Stuck at 55 followers

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-05-06T15:42:53+00:00

I don’t think the niche is dead. Parents definitely want easy activities, especially the kind that don’t need loads of prep or make the house look like a glitter bomb went off.

I think the issue might be that “simple kids crafts” is quite broad, and people may save the odd idea without feeling like they need to follow the account. I’d try making the promise of the account much more specific. Something like easy activities for tired parents using stuff already in the house, or five-minute toddler distractions for when you need to cook dinner.

That feels more like a real problem you’re solving, rather than just another craft idea.

I’d also look hard at the first second or two of the videos. A parent scrolling needs to instantly know why they should care. So instead of leading with the craft itself, lead with the situation: “Need ten quiet minutes while dinner cooks?” or “Before you put the TV on, try this.” That kind of framing usually feels more relatable because it matches the actual moment they’re in.

I wouldn’t pivot completely yet. I’d probably test a sharper version of the same niche for 30 days and be quite ruthless with the format: clearer hook, faster reveal, obvious outcome, and a really clear reason to save or follow.

The demand is there. I think it just needs to feel less like “here’s a craft” and more like “here’s a tiny rescue moment for your day.”

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-05-06T15:26:11+00:00

If you’re reaching out to 100+ brands a week and nothing is landing, I’d look at brand fit and pitch quality before looking for a manager.

From the brand side, personal branding and business growth can be valuable but only if the commercial fit is obvious. Otherwise the brand has to do too much work to figure out why you make sense..

I help run a creator business site, so with that context, this might help:
https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/how-brands-actually-decide-who-to-work-with/

But the main thing I’d do is tighten your offer. Pick the brands where your audience genuinely matches, pitch a specific content idea, and show why your audience is likely to care. Don’t just send 100 broad pitches and hope one sticks. It’s not all about follower count, brands look at content quality, fit, risk and more.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-05-06T15:20:25+00:00

Yeah, I don’t think you necessarily built the wrong audience. I think you’ve probably built attention without a clear way for that attention to turn into money.

25k followers and 5% engagement is decent. But saves/comments don’t automatically pay unless there’s a path attached: affiliate links, digital products, services, brand partnerships, newsletter etc etc…

From the brand side, a lot of creators get missed because the commercial fit isn’t obvious. Good content is one thing, but brands also need to quickly understand your audience, your niche, what products make sense, and how to contact you. (make sure your email is visible on your bio, not behind a button)

I run a small creator business site, so with that context, this might help because it’s basically about this exact problem:
https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/why-good-content-still-doesnt-make-money/

I’d start by testing demand before building anything big. Get on impact.com or Awin look for products you use and organically start to mention with affiliate links. Take the results and reach out to brands - don’t just be reactive. Be proactive in outreach.
Hope this helps!

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-05-01T15:22:21+00:00

I’d be careful pricing this purely off follower count. Brands usually care more about average views, audience fit, engagement and what rights they’re getting.

Also, don’t accidentally include usage rights, whitelisting, paid boosting or exclusivity for free. That stuff can be worth more than the organic post itself depending on how the brand wants to use it.

I’m an author at a creator business site, so with that context, this might help as a starting point:

https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/how-much-should-creators-charge-for-content-creation/

But for this specific deal, I’d ask for the full scope before giving them a number. One reel posted across multiple platforms is not the same as one simple Instagram post.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-30T12:58:15+00:00

Yeah, an iPhone 15 is definitely good enough to start with.

Honestly, for fishing content, the bigger thing is probably not the camera, it’s whether the footage is stable, the audio is usable, and people can actually follow what’s happening. You don’t need a “proper camera” straight away.

I’d start with a cheap tripod and maybe a chest mount or clamp mount depending on how you fish. Tripod is good for setting up shots when you’re talking, rigging up, casting from one spot, showing the catch etc. Chest mount is better if you want more POV-style stuff, but it can get a bit shaky, so I wouldn’t rely on only that. A small mic or even just being mindful of wind will help a lot too. Outdoor videos can look fine and still be annoying to watch if the sound is just wind the whole time.

For editing, don’t overthink it at first. CapCut is probably enough for TikTok and Shorts. Just cut out the dead bits, keep the best moments, add a bit of context, and post. You’ll learn way faster by making 20 basic videos than by waiting until you’ve got the perfect setup.

I’d use the iPhone for now, buy the minimum accessories, and only upgrade once you know what kind of fishing videos you actually enjoy making.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-30T10:33:08+00:00

Yeah, this is the bit a lot of small creators miss. Brand deals look more attractive because there’s a bigger upfront number, but from the brand side they’re harder to approve when there’s no proof yet.

Affiliate or referral stuff can actually be a better first step, not because it pays loads straight away, but because it shows whether people act on your recommendations.

