Transcript
Introduction
Yes, you can, in fact, quit your job to become a content creator. We're seeing more and more people becoming full-time content creators and they're making money from it too, which is probably why you clicked on this video. You want to learn how to take that leap of faith and become a full-time content creator. Am I right? I'm going to share exactly how you can do this and some tips we learned from some leaders in the industry.
Ways to Make Money as a Content Creator
Okay, so I'll start off by saying there are a ton of different ways to make money as a content creator. You can create videos, graphics or photos for your accounts. You can connect with your community through stories and live streams. You can collaborate with brands through sponsored posts or affiliate links, or even write a guest blog post. The list really does go on.
But what skills do you need to become a successful content creator? Well, you need these skills. But in today's video, I'm going to touch on the first five on the list. If you want to see the full entire list, just click on the link right over here.
Tip #1: Have a Clear Vision & Niche
So the first requirement we're going to dive into is having a clear vision and a niche. It might be a little cliche, but it's the truth. Every content creator needs a clear vision and a niche. If you have both of these, they'll keep you on track so that you're attracting the right followers and growing an engaged community. And you will also never run out of ideas on what to post.
If we take a look at content creator Tomi Obebe's Instagram, Tomi's vision is all about advocating for representation in the blogger and lifestyle industry and inspiring women of color. If you check out her blog, it also touches on brand collaboration tips and rate transparency, along with other content pillars like fashion and travel.
If you're wondering, how do I even come up with a vision? Take some time to think about: What are my passions and skills? What am I knowledgeable about? If I wasn't getting paid, would I still enjoy creating this content?
Tip #2: Create SMART Goals
So the second requirement we're going to talk about is SMART goals.
Now, do not underestimate goal setting. You need to be doing this before you start filming videos, taking photos, or even drafting blog posts. And it's going to save you a ton of time in the long run. Setting SMART goals will be the foundation on which you build your entire content strategy.
If you need a little bit of help with your goal setting, we have a step-by-step guide to setting SMART social media goals, which I have linked in the description below.
Tip #3: Build An Engaged Community
The third requirement you need to become a full-time content creator is to build an engaged community. We're not saying you need a million-plus followers, though. You just need to have built a community that actively interacts with your posts, they click through your links and they also support your other content, like your blogs or courses.
There are a few things you can do to build an engaged community.
One: Show up more on camera. This means popping up in your Stories and interacting with your followers or even going Live.
Two: Make and share educational or entertaining content. Some types of content you can experiment with are Carousel posts, blogs or meme content that shows off your personality.
Three: This is probably the most important one, but respond to your comments and DMs. I know social media can be super overwhelming, but set aside 15 to 30 minutes a day just for engaging with your audience. Listening to what your community has to say can really help inform your strategy.
Tip #4: Streamline Your Workflow
The fourth requirement I want to talk about is streamlining your workflow. This is a must. If you've never tried out content batching, this is something we highly recommend at Later. Set aside one or two days a week to batch-create all of your content, whether that be videos or your Instagram posts, future you will seriously thank you.
But setting up systems isn't just for the content creation side of your business. One of our longtime Later friends, and content creator, Taylor Loren shared with us that one of the biggest lessons she's learned is to set up your finances ASAP. Get a separate business bank account, consult with an accountant about how much you should put aside for taxes, and know what you can claim for your expenses.
Tip #5: Monetize Your Skills
The last requirement I will mention is knowing how to monetize your skills. Don't put all of your effort into one revenue stream; I think this advice is relevant for any type of business.
You can monetize your content by splitting your time and effort into different areas. Maybe you're spending 50% of your effort on brand partnerships, 20% on affiliate sales, 10% on freelancing and then the other 10% on creating courses. There is not really a perfect percentage or strategy, but just keep an eye on what performs best with your audience and what they find the most valuable coming directly from you.
Becoming a full-time content creator will not happen overnight. One big piece of advice I'd like to share before ending this video is that you don't need to quit your day job immediately after you decide to become a full-time content creator. Take the time to figure out how you're really going to monetize your content. Come up with a proper game plan. And there is nothing wrong with slowly easing into things. Content creation takes more work than a one-off viral post, but with all of these tips, you will be well on your way.
If you want to learn more about how content creators actually make money, let us know in the comments below. And that might be a future video. See you next week with some more social media tips and tricks. Bye.
