If you’ve read our previous article here you would have seen that the global influencer market is set to grow by $27.39 BN in the next few years, making it a lucrative avenue for a content creator.
If you think you’ve got the flare and have been debating quitting your 9-5 to become a full time content creator, we’re here to tell you its possible and how to get started.
What is a content creator?
A competent content creator is one who can create an online community and monetize their work.
Unfortunately, it takes a bit more work than just posting pretty pictures and dancing along to the latest TikTok dancing trends.
It’s important to be aware of the responsibilities that this role entails, some of them include:
- Curating a consistent content calendar
- Creating visually appealing photos, videos and blog posts
- Engaging with their social media community
- Networking with other industry professionals
- Partnering with brands for sponsored posts
Now, let’s get into the essential steps you should carefully research and undertake to establish yourself and gain the credibility you deserve.
1. Have a vision & find your niche
A compelling direction and niche will assist you in creating relevant content, targeting the right audiences that will stay engaged and continue to expand.
When you’re looking to find this, it’s important to ask yourself these questions:
What am I passionate about?
What am I an expert in?
What will I never get tired of talking or posting about?
How can I leverage financially off of this idea?
The success behind so many influencers, is due to their expertise within a particular field, for example, fitness, cooking, makeup or fashion.
The possibilities and avenues you can explore are endless but remember that your audience is going to have to trust your opinion when you are endorsing a product or service, so it is much more effective if it is narrowed down to a particular speciality.
Decide on what platforms will be best
Social media platforms have already mastered engaging large audiences.
TikTok has been downloaded by over 2.6 billion times across the world, Instagram also has been downloaded approximately 3.8 billion times.
With that being said, it is not effective for you to get started and utilize every single social media platform out there to sell your brand and share your content.
That’s why figuring out who your audience is and what apps they tend to use it crucial.
Instagram is great for photo sharing content creators, great for fashion bloggers or those who may not be able to verbalise easily what they can show.
YouTube is ideal for content creators looking to post tutorials, vlogs or how-to videos, as people would much rather watch this as opposed to reading about it.
TikTok has been praised for enabling users to be vulnerable and authentic, so if you’re looking to create content that informs and educates your audience, it seems like the right path to go down.
Brushen up on your writing/editing skills
The fact of the matter is, you will most likely be wearing more than one hat when becoming a content creator.
What we mean by this is, your content needs to be produced, edited and shared at a high standard.
In the world of content creation, the ability to write, design and edit is highly valuable skills that you should possess.Â
You don’t necassarily have to be able to them all, however knowing how to write a concise and appealing caption, edit a short-form video or YouTube video will help you stand out among the many and allows you to establish your brand image and voice!
Pro tip: There are sites like Canva and Grammarly that make these processes much easier.
Learn how to market yourself
As the creator market is very saturated, knowing how to market yourself will give you an advantage.
Spend a lot of time to strategically create a social media plan, work on ways to grow your following and build a close-knit online community.
Research other influencers or creators within your field and reach out to do collaborations on posts or videos to maximise your visibility and tap into their audience as well.
Additionally, one of the fun parts of this line of work are the many networking events that take place. Take the initiative to get yourself out there, meet others who can be valuable in your career and boost your online presence.
A lot of digital creators will get in touch and sign up with an influencer marketing agency, such as ITP Live.
This helps by bridging the gap between getting creators in touch with brands to collaborate on campaigns, product launches and sponsored posts.
Are you looking to get started?
It’s important to remember, becoming a successful content creator is not something that happens overnight.
It takes a strong vision, clear goals, the right approach and consistency to embark on this fulfilling career path.
No matter what niche you represent, consistency is essential to being a valuable content creator.
Follow us on socials @itplive to stay in the know about the latest news in the world of influencers.
