Last Updated on July 12, 2024 by Christine Kaaloa
12 Powerful Ways to Support Creators You Love!
Hi, I’m Christine of GRRRLTRAVELER. I make solo female travel blog and video guides so you can find confidence traveling responsibly, sustainably and solo. But being a solo creator is not as glamorous as it always seems from my photos and videos. It is a lot of hard work, regular deadlines and personal sacrifice. If you find value in my work and want to see it continue, here are 11 powerful ways to Support Creators you Love… like me!
Ways You Can Support GRRRLTRAVELER
1. Watch my YouTube videos to the end with the ads ON.
Most folks want to skip the pre-roll ads to get into the meat of the video. I totally get it. But those pre-roll ads and clicks to it can help pay for the expenses of my making a video.
Truthfully, not all YouTubers with large audiences make big bucks. YouTube pays you a few dollars per every 1,000 views and they take a 40% commission from of everything I make on YouTube. Tip me a dollar; it’s really 60 cents. But ultimately, every effort helps me generate a revenue or pays for a creator expense
But wait, there’s more to that: Watching to the end of the video signals to YouTube that the video had strong value to a viewer, and this tells them to share that video with more viewers. Click away early and it tells YouTube my video sucked and failed in its mission to offer you something worthwhile.
My secret wish as a solo creator- if you’re not into the video, just let it play to the end, as you go make your coffee.
Tip: Clicking on those Google ads on my videos (or even blog) helps too! Costs nothing; pays me a teenie something.
2. Engage (Like, Comment, Share)!
I love knowing my audiences and getting feedback and comments from them. As an Asian-Pacific Island solo female creator, creating regular content, getting engagement is encouraging. It lets me know my efforts are valuable and it helps others see there is a conversation to participate in. I’m a firm believer that we are all in this world to learn from each other, so sharing your insight helps others too!
Your engagement also matters to me on a creator level: The amount of subscribers I have does not mean that is how people many see my work. The platform algorithms determine how many of my subscribers see my work based on my engagement. When my engagement is low, I have to work harder on my content in the hopes of growing my engagement so my work in blog posts, youtube videos and announcements get shared. This can lead to feeling like I am on a content treadmill. Burnout happens as a result.
When travelers get my content in their feed and consume it by watching/clicking on the ads and/or purchasing items from my affiliate links it helps my work expenses and me! No comments or engagement is like death to me.
3. Spread the Word !
Share my content with your travel friends, family and forum groups! Word of mouth recommendations or sharing my blog posts and YouTube videos to your friends and family helps me get my word out and alleviates some of my burden in complying with algorithms.
4. Buy your Travel insurance here
I always buy trip insurance for my adventures. World Nomads Travel Insurance has the best travel insurances plans and if you’re a U.S. traveler, this is your best option budget-wise as well. I use this insurance on my travels.
If you prefer to find your own based on budget and need, I have a recommended trip insurance finder tool.
5. Join a GRRRLTRAVELER group adventure!
I created small group tours for solo travelers so that you can explore adventurous destinations in a stress-free, confidence-building and fun group environment, while learning informal tips and skills that I use to travel and create content.
To be transparent, there’s more to it than that. GRRRLTRAVELER Adventures is focused on doing its part to alleviate the negative effects of overtourism in a country. We wish to generate a trifecta of sustainable and positive impact with our adventures. They are a way for travelers to have meaningful, heart-led interactive experiences with local communities projects. By supporting community projects in this way and we employ them respectfully through our tourism dollars. Additionally, we have a $2/day contribution model that goes to supporting a local animal/ dog rescue shelter/sanctuary/organization, to continue the work they do in rescue and public education.
Lastly GRRRLTRAVELER Adventures also helps me to create a stronger creator revenue model to keep running GRRRLTRAVELER, create content, hire assistance. fulfill a positive impact goal to support community projects and Let’s create and shape unique once-in-a-lifetime memories together!
6. ‘Buy me Coffee’
Everyone deserves a coffee break from their work. Send me a coffee break via monthly or one-time donation, which goes to blog maintenance, video production expenses, and content creation.
Paypal takes 2.9% commission fee for anything you send me. This is the lowest fee and I will get the most of what you donate.
7. Support me on Patreon!
My Patreon family has really helped me keep my videos rolling over the years, even during the bleak periods like the pandemic. Knowing that fellow travelers value my work in that way has been encouragement to keep going. In some cases, it has also helped me hire a temporary editor to alleviate the burden of having to do it all on my own..
Providing ongoing free information via blogs and video travel guides with artistic value to an audience is 60+hour/week job. Making videos and writing blogs requires equipment, maintenance and travel expenses (read more here). When you support my work on Patreon, some expenses are aided and this helps me lighten the load to continue making more content. In exchange you get to be a part of my exclusive community and part of my travel content-making journey.
Note: FYI Patreon takes 10% of all support monies. Every platform will take a commission; it’s unavoidable. I am considering creating my own platform which charges the least fees,. I’ll update it here when that happens.
8. Buy your travel essentials using my Amazon affiliate links
Just give that link a love tap now and then! I have traveled for years and what I’ve accumulated on my resource lists, is gear/products/services that have worked for me time and again.
Amazon is my one-stop-shop for travel & film tech needs. I get a tiny referral percentage (like 1-4%), at no extra cost to you. Anything I recommend are either items I love using, industry friends and colleagues use and recommend. I research all my products to make sure they offer quality.
Check out my travel and vlogging gear pages:
I use the travel gear I’ve listed here and stand by them 👇🏽
9. Start your YouTube channel journey with my Creator shop.
Ready to jumpstart your video marketing and learn how to build and grow a YouTube channel? Let me help you save time and heartache that I went through for years watching my channel grow subscriber by subscriber! I know whatever frustration you’re feeling. Check out my YouTube & Content creator shop.
10. Travel for Yoga
I loved doing getting my yoga teacher’s training in India and you may too! If you want to take your yoga experience internationally and are looking to take your practice when you travel, then check out BookYogaRetreats. They have a wide library of yoga and mindful retreats and teacher trainings.
11. Book a 1:1 coaching session
Schedule a one-on-one coaching session with me and get my personal assistance with your YouTube, solo travel goals or BOTH. Check it out here.
12. Shop my merch !
Support GRRRLTRAVELER by getting one of my comfy GRRRLTRAVELER flip flops to hoodies to muscle tees, coffee mugs and stickers. Let my adventure travel survival sayings inspire you!