What To Know About Being a Creator in 2024
These days it’s easier than ever to get started as a content creator.
Thanks to the rise of platforms like TikTok with easy creation tools and a loose algorithm, content creation has become democratized allowing anyone to become an influencer.
But what does it mean to be a successful creator in 2024, especially if you’re interested in turning your social media side hustle into a full-time job?
What To Know About Being a Creator in 2024
I’ve been a full-time creator since April 2021 and I’m here to share the top things I think you should focus on to run a profitable creator business.
On the surface being a full-time creator might just look like posting to your social media every day.
However, in order to run a thriving business you’ll want to do a lot more behind-the-scenes work to create a business that is built for the long-term.
You can reevaluate your business at any time of year and you’re in the right place to set yourself up for future success.
Where do you fit in?
Let's kick things off with some soul-searching. In other words, you want to define your niche and understand where you fit into the larger influencer industry.
A travel blogger, a fashion TikToker and a books podcast host can all be full-time creators but the ways they monetize and engage with their communities will all look different.
What do you bring to the table that others can’t? Consider how you’d define something the business world calls a unique value proposition.
Pro tip: your unique value proposition is the promise of value to be delivered when a brand works with you.
It’s what sets you apart from the crowd and should be incorporated into your brand pitch emails, the about page of your website and social media bios so people can understand what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Think about the content you create and what you want to be known for and brainstorm a 2-3 sentence summary of who you are and what you can offer.
Over time this will become almost like an elevator pitch that you’ll be able to repeat without a second thought.
How will you monetize?
Let's talk about everyone's favorite topic: money.
Most people began their content creation journey because they loved being creative and sharing their passions with people online.
However, the creator economy is valued at over $21 billion dollars. That is no small thing—and as much as people think content creation is fun, it is also a viable career.
The question really becomes how do you plan to make money as a creator? Some monetization routes will appeal to you more than others.
If you are a fashion TikToker, you may be more likely to monetize through brand deals and affiliate partnerships.
However, if you run a books podcast, maybe you’re monetizing that through a Patreon membership and podcast ad revenue.
We get to be just as creative about the ways we make money as we are about the content we produce, so think about some of the top income streams that you’d like to incorporate into your business.
From digital products to paid speaking gigs, there are lots of interesting income streams to take advantage of as a creator.
Oh, and don't forget to stash some cash for those rainy days.
A financial safety net is your best friend when you're living the self-employed life.
Before I quit my job, I saved up money that would cover about four months of expenses if I wasn’t making money right away and this gave me peace of mind.
Visualize your year
One of the best things you can do as a creator is get organized at the start of the year. But don’t worry, you can implement this process whenever you choose to.
I like to visualize what my entire year is going to look like in January. This includes mapping out my goals and what I hope to accomplish with my content.
In addition, I will also block off any dates that I know I’ll be taking off for holidays or vacations including any weddings I’m attending or days I want to be offline.
It’s also super helpful to look for any national holidays that might make for good content ideas like National Lipstick Day, or any important dates that I may want to create content about like the Sephora sale.
Pro tip: Don't forget to pencil in some self-care days too.
When you’re self-employed, you could always be doing more for your business, but you deserve time off to recharge and come back more refreshed than ever before.
I usually like to give myself one random day off each quarter in addition to my vacation time and I use those days to recharge and do things that make me happy outside of work.
Planning ahead also gives you the chance to check your progress throughout the year to ensure you’re staying on track.
Whether you're mingling at industry events or Answering a dm, every connection counts.
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Prioritize your network
Let's get social, shall we? Networking is the name of the game in this industry. It really is all about who you know.
Over 50 million people identify as content creators, making this one of the most competitive industries.
If you are a small creator, having these connections can benefit you hugely in the long run.
Connect with fellow creators, brand representatives and industry peeps to expand your network.
It’s so important to never burn a bridge and be as nice as you can, especially to people like assistants, doormen and delivery drivers who may be the ones you need help from as your business grows.
In addition to networking with your peers, don’t leave your audience hanging.
It’s so important to nurture the community you’ve built on social media since those people are the reason that you’re able to work with brands, attend events and have super unique experiences as part of your job.
Whether you're mingling at industry events or sliding into DMs, every connection counts.
You can take advantage of engaging your community on pretty much every platform now—Instagram offers broadcast channels, you can go live on TikTok and YouTube even has a separate tab for your audience together, aptly named the “community” tab.
So grab your business cards (just kidding—just tell people your Instagram handle at events) and start making those meaningful connections.
Never stop learning
If you’ve gotten in a rhythm of creating content and working with brands it can be tempting to just keep doing what you’re doing.
It’s great to have recurring partnerships, but you should also always be thinking about what you can do to make your business run smoothly and grow.
Running your own creator business means diving headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship.
From taxes to legal stuff, and everything in between, there's a lot to learn but there are also more resources at our disposal than ever before.
There are templates and tools that can help streamline your business and allow you to get more done even if you’re a one-woman show.
Plan to use some of your hard earned money to continue to invest in your own business whether that means outsourcing some work to contractors or even taking a digital course to learn a new skill.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post with my tips for being a successful content creator in 2024.
It may seem like this industry is competitive and that’s because it is. However, there is always room for new voices and creators in the creator economy.
Let me know if you have anything to add in the comments of this post and feel free to ask questions too!
yours,
Austen
Photos taken by Karya Schanilec