Are you a brand-new creator? It can feel daunting to start creating content in 2024. If you’re a new creator on the seed stage, you may focus on picking a niche or content pillar. You may also be experimenting with creating content for the first time.
Here are five steps to help you get started as a creator this year.
Step 1. What Is Your Content Pillar (Or Niche)?
A content pillar (or niche) is a specific topic or segment you create content around. There are creators for every type of niche out there. The common niches or content pillars include:
- Food
- Travel
- Fashion/Style
- Books
- Beauty
- Parenthood
- Pets
- Entertainment
- Gaming
- Home décor
- DIY
- Thrifting
- Arts
- Finances
- Fitness
Some creators make their current careers their niche. For example, real estate agents may showcase listings around their city on their pages. Other aspiring creators may select a new passion that they’re exploring and document their journey.
Step 2. What Is Your Mission Statement?
A mission statement is one to two sentences describing your purpose and values as an individual, brand, or business. It will help you clarify what your brand and page are about and serve as the foundation for your content strategy and plan.
If a mission statement seems daunting as a new creator, you can also reflect on your purpose. Defining the purpose of your brand and social media page or platform will help you determine where to direct your focus and energy.
Some influencers and content creators think selecting a niche and creating a mission statement may limit their creativity. However, laying out your mission statement or defining your purpose and niche clarifies your point of view. A clear point of view helps your potential audience understand who you are and what to expect from you.
If you’re a brand-new creator on the seed creator life stage, know that you can broaden your brand and social page as you mature.
Step 3: Does Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube fit you best?
Reflect on your communication style if you’re an aspiring creator and unsure which platform to use. Some creators feel natural on video; other influencers feel confident taking photos. As a creator, you can align your communication strengths with the platform. For example, starting a podcast might be a good fit for you if you love to talk and connect with people but aren’t interested in video or photos.
Here are some of today’s platforms and communication styles to consider:
- If you’re interested in filming and editing short-form videos, explore Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.
- If you’re interested in taking and editing photos, consider Instagram or Pinterest.
- If you’re interested in long-form writing, creating a blog or writing LinkedIn articles might be your direction.
- If you love sharing your insights on your industry with others, you might experiment with posting on Threads on X (Twitter).
- You may test creating YouTube videos if you want to make a foodie or cooking show.
A platform that might feel trendy right now may not fit your communication style or interests. You’ll enjoy creating content if the platform aligns with your communication strengths.
Step 4. How Do You Start To Create Content?
Content is visual (photos, videos, images, designs, and written words) and audio (voice, video, music) material shared online. Creating content for your social media and platforms takes time and practice.
If you’re a new creator who wants to start creating short-form or long-form video content and/or photos, here are a few things you can do to get started:
- Start documenting your process—If you’re a foodie creator, you may start recording yourself baking or cooking recipes. If you’re a DIY creator, you may begin filming or snapping photos of yourself acquiring thrifted pieces and revamping those items.
- Start filming and taking photos of your outfits, workouts, or days once or twice a week. Starting to film 5-10 seconds of your passions or niche can help get you in the habit of creating content.
- Start experimenting with video editing tools. It takes time to determine which video editing tools work best for you. Some creators use CapCut, InShot, VideoLeap, Splice, or Adobe
ADBE
- Experiment with photo editing tools like Adobe Lightroom, Picsart, or Snapseed.
If you’re a creator who wants to create a blog or explore long-form written content potentially, here are a few ways you can get started:
- Start brainstorming potential blog posts or article ideas. No matter your niche, you can start outlining your introduction posts that share who you are and why you’ve created your page.
- Explore different blogging platforms. Common blogging platforms include WordPress.com, WordPress.org, Squarespace, and Wix.
- Start writing and publishing content online. Challenge yourself to write and publish one blog post or article this month or this week. Going through the cycle of brainstorming, from rough drafts to published posts, will help you learn how long it takes to create long-form content.
If you’re a creator who wants to create a podcast show potentially, here are a few things you can do to get started:
- Begin brainstorming what you’d like to start a podcast about. Defining your mission statement and content pillars will help you do this.
- Explore recording software like Squadcast, Riverside.fm, or Zoom.
- You can also test editing software like Audacity, GarageBand, or Descript.
- Select a podcast platform like Buzzsprout, Podbean, or Acast to push your podcast into Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, etc. and determine how long you want each episode to be.
Step 5. Who Is Your Target Audience?
As you reflect on your content pillars and your purpose as a new creator or influencer, you should also consider who your target audience might be. Your target audience may be defined by community and their life stage, location, interests, and other demographics.
Here are a few examples of defining a target audience:
- A health and wellness foodie may aim to connect with people who want to start eating healthier.
- A style creator may focus on millennial or Gen-Z style.
- A fitness YouTuber may create content for people who wish to do quick workouts at home.
- A mom influencer may aim to connect with new mothers or parents.
If you’re a brand-new creator, it may feel intimidating to jump into the creator economy. Remember that it takes time to figure out what you want to create content about and what platforms make sense for your communication style and brand. Give yourself the time and space to experiment with different types of content, tools, and platforms.
