In the previous article, we covered the first three monetization models that work with zero followers. This article continues the topic with two more models at your disposal.
If you want to read the intro to the topic of how you don’t need 100K followers, please refer to the first chapter. And here, let’s dive right into it.
Li Jin (Venture Capitalist and Passion Economy Expert):
“I believe that creators need to amass only 100 True Fans – not 1,000 – paying them $1,000 a year, not $100. Today, creators can effectively make more money off fewer fans.”
Model 4: Direct Product Sales – Courses, Services, and Digital Products
This is where things get really interesting, and where I think most creators should focus their early energy. Because creating and selling your own products or services gives you complete control over pricing, delivery, and profit margins.
When you sell someone else’s product through affiliate marketing, you get a cut – often a good cut, but still a cut. When you sell advertising space, brands dictate terms and rates. But when you sell your own creation you keep everything. You set the price based on value delivered, not on what some platform algorithm decides you’re worth.
The mental barrier most people face here is thinking, “But I don’t have anything to sell.” I’d argue you almost certainly do – you just haven’t recognized it yet.
Let me share something powerful: Your transformation is your product. The journey you’ve already taken from Point A to Point B is exactly what someone else is trying to navigate right now. That knowledge gap – the difference between where you were and where you are now – is valuable. People will pay for shortcuts, frameworks, and guidance through terrain you’ve already mapped.
Think about it this way: When you start building your personal brand or online presence, you face immediate challenges. How do I get my first 100 followers? Which platform should I focus on? What content actually works? These are real problems that demand solutions.
Sell The Solution You Found
Let’s say you figure it out. You experiment with different content formats, posting schedules, and engagement strategies. You test things, fail at some, succeed at others. Eventually, you crack the code enough to go from zero to 100 genuine followers who engage with your content.
Congratulations – you now have your first product. You can create a guide: “How I Gained My First 100 Engaged Followers in [Platform] Starting from Absolute Zero.” Structure it as a step-by-step system. Include the tactics that worked, the mistakes you made, the timeline it took, and specific examples.
Will this course command a $2,000 price tag? Probably not at first – though you’d be surprised what proper positioning can do. Maybe it’s a $29 course, or a $97 premium guide. But here’s the thing: You didn’t need 100,000 followers to create it. You needed the journey from 0 to 100, which you just completed. And now you can sell that knowledge to the next person starting from zero.
This is the framework that unlocks everything. You’re always a few steps ahead of someone else in some dimension. That “few steps” is monetizable.
Real-world example: Annie Wang, the vocal coach we mentioned in the first article of the series, built her entire business around this principle. She developed expertise in voice training, then packaged it into a 60-day program with course materials, one-on-one sessions, and group coaching. Her 3,000 Instagram followers provide more than enough demand to fill her programs at premium prices because the transformation she offers – improving your voice – is genuinely valuable to aspiring singers and speakers.
My Own Example
The beauty of digital products is their scalability without proportional work increase. Create the course once, sell it repeatedly. Yes, you’ll update and improve it based on feedback (your first version will be shit – accept that and launch anyway), but the core work is frontloaded.
My own example: I started my journey as a content creator in a pretty scattered way. There’s too much information online, too many pieces of advice on how to do this and that – it overwhelmed me almost instantly. As a systems guy, I know that other people’s systems won’t work for me, therefore, I need to come up with my own.
So I started creating content, writing articles, using AI to structure them properly, conduct research on the topics I was writing about, and repurpose content for different platforms. After several months of iterations, it finally felt like a solid algorithm, which is always the final goal when I create systems for myself.
From that point, I was able to package this algorithm into a set of instructions combined with all the prompts and certain tools I use to create content for myself. It also implies the transformation principle I described here: from my point A – a scattered mind and inability to create and publish content online regularly – to point B, with a strict and solid system working like clockwork. So, check it out: AntiGhostWriter.
I mention this as a pitch obviously, but also because it represents exactly what we’re talking about: I identified a problem I faced and that others in my audience faced (creating authentic content efficiently), I built a solution, and now I’m offering it to the people who need it. That’s the product creation cycle in a nutshell. Find a problem, solve it for yourself, package that solution for others.
