How to grow an internet audience in 2025

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Jan 7, 2025

Dr. Tyler Lemco, co-founder of Epic Mealtime with over 600M views, shares his journey into building an online audience. He discusses the shift from being a creative-for-hire to a solopreneur, emphasizing the mental and emotional challenges of that transition. Tyler highlights the need for a strong content strategy that includes platform selection and consistency. AI tools are examined for enhancing creativity and audience engagement. He underscores focusing on views over subscriber counts and the value of a dedicated community versus a large following.

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ADVICE

Solopreneur Transition

Transition from creative-for-hire to solopreneur by starting small and thinking big.
Focus on building your own assets and slowly expand your vision.

INSIGHT

AI as Thinking Partner

AI tools can enhance idea generation by offering alternative perspectives.
They act as thinking partners, not replacements for human collaboration.

ADVICE

Bio Optimization

Optimize social media bios to convert non-followers into followers.
Focus on credibility, intrigue, and value proposition, not just for existing followers.

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Join me as I chat with Dr. Tyler Lemco, known for co-founding Epic Mealtime (600M+ views), where we discuss strategies for building an internet audience from scratch. The conversation covers practical advice for content creators, including bio optimization, platform selection, and content strategy. We explore the balance between algorithmic success and authentic content creation, while emphasizing the importance of starting small and scaling gradually.

Episode Timestamps:
• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:54 - Transitioning from Creative for Hire to Solopreneur
• 07:29 - AI as a Thinking Partner
• 09:03 - How to position yourself within your niche
• 14:22 - Crafting a Compelling Bio
• 26:28 - YouTube Growth Strategies
• 41:30 - AI Tools for Content Production

Key Points:
• Transitioning from being a creative-for-hire to building your own audience
• Framework for effective content creation and social media growth
• Importance of platform focus and consistency in content creation
• Strategy for building audience before community before product

Content Strategy Framework:

1. Pick a platform to focus on
2. Identify what you love doing
3. Study what algorithms favor
4. Find gaps in your niche
5. Commit to consistency

Platform-Specific Insights:
• YouTube Shorts: Good for subscriber growth, lower monetization
• Long-form content: Best for overall revenue and engagement
• Live streams: Excellent for community building, poor for new audience growth

Key Takeaways:
• Start fresh when pivoting content direction
• Focus on audience building before community development
• Test and iterate content strategy
• Be willing to experiment publicly
• Utilize AI tools like Descript for content production

1) The Creative-for-Hire Trap

• Good money but no equity upside
• Easy to get stuck helping others win
• Key is transitioning to building YOUR OWN assets
• Start small, think big

2) Framework for Content That Works:

• Pick ONE platform to focus on (seriously)
• Do what you genuinely love creating
• Study what algorithms reward
• Fill gaps in your niche
• Commit to consistency

3) The YouTube Revenue Reality:

• Shorts: 3M views = $418 (+12k subs)
• Long-form: 1.3M views = $13,580
• Livestreams: 100k views = $1,926

Strategy: Use shorts for growth, long-form for revenue

4) The ABC Growth Framework:

A) Build an Audience first
B) Convert to Community
C) Create Products/Services

Don't try all at once. Master each phase!

5) Social Bio Formula:

• Show Credibility
• Create Intrigue
• Clear Value Prop

Pro tip: Write for non-followers, not existing ones

6) Starting Fresh vs Legacy Account:

• 94 engaged followers is better than 31,000 dead ones
• Algorithm favors engagement %
• Don't let ego stop you from starting over
• Fresh start = clean slate

7) Content Market Fit Truth:

• Takes 6-24 months to find
• Must experiment publicly
• Embrace the uncomfortable
• Better to ship than perfect

Bonus: For creators starting out - just START. You figure it out by doing, not planning.

The only difference between launching and not launching is deciding you've launched.

Notable Quotes:
"The goal of every solopreneur should be to not be a solopreneur." - Greg
"The only difference between launching and not launching is deciding that you've launched." - Tyler Lemco

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

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FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND TYLER ON SOCIAL

Tyler’s Website: https://www.tlem.co/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/tlemco
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tlemco