What Is Your Why?
This time of year tends to bring out the best in everybody. We get sentimental, overly generous and I don't know about you, but I find myself doing a lot of self-reflection.
Recently I was thinking about my why. Specifically for Coil & Cinnamon.
I think that the first step of asking yourself these questions is realizing that it's okay to want big things. It's okay to want to be extraordinary. It's okay to want more than what your parents had or more than what your neighbor has.
What's not okay, is wanting something out of spite or tearing other people down to get what you want. It's also not okay to forget where you came from and to not thank those who got you where you are.
I think realizing and claiming your why is the most important thing you can do when paving your career. It gives you a strong foundation and principles that you can always go back to when things are getting rocky. It almost gives you a marker of sorts to look back on when you have achieved your dreams to see where you were starting from.
A principle that I believe is important to understand is that money is not inherently bad. It's about how we view money. Wanting money is not a bad thing. Wanting to make a lot of money is not a bad goal. The how and the why is what determines its place on the scale of morality.
If you're falling on illegal or hurtful practices to make a lot of money, that's kind of a garbage thing to do. If you're wanting to make a lot of money just to spend it all and not bless others or set your family up for success, that's also kind of a garbage thing to do.
Greed hurts people and it is often the root behind competition and why creatives especially tear down those around them to get what they want. Truthfully, a lot of creative people really admire other creative people for their talents and accomplishments. But when it comes down to it, they won't say anything about it because they're actually very jealous and don't want to recognize someone else in fear of somehow losing less recognition themselves.
That concept is truly skewed though. Why does praising someone else and enjoying someone else's success take away from the possibility of yours? It doesn't. It actually only increases it. It is has been proven that people who are generous, loving and supportive actually are more successful. I believe this to be 100% true because people who make other people feel loved and important gain true fans and followers, undying support and trust. At the end of the day, these concepts are just as important as monetary currency.
For me, I have two main “whys”.
My first why has to do with money.
I want to make a lot of money. Not to live a flashy life, but because I have a desire to be financially secure, set my family and my grandchildren up for financial success, give to those who need it and to be able to do mission work around the world. I have always dreamed of starting my own rescue organization to help save and rehabilitate men, women and children who have been trafficked. I have always dreamed of fostering children and providing a safe haven for those in communities who need it the most. Dustin has always dreamed of doing international missions work and providing clean water for the people in other countries who need it. Like I said, money is looked down upon in our society, yet, you need it to truly make an impact for good. Do I think that money can very much hurt and change you? Yes. But I also believe that if you have the right heart, the right intentions and you are surrounded by a support system who will remind you of your why, you will be able to stick to your original why. Most people live their life paycheck to paycheck, convinced that they have to struggle in life. They've convinced themselves that they're not capable of more. I don't think that way, neither does Dustin, I think that's why we work together so well. We believe that you can always change your circumstances and that just because you were born into a certain social class or you were pressured into a certain career, doesn't mean you have to stay there. You can always work hard, you can always be innovative and you can always do more. Don't be afraid of making money, especially if you are a Christian who grew up in a household that told you that money is bad. Money isn't bad, greed is bad, hoarding is bad, being selfish is bad, but money itself and what you can do with it, isn't bad.
My second why has to do with people.
I am not doing anything that I'm doing for recognition. In fact, I hate being the center of attention. I think most true artists are like that actually. We'd prefer to sit in small dark rooms and create to our hearts content and then let the internet eat it up. Honestly, the idea of touring and performing for others makes my inner self want to scream and run away. But I'd still do it if I knew it made the people who love me really happy. Everything I'm doing with Coil and Cinnamon is to help expand platforms that give a voice to creators who need one. This is something I've been advocating for and to be a part of that coming to fruition is HUGE. It literally makes me so freaking happy. Which FYI- your “whys” should make you happy! Everything that I'm doing with my music is to tell stories that make people feel something. I am telling hard stories and relatable stories, not because I want my music to be sad, but because people need those stories to heal. They need to know that there are other people out there going through the same things. As I believe that music is one of the best tools for coping with situations and healing from them, I couldn't think of a better way to spend my life than making music.
