first counterparts and are 20% more likely to report higher self-confidence and self-esteem. With platform volatility on the rise (for example, fears of a TikTok ban or ongoing political concerns around Meta), creators are actively bringing their monetization strategies off-platform and into their own hands. Perhaps one of the most essential aspects of all, you don't need hundreds of thousands of followers to do it. Some of today's most successful creators are thriving with audiences under 20K. Hailey Young made $2,000 in her first weekend selling digital products. When Hailey Young launched her YouTube quilting channel in 2021, she was a stay-at-home mom earning about $500/month through AdSense and affiliate links. 'The idea of needing to double or triple my video output just to increase my income felt impossible,' she says. In 2023, everything changed when she launched her first digital product and ran a flash sale to a long-forgotten email list resulting in an additional $2,000 in one weekend. That single decision unlocked a six-figure business. 'I realized I didn't need to create more content—I needed to build smarter systems,' Young explains. With funnels and flash sales, she built a repeatable revenue stream that gave her financial control outside of the algorithm. 'Digital products felt like flipping on a money faucet,' she says. 'Now I have real control over my income—and a business I can sustain.' Sierra Fernald just launched her first course, "The Escape Plan" Sierra Fernald's journey began with her sharing travel moments online and landing the occasional brand deal. But after years of chasing the algorithm and spending countless hours pitching and negotiating, she realized she needed a better system. 'It was like being in a constant loop of trying to prove my worth,' she says. 'One month I'd land great deals, and the next, crickets.' Now Fernald is shifting away from brand reliance and into entrepreneurship, building her first course, "The Escape Plan", designed to help others build nomadic, sustainable lives. 'It's not necessarily making me more just yet, but the hope is that it creates breathing room—to create from inspiration, not stress.' Her long-term vision is a business that serves her community directly, without relying on whether Instagram decides to show her content to three people—or 30,000. Prasha Dutra has generated $850,000 in total revenue. TEDx speaker and founder of the Believe in Your Brilliance Academy, Prashha Dutra built a coaching business that has generated $850,000 in total revenue, helping more than 600 women secure $200K+ jobs. She's no stranger to the content game—but she's clear about where she places her energy: 'Brand partnerships and content monetization can be unpredictable and often undervalue your expertise,' she says. Instead, Dutra built a service-based business around her deep expertise in career coaching for women in STEM. 'Many content creators make the mistake of diversifying too early,' she explains. 'The deeper I went into my niche, the more valuable my services became.' What began as a podcast evolved into a high-ticket, high-impact business that has outpaced most influencer brand deals and given her full autonomy in the process. Entrepreneurial creators are shifting the narrative away from vanity metrics and toward meaningful income. They're building memberships, launching digital downloads, creating online courses, selling e-books, and generating podcast revenue. With more predictability, more autonomy, and often more alignment with their values, these off-platform ventures are turning creators into business owners. As these creators prove, you don't need a massive audience to pull it off. As these three creators show, success in the creator economy isn't about follower count, it's about building something sustainable, intentional, and truly your own.