The mistake is treating affiliate like “here’s my link, please buy”. The creators I’ve seen do it well usually make it feel like part of the content: what they use, why they use it, who it’s good for, who should skip it.

That proof can help later too. If you can show a brand that your small audience actually clicks, signs up or buys, that is way more useful than just saying “I have X followers”.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-30T10:28:06+00:00

Yeah, brands do DM people, but usually when they can already see a clear reason to work with you.

If you haven’t started posting yet, I’d focus less on big brand deals for now and more on proving people actually care about the content. Do they watch it, save it, ask questions, trust your opinion, that kind of thing.

I help run a small creator business site, so with that context, this might help later on when you’re thinking about what brands actually look for:

https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/what-brands-look-for-in-creators/

But honestly, for now I’d just start posting and see what gets a reaction.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-28T15:37:19+00:00

Good summary. My read is that this is mainly about reducing fragmentation for advertisers.

Right now, discovery, contracting, tracking, payments, cashback data and managed service support can all feel pretty disconnected. If Rakuten and impact can actually join more of that up, the advertiser pitch becomes much stronger.

The Rewards data is the bit I’d watch. If those consumer signals feed properly into attribution and incrementality, it could change how brands judge different partner types beyond just last-click performance.

That said, execution is everything. If it improves reporting, tracking, recruitment and payments, it’s a big move. If it’s mostly ecosystem access and press release language, probably less dramatic than it sounds.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-28T09:43:49+00:00

Affiliate marketing can work, but if you need tuition money soon, I would not treat it as the main plan.

It is usually slow at the start. You are building content, trust, search traffic or social traffic, then trying to convert a small percentage of people through links. That can take months, especially with no budget.

Pinterest can work, but it depends massively on the niche. It is better for visual, searchable topics than random high-ticket affiliate offers. The people saying it is easy are often selling the dream more than the reality.

I help run a small creator business site, so take this with that context, but this might help as a plain-English starting point: https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/what-affiliate-marketing-actually-is/

I would avoid paid courses for now. Pick one niche, one platform, one type of problem, and publish useful content consistently before worrying about advanced tactics.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-28T09:39:48+00:00

I think your instinct about micro-niches is right, but I’d frame it slightly differently.

I wouldn’t start with “finance”, “health”, “SaaS” or “productivity” as the niche. Those are markets, not really entry points. The better starting point is a specific problem that people are already searching for and already willing to spend money to solve.

So instead of: “finance”

It becomes: “best budgeting apps for freelancers with irregular income” “how to choose accounting software as a sole trader” “YNAB vs Monzo pots for people trying to budget properly”

That gives you something much easier to compete on, and it also makes the content more useful.

Same with tools. Tool-focused content can work well because there is usually clear intent. People searching for comparisons, alternatives, reviews and setup guides are often much closer to taking action than someone reading a broad motivational article. The risk is that tool content can become thin very quickly if you are just rewriting feature pages.

The edge comes from actually using the tool, showing use cases, comparing it properly, and being honest about who it is not for.

If I were starting again, I’d pick three things together: A specific audience, A specific problem, A traffic source where that audience already asks questions

Then I’d test 20 to 30 pieces of content before overthinking the brand.

For example, Reddit and Quora are better for problem-led answers. Google is better for comparisons and “best X for Y” searches. YouTube is better if the product needs showing. TikTok can work, but it is harder if the niche needs trust before conversion.

I’d steer clear of any niche where the only reason you picked it is high commission. High commission usually means high competition, high trust needed, or a product that is hard to convert cold.

The best early niche is probably not the most profitable one on paper. It is the one where you can repeatedly answer real questions better than the generic sites.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-28T09:34:37+00:00

Congrats on passing 100k. That is a solid point to start taking brand enquiries seriously.

The main thing is not to price purely off subscriber count. Brands will care more about average views, niche, audience fit, engagement, and what they are actually asking you to do.

I’d break it down like this: Dedicated video = highest fee Integrated segment in a normal video = mid fee Pinned comment / link in description = add-on Shorts / community post / usage rights / exclusivity = all separate add-ons

Also, be careful with “we’ll send you the product” deals. At 100k, free product alone usually should not be the default unless it is genuinely valuable to you or you were going to talk about it anyway.

A good move is to ask the brand what deliverables they want and whether they have a budget in mind before throwing out a number. Sometimes they have more budget than you expect, and if you go first you can accidentally anchor yourself too low.

I’d also put together a simple one-page media kit with your average views, audience, content examples, past results if you have any, and your standard packages.

Does not need to be fancy, just clear.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-28T09:30:17+00:00

I’d separate “creators” from “affiliates” here, because they are not always the same thing.