I encourage you this season, even if you just have a few minutes to do some self-reflection, truly look inside of yourself and ask yourself: “Why am I living the life that I am currently living?”
Ask yourself: “Is there a different life I'm dreaming of and what's holding me back from living that out?”
Take ahold of your life. Your time is now. Whether you're 22 or you're 62, you're capable of changing your life. Stop following all of the society “rules” and “steps” because...
1. They don't actually work.
2. You have one life to live and that's no way to live.
I wish you the best and I am cheering you on!
xoxo – Ry
How Do I Wrap My Heart Up For Christmas
12 Niches Coil Needs
Coil, only 7 ½ months after its beta launch, is thriving. New creators are joining everyday, new niches are being established and the community is growing. It's a really exciting time to be joining Coil! You get to be a pioneering user and make your mark on a new era of technology!
If you're in the boost program, which has been incredibly beneficial to many new users and encouraging in the matter of staying consistent and sharing the platform, you're definitely seeing the growth! As more and more users are joining and creating high quality content, you might've noticed your boost dropping a bit. But don't be discouraged, remember that this boost is in place to incentivize sticking around. If your boost is going down significantly, it's most likely because new users are joining and getting in and the sum allotted is being split even more. This is GOOD. This means that more people are joining, there is more content circulating, there are more users and the platform is growing into what it's supposed to be!
If you're new to Coil, welcome. We're so glad you're here! If you're not new, but want to write or vlog but haven't figured out where you fit in, I wanted to put together a little something for you. I think often times when people are joining new platforms they get overwhelmed thinking about where they fit in. Whether you'd like to talk about a topic that's already often talked about, which is totally fine, we all bring a new twist, or you're looking to bring something new to the platform- it's helpful to know what kind of creators AREN'T on Coil yet!
That's why I've accumulated a list of 10 categories of types of creators that I haven't seen on Coil yet. Now there may very well be some of these creators on Coil, but I haven't seen anybody focus solely on any of these topics!
So far we've got:
✰ Musicians
✰ Artists
✰ Graphic Designers
✰ Business Coaches
✰ Self-Help Writers
✰ Gamers
✰ Chefs
✰ History Buffs
✰ Film Enthusiasts
✰ Illustrators
✰ Photographers
✰ Collectors
✰ Developers
✰ Financial Reporters and “Advisors”
✰ Digital Asset Enthusiasts
✰ Comedians
I've probably missed a few types of creators but that's all I can think of right this minute.
So what do we not have?
✄ ASMR
✄ Music Producers
✄ Short Film Makers
✄ Makeup Artists
✄ Health & Fitness
✄ Meditations & Spiritual Guidance
✄ Lifestyle Writers & Vloggers
✄ Crafting & Decorating
✄ Fashion
✄ Sports & Outdoors
✄ Travel
✄ Humanitarians & Conservationists
Like I said, it's not that these things haven't been talked about at all, rather I haven't found any channels or users dedicated solely to any of these topics!
I believe that all of these topics would be well received both on Coil & Cinnamon and have huge potential for solid brands! If you already write or vlog about any of these topics or you want to, I highly recommend posting your content on Coil and/or Cinnamon. There is absolutely room for you here and we want to see your creativity come to life!
If you do talk about these topics or you want to dive into one of them, let me know! I want to continue inviting new users to the platform and I'd love to showcase your talents and get to know you! You can DM me on Twitter or Instagram – @riley_quin.
If you have an interest in creating a brand on Coil, I highly recommend you reading to better prepare and equip you to build a stand-out brand!
xoxo – Ry
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
I know this isn't the easiest time of year for everyone and I want to in no way discredit that. I do hope though, that even if it this time of year isn't wonderful for you, that you feel loved and you feel a sense of peace this holiday season. ❤️
xoxo – Ry
Cinnamon Got a Makeover!
A few of you may remember, about a week ago I wrote a post on changes that I'd love to see made to the Cinnamon platform!
Ya'll had great feedback and I loved hearing what you love about Cinnamon and what you'd love to see changed!
I had the honor of talking with the CEO of Cinnamon, Róbert Tarabčák, the other day and he had some great things to say about where Cinnamon is heading! I'm really excited for all of the updates headed our way, but more importantly, I'm excited about the MAJOR update they implemented today!
