Meet Brooke - star NYC vlogger on breaking through as a creator

Author

Brett Dashevsky
April 26, 2024

I’M WALKIN’ HERE WITH

Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — the premier place for all things creator economy in the Big Apple.

We had a packed house for Wednesday’s Creator Economy NYC event. ​​​It was amazing to see lots of new and familiar faces! It's a testament to what's being built here in NYC — it’s the place for the creator economy.

This week, I’m highlighting a few key takeaways from our interview with NYC creator, Brooke Miccio, on growing as a creator, building a community, and brand partnerships. Short and sweet, let’s dive in.

Other stops along the way:

  • Upcoming events

  • Community callouts

  • Community perks

  • News bits

  • Job openings

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PARTNERED WITH THE INFLUENCER MARKETING SHOW

Looking to network with the brightest minds in the creator and influencer marketing community from around the world? Look no further than what’s happening here in NYC June 3-4:

The Influencer Marketing Show is a day-and-a-half conference filled with insights and debate, alongside an unrivaled opportunity to meet the smartest brands, creators, agencies, and tech that drive the creator economy forward.

I’m also moderating a panel there with some of our very own in the NYC community focused on where influencer marketing fits in the media mix.

Hope I’ll see ya there.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Star NYC vlogger on breaking through as a creator

Brooke Miccio is a self-described “Pizza Bagel”, who comes from Long Island Jewish-Italian roots and brings the energy that comes along with it. She's amassed a whopping 354K subscribers on her YouTube channel and 134K on Instagram, where she's the co-host of the Gals on the Go podcast and makes content involving vlogs, real-life & advice chats, and more lifestyle-focused content around food, fashion, and beauty.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Brooke to dive into her journey as a content creator and her advice for our NYC creator economy community.

Without further ado, here are 5 key takeaways for you to improve as a creator:

1. Consistency is key

Brooke has been consistently posting on YouTube for over a decade and emphasizes that consistency is crucial for growth and improvement as a content creator.

Maintaining a regular posting schedule not only sets expectations for your audience but also instills discipline in your content creation process. Brooke has established specific upload days (Tuesday and Saturday), which helps her audience know when to expect new content and keeps her team organized and accountable.

Actionable takeaways:

  • Establish a realistic posting schedule that you can manage consistently.

  • Communicate your upload days to your audience to set expectations (or whatever platform, e.g. this newsletter goes out every Thursday afternoon - usually!)

  • Prioritize consistency over perfection. Regular content delivery is more important than flawless content (“perfectionism is the enemy of progress”)

2. Experiment with content and formats

Do not be afraid to try new content topics or formats. You do not need to be stuck doing one type of thing — you can vlog, do reviews, and educate your audience, etc.

Sticking to one format or theme can limit a creator's growth — especially early on. Brooke encourages experimenting with different types of content, which can keep your content dynamic and engaging, and it’s also more fun for you as the creator to prevent boredom and burnout.

This flexibility allows creators to adapt based on what works best and respond to their audience's changing preferences. And you don’t know what your audience truly likes until you try it!

Actionable takeaways:

  • Explore different content types and formats to keep your channel interesting.

  • Monitor audience engagement and iterate based on what content performs best.

  • Stay adaptable and open to change, leveraging audience feedback or trends to guide your content strategy.

3. Engage with your community

Interaction with your audience is fundamental in building a loyal and engaged community.

Brooke actively engages with her viewers by responding to comments and utilizing platform-specific features like YouTube's community tab and Instagram's engagement tools on stories. Additionally, she hosts meetups to connect with her audience in real life, demonstrating her appreciation for their support.

Don’t forget to be social on social media!

Actionable takeaways:

  • Actively respond to comments and interact with your audience.

  • Use platform features to enhance community engagement.

  • Organize or participate in meetups to connect with your audience face-to-face.

4. Lean on other creators and be scrappy

When starting out as a creator or reaching the point when it’s time for your first brand deal, a lot of it is new territory. Brooke advises leveraging the creator community for support and information. Engaging with fellow creators can provide insights into industry standards, negotiation tips, and valuable collaborations.

She specifically referenced accounts that share brand partnership deals and influencer rates like these examples here and here.

Actionable takeaways:

  • Connect with other creators for advice and collaboration opportunities.

  • Research and utilize resources that share information on industry standards, like brand deal rates.

  • Be prepared to negotiate and adapt based on the unique circumstances of each collaboration. There is always room for negotiating!

5. NYC is the place to be

For Brooke, living in NYC has significantly influenced her success as a content creator. The city offers a vibrant backdrop for content, abundant networking opportunities, and spontaneous events that enrich her content and professional growth. There is no place she’d rather be.

Actionable takeaways:

  • Utilize your location to enhance your content and networking opportunities.

  • Attend local events to connect with other creators and potential collaborators — like Creator Economy NYC!

  • Incorporate unique aspects of your environment into your content to add interest and relatability for your audience.

If you aren’t following Brooke already, you can follow her on: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify.

​Finally, sharing some amazing photos of the event that you can check out.

CITY HAPPENINGS

​We're teaming up with HelloCreator for a unique virtual event experience (something new!). Join us for a conversation between Pandora’s Founder and HelloCreator's CEO, Tim Westergren, and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Paul M. Conti (Lady Gaga’s psychiatrist) on the psychological implications of creatorship.

​During this convo, Tim and Dr. Conti will explore why burnout is so persistent among creators and what you can do to improve your own creative experience.

COMMUNITY CALLOUTS

  • Shoutout to a few community members who stepped up to volunteer and support the event's setup and breakdown: Leon Lyakovetsky, Jessie Collier, Christianna Gray, Naana Bodomo, and Misty Li. It takes a village!

  • Big shoutout to Mai Vino and Onda for providing us with tasty beverages — you can use the code creatoreconomy20 for 20% off Mai Vino! Get a bag or two and sip in the park!

  • And shoutout to Murray’s Cheese for the tasty food at the event! Just for our community, you can get 10% off your first order with the catering department using code CreatorCatering10.

COMMUNITY PICKS & PERKS

  • Conference: Connect with fellow influencer marketers, creators, and brands at the Influencer Marketing Show, which will take place HERE in NYC June 3-4. Save $50 with the promo code CENYC50. I’ll be moderating a panel there — come hang!

  • Newsletter: Enjoy 20% off your first 3 months on any beehiiv paid plan. This comes after a complimentary 30-day free trial, exclusively for our community members! Snag it here.

  • Link in Bio: Get 3 months FREE on the Linktree PRO plan using the code creatoreconomynyc.

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Thanks so much for reading! Let me know your thoughts by replying back!

See you next week,

Brett

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