You've got 100,000 views on your latest Instagram video, a million likes on your TikTok,

but the bank account says $93.24.

Welcome to the Creator Trap.

We're living in a world right now where followers equal credibility and status.

Engagement equals social proof.

But income is not guaranteed.

Most creators who are trying to build an audience on social media aren't getting paid in likes, the type of

money that's actually going to support their life. Now, it's definitely true that there's a lot

of successful creators out there who are monetizing their content simply based on views. I myself

have earned money from Instagram, YouTube, even on TikTok, simply by having lots of people watch my videos.

But unless you have hundreds of thousands of followers and you're getting over a million views per post,

it's very unlikely that you're going to earn a full-time income simply from views.

The creator trap is when you get stuck building an

audience, but you have no product to sell them. You might have a lot of followers, but no offer.

And you're simply waiting for brand deals or ad sense. That never comes at the rate that you

expect. I've seen creators go viral with millions of views on all of their

posts and never even link or mention a product or link to a product they don't own. Now it's true

that affiliate marketing and referral marketing can be a great way to earn an income online. But if

you're building an audience that watches and consumes and trusts your content,

you're missing out on a massive opportunity if you're not building and selling your own products.

Here's a few ways to escape or avoid the creator trap altogether.

Build a product or offer that you own. It could be an e-commerce

...