Cinnamon has officially implemented:
+ A “Follow” feature
+ A new and improved streamlined feed
+ An easier way to discover new creators
+ A fantastic notification feed right on the homepage!
+ A new “Watch Next” sidebar on the right of videos on the desktop to easier discover new creators.
To start, when you first visit , your home page will pop up if you are already logged in.
On the left you will see:
Here you can find out what videos you have recently watched. For some reason my entire history didn't load for this screenshot, but I'm sure that's just a bug that needs smoothing out! This feature makes it easier to go back to recently watched videos, which wasn't an option before- only recently hyped. This will make sharing videos you love easier as well.
In the middle you will see the:
This is how your feed will look before you start following any creators. If you click the big yellow button it will take you to the explore page. You can watch new videos and see what has been uploaded in chronological order. This gives a fair chance to any creators looking to be discovered!
You can also access the discover page from the top right compass icon:
From here you can click on new videos or their creators. Once you find a creator you enjoy, choose their profile and...
Here you can easily see how many followers a creator has and how many people they are following! I already followed @sandrelldustin this morning, you should as well, but if I hadn't that “Following” button would've said “Follow”. Sometimes the number of followers doesn't immediately increase when you hit the button, as shown here, so if you want to make sure you actually followed the creator, refresh the page and make sure it says “Following” and that their number of followers has increased by one!
Another way to check if you're actually following that creator is by heading back to your feed. You can easily access this by clicking on the Cinnamon icon in the top left corner. Then you will see your new feed:
As you can see, I followed several creators and I can now see the videos that they posted. These will appear in chronological order so that again, creators aren't competing against an algorithm to show up in a users feed!
Finally on the right side of the homepage you'll see:
Cinnamon recently implemented notifications, but you couldn't see them unless you clicked on the bell in the top right corner. Now you can see all of your notifications right on your homepage! This ensures that you don't miss a single thing. Whether it's a follow, a comment or a hype- this new notification bar gives you more chances to engage back with users!
One other feature that I found important to note was their improved:
Rather than the videos showing up below the main video and having to scroll that way, you're more likely to click on a new video to watch. This ensures that you can discover more creators and find more videos that are like the videos you already enjoy! As creators, this new feature means that it is very important that we take advantage of tags! If you're new, take a look around and pay attention to what tags creators in your niche are already using. This will improve your chances of making it on to the watch next bar!
As I've said in other articles, Cinnamon is still brand new. They're still working on things and they have a really big heart. They're doing their best to meet everyone's needs and be the new standout video platform! When I spoke with Rob I definitely got to see a bit more about the heart behind the startup and why they're doing what they're doing/why it's taking a bit longer for things to get moving.
We just started 8 months ago, it’s a small group of people in Prague. We are trying to do our best, we work hard 14 hours per day and we’re doing it for you guys. We are pretty aware of the issues our creators face on current platforms and we would love to change that. That is our pure motivation behind Cinnamon.”
- Róbert Tarabčák CEO
Remember, new technology takes time and there will be more improvements coming to the platform soon! Be sure to utilize the amazing new feed, follow feature and explore page and let Cinnamon know how you like it! They love feedback over there and they appreciate every user that contributes their talent and time to the platform! If you truly want to see the platform grow, the best thing you can do is post consistently, tell your friends about it and provide feedback via email or intercom!
Here's to a strong community! 🍻
xoxo – Ry
I Love You Too Much – Riley Q Original
Rockin Around the Christmas Tree 🎄
I don't know about you, but I'd never be allowed to dance near a Christmas tree. 😂 I hope this brings a bit of holiday cheer to your day, we've only got one week til Christmas! ❤️
Promoting Coil: A Collection
What You Didn't Notice About Coil's New Home Page
If you follow Coil on Twitter you've probably already noticed that they updated the homepage. If you haven't seen it, definitely go check it out because it's beautiful and it condenses all of the major points that you need to know about Coil really well! Be sure to also check out the Creator informational page!
