How to Start Making Content Online
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Creating content has gone from a space for influencers to people from all walks of life, and can boost your business. If you are starting, identify your niche, think about how to add value to your content, and determine which social media platforms will be best for it. Also, experiment with different content creation styles to find the best fit for you and your audience.?
Creating content online can help establish yourself as an expert in your field and build your brand.?
You can also use content creation as a monetization strategy for your business, so it pays to learn how to boost your presence in the space.?
“Content creation is a way to educate people,” said Ryrobb.com blogger Ryan Robinson. “I always think of content creation as thought leadership, and not only is that content that you push out to bring traffic and leads for your business, but it is also relationship building with real people. What I like the most about creating content is giving people real answers to questions they have that can meaningfully impact their life or business.”
Creatorpreneur Tejas Hullur emphasized that there is no better time than now to start your content creation process.?
“If you wanted to express your creativity 30 years ago, you would have to go to these big networks,” Hullur said. “If you were a musician, you would have to go to a record label. If you are an artist, you would have to know a connection at a museum. And if you wanted to make videos, you would have to go to one of the big networks.
“Then came YouTube [17] years ago, and YouTube almost democratized that. Today, with the advent of TikTok, Instagram reels, etc., anyone with a phone can go from pre-production to production to post-production. If you have a message, this is the time to [express] it. It is as accessible as ever to get your voice out there.”
Experiment With Content Creation Styles When You Start Making Content Online
Let go of perfectionism when you start making content online. Also, understand that your techniques and content will improve when trying different aspects of content creation.?
“Your first hundred videos are going to suck,” Hullur said with a laugh. “[My] first hundred videos sucked and when I look back at them, it is very apparent. But the most important thing is just to start. Don't overthink it. Almost everyone, when you hear your own voice for the first time filming, goes, ‘Oh, my voice sounds horrible,’ or, ‘I look bad.’
“It's one of those things where you have to just swallow your ego. Get used to understanding this psychology of storytelling.”?
Identify your niche and decide what you want to discuss within it. Think about what you can authoritatively speak about, Robinson said.?
“What you choose today doesn't have to tie you down to writing about this topic forever,” Robinson said. “Start from within first. If you are not writing about a topic or niche you are personally interested in and invested in, look ahead to the future.
“Can you write 50 articles about this topic and not be like, ‘Oh my God, I'm losing my mind?’ Try to look at those topics as something where you have interest [in] and you want to learn more about. Even if you are experienced or scaled at something, if you are not interested, you're just going to burn yourself out.”
Don’t be afraid to explore content that can work for you and resonate with your audience as you pinpoint your niche.
“I tried to dance, make educational videos, do the trends, and through that, you really find what you love,” Hullur said. “If you want to build a brand, again, think like you are an audience member. You [would] subscribe to someone that is providing repeated value.?
“The people that subscribe to me are entrepreneurs, creators, and investors, and all three of them want to understand the creator space more. So if today I started creating dancing videos and all this other stuff, it dilutes that brand a little bit. The people that followed me are going to be like, ‘What is the value that I'm getting out of this?’”
Thus, it is important to niche down, Hullur said. Also, he recommended making 10% of your content exploratory so people can connect with your personality.?
“I love the quote, ‘Escape competition through authenticity,’” Hullur said.?
Once you identify your niche, find balance between what you want to write about and what people want to learn, Robinson said.?
“[Ask yourself] ‘How can I use my own experience, skills, interests to help other people out there who are trying to do similar challenges?’ And that is the opportunity identification part,’” Robinson said. “Start by identifying problems other people have that you have solved, and also how you can help them with your experience and skills.”
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Also, do keyword research in your niche.
“Verify that this is something other people are actually having a problem with and start from there,” Robinson said. “If you search for content marketing, you'll see, ‘Oh my God, there are five million searches a month on this topic.’ That verifies, ‘There is demand, and I have the interest. Let's try this for today.’
“Getting reader feedback and seeing on social media what people interact with [is also beneficial]. Use LinkedIn as a place to publish and promote your content and start conversations with people. See what topics your readers and potential readers are engaging with.”
Identify What Resonates With Your Audience When You Start Making Content Online
Learning what your audience likes and values can help you craft your content game plan and grow your audience faster.?
“After you start creating videos, put yourself in the shoes of your audience,” Hullur said. “I think a lot of people like to focus on algorithms. But at the end of the day, the algorithm is made by people, so it is understanding the people that you want to target and what their needs are. [Ask yourself], ‘If you saw your content, would you be proud of it? Is this content you would consume?’”
It is also important to determine which social media platforms resonate with your content and audience the most.?
“Deciding where to publish your social media content] changes so much over time, like with which social media platform is the shining star of the moment,” Robinson said. “So, I am a huge proponent of using your own publishing platform like a blog. The WordPress Power Blog is what I recommend to most people. It has the most flexibility, control, customization, and long-term scalability.”
Be Consistent But Do What Is Best for You When Creating Content Online
Consistency can help you build your audience, but posting content at a rate that works for you is essential.?
“There are creators who have a successful brand posting once a month but their production value shows for that, and there are people that post multiple times a day,” Hullur said. “I think whatever your cadence is, if it's multiple times a day, if it's once a day, if it's once a week, just stick with it and then let your audience know.”
Meanwhile, Robinson said to post as much as you can write and publish.?
“If you are going to be kicking yourself trying to publish three articles a week when you just get started, then you might be setting yourself up for burnout too soon,” Robinson said. “So I'll often say, if you land somewhere between publishing one article a week or three articles a month when you are just getting started with creating content, that is a great sweet spot.?
“Some people, though, are prolific writers. And if you can publish something every day and start a conversation on LinkedIn every day about that article you publish, absolutely. And if you have a team and the resources, it is a more-the-merrier situation.”
No matter how much you write, simplify, Robinson said.?
“Don’t build out an editorial calendar for the next six months right away,” Robinson said. “Throw the first five to 10 ideas on there and prioritize them based on which ones draw you in, you are interested in, and there is a clear search opportunity for, and just go from there.?
“Because otherwise, you will definitely burn yourself out if you set these huge, lofty goals. Be kind to yourself as you are doing it.”
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How to Start Making Content Online