Beyond Courses
The product you create doesn’t have to be a course. It could be:
- Coaching or consulting services (one-on-one or group)
- Templates or frameworks you’ve developed
- Digital tools or resources (spreadsheets, checklists, databases)
- Exclusive community access with direct interaction
- Done-for-you services in your area of expertise
The key is matching your skillset to a genuine need in your audience. And remember – your audience can be tiny. If you charge $500 for a coaching package and sell just two per month, that’s $12,000 per year. Sell to five clients monthly, and you’re at $30,000 annually. No massive following required, just deep expertise and the ability to deliver transformation.
One more thing: Don’t wait until your product is “perfect” to launch. Your first version will be flawed – that’s not just okay, it’s expected. The iterative improvement cycle is where the real product magic happens. Launch something good enough, get real market feedback, improve based on actual customer needs rather than your assumptions. This is how every successful digital product evolves.
Model 5: Membership and Patronage – Recurring Revenue From True Fans
This is the model that most directly embodies Kevin Kelly’s “1,000 True Fans” concept and Li Jin’s “100 True Fans” update. Instead of selling products transactionally, you’re asking your most dedicated audience members to support you on an ongoing basis.
Platforms like Patreon, Ko-fi, and Buy Me a Coffee have made this incredibly accessible. The premise is simple: Offer exclusive benefits to supporters who pay a monthly subscription. These benefits might include:
- Behind-the-scenes content and work-in-progress updates
- Early access to your public content
- Exclusive articles, videos, or podcasts not available elsewhere
- Direct communication (Discord access, Q&A sessions, office hours)
- Input on future content or projects
- Physical perks (merchandise, handwritten notes, etc.)
The economics here can surprise you. According to recent Patreon data, the average pledge per patron has increased by 22% over two years, and there’s been a 21% increase in patrons paying over $100 per month to creators they love.
This matters because it means you can generate meaningful income from a relatively small number of supporters. Let’s do some math:
- 50 patrons at $10/month = $500/month ($6,000/year)
- 100 patrons at $15/month = $1,500/month ($18,000/year)
- 200 patrons at $25/month = $5,000/month ($60,000/year)
That last scenario – a livable income for many people – requires just 200 dedicated fans willing to pay $25 monthly. Not 100,000 casual followers. Two hundred people who value your work enough to actively support it.
Real example: Jalyn Baiden, whom we mentioned before, went full-time as a content creator with just 4,000 Instagram followers and 8,000 on TikTok. Beyond brand deals, creators like Jalyn often supplement income through Patreon or similar platforms. The combination of moderate brand sponsorship rates ($350-1,000 per post in her case) plus recurring support from a small percentage of highly engaged followers can easily add up to full-time income.
Combine Different Models
The membership model works especially well when combined with one or more of the previous models. You might have:
- Free content on social media (audience building)
- Email newsletter with basic tips (relationship building)
- Affiliate recommendations (passive income)
- Mid-tier digital products like courses (transaction income)
- Premium membership tier (recurring income from superfans)
This creates a natural funnel where people can engage with your work at whatever level matches their interest and budget. Most people consume free content. Some buy your course. A smaller group becomes monthly supporters. Each level monetizes appropriately for audience size and engagement depth.
One crucial insight about membership models: You’re not selling access to content that’s otherwise impossible to find. You’re selling belonging, connection, and support. Your patrons aren’t just your regular customers – they’re fans who want to see you succeed and want to be part of your journey. This is why direct communication and community elements matter so much in membership tiers.
When someone becomes a monthly supporter, they’re emotionally invested in your success in a way that one-time customers simply aren’t. They’ll promote your work, provide feedback, defend you in comments, and generally become ambassadors. This is the “true fan” dynamic in action.
Platforms have made this easier than ever. Patreon handles all the payment processing, membership management, and content delivery. Ko-fi and Buy Me a Coffee offer even simpler options for one-time support or memberships. Stan Store (which I actually use for AntiGhostWriter and other offerings) combines product sales, memberships, and scheduling all in one creator-friendly platform.