You're probably wondering why I'm doing an article about this, it's not that important, right? Wrong. Ya'll, you didn't even realize it, but Coil just gave us an AMAZING template for us to invite friends, followers and skeptics to join Coil! They literally drew us a map to help lead others to the treasure that is web monetization! I don't know if Coil even realizes they did this, but I saw it right away! Let me explain.
- They showed us EXACTLY who Coil is perfect for so that you can target the right members from your following.
- They highlighted all of the features that are included with a membership- which, I bet you didn't know that there were 6. These are all points that you can use to reel in the skeptics and peak interest with your current followers.
- They explain in a VERY simple way how the whole sign up/plug in process works. This can very easily be the most complicated part to explain, especially if you're dealing with the not so tech-savvy market.
Let me walk you through it and show you what I'm talking about!
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When sharing Coil, this is exactly how you need to start. Simple. I have a tendency to over explain things when I first tell someone about something, so this is a lesson that I myself need to learn. When I saw this as the very first thing you see when you go to the site, it really hit me because personally, I think that small summary and GIF of coil paying could be enough to sell a lot of people. I mean, who else shows direct payments to creators like that? Exactly.
Two great ways to start conversations with potential new members:
Potential Users:
“Are you tired of all of the ads when you're watching YouTube, reading BuzzFeed or scrolling on Facebook? I am using this platform, Coil, where I can consume all of the content for $5 a month and it pays out all of the creators in real time so they get supported and I don't have to read or watch any ads!”
Potential Users/Creators:
“Are you happy creating content that isn't being monetized? I'm on this platform, Coil, where I get paid in real time as my followers read my content, it's amazing!” *Cue sending them to the Coil Creators Informational Page which has also been updated and is awesome but I won't be covering in today's article.*
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I feel like most of us who share about Coil do so because we are creators. We already experience the ins and outs of the day to day on Coil. Therefore, this is an AWESOME reminder of all the incredible perks that come with a Coil membership. This also helps us understand WHO Coil is designed for and allows us to market it better on our own social platforms. When sharing about Coil you should be sure to share all of these perks to help entice people such as:
- Gamers
- Streamers
- Video Content Creators
- Writers & Bloggers
- Artists & Musicians
- Crafters
- Technology Enthusiasts
- Digital Asset Enthusiasts
- Anybody who already subscribes to sites such as the New York Times or apps like Medium.
To include all 6 of these membership perks, I've updated the set of graphics I've given ya'll to advertise with on social media! These are great for sharing on Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Snapchat, TikTok if you really want to get creative 😆or you can simply post them! Click here to download the graphics (for free of course.)
T
If you click on any of the buttons in section two, it'll automatically take you to the corresponding slide in the carousel.
Don't expect to sell potential users on this point alone. They're not going to want to something if they don't think they're missing anything. For example, if someone told you to join this platform because there is a bunch of exclusive content on it, you're going to ask them who is on there and what is so exclusive about it. If you don't know any of the creators, you're not likely to join. Instead, you need to approach it from the perspective of the content itself. Rather than relying on name dropping, send that prospective user a few varying articles that you know are high quality that they'd be interested in. The more content they love, the more likely they will join in!
We are pretty much used to Facebook tracking our every move and collecting data for advertising companies to turn around and sell us things we talk about. Coil? Not so much. They care about our privacy and they do not track or store data. This a huge step in the right direction towards an ad-free internet! This might not matter to many people, if you share this point, but to the right people who understand and care about web safety, this might just be what sells them!
This is a point that is great to hit hard for your friends and followers who are video creators or who live off of videos alone! They will love a platform where they don't have to conform to super strict and usually politically driven guidelines JUST to get monetized or to avoid getting deleted. They will also love having the ability to watch videos without being interrupted by ads! Make sure to mention, just to avoid any confusion, Cinnamon is only accessible via a Coil membership. I also like to include, when I'm presenting it, that it's a newer platform and they're still working out kinks!
Simmer is actually a brand new concept to me, I had no idea it existed or that it was connected to Coil in any way. Regardless, I think this is an awesome addition to the lineup and it just continues to prove how much Coil and its technology is capable of improving! This is a great point to make for gamers, especially those who are already using the platform! If you run in this circle, be sure to use this as a main selling point. That's really the whole idea, ya know, whoever runs in your circle and who you are already speaking to on your platform, that's who you're marketing Coil to. If you're going to talk to them about it, you might as well pick points that will pertain to them and that will attract them to the platform!
