We ran our second-ever IRL event! As with the Community Collab back in July, we wanted to bring aspiring and established creators into a room so they could share advice and support each other, and of course we wanted to eavesdrop, as there was always going to be lots for us to learn, too, as we build Just About to be the best place to create.

Heaps of valuable advice and good, positive vibes were shared across three panel discussions and an interview with TikTok’s UK head of gaming and sports. We're sharing the big takeaways in this article, but as you'll have noticed, we're also been running bounties based on each of the panel topics:

• Content and discoverability

• Monetisation

• How creators manage

When those bounties close, you can expect curated content to be published with the best submissions and more in-depth notes from each of the panels at the show!

A massive thank-you to everyone who attended at EGX, whether you spoke or simply came along to watch.

Content and discoverability

• Make what you love: Chasing trends and numbers doesn’t work; fans will sniff out insincerity. The ones you connect with through passion will stick with you. 

• Pick the platform that works for you: Decide what you want to make and find the platform to fit it, not the other way round. Don’t stress about being on every platform.

• Levelling up: Consistent quality output is the baseline; to progress, you need help. Go to events, network, ask questions of creators you admire, get other perspectives on your work.

Monetisation

• Brand deals: Build your niche and write to publishers or agencies working in it. They’ll look at your consistency, brand safety, and tone; make them appealing!

• Professionalism impresses: Be easy to work with, be prompt and pleasant when replying to emails, keep to deadlines, understand and market your brand. Consider asking for a ‘virality clause’ (more money if your content hits, in return for a lower initial fee).

• Build relationships: Follow up after your first deal - ask for feedback to start a conversation. Add your contact on Discord and follow their company's release schedule.

How creators manage

• Don’t force it if you’re not in the mood to stream; your community will know. Be honest with them and take a day off.

• Overwhelmed? Hire an editor as soon as you can afford it. Use templates. Double down on what’s working and scrap experiments.

• Burned out? Take breaks; the core of your community will stay with you and they want to see you at your best. Keep some games for yourself to preserve the joy.

How creators find success on TikTok

• Try a mix of video lengths: TikTok is known for shortform but videos can be up to ten minutes now. The ideal length is however long your audience will watch.

• Use TikTok’s native tools to find opportunities - hashtags give audience info for particular trends - and add value to your videos (e.g. Duet, Stitch, etc)

• There’s lots of monetisation support too: gifting, fund for creators based on viewership, pay-to-view content, a marketplace connecting them with brands.