5 Habits Of Successful Content Creator

Borrow some of these habits to get ahead

There is a reason we love the content creators that we do.

If push comes to shove, and we’re asked why it's simple, they seem to possess that generous yet elusive dollop of je ne sais quoi that keeps us wanting more.

Truth is that this je ne sais quoi is just a smidge of the simple puzzle that makes a successful content creator.

Tenacity, consistency, strategic investments, willpower, and habits combined all make for one hell of a formidable creator.

So if you find yourself excusing your way out of being a content creator for the simple fact you consider your personality ‘bland’, fear not, there is hope for you yet.

I mean look, if “Types Of Rocks” can garner 2.8 million views on YouTube, then there is a place for your ‘bland’ personality.

You don't need to have the charisma and wit of Barack Obama (or your charismatic figure of choice), to make an impact, you can be yourself, take strategic opportunities and borrow habits from successful creators to make your mark.

Some of the successful habits you can draw inspiration from are;

Create Regularly

Simplistically, to be a successful content creator, you should create on a regular basis.

Content creation is your creative thought process in action and, if you don’t flex those creative muscles, you lose it.

For instance, if you want to be a writer, you’ll have to write constantly to improve your writing skills. The pay off is two-fold;

• You bring to life cohesive and simple ideas from once jumbled nuggets
• The more you write on topics you like and topics you aren’t so hot for, you build a vocabulary of words and ideas that you draw from

Listen, you will not always be inspired.

It’s unrealistic to think you will. But you can still create despite this.

Successful content creators have mastered the art of creating with or without inspiration. When they feel uninspired, they know that they can still create something out of the mundane.

So figure out your work habits (do you work best in the crack ass of dawn or the dead of the night?) and get to creating.

If you wait for inspiration, you will be waiting forever.

Solutions and service-oriented NOT self-centered

Be solutions-driven or service-oriented.

Your value as a content creator will largely boil down to;

• Your why (why should anyone listen to you)
• Your What (what exactly will they gain when they do)

Yes, expertise is important here, but experts are a dime a dozen.

To stand a chance you will have to articulate why the information you have is relevant and what your audience can gain from it.

Take the prior example of types of rocks in the introduction. It doesn't take a genius to know that the video provides a solution to its target demography (kids and rookie rock enthusiasts).

Whether you think it’s boring or not is irrelevant because someone out there finds that topic interesting, hence the 2.8million views.

If you as a creator approach content creation, in the same way, you are already ahead of the game.

Have a relatable, strong, and unique voice

Let’s face it, you are not the only content creator in your chosen industry, so having a relatable, strong, and unique voice is key.

Why? it's simple

People click for the information, they stay for the personality in the content. So, fine-tune your voice.

Successful content creators know their personality is one of the main reasons people choose to subscribe and support them.

Quick example, let's consider the world of blockchains. Though I am interested in exploring it, I find it boring. With that said, I would happily tune into anyone with knowledge of this field and a personality to boot.

If this is you and you can somehow inject some personality, anecdotes, or stories into the almost drab explanations of blockchains (or finance or rocks), you, my friend are solid.

While fine-tuning your voice is an initial step to developing your unique voice, knowing the platform your voice fits is equally important (simple in theory, in practice, not so much.)

You may fail as you go about this, that's cool. Consider it a free masterclass.

Know and study your industry

You never stop learning as a content creator.

In fact, to create content that resonates with your audience you will have to know what’s happening in your industry and gather information from different avenues; news, social media, newsletters, etc

So, studying the landscape on a continuous basis will be particularly instrumental to your content strategy.

When you do this, you build trust with your audience and show you are a relevant on-trend voice in the industry.

Let's say you are a content creator in the fintech industry and you skip the relevant topics people are interested in(cryptocurrency, stablecoins, NFTS, etc), you have missed key demography there. Worse still, your audience might grow weary if you don't keep with the information in this highly evolving industry.

When you consider studying as part of your content creation strategy, you invariably create from a place that has your target audience's interest in mind.

Leverage data to inform content decisions

This is a tough one because it relies on the one external force you can't control; your audience.

You can create from dusk till dawn, but if it doesn't resonate with an audience, you aren't going to go far.

Your audience as a content creator will either inspire you or drain your creative energy.

But you don't have to despair. As much as your audience can drain your energy, they are also a minefield of unexplored creative opportunities and potential content.

Consider Medium for a second.

There is a reason why most if not all the content creators on the platform run to the stats section.

For one, it offers insight into how we (creators) are doing, on a deeper level, it gives us a glimpse into our audiences; who they are, what they like, and why they like what they like.

When you understand the stats, you are better positioned to build content around the pain points your audience experience and the solution they need

Final Thoughts

Successful content creators are physical embodiments of hard work, consistency, discipline, smart investments, willpower, and an elusive je ne sais quoi. However, they don't solely rely on these characteristics.

They know that the systems and habits they imbibe will ultimately move the needle towards their goals and what better way to build your sustainable habits than studying those who are already kicking ass in their respective fields.

So do yourself a solid and check out the habits of successful content creators, because the way I see it, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Just don't steal, that's lame and tacky