Years ago, who would have believed that you didn’t have to work regular 9-5 jobs to earn six figures? And just by speaking directly to your camera, taking videos of what you do, or not even saying anything can make you earn six figures all from the comfort of your home?

Today, it’s the reality for a lot of people, as over 207 million people worldwide consider themselves content creators. Creators such as Khaby Lame have built a successful career from content creation, such that he earns $4 million from TikTok and $1 million from Instagram annually.

And he isn’t the only one. Many other creators earn insane amounts of money by simply sharing bits of themselves that either educate or entertain their audience.

So maybe you’ve watched lots of videos from your favorite creators and you’re inspired to start. We’re rooting for you.

The best way to avoid making mistakes as a creator is to learn from those ahead of you. So, we spoke to some of your favorite creators; Bola Montana, Aderinsola Oluwafemi, ThisEniola, Laju Iren, and Davio White, and they shared some tips for newbie creators like you.

1. Don’t overthink your content

Starting out can be very overwhelming as you have to think about the type of content to share, what you want to share, and where you want to share your content.

But Bola Montana says that overthinking your content isn’t the way to move forward. “The ones you feel aren’t good enough may eventually turn out to be the ones that will blow up your brand.”

While having a plan for your content is good. Be careful to not overthink it and be open to adapting as you start. Begin by identifying what you feel comfortable sharing. Oftentimes, the challenge is knowing