The barrier to entry is very low. You can set up a membership page in an hour. The hard part isn’t the technical setup anymore. But creating consistent value that makes people want to stay subscribed month after month is the real challenge here. But if you’re already creating content regularly, you’re already doing the work. Membership just adds a layer of exclusivity and direct connection for those who want more.
The Diversification Principle
Here’s something critical that ties all five models together: The most successful creators use multiple revenue streams simultaneously.
Remember the statistic from the previous article (that’s where you also can find the first three models)? 66% of creators rely on a single income stream for most of their earnings, while the highest-earning creators typically have five or more revenue streams. That is the right strategy.
Diversification protects you from platform changes, algorithm shifts, and market volatility.
- If YouTube changes its ad policy, you still have your course sales.
- If a brand cuts its influencer budget, you still have your Patreon supporters.
- If affiliate commissions decrease, you still have your newsletter subscriptions.
But beyond protection, diversification allows you to monetize different segments of your audience at appropriate levels. Some people will never pay for anything – they’ll consume your free content and that’s fine. Some will buy an affiliate recommendation. Others will purchase your course. A smaller group will become monthly members. Each segment contributes to your overall income without requiring everyone to engage in the same way.
This is why you don’t need 100,000 followers to make this work. With proper diversification, you can generate sustainable income from a few thousand – or even a few hundred – highly engaged people distributed across multiple revenue streams.
Let’s Do The Math
Seth Godin (Marketing guru and best-selling author):
“Relentless pursuit of mass will make you boring, because mass means average… What’s the minimum number of people you would need to influence to make it worth the effort?”
Let’s imagine a realistic scenario for a creator with 2,000 total followers across platforms:
- 10 Patreon supporters at $20/month = $200/month
- One affiliate sale per week at $50 commission = $200/month
- Two course sales per month at $150 = $300/month
- Occasional brand deal (quarterly at $500) = ~$165/month average
- Blog ad revenue = $100/month
Total: $965/month or ~$11,580/year
Not life-changing money, but absolutely meaningful supplemental income – from just 2,000 followers and a diversified approach. Scale that to 5,000 followers with better conversion, and you’re looking at $25,000-35,000 annually. At 10,000 engaged followers with optimized funnels as a full-time income becomes very realistic.
The point is this: You don’t need to wait. You don’t need some massive audience milestone. You need to start implementing these models now, with whatever audience you have, and let them scale naturally as you grow.
Starting Today, Not Tomorrow
Look, I know this is a lot of information. Five different models, each with its own setup requirements and learning curve. It’s tempting to feel overwhelmed and default to “I’ll start when I have more followers.”
Don’t.
Pick one model – just one – and implement it this week. Not next month. This week.
If you already have some content online, set up Google AdSense or another display ad network. It takes an hour.
If you use tools or services you genuinely love, find their affiliate programs and start mentioning them in your content (just like I did in this one). You can do this today.
If you have valuable knowledge from a transformation you’ve undergone, outline a simple guide or course (remember my AntiGhostWriter). And don’t perfect it at a launch point.
If you have even 50 engaged followers, set up a Patreon with one basic tier. See if anyone joins.
Ignite The Engine
The hardest part is starting. Once you make that first dollar – even if it’s just $5 – everything changes. You prove to yourself that monetization is possible at your current size. That psychological shift is enormous.
And then, as your audience grows (and it will, because you’re now focused on serving people rather than just chasing follower counts), your income grows proportionally. Ten followers become 100. $10/month becomes $100. $100 becomes $1,000. It scales naturally because you’ve built the infrastructure from the beginning.
In the next article, we’ll get even more tactical. I’ll walk you through the exact framework for identifying what product or service you should create based on your unique knowledge and journey. We’ll talk about how to position it, price it, and promote it to an audience of any size. We’ll explore why broad personal brands often outperform narrow niches in the long run, and how to structure your content strategy accordingly.
But for now, take action on one model. Just one. Choose the path that feels most aligned with where you are right now, and take the first concrete step today.
Because the truth is, you already have everything you need to start earning online. You just need to stop waiting for permission from some arbitrary follower count that was never real in the first place.