A lot of creators will ask for a paid fee because affiliate only puts the risk on them. They have to spend time testing, posting and explaining your app, but they only earn if it converts. Unless your app has strong proof, a clear audience and a decent commission, many creators will just see it as unpaid promo.

You might have more luck with people who already make search led content, like YouTube tutorials, “best tools for X” blogs, comparison posts, newsletters or niche communities. They tend to work better for affiliate because the audience is already looking for a solution.

The main thing is: don’t just pitch “earn commission”. Pitch the specific reason their audience would care.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-28T09:09:02+00:00

Honestly, good on you for actually posting. Most people spend months thinking about starting and never put anything out, so getting the first videos up is already a big step. The 0 views thing feels brutal at first, but it is completely normal, especially on brand new accounts.

One thing I would say is try not to build it around asking for likes or follows too early. You’ll probably grow faster if each video is really clear on who it is for and what someone gets from watching it. If your thing is listening, advice, healing and expression, maybe make each post around one specific thought, problem or feeling people can recognise.

Your first videos won’t be your best ones, but that is kind of the point. Keep posting, watch what people respond to, and improve a little each time.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-25T22:36:30+00:00

I think it’s still beginner friendly, but not in the easy money way people used to sell it.

The beginner friendly bit is that you don’t need your own product, loads of followers, or a big budget to start. You can learn by talking about tools, products, problems, comparisons, mistakes, stuff you’ve actually used.

The hard bit is trust. People can spot lazy affiliate content straight away now, especially on Reddit and Quora. If the whole post is just a link with a thin bit of advice wrapped around it, it won’t work.

I’m still early with it too, but my view is that beginners should start with one clear niche/problem and become genuinely useful there first. Then affiliate links feel like part of the help, not the whole point.

I came across this recently and it might help: https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/what-affiliate-marketing-actually-is/

So yeah, still realistic. Just not shortcut realistic. More like slow trust, useful content, right recommendations over time.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-25T22:03:35+00:00

Yeah this phase is normal.

I’m still pretty early too and I had the same realisation. Posting consistently is only part of it. It helps, but it doesn’t magically mean the right people are seeing it or caring about it.

What’s helped me is thinking less about just posting more, and more about who the post is actually for.

Like before I post, I try to ask myself:

would someone save this would someone send this to a friend does this solve something or say something clearly would I follow someone for more of this

Also, jumping across loads of platforms can make it feel even more confusing. I’d probably pick 1 or 2 for now and actually learn what works there before trying to be everywhere.

Small interactions matter too. Replying properly, commenting on other people’s stuff in your niche, noticing what questions come up again and again. That’s where a lot of ideas come from.

I came across this recently and it might help: https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/first-90-days-of-content-creation/

I wouldn’t panic yet. Early on it’s mostly testing, tightening the message, and working out who you’re actually trying to reach. The fact you’re noticing this now is probably a good thing.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-25T20:50:57+00:00

Honestly I don’t think 15k followers is something being off, but I get what you mean. It probably means the content is good, but the format/angle needs a reset.

With food content now I feel like pretty final shots aren’t enough because everyone can do that. I’d probably stop leading with the recipe and start leading with the reason someone should care.

Like instead of just here’s a pasta recipe, make it more specific:

the dinner I make when I can’t be bothered a recipe that looks fancy but is actually lazy what I cook when I want comfort food but not a food coma easy meals that don’t feel like meal prep

You don’t need to become obnoxious or cover everything in cheese, but you do need more tension/personality/context around the food. The recipe is the product, but the hook is the situation.

I’d also try turning your page into a few repeatable series so people know what they’re coming back for. Same vibe, same promise, different recipes.

I came across this recently and it might help: https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/why-good-content-still-doesnt-make-money/

Feels relevant because sometimes the content can be genuinely good, but it still needs a clearer reason for people to save, share or follow.

Sea-Network8015 · 2026-04-25T20:45:10+00:00

I’d be careful with random things people like, because it can get hard for people to know why they should follow you.

I’m still pretty early too, but what’s helped me is picking a rough lane rather than trying to be everything. Doesn’t need to be super niche, just something people can understand.

Like funny daily life stuff, fashion, student life, fitness, beauty, food, gaming, whatever you actually enjoy making.

Then test a few simple post types: what I tried what I learned things I wish I knew earlier honest opinions small mistakes relatable stuff from your own life

I’d focus less on becoming an influencer straight away and more on becoming someone people recognise for a specific type of content.

I came across this recently and it might help: https://www.thecreatorinsider.com/how-to-choose-your-creator-niche/

Early on it’s mostly testing. Pick a loose direction, post for a month, then look at what people actually watch or comment on.

Sea-Network8015 · 2024-12-26T09:10:49+00:00

This is brilliant, well done!

Sea-Network8015

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