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How to Become a Content Creator in 2023

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Content creation has become a major part of the online world. As the Internet becomes more and more prevalent in our lives, we're seeing a lot more content being created by people on various digital platforms.

Influencer marketing has become very popular and lucrative. You may look at this and think, it’s too saturated, but there’s room for you to build and grow your content creator career whether you want to have your own platform or create content to sell to businesses.

Content creation is often done for entertainment, information, and educational purposes. Most content creators do it as a hobby, but some make their living from it.

In this age of digital information, content creators are an essential part of the media landscape. If you're looking to become a content creator, there are several ways to get started. In this post, I'll tell you about what a content creator is and how you can become one.


What Is a Content Creator?

Content creation usually includes photography or videography.

Content creation refers to the process of creating content for social media, a website, or a blog. It's a broad term, as many different types of content can be created, from audio and video content to images, text, and even GIFs.

A content creator is someone who creates value for their audience by producing quality content.  Content creators are often considered to be YouTubers, streamers, podcasters, vloggers, Instagrammers, Tiktokers, and bloggers.

In today's digital world, a content creator can be anyone from an artist to a professional photographer/videographer to a writer or blogger. A content creator creates digital content by using their skills and talents to share them on social media or on their blog.

If you want to become a content creator, it's important to learn the basics of effective writing videography, and photography, as well as how to properly use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

The important thing to remember is that it’s all about creating interesting content that helps your audience achieve their goals or provides entertainment. Creating an engaged community or being able to effectively communicate with another brand's community is key to becoming a successful content creator.

The most successful content creators are those who can create high-quality original content that appeals to their target audience. 

Ways You Can Monetize as a Content Creator

Learning how to monetization is a huge step to taking your work on the road with you.

When I started as a content creator in 2020, my main goal was to monetize and have blogging and content creation become my career! I’m a huge believer in creating multiple streams of income and that’s exactly what you can do as a content creator. In general, content creators wear many hats, which can lead to different areas of monetization.

If you're looking to make creating content a full-time gig, the first question you'll probably ask is, "How do I make money?"

There are multiple ways you can monetize as a content creator. Here's a look at some of the most common ways:

UGC (User-Generated Content)

UGC is when brands use your content on their platform and you have no requirement to post on your own socials. This can be anything from photos, videos, and blog posts that you create specifically for them.

The most successful UGC creators leverage influencer platforms to find the right brands to work with for long periods of time. 

Brand Collaboration

Brand collaborations or brand sponsorships involve partnering with a company to promote their products or services through your channel in exchange for compensation, which can take the form of a fee or free products.

For example, you might host an ad on your channel or create sponsored content for the brand. While it can be tempting to accept free products, it's important to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to build a profitable business.

In this post, I'll teach you how to secure free hotel stays as a content creator.

Selling Services

If you have experience in photography, video editing, or even graphic design, you can sell your services to clients who are looking for content creators to create their social media posts. You can provide them with photos, videos, or graphics that they can use on their website or social media platforms.

This includes social media managers but it's also possible to sell your services without actually managing the client's accounts directly.

If you choose to specialize in a certain area, you could become a freelance blog writer, video editor, podcast manager, or Pinterest manager.

You can also sell your photos and videos on platforms like Shutterstock and Fotolia. These sites pay you a royalty each time someone buys something from your portfolio.

Monetize Your Blog through Ads

Another way to monetize your blog is by placing ads on it. There are plenty of ad networks out there that will let you place ads on your website in exchange for a share of the revenue those ads generate from visitors who click them.

In most cases, it'll take your blog at least a year or so (sometimes more, sometimes less) to start making decent ad revenue unless you already have some experience with search engines (SEO) or digital marketing to bring more eyes to your site.

Want to make your blog posts even more optimized for SEO? At A Way Abroad, we use SurferSEO to make sure we're hitting the marks for Google on each of our articles.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you earn a commission for promoting someone else's product or service. It's a great way to earn money without having to sell anything! I always tell my clients that affiliate links are a long game and a great way to start creating passive income. 

A cool thing about affiliate marketing is that you don't need to have a large audience to get started with this. So long as you have a community that trusts your recommendations, you can start earning while you grow the other monetization strategies. A great way to market is through social media or your email list.

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Consulting

If you have a specific skill set or expertise that people want to learn, then you can offer consulting services. This can be anything from freelance writing to teaching classes on how to use certain software programs. You can make money by charging by the hour or by charging a flat fee for each project.

You can even turn this into a course that you can sell on the side, which should eventually turn into passive income.

Requirements to Become a Content Creator

Lucky for you, anyone can become a content creator.

Becoming a content creator is an exciting opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, and daily experiences with the world. Whether you have a phone or camera and are passionate about a topic and creating visual content, love creating written content, or you just want to show someone your daily life, being a content creator is easier than you might think.