Twitch is also a great niche point to make for anyone who is interested in gaming or streaming. This really opens up the market to those who are into streaming speciality work, video games, or ASMR. If you are talking to friends or followers who are Twitch creators, this is a great point to make to them. Not only can they be supported and monetized via a Coil extension, but they can build an additional audience on Coil to increase their monetization overall! If you are talking specifically to those who just watch on Twitch, you can encourage them to join Coil for an easier financial commitment to their favorite streamers!
This point, although not as prevalent now as it will be in the future, is VERY important. This one does take a bit more explaining, so if you're not talking to people who are into technology or who host websites, this might not be a point to share right away. For those who are, this is the solution that creators have been waiting for. No longer do they need to host and support ads on their websites. No longer do they need to host campaign after campaign or censor their work to keep clients and advertising deals. Finally there is a solution to the issue of sustainably monetizing content, it rests in Coil. All they have to do is sign up and connect their websites! For instance, if you visit my website, rileyq.com, and you have the Coil plug in PLUS you're on Chrome, Firefox or Puma, you'd be streaming payments to my website! There are also extensive plugins they can utilize to provide specific content just for their consumers who are using the Coil plug in. This applies to these people, not because they need a subscription to integrate the technology, but because their consumers do, for it to work correctly. By sharing this, it encourages creators to dive into the world of Coil, co-monetize their content on various platforms and educate their own following for their financial gain. This is a very good thing because in turn, it expands the awareness of Coil and its technology and opens the doors to more users.
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By far the most complicated aspect of Coil right now is accessing the content in a way that the payment pointer works correctly.
1. People who aren't used to this technology won't know when it's not working and probably won't care.
2. The set up is a bit complicated and it's a pain to not be able to use your favorite browser. I know a lot of people use Chrome, but I was very surprised when I started using Coil how difficult of a habit it was for me to break going from using Safari 24/7 on my computer and phone to using Chrome. I had to download the browser and the app and re-train my brain to open it up to read on Coil to ensure that people were getting paid.
This is an issue I know Coil is working on, but in the meantime, this is a great way of explaining it to newcomers!
I always had a hard time getting my words together in terms of explaining the need for the plugins and how it all worked together. I would over complicate my explanations and scare people away before I even realized what I was doing! Instead, this is a great model to show people who are interested in taking the leap! Again, simple is easy and simple sells.
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This section, although not incredibly impressive at first, really caught my attention. As you scroll the home page you are met with three CTA's. This final one impressed me the most. Although they highlight becoming a member, they recognize and give grace to the fact that not everybody is going to buy in right away. Like I said above in a point, people aren't going to miss what they don't realize they're missing. It's important when you're sharing Coil with others that you leave grace for the fact that Coil isn't for everyone and not everyone is going to get or jump on board right away. Do most of us think they'll regret it and silently jump on board like we all did when Instagram and Facebook were becoming popular? Yes. But in the meantime, give them grace. When you're holding a conversation, firmly encourage they join, but leave the window AND the door open. Let them walk out the door if they want to, but leave the window open for them to observe what's going on inside. Follow up regularly with stories and posts about the happenings at Coil. Send them articles that made you think of them that are public or 100+20. Take them along for the Coil ride and let them experience what they need to before they bite the bullet. Yes it's $5, but value people's time and money, don't force them into something they're not interested in. That's the #1 way to guarantee that someone never joins something.
Thank you Coil for your hard work and dedication to this platform over the past year. I am so proud to be a part of this platform and this community, it's been an incredible experience. I am super proud to share about the platform and the technology and the way that it's changing the world. This makeover might have been solely for cosmetic reasons, but Coil, you just gave us a wonderful guide for sharing this amazing platform!
Aren't you excited to go out and share more about Coil?!
If you're ready to share, I've got exactly what you need.
I have put together a complete collection on how to invite people to Coil! I cover handling skeptics, answering questions, sharing on social media, and handling those who don't understand crypto! I also include a complete checklist and several sets of graphics that you can use to share about the platform on social media!