👋🏽 Doors Opening

Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — your weekly dose of actionable insights and strategies to help you build, monetize, and scale as a creator.

This week, I want to talk about something that came up in multiple conversations at our recent events.

It's a practice that traditional media companies have mastered, businesses swear by, but creators largely ignore.

And it might be the missing piece in your monetization strategy.

Let's dive in.

💬 Brought to you by Siftsy

Stop manually analyzing comment sections for insights

If you’ve been following along, you know that beyond Creator Economy NYC, I’ve also built a tool called Siftsy.

If you work in influencer marketing or manage social, and you’ve ever found yourself doom-scrolling comment sections to get a read on how a campaign landed, this is for you.

Siftsy is an AI consumer intelligence tool that turns social comments into clear, structured insights.

Here’s what it helps with:

• Spotting key conversations and feedback so you know what’s resonating and what’s falling flat

• Measuring sentiment across thousands of comments and multiple posts

• Proving impact beyond vanity metrics with beautiful, digestible reports

Brands like Lyft, Taco Bell, and some of the world’s top agencies rely on Siftsy.

If you’re deep in the trenches of campaigns and reporting, or just tired of manually reading through comments, Siftsy makes it a breeze.

✍️ Spotlight

The data goldmine sitting right in front of you.

Here's something I've noticed from talking with creators in our community: most of you know your follower count, engagement rate, and which posts perform best.

But ask about your audience demographics, their income levels, or their biggest pain points? Crickets.

This is a massive missed opportunity.

First-party data — information your audience gives you directly — is the secret weapon that separates creators building sustainable businesses from those stuck chasing algorithms.

What first-party data actually is (and why it matters)

First-party data is any information you collect through direct interactions with your audience:

Think:

• Email addresses and survey responses

• Event RSVP details and preferences

• Purchase history and feedback

• Direct messages and comments with insights

This isn't just about building an email list (though that's important). It's about understanding WHO your community really is, WHAT they need, and HOW you can serve them better.

Traditional media companies have known this forever. They need to know who their viewers are to sell ads effectively. Businesses gather customer data to understand what problems to solve next.

As creators, our approach should be no different.

My own first-party data playbook

Let me share exactly how I've been doing this with Creator Economy NYC and why it's been a game-changer.

Every Creator Economy NYC event requires an "application" to RSVP. Sounds intense? It's actually just a strategic survey.

This one move gets me:

• Email addresses (I own my audience relationship)

• Deep insights on who's showing up and where they are in their journey

• Data that makes sponsors say "yes" immediately

Here's the types of questions I ask:

• Are you an aspiring, part-time, or full-time creator?

• What's your current monetization range?

• What platform do you primarily create on?

• How are you currently monetizing?

• Why are you interested in this specific event?

I also ask this when people sign up to this newsletter.

Critical detail: Everything is primarily multiple choice or select options. Free text = data analysis nightmare. Multiple choice = structured insights you can actually use.

Now you can see patterns. You can create content that addresses the #1 challenge. You can build products around the most common pain points. You can pitch partners with specificity.

For example, when I pitch partners, I don't say "we have creators." I say "42% are full-time creators, 65% are monetizing through brand partnerships, here's their exact platform breakdown."

That closes deals.

But what if you already have free-response feedback? 

Here's where AI becomes your best friend. Take all those open-ended responses and feed them into ChatGPT or Claude with a prompt like: "Analyze these responses and group them into 5-7 main categories with the percentage breakdown."

Suddenly, that messy pile of text becomes structured insights you can actually use. AI can identify patterns you might have missed and turn qualitative feedback into quantitative data.

Why most creators get this wrong

I've had this conversation with dozens of creators in our community, and the pushback is always the same:

"But won't asking for information create friction?" "What if people don't want to share that?" "I don't want to seem pushy."

The reality is that your real audience WANTS to share information if it means getting better content and experiences tailored to them.

The people who bounce because you asked a few questions? They weren't your ideal community members anyway.

Your first-party data toolkit

Ready to start capturing this goldmine? Here are the methods that actually work:

Event RSVPs (my favorite): Turn every event signup into a mini-survey. Ask 3-5 strategic questions most related to your audience and goals.

Newsletter signup surveys: Don't just ask for email addresses. Ask WHO they are, WHY they're subscribing, and what content they want most.

Quarterly/yearly audience surveys: Send a deeper survey to your community. Offer a small incentive (exclusive content, early access, etc.).

Social media automations: Use tools like ManyChat to create Instagram and TikTok automations. "Comment 'CREATOR' to get our free guide" → automated DM with survey questions.

Lead magnets with strategy: Your free downloads should require more than just an email. Ask 2-3 qualifying questions that help you understand their level and needs.

Post-purchase feedback: Every time someone buys from you, follow up with questions about their experience and what they want next.

What to do with all this data

Here's where most creators drop the ball. They collect data... then do nothing with it.

Your first-party data should inform:

• Content strategy: Create content that addresses your audience's specific challenges

• Product development: Build offerings that match their income levels and needs

• Partnership pitches: Show brands exactly who they'll reach

• Pricing strategy: Price based on your audience's actual budget ranges

• Platform focus: Double down on where your audience actually spends time

Start small, but start now

You don't need to implement everything at once. Pick ONE method this week:

1. Add 2-3 questions to your next newsletter signup

2. Create a simple survey for your existing audience

3. Turn your next social media post into a data collection opportunity

Whatever method you choose, just START collecting that data. Your future self (and potential sponsors) will thank you.

Because in a world where algorithms change overnight and platforms come and go, the creators who own their audience data — and actually UNDERSTAND that audience — are the ones who win long-term.

🎪 City Happenings

What's next: Summer and fall events preview

We're planning what's coming next for our Creator Economy NYC community. There will likely be events in August and September, and definitely something special planned for October.

Apply here to join us in October →

As always, you'll hear about confirmed events first right here in the newsletter, then on our socials. Stay tuned!

📚 Resources

LAUNCHING SOON: "F*ck It, Create It" Course (Early Access)

I've been heads down working on our first creator education course: "F*ck It, Create It."

It's designed to break through the mental barriers that keep you stuck in planning mode instead of creating mode.

I’m looking for early testers to help shape the course. Jump in early and get a limited-edition hat plus access to resources, challenges, and community accountability.

2 FREE resources to accelerate your creator growth

The Creator Goal Setting Guide: A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2025.

The Creator Accountability System: Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2025 (I’m using this now to send one newsletter a week!)

✌🏽 Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Please

Thanks for reading! This week, I challenge you to implement one first-party data collection method. Even if it's just adding two questions to your next post or signup form.

The data you collect today becomes the insights that drive your business tomorrow.

Let's keep creating,

Brett