When I started in 2020, I didn’t know any of the fancy terms, but I grabbed my phone and just started creating. If you want to get to monetizing quicker, it’s best to do your research and take some courses to learn new skills, especially in digital marketing or to improve a specific skillset of yours. 

There's no specific requirement for becoming a content creator. You can start by creating a blog, hopping on Instagram or TikTok and start talking about whatever interests you or making videos of your day-to-day life.

Anyone can become a content creator—you don't need training or experience to get started! All you need is an idea of what kind of content you want to create and how you want your target audience to interact with it.

Here are some tools to help you maximize your potential as a creator.

Why Being a Content Creator Is the Best Job for Digital Nomads

The excitement I know you'll feel when you can successfully work from anywhere!

As a creator and coach, I’ve been able to travel to over 10 countries in 2022 alone while running my online business. If your goal is to become a digital nomad, or just want to work from home, being a content creator might be the best job for you.

Content creators are often freelancers—meaning they can work whenever they want and wherever they want. They don't have to be chained to an office or set schedule. Most successful content creators can work remotely because they have built up a strong online presence and have developed their brands to run on the go with them.

That means we can work abroad on the go, apply for a freelance visa to stay put in one country for longer, work from a van, or work from the comfort of our homes.

Content creation is still a lot of work and you will need to schedule in time to get things done if you plan on galivanting around the world and working. Expect to spend a lot of time online, creating or honing your craft.

Some of the most common types of content creators include bloggers, freelance writers, social media influencers, and vloggers (video bloggers). Some even make money by creating short videos on platforms like YouTube or Instagram stories!

I’ve been able to create my online business through multiple streams of income with blogging, brand partnerships, UGC, courses, and online programs. So don’t be afraid to mix it up and learn new skills to help you grow your profitable business. 

By starting your Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, blog, or website today, you can begin building up your online profile as well as learn the type of content that you enjoy creating the most. 

10 Steps to Begin Your Content Creator Career 

Comfortable in front of the camera? Make that a big part of your brand.

1. Understand your why.

Don't just jump into content creation without knowing why! It's really helpful that you know why your story or your content is important to share. Ask yourself why this story needs to be told, what impact it will have on others' lives, and how it could make the world better for everyone involved in some way.

2. Choose a platform.

There are so many different types of platforms where you can share your voice—from social media to video platforms like Pinterest, YouTube, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram—so it's important to choose one that fits your style and personality best!

I tell clients who are just getting started to start on TikTok because you can grow pretty quickly. Instagram has my heart though because I love being able to create a community where we can have conversations in the comments, direct messages, and stories.

For Kat, the founder of A Way Abroad, her chosen platform is right here—this website! She dabbles on other platforms but this site is where she puts most of her energy and expertise.

It all depends on who your ideal audience is and where your skillset and interests align. 

3. Create a personal brand and start recording your journey.

You do not need a niche to get started, but a niche can help you get there quicker. The key is knowing who your target audience is, so figure out what they care about most and what they're looking for from their favorite creators before settling on an overall theme or mission statement for your channel.

For some assistance getting started, The Creatives Platform has a nice course on how to create a personal brand.

4. Research the market.

The first step to creating a great product/service or even pitching yourself is understanding the market! Researching the market does not mean following trends, but rather figuring out the type of videos, blogs, posts, etc. have in common to make a certain content popular. 

5. Create content strategy and content pillars.

What type of content will you be talking about and what is important to focus on? What are your brand pillars? How can you leverage these pillars into your content strategy? 

You can start out with 3 things that you want someone to know about your content. You’ll be talking about the same couple of things in different ways which will help you when it comes to choosing the brands you want to work with. 

Creating a content calendar or posting schedule is helpful to build a habit and to keep you on track.

6. Put together a media kit or UGC portfolio.

A strong portfolio will show off your best work and make it easy for brands to know what you bring to the table. Having a media kit or UGC portfolio isn’t necessary, but it's a game changer for securing partnerships and collaborations.

7. Craft a compelling pitch.

Your pitch should highlight your unique talents and abilities as a writer, videographer, or photographer. Emphasize how your skills can bring a brand's message to life and distinguish yourself by discussing what sets you apart from others.

8. Join influencer platforms.

Influencer platforms like Social Native are great places to find brands looking for influencers, and they’re also great places to connect with other content creators. You can even join them for free!

9. Focus on quality over quantity

Remember to continue to create content. You can grow your online presence while waiting for the big brand deals. My focus was growth in the first year of starting my socials and I grew 670% on Instagram.

10. Build affiliate links while waiting for brand deals.

While you wait for the brand deals to come in (and they will come!), continue creating high-quality content yourself and building your audience so that when those deals do arrive, they're more likely to be interested in working with you!

You're Ready to Become a Content Creator

If you follow these above steps, you can increase your chances of becoming a successful content creator and getting the exposure that comes with it.

Whether it's a sponsored post, product placement, or something else, creating content for brands is an amazing way to earn money while doing what you love—and it's easier than ever to get started!

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