Story of the Week
When I had the idea for Card Party, I always knew I wanted the event to feature the creators in the space — the other Pokémon YouTubers whom people enjoy watching every week. They were to become the heroes of the event, and that, of course, would help draw a crowd.
That’s nothing new, though. Almost every other event in every other niche does the same thing. Business events, for example, pay people like Gary Veynerchuk to speak and then everywhere you look — from social posts to paid ads — you see his name splattered everywhere. That’s marketing.
Marquee name = more people.
The Pokémon community has big names — creators with millions of subscribers — whom I invited to the event. They were gracious enough to come and spend time with their fans, and I can’t thank them enough for that.
But I had a hypothesis. My gut feeling was that if I included smaller creators as well, they would support the event even more than the bigger names. So, I didn’t just invite them; I recognized them publicly. I added their names to the website, gave them special badges, and invited them to the same meetups and events as the larger creators.
Individually they may not have as many subscribers, but together it definitely adds up. More importantly, their recommendations to come to the event would resonate deeply with their audiences.
When I started out in 2008 as a blogger, I got to know my audience very well. I knew every repeat commenter by name, and it was easy to reply to every email and make sure everyone got attention. Today, that’s impossible. As a larger creator, I cannot possibly connect deeply with every audience member like I used to — as much as I try.
This is why the community model at SPI is so important to us. Direct and immediate connections can still happen, just not with me anymore. The numbers are just too big. I really wish I could give every single person all of my time, but, like I said, that’s impossible.
But it’s not impossible for someone who just has a few thousand subscribers or less. In fact, my research across the community shows that fans prefer smaller creators because, especially during live events, it’s much easier to be heard and have a conversation with them. Some people will watch a creator live every single day — though only a few actually go live daily. While their overall numbers may be smaller, their loyal, devoted fans make up a significant percentage of their audience.
So, when I pitched Card Party to these smaller creators, not only were they on board, but they were behind it 100%. Many of their audience members flew out just to see them. This made those smaller creators feel special and gave them recognition that only seemed to be reserved for the larger names. It also fostered an even deeper connection with their existing audience.
It’s so cool to see.
One creator even said that it changed the relationship between him and his parents. They had never believed his work in the Pokémon space would lead to anything. When he showed them the website, they couldn’t believe it. It completely changed their perception of what he was doing.
So my recommendation to you is this: leverage the power of every member of your community, big or small. When you give the spotlight to both emerging and established players, you create a vibrant ecosystem where true engagement and loyalty flourish. It's not just about adding numbers; it's about enhancing the connection and commitment from your audience. Make everyone feel like a VIP, and you'll see how this recognition can transform the energy of your entire venture. This isn't just good community building — it's smart business. Let's make sure no potential is left untapped!
