Pepper Spotlight: Episode 12 – Empowering Creators in India ft. Divyanshu Damani

Each week on the Pepper Spotlight, the weekly podcast by Pepper Content, we have a guest who brings with them a barrage of experience. Another addition to our super-lineup of guests was Divyanshu Damani. 

Divyanshu is the founder of TagMango, a platform that empowers creators and helps them make money from their art. He has seen the content space from both the creator and business sides. This conversation remains loaded with insights, inspiring stories, and many easter eggs for content creators.

Content platforms and Indian Creators; what has changed? 

Divyanshu started his journey as a content creator right out of college in mid-2017. He has been around the content space for a long time and sees it evolve over the years. At first, he started his journey building a fan base of over 200,000 followers on Facebook, a platform that’s lost its charm today. 

“Each platform has taken up a personality of its own,” said Divyanshu. He believes that all content platforms have taken up a very niche format and bring in users based on that requirement. “Facebook has died, and that’s their personality,” he said jokingly. 

We can consider Instagram to become the next biggest thing with short-format videos. With the introduction of Reels, this change is very vivid. 

On the other hand, LinkedIn has a set of professional content formats that work only on that platform. Over time, LinkedIn has become a platform with more users and fewer creators. 

Similarly, even content creators have changed over time. Divyanshu likes to place them into three categories or generations. 

The first generation is made from Bhuvan Bam, AIB, and TVF, introducing new content types. Even the consumers were new to this trend and learned and grew with these change-makers. The generations would be ones that learned to form them and tried to add their spin to content. “This was when storytelling formats changed, and new paths created,” he said. 

Today we are in the third generation of content creators — where everyone is and can be creators. The audience picks what they like, and creators can cater to all types of people. There is a never-ending rabbit hole of content to choose from.

To give an example, Divyanshu mentions a youtube called PARROT DIPANKAR. His whole channel just focused on parrots. Such a niche would have been hard to create many years ago  — but today, the users also look for really cool content such as this one. 

Creating Freedom for a Creator 

The problem that most content creators face is the lack of money or avenues of monetization. Divaynshu and his company TagMango have taken this pain point head-on. TagMango is a platform for creators to build a group of users and create exclusive content for them. Additionally, they also bridge the gap between brands and creators for collaborations.  

Divyanshu’s tweet above can accurately explain the process of community building with content. “The guys who make the most money are not those who have followers; they are people who build a niche and strong depth in the niche,” said Divyanshu. 

Creators live under the belief that the higher the number of followers, the more money will come from the endeavour. With TagMango, creators are encouraged not to chase the one-million mark; but to provide valuable and high-quality content for the smaller half-million. 

You can build a small community of users who love your work, pay you for it, and follow you every creation — or chase the large number where only a handful of users will become loyal followers. 

Categories of Content Making The Wave In 2021 

Each year the internet sees a few trends that are in a new wave of creators. As per the data and research of TagMango, categories like self-help, motivation, and education are making a big splash in the content pool. More users (and creators) find this form of content compelling. 

Other contents like dance, music, and fashion have seen prolonged growth. This slow-down could also occur since more of these subjects are taste-based, and it’s harder to create a niche in them.  

However, building a community of users is undoubtedly becoming a trend that is here to stay. Irrespective of any kind of creator. “It is also easier to behind a community for someone who talks about politics or other controversial subjects,” said DIvyanshu  

No matter what space, you will have to deal with trolls and demotivating numbers. There is no secret to staying away from this problem. If you want to become a stand-alone creator, you need to learn how not to get affected.

The three tips For Creators

As we reached the end of the conversions with Divyanshu on Pepper Spotlight, we asked him to share the three tips he would give creators as of April 2021. And here is something all creators would benefit from: 

Go Multiplatform

“You lose out on a whole range of audience if you do not go multiplatform,” said Divaynshu. Creators must think, try and explore all the platforms while they pick their niche. Even if you are a youtube creator, you should keep a presence on Twitter and Instagram. 

Divayanshu built a large base on Facebook and never diverted these followers to another platform, which becomes a significant disadvantage. Similarly, the ban of Tik-Tok left many without an audience on other media. 

Double Down On Reach 

Creators must also keep their focus on platforms that give you a reach. These would be Reel On Instagram, Posts On LinkedIn, and Daily updates on Twitter.  When compared to these, a platform like Youtube is a slow burn. 

Having a better reach will keep your audience constantly growing and help you find more people in a niche interest group.

Think Like and An Entrepreneur

Lastly, creators must also think of themself as entrepreneurs and marketers. The job of a creator does not end at upload; they must keep a tab on all things like a business — building a brand, studying the content market, keeping up with trends, and much more. 

TagMango, the company founded by Divanyshu, also focuses on this very approach. They turn every creator into a micro-entrepreneur and help them make a living from content creation. 

Final thoughts, 

If you are an artist or creator — then this episode of the Pepper Spotlight is one you cannot miss. If you often feel a lack of enthusiasm and drive to keep going, this episode will help you build that motivation.

TagMango and Divyanshu can resonate with creators from all walks of life. And the journeys of these creators are nothing short of extraordinary. 

Click here to check out the whole episode.