Welcome to episode six of the Creators Class podcast! The podcast that takes you into the lives of the most amazing creators in the world today, uncovering their new monetization strategies and learning more about how they’re carrying the creative flame.

In this episode, Nick Cicero and Nick Robinson interview Matthew Knell, VP of Social Media at About.com, blogger at Tagsmith, and NYU lecturer extraordinaire.

Interview with Matthew Knell

Matthew Knell started at About.com early in his career performing development work, but then transitioned into communications and marketing at Jet Blue, Viacom, and Cafe Mom. Then he came back full circle to lead social media at About.com, and he realizes that after all his experience in the space, he likes to give back in the form of mentorship while teaching at NYU.

In addition, he talks a little bit about audience development. The true challenge is blending the brand and content in channels that resonate with audiences. Nowadays, the way people find you is more fragmented than ever, and it’s tough to reach an audience without paying. To combat this trend, creators need to increase their knowledge with content, technology, and business.

Listen to the show to hear Matt’s advice about learning new skills to be a successful creator.

In the second half of the interview, we discuss the impact that brands have on the creators ecosystem. Matt provides insight on what brands should do to create a meaningful relationship with influencers and creators. At the same time, he urges creators not to sell out to brands and to stay true to who they are.

We finish the interview with asking Matt to describe About.com’s platform for creators. Listen to the show to learn more about his company.

GOAT of the Week

Have you seen the previews for Unfriended? Basically it is a horror movie about the negative consequences of cyber bullying. The story started breaking around January through creators on Vine and YouTube. Due to the comical nature of the content, it ended up going viral. The ultimate lesson is that brands need to think about working with influencers to seed a message in the marketplace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YrLfDF5huk

Have questions or feedback?

Send us a Tweet using the hashtag #CreatorsClass to @nickcicero and @socialrobinson.