Embracing the Digital Creator Era: Why You Should Get Involved
Welcome Creator Economy and Goodbye to the Old Economy
Last Saturday, I attended a brief online class webinar hosted by one of the content creators I follow from Indonesia. The class was titled “Getting Started, Writing, and Creating Works.”
In a nutshell, I follow him on Instagram because I admire the writings he often shares on his Instagram. These writings often resonate with my thoughts but are conveyed in particularly impactful and high-quality words.
As someone who enjoys reading and writing, I hoped to gain something to improve my writing skills.
So, when he celebrated reaching 20,000 followers by hosting a paid webinar, I didn’t hesitate to join in.
The class was very suitable for beginners who haven’t started creating content yet. Although I’ve already started being active in content creation, I still found some valuable information.
So, why should we get involved in creating content? Why should we join the content creation trend?
The first reason is that we are currently in the digital age, the era of the creator economy. If we don’t start adapting, we will be left behind. This is a common reason that you and I have probably heard many other content creators express.
However, there’s another equally important reason. Through his writings, I learned that the internet era allows everyone to freely express their opinions without filtration.
I’ll quote a passage from his Instagram account:
“Now, everyone is free to create and express themselves without the need for filtering systems. Everyone has an equal opportunity to speak and produce knowledge. Even those who don’t really have anything essential to discuss.
Platforms only care about how successful content is at grabbing user attention. The more foolish and controversial, the more prioritized by algorithms.
Conversely, those who are intelligent tend to be very humble. The smarter they are, the more humble they become.
So, don’t be surprised if these days the timeline is too noisy with ignorant kids who have no knowledge to share.
Perhaps we need to leave behind the concept of rice fields. That which is full doesn’t always bend down. And the intelligent ones shouldn’t be shy to share their knowledge.”
So, the second reason, which is just as important, is to share our knowledge so that the timeline isn’t dominated by people who have no knowledge but keep shouting and are continuously promoted by algorithms.
This is what he emphasized in his webinar last week, which was attended by around 140 participants.
I observed the chat column, and many participants had similar questions. Most of them had issues similar to why they didn’t start creating content:
- Difficulty finding ideas or not knowing what to create.
- Fear of being criticized or harassed by famous netizens.
- Lack of motivation to create.
Well, here I will try to provide some answers if any of you have the same problems.
#1. Finding Ideas for Your Creations
Borrowing from the framework of a famous YouTuber, Ali Abdaal, the first step is simply to start — just Get Started. Don’t overthink what you want to talk about because, at this initial stage, the most important thing is to get used to it.
You can talk about book reviews, product reviews, movies you’ve watched, and the lessons you’ve learned from them. Try to keep it positive because you want to be known as a positive person.
Or, the easiest way is to discuss government policy that you don’t agree with (though it’s usually hard to find the positives here).
Create at least 10 pieces of content to get familiar with the platform’s system and settings. From those 10 pieces, see which topic you like and have some knowledge about. Then, start researching that topic and read articles related to it.
Another way is to try new things and share what you’ve learned.
If you have no idea what to talk about, start living a life worth sharing.
#2. Fear of What People Might Say About You
One of the most common questions I saw during the webinar was how to deal with other people’s comments, especially from close friends or family when they find out you suddenly started creating content.
Fear of being teased or mocked is a common concern. I, too, used to be afraid of this. So, what I did was create a separate account for content, different from my personal account, and didn’t follow friends or family.
Instead, follow other content creators who discuss similar topics. By doing so, you can gain inspiration for content from your own perspective. When you have more followers on your content account than your personal one, you won’t care about what others say.
#3. Fear of Harsh Netizen Criticism
I want to share a few things here.
First, understand that your content won’t go viral overnight and attract many haters. When you’re just starting to create content, there might not even be anyone watching it, so don’t worry about negative comments.
Second, haters may appear due to taking a side on certain issues. For example, if you post about “School Isn’t Important,” you may receive comments in favor of the school, and some may attack you.
Third, the more followers you have, the harder it becomes to avoid such situations. I learned this from Russell Brunson’s class: create content that is primarily positive, so you are seen as a positive person.
For example, although it’s tempting to criticize the government, but if your content lacks positivity, it’s better to avoid it.
Fourth, when faced with attacks, the best approach is not to respond at all. I’ve been attacked a few times on my Instagram account by haters who don’t even follow me. Initially, I got emotional and wanted to prove my intelligence, so I replied. However, it only made the debate longer and more meaningless.
To engage in a debate with such people, you have to lower your intellectual level to match their way of thinking. I realized this, and since then, I’ve decided not to engage and block them immediately.
Avoid giving them the stage in your own account.
#4. Finding Motivation to Create
I understand that everyone is busy with their lives. Some come home from work exhausted and lack the energy to do research or create content.
But I also believe that every person is blessed with ideas that can pop into their heads. Therefore, it’s important to shift from being a consumer to being a producer.
Don’t consume content as a consumer; start looking at it as a producer. Follow people who discuss topics you like and see what they are talking about. Then, try to respond to their content from your perspective.
Moreover, many people make the mistake of starting content creation with the expectation of making money. It often takes months or even years to start earning from content. If you don’t enjoy the process, you won’t reach that stage.
Think about it as if you are playing a game. If it’s not fun, then it’s not worth playing.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article addresses the doubts some of you may be experiencing. Start following people who discuss topics you like and try to communicate with their content, whether through comments, likes, shares, or direct messages.
Keep publishing for a year, and choose your format, it could be a video, audio, or text, it doesn’t matter. Each of them has their own audience.
I believe each one of us at least has something that we can share and some people in some places might be able to learn something from it.