A growth operator is a professional who partners with content creators to help monetize their online influence. They specialize in identifying opportunities for financial growth in social media. Growth operators use their knowledge of digital marketing and audience behavior to increase a creator's revenue potential.
A growth operator handles backend tasks so creators can concentrate on audience-facing activities. One of their main jobs is to set up and manage paid communities. They use this platform to sell digital products or merch on behalf of the creator. This system allows the creator to generate income from their audience without doing the technical work themselves.
Ben Bader on YouTube has earned over $100,000 per month as a growth operator. He partners with influencers who sell information online. These include creators like Flips4Miles and KT Hustles. Ben says that growth operating has high income potential through revenue sharing and service fees. But, he says that the role comes with challenges. You need diverse skills like copywriting and ad management. Securing clients often demands proven experience and credibility.
A growth operator business model is also challenging. It requires finding creators who are willing to share their earnings and trust you with their branding. Maintaining ongoing revenue after setting up monetization channels can be difficult. You need continuous innovation and effort to sustain profitability.
In this article, I’ll explain what exactly is the growth operator business model. I’ll also mention 3 ways to help monetize an influencer as a growth operator. At the end of the article, I’ll introduce a different and more lucrative business model.
Growth Operator Business Model Explained
A growth operator business model works by becoming a strategic backend partner for content creators. Influencer Marketing Hub says that 70% of creators see improved engagement metrics with the help of growth operators. Operating the business involves setting up systems to help creators earn more from their audience. Growth operators handle tasks like developing paid communities. They also create and sell digital products and manage merchandise lines. This partnership model leverages the strengths of both parties. Creators maintain their brand while the growth operator drives profitability.
3 Ways To Help Monetize an Influencer as a Growth Operator
1. Set Up and Manage a Creator's Paid Community.
Paid communities are the main way that growth operators make money. They monetize an influencer's audience. According to a report by Mighty Networks, creators with paid communities can earn an average of $10,000 per month. By handling the backend operations, growth operators can manage membership platforms. They can also manage the content planning and engagement strategies. Platforms like Skook and Podia offer tools to help. These tools can create, manage, and grow these communities.
Growth operators can set up subscription models, exclusive content access, and interactive features. This ensures high member retention and satisfaction. It also allows influencers to focus on creating valuable content. The growth operator maximizes the community’s profitability and engagement.
2. Handle the Sales and Marketing of an Influencer's Digital Products.
Digital products provide an extra revenue channel for influencers. This can include online courses and premade templates. These products complement a paid community by offering valuable resources and educational content. Growth operators handle the creation, marketing, and sales of these digital products. They ensure they align with the influencer's brand and audience needs. This diversifies a creator's income streams. It also enhances the value provided to the community, driving engagement and satisfaction. Growth operators can automate sales and distribution. This allows them to reach a global audience and increase revenue by up to 40%, as reported by Gumroad.
3. Helping the Creator Sell Physical Merchandise.
Helping a creator plan and sell physical merchandise can also monetize an audience. According to Printful, creators who launch merch lines can see profit margins of 20-30% on each item sold. Growth operators handle the logistics. They are responsible for designing, producing, and fulfilling orders. This allows the creator to focus on promoting the merch to their audience. This includes selecting popular items. Some include apparel, accessories, and home goods that resonate with the creator's brand. Growth operators can cut upfront costs and risks. This ensures a profitable and scalable merchandise operation.
3 Growth Operator Examples
Eddie Cumberbatch
Eddie Cumberbatch is a growth operator and the founder of GrowthOperator.com. He partners with content creators to build and monetize paid informational communities. His main strategy is to create subscription-based communities. Here, members get exclusive content and can interact with creators. By managing the technical and operational side, Eddie lets creators focus on making content. This keeps the community engaged.
This monetization strategy relies on monthly subscriptions, which have proven very profitable. Eddie scales memberships by boosting monthly and annual revenues. He does this by improving the community's value and keeping content relevant.
Eddie generated $263,133 in a single year as a growth operator. He did this through partnerships with content creators to establish paid information communities. This success scaled up to a monthly revenue of over $50,000. It translated to an annual income of approximately $600,000.
The creators Eddie works with are usually experts in popular niches like reselling. Their expertise builds trust and credibility. It also adds value to the community and justifying the subscription cost. This generates income for Eddie and the creators. It shows a the scalability potential.
Mr. Money
Mr. Money is a growth operator who leverages the growing content economy. He partners with content creators who have large but under-monetized audiences. His core strategy is to introduce and manage scalable digital products. This includes information products and paid communities. These need less overhead compared to physical goods. This approach capitalizes on the creator's influence. So, you can generate revenue through direct sales to fans.
Mr. Money targets the 98% of content creators who don't effectively monetize their followers. These creators, often on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, have large followings. But, they lack the business infrastructure for monetization. Mr. Money creates a sustainable revenue stream that requires minimal input. He sets up paid communities or sells information products like online courses.
Using the "1% rule," even a modest conversion rate from a large audience can yield a large revenue. For example, if a creator with 100,000 followers converts 1% into paying community members at $50 per month, this results in $50,000 monthly revenue. A large part will go to Mr. Money. This model provides a large income. It also establishes a sustainable business partnership. The creator and the operator can both benefit from the ongoing community engagement and product sales.
Tim Yoon
Tim Yoon is a young entrepreneur and freshman in college, explains his role as a "growth operator." He partners with content creators who excel in educational or informational content. Tim handles business operations. This includes building marketing funnels. He also enhances product offerings like courses or community memberships. He optimizes the business backend. Tim facilitates the business side, aiming for a beneficial revenue share model.
Tim identifies creators who are great at content creation but not at monetizing it. Tim steps in, handling these aspects for a $1,500 initial payment plus a 30% revenue share. Tim claims that his best month generated $337,000 in revenue. This shows a scalable approach to leveraging the digital information products market.
Where Can You Find Creators To Pitch Growth Operator Services?
How To Pitch a Creator on Growth Operator Services?
What are the Potential Challenges of Becoming a Growth Operator?
Should You Start a Growth Operator Business?
You shouldn't start a growth operator business because it's an unproven model. It also requires significant effort to find creators willing to share their earnings and trust you with their branding. Maintaining ongoing revenue after setting up monetization channels can be challenging. This path involves high competition. It also needs constant innovation to sustain profitability, making it risky for newcomers.
Local lead generation is a more reliable and established business model. It involves creating and optimizing websites. You then rank these websites and capture leads for local businesses. Local lead generation has lower competition and offers a steady stream of passive income. You'll be connecting businesses with potential customers in their area. This business model is simpler to manage. Local lead gen is a more attractive option for those looking to build a sustainable online business.
