Technology
Will Keenan On COY Creator’s Creator-Centric Formula For Success
Barely a minute into a conversation with Will Keenan, one easily gets the impression that the former actor, director, producer, and writer turned entrepreneur and creator economy stalwart has a way with words. He’s great at it, but he also makes sense, a lot.
Which is why when he was asked to explain why COY Creator, a platform designed to transform content creators’ ability to own and generate revenue from their work, is different, his explanation was powerful and crystal clear:
“Many contemporary “premium” creator monetization sites assert a ‘Creator First’ philosophy. However, this is often contradicted by the inherent competition between creators on the same platform, and even competition with the platform’s own brand,” begins Will as he zeroes in on COY Creator’s competitive advantage.
He actually immediately ‘corrects’ himself and admits he does not like using the p-word [platform] in the case of COY Creator, then continues by saying, “Rather, COY represents the technology team facilitating direct-to-fan businesses, operating independently on individual URLs, not a central COY domain.
But what does he mean, exactly?
Creating a New Model for Creators
COY Creator distinguishes itself through its architecture – creators operate on independent URLs rather than sharing a p-word [platform] domain. “It’s not COY DOT COM SLASH KING BACH or coy dot com slash Chester See,” Will notes, adding that this independence is complemented by leading features such as new updates every month, optimal revenue splits, guaranteed content protection, and, notably, transparent data sharing, including email addresses and direct response capabilities like targeted messaging.
“And our creators actually OWN all their content – no other p-word [platform] can really say that, to my knowledge. This enables creators to cultivate their businesses and maintain control over their professional careers,” he continues.
“I would not have partnered with COY Creator if they were not genuinely creator-centric,” explains Will, who sits as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer. “One hundred percent ownership is essential, as is data transparency, and an 85% revenue share. We are building their businesses for them through a Creator-driven model where they retain ultimate authority.”
Addressing Creator Challenges
Today’s content creators face significant obstacles on existing platforms, Will remarks. “Current models exhibit unfavorable revenue distribution structures, lack direct fan marketing data control, are subject to algorithmic volatility, express apprehension regarding content suppression, and entail the risk of business dependence on a potentially transient platform which could disappear in a day,” he explains.
When the former actor left L.A. years ago to care for his ailing mother, he recognized major shifts approaching in the digital space. “Back then, YouTube was the sole viral video platform, Netflix was the only successful subscription service, and live streaming was just emerging,” he shares.
During this time, Will identified a critical gap in the market. “I was surprised that no platform prioritized creators and shared data with talent on their own vanity URLs. Instead, creators were relegated to URLs like ‘[premium platform name here]/CreatorName,’ forcing them to compete with each other and the platform brand itself or its founder or CEO.”
This observation shaped COY’s approach. “Though we may appear to cater exclusively to established creators with substantial fan bases, prominent influencers, or celebrities with significant followings, the established economic principle remains,” Will explains.
He elaborates, “A dedicated base of 1,000 true fans is sufficient to sustain a comfortable living as a creator, artist, or creative individual with a stable career. Furthermore, for those with extensive global audiences, even a small segment of their ‘superfans’ who subscribe to creators’ personal premium websites provides top-tier talent with the autonomy to control their own trajectory, affording true independence.”
A Comprehensive Business Solution
COY Creator serves as a complete business solution for creators. “A creator-led business generator, or ‘business in a box,’ represents a significant undertaking,” Will says. “For an individual creator to replicate the functionality of COY independently would necessitate substantial investment, estimated at a minimum of $500,000 for development. Furthermore, ongoing maintenance, updates, and consistent content refreshment would require substantial monthly expenditure, likely in the range of $10,000 to $15,000.”
The platform includes sophisticated features that Will details: “COY Creator offers features including targeted messaging, paid live streams, personalized video requests, and content/posts available through freemium, premium, and a la carte pay-to-unlock access. It integrates the best features of competing platforms, with enhancements designed to maximize creator earnings.”
Financial Success for Creators
The platform’s revenue model prioritizes creator earnings through at least five distinct monetization avenues. Will explains, “Should a rising star with 500,000 followers secure VIP community membership from even 5% of their superfans via their premium site, considerable revenue can be generated, contingent on the chosen monthly subscription fees, pay-to-unlocks, and other pricing structures.”
“COY’s commission is 15% of this revenue,” he adds, emphasizing the contrast with traditional platforms that often take 30-50% or more.
Will also highlights the platform’s essential data and tools for creators: “Our star talent’s sites function as a central digital hub, offering such talent optimal revenue splits and maximum control as it represents their own business venture established and maintained by COY.”
Content strategies adapt to each creator’s needs, with creators able to “reserve a portion of weekly social media posts for exclusive premium site release or develop a dedicated site strategy with support from the COY Customer Success team in conjunction with social media presence.”
“Based on my experience as both a star talent myself as well as an executive in the talent-centric content industry, it is recognized that each creator is unique,” Will points out. “COY does not dictate what creators post on other platforms, nor does it limit their activities on those profiles. Creators may view COY as a sales reservoir effectively utilizing existing social marketing channels.”
Platform Development and Growth Plans
COY Creator continues to develop new capabilities. “From its inception, COY was developed to provide creators with the most advanced features available,” Will shares. “Our company’s objective is to launch the latest and most innovative features in the creator space each quarter and anticipate annual industry trends. Consequently, COY’s future initiatives have the potential to set industry standards and influence the overall direction of the creator subscription economy space.”
Future plans include expansion into “site takeovers, brand partnerships, and a targeted internal programming ad network accessible to COY Creators for their respective membership sites.”
Additionally, Will notes that “COY’s unparalleled technology is positioned to facilitate business-to-business enterprise agreements, bolstering existing social media platforms in their ongoing pursuit of effective video integration.”
Final Thoughts
Speaking directly to creators considering their options, Will shares: “Though I’d hope I’m not the only, I’m told I’m still considered the most talent-friendly, creator-first executive in the digital space. For whatever reason, my industry predictions have consistently been accurate.”
And he anticipates “it will be another significant period of time before a similar talent-focused approach emerges again, #beCOY,” says the man who has a way with words, and makes a lot of sense.