5 Saddening and Ugly Truths About Being a Content Creator That Nobody Talks About
Accept these truths if you want to crush the content creation game
I’ve been creating content since 2016. I started my first blog back in 2016, then went on to start writing on Medium, did some freelancing work, ran a bookstagram, and even made Youtube videos for a short while.
I’m telling you this because before we go further into this article, you need to know that I have walked the walk. I’m establishing my credibility because you will most probably not like the things I have to say. I don’t intend to bring you down or discourage you. I’m only trying to show you the truth. Because once you accept these harsh truths about creating content and what it takes to make it in this game, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
It’s a Lonely Job
It’s a lonely job and demanding too.
For starters, society won’t support your dreams to go full-time. The intellectuals will say it’s just a hobby. They’ll look down at you for not pursuing law or medicine. They’ll tell you it’s not a real job.
Just know that explaining to everyone your dreams is not just futile, it’s impossible. Most people will not support this life, so be ready for the condescending taunts; make friends with more content creators, somebody who’ll understand you and the life you’ve chosen.
Other than that, creating content, be it writing, video editing, making music, etc., all of this involves you staying at home for long hours. To the people in the corporate world, this seems like a dream come true. But then the pandemic showed us all how mentally taxing it can be to stay at home all day.
Make self-care a priority.
To top it all off, you’ll always be on the lookout for content. This can make you be in your head longer than the people working in the corporate sector. They won’t understand why we look for content ideas in everything, and they’ll definitely not appreciate it if you start diving deeper into your newfound idea to see if it’s worthy or not in the middle of the conversation. Maintain a work-life balance and set healthy boundaries.
Here’s what you can do about it: make content creator friends, find people who believe in you and your dreams, focus on self-care and your mental health, and learn to set healthy boundaries between work and your personal life.
You Probably Won’t Make It
There’s an external reason for that and an internal one.
The external reason is that the number of content creators is more than ever today. You can blame the lockdowns for it, or you can blame all the freelancing success stories on the internet. But the fact of the matter is that the number of content creators today is at an all-time high.
Remember back in the day when a Youtube channel with over a million subscribers was such a big deal? Today nobody bats an eye if you have a million subscribers. There are so many big Youtubers from so many countries that fitting them all in their yearly rewind was also becoming problematic for Youtube. Mr. Beast, a famous Youtuber with over 88 million subscribers talks about it in detail in this video.
The content creator market is saturated. So if we’re being realistic, the odds are against your favour.
Now coming to the internal reason is that you are most probably in it for the money. Now realistically, doing something for money isn’t wrong. But you are more probably to lose interest in something if you aren’t making money off it. And this is something that most people have a hard time digesting: as a content creator, you won’t be making any money in the beginning.
This causes most to leave within the first few months. The internet does a great job at painting a picture of how glamorous it is to be a content creator. So people flock to this life hoping to make a couple of thousand dollars right off the bat. When they don’t see the returns they are expecting in the beginning, they get discouraged and leave.
But I’m not saying this to demotivate you; there are many who start doing this to make money but later fall in love with the process. One thing that most already know but don’t want to accept is that if you want to last a long time in this field and make money off your work, you need to like what you do. You need to have the desire to do it even if you don’t get anything in return.
Here’s what you can do: learn more about your craft, get better, and try falling in love with the process.
It’s Expensive
Being a content creator can be expensive as hell.
As a content creator, it is important to always keep improving the quality of your content. Because if there are two Youtube videos about the same topic, people are more likely to click on the video with a better thumbnail, with better lighting, and with better video and audio quality. Then there are online courses that you might want to take to take your content to the next level.
When I ran my bookstagram, I didn’t invest much in the backgrounds of my pictures, or even the props to make my images pop, while the others did. The difference in the quality of my images and that of others was clear.
Of course, my engagements were way less than that of others.
I’m not saying that you need to invest in the best cameras, mics, etc. to be successful in this field, but there will be a noticeable difference between the quality of your production, and that of others. And yes, it can be a factor for your low engagements.
Here’s what you can do: find cheaper alternatives for online courses such as Youtube videos and save money for newer equipment. Also, make up for the bad production quality by improving the content/message that you are delivering through your videos/writing/music.
Say Bye to Your Personal Life
Some of the best content that you produce is inspired by your own experiences.
And a lot of times, you’ll be tempted to share your personal life in the name of content. This will piss a lot of your closed ones off. Hell, I have written things that have made the people around me angry.
But, just like you can’t write about crypto if you have never invested in crypto, the same way, you’ll reach a dead-end if you try writing about things you have never experienced. You’ll have to write about your experiences, your insecurities, your fears, and even about the happiest moments of your life.
This can leave you vulnerable.
Here’s what you can do: learn to get comfortable with sharing about your life on the internet but also don’t let out a lot of information about your close ones (without their consent, at least).
You Can Be Tempted to Sacrifice Authenticity
You see a content creator doing great for themselves and you wonder what their secret formula is.
In order to re-create their ‘secret formula’ people imitate these creators’ content instead of their work ethic. Stealing content is like a drug. In the beginning, you’ll be afraid to do it. But once you do it, and god forbid, it does well, you’ll want to do it again. I have seen so many writers blatantly copying somebody else’s work and just reframing the title so that people can’t suspect (spoiler alert: we still can).
And if that wasn’t enough, people make up the craziest lies and pretend as if it actually happened. A great example of it is the storytime videos on Youtube. Youtube isn’t the only place it happens though, I have read so many stories on Medium that are clearly not true.
My point is, it’s easy to sacrifice authenticity just for the sake of more views, money, and followers. But I can say from experience that it doesn’t last long. People either start suspecting your bullshit or the content idea you copied from someone else that got you a lot of engagement, ends up becoming a one-trick pony and you’re back to the low views and low traction.
Here’s what you can do about it: as I said earlier, personal experiences are the best source of inspiration for content. Do that instead of copying content ideas from others. Then, develop your own voice or incorporate your flair into your content so that your audience will want to keep coming back to your profile.
Takeaway
- It’s a lonely job
- You probably won’t make it
- It’s expensive
- Say bye to your personal life
- You can be tempted to sacrifice authenticity
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