Creators are the heart and soul of Tealfeed. As they continuously work towards feeding us more information every day, it's only fitting to bring out their journey for the world to know.

In this series “Creators Spotlight”, we are asking our creators about their journey. Watch out for them sharing their journey and getting candid with us. Today we have with us Nick Chai.

Nick Chai, a freelance conversion copywriter, narrates his journey from talking about his hometown town Kota Kinabalu to pursuing his passion for copywriting.

Continue reading to find out more!

Who has been the biggest influence in your life? What lessons did that person or those people teach you?

When I was in middle school, I played basketball competitively. I represented my school in lots of tournaments in town. And the person who inspired me to be the person I am today was the late Kobe Bryant. 

Growing up watching him play taught me the importance of dedication and work ethic. Not just in basketball, but life generally. Thanks to him, I don’t struggle as much in my copywriting career because of the inspiration he brought into my life.

Tell us about your childhood, what was the best part? Is there any specific incident that has largely influenced the kind of person you are today?

I believe I’m lucky to get to experience my childhood and teenagehood before technology took over. Back then, I didn’t have a smartphone or laptop for entertainment. Well, I did have a phone but it’s the button ones. So I spent most of my time playing basketball and meeting people.

There was a time when I was selected to play for my state in the national tournament. That tournament boosted my self-confidence through the roof. Because I felt like my hard work paid off. That’s when I realized that if I work hard enough towards anything, it’s impossible to not achieve it.

Where is your hometown, and what was it like when you were young?

My hometown is a small city called Kota Kinabalu. Situated at the Eastern side of Malaysia. The state is called Sabah. If you’d like to challenge yourself in climbing the tallest mountain in Malaysia, Sabah is calling you :)

Development in my hometown is a little slow but progressing. There are lots of places I barely recognized now because of the development going on there.

How important a role does content play in your life? Are you a full-time content creator? Why did you start creating content?

To make things clear, I don’t treat myself as a content creator. I’m a full-time conversion copywriter. I started writing content because it’s the cheapest way to start getting clients for my business. Just write, publish, and repurpose.

(By the way, the ROI for content marketing is off the charts. Start focusing on content if you want to lower your acquisition cost)

In my copywriting experience, content is the best way to connect with my clients. I’ve tried direct marketing on Facebook groups and LinkedIn, where I direct my prospects to a CTA. Nothing works as well as the content.

70% of my clients came to me after reading my blog on Medium. That’s how big content impacts my business. Any business that understands how to use content to get customers understands digital marketing. Hands down.

What’s that one aspect of being a content creator no one talks about?

I don’t have a perspective of a content creator but I’ll give you my two cents. I’ve never met or read or watched a content creator that talks about monetization in depth. I believe the key to being a successful content creator is monetization.

Let’s be real. You can’t wait 5 years to start making money. Everyone needs to pay the bills. Content creators who make money with just 100 subscribers understand the game.

Content creators need to make offers. Period. There’s no way you can make a living without selling stuff online. It pays to sit down and think about how you can monetize your channel or platform.

Also, think about the front-end and back-end offers of your monetization model. This is simply the key to sustainable and stress-free life as a content creator.

What’s the most satisfying part of being a content creator?

I can relate to this. The most satisfying part about creating content is the audience. Not because I could monetize them. But because there are people out there who can relate to my thoughts. It’s even better if my content helps them in some shape or form.

It’s a therapeutic experience, to say the least. My friends and family don’t get what I do and neither will they read what I publish. That doesn’t mean no one will read them.

I treat my audience as a community of like-minded people. And I’m thankful for that.

What are you up to currently and what are your long-term career goals?

My focus right now is to make consistent money in my business. At the same time, share my expertise and knowledge with people who need it. I’ll try my best to publish consistently for my followers.

As for my long-term career goals, I’d like to keep doing what I’m passionate about which is writing copies that help businesses achieve their business goals. I like what I’m doing and most likely will continue this path for as long as I can.

What drives you to create content regularly?

