Dissecting the Creator Economy with Whalar Cofounder Neil

Dissecting the Creator Economy with Whalar Cofounder Neil

GUEST-STARRING Neil Waller

In the beginning of my own social media journey, there was an influencer marketing agency that I kept hearing about time and time again. It was called Whalar.

Eventually I signed up and made an account and to this day, I still receive their emails about various campaigns! It is completely surreal to have the opportunity to sit down and talk to Neil Waller, one of the co-founders of Whalar.

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What sparked the inception of Whalar was that Neil, along with other business partners, had their own consumer brands and were directly reaching out to influencers and creators in the industry. However, this process made him realize that this could be streamlined for both parties. Thus, Whalar was born.

Now, the company covers everything from connecting brands with influencers for campaigns, but also talent management. With 6 years since the start of the company and plenty of influencer marketing experience prior to that, you could say that Neil is most certainly an expert within this industry. As a content creator myself, I was so excited to pick his brain on all of the various aspects of the industry.

1. Influencing is storytelling at the end of the day.

No matter what platform or platforms you consider your homebase, it is important to recognize that all successful influencers are masters of publishing and storytelling. Yes, Whalar’s roots might have started with the blog space but has since expanded to include YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and so forth - all of which require each and every creator to share their story in a way that captures and engages the audience.

2. Pick the outlet you feel most proficient in.

Neil shared that he truly believes that blogging, in its purest written form, will still be just as relevant as it is today 3, 5 or even 20 years down the road. But understandably, this written format might not be within everyone’s wheelhouse. These days, there are endless opportunities to have creative outlets but the most important thing is to choose the ones that you feel the most proficient and comfortable in.

3. It is okay to not have your own domain, if that’s what works best for you.

There has been this debate over whether having your own blog space or email list - something you have complete control over - is necessary if your content only exists on platforms like Instagram. In a sense, these social media platforms are merely just rented space. But Neil made a very good point. This is rented space in a highly trafficked area like a shopping mall. You can use this to your advantage to garner an audience and maybe then, transition them to a more one-on-one digital space.

4. Create something you are passionate about.

There are a lot of naysayers who claim that Instagram is too saturated so I asked Neil what he suggests others do to stand out online. He immediately shared that it is so important to create content around something you are passionate about. If you establish this niche or ideology as your North Star, you will always have a sense of direction and a desire to keep going. But note that finding this passion can take time, so don’t feel discouraged if you are not sure of your direction right away.

5. Creating content is like building a mini company.
Many aspiring creators these days are just waiting for that instantaneous overnight success. But the reality is that it is not realistic to just bank on this alone. If you think of your content creation career like building a mini company and companies do not profit overnight. In fact, there are many different parallels between being a business owner and building a following on social media.

6. Always look to the future.

As we all know by now, there has been a lot of hubbub about the Metaverse. Neil shared that Wahler is currently experimenting with this digital space as a potential future endeavor. Within this 3D world there are already parties, shows, galleries and events that are all relevant marketing opportunities. Neil thinks that having your finger on the pulse can be beneficial as we start to see a shift towards the Metaverse and other similar platforms.

7. Don’t pressure yourself to be first to a trend.

We are constantly being inundated with new trends. So much so, that it is often overwhelming because you feel the need to stay on top of everything for fear of becoming irrelevant. Neil shares that there shouldn’t be so much pressure to be first. Sometimes being second is fine and the others before you can establish the learnings.

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