I’ll be upfront. My main drive for creating content is getting clients. As I write and publish along the way, I realize that people like what I wrote. So, for me, it’s like killing two birds with one stone.

If I can get clients and build an audience with my content, why not, right? Don’t get me wrong. I always put my best foot forward in my content. You get to experience what I preach and practice in my work. Those are real-time results and expertise.

What’s the most challenging part of being a content creator?

I have my thoughts on this too. Successful content creators don’t just post consistently. They put themselves into the world. They are good at selling themselves. They are both a content creator and marketer. 

90% of content creators think consistency is the most important thing to be successful. Take this from me, content creators become successful with two things. One, quality content. Two, effective content distribution. 

Most neglect the second part and they pay the price. Every platform is noisy. Every one of them.

So, spend some time learning how to distribute your content to reach the right audience. Or just hire people to do it for you. Either way is fine. 

How do you make sure that you aren’t affected by nasty comments and negative things said about you?

Easy. Research before you post. If your content triggers some people, that means there’s something wrong with what you post. I’m not saying this to discourage you but to open your eyes to what quality content looks like.

I’ve been publishing content for a year and a half. I’ve never seen any nasty comments in my post. Ever. Let me tell you why and how you can do it for yourself. Really good content doesn’t trigger people. They attract an audience.

Opinions will trigger people. But facts won’t. What you want to do is entertainingly tell facts. Not opinions in a polarizing way. Opinions destroy relationships with the audience because it’s “me” focused. The audience doesn’t care what you think. They only care about what they can get out of your content.

So the best way to avoid getting affected by nasty comments, in my opinion, is to prevent them. 

Anything else you would like our audience to know about you!

I read, write, and think a lot. Like seriously. My head is like an idea collector. I’m pretty sure I can write five years of books about marketing and copywriting. Just kidding.

If you’re like me, who likes to consume fresh ideas for marketing and copywriting, then you should check out my paid newsletter (link in my bio). 

I usually share videos, blogs, tweets, and anything I find interestingly relevant. Who knows your next million-dollar campaign idea might come from a tweet.

Why did you start creating content on Tealfeed?

To be honest, I never wanted to publish on Tealfeed because I want to focus on Medium. I didn’t want to spread myself too thin. But Ayush and Sourabh convinced me that the audience on Tealfeed likes my content. And I should continue publishing on Tealfeed.

I carried on publishing on Tealfeed. If my audience on Tealfeed and Medium benefit from reading my content, I should keep publishing. I hope my content helps you in your marketing.

How would you want people to remember you?

Just remember as I am - Nick Chai. The copywriter who writes really good content and copy.

But, if at any given time, your marketing isn’t doing as well as you’ve expected, reach out to me. I do more than just write words that sell. I’m a conversion copywriter. Conversion is a huge part of my work.

I’ll help you figure out what can be improved to boost the conversion of your marketing whenever I see a fit. In the end, revenue is what matters. And that’s exactly what I focus on. 

What's success for you and when you would consider yourself to be successful?

I consider myself pretty successful at the moment. I’m pursuing my passion for copywriting without any financial stress. 

My goal now is to get my copywriting business off the ground and make consistent income out of it. Thank god it’s working. I contribute my successes to private courses, mentors, and successful business owners who shared their stories.

Who’s your favourite creator? Why?

I don’t have a favourite creator but I do have a favourite copywriter. That guy is the late Gary Halbert. The moment I set my eyes on his copies I was mesmerized. How could one sell in such a casual tone?

Gary, in my perspective, was the best copywriter I’ve ever seen. You can read some of his work if you’re free. His copies are a work of magic.

To every individual who’s planning to start out as a content creator, what would you like to advise them?

Be prepared emotionally and intellectually.

The world of content creation is a fierce competition. You must think like a business owner to be a content creator. It’s all about content, marketing funnels, and monetization.

All successful content creators know this. If you’re serious to make it work, equip yourself with business knowledge while you start. You’ll learn along the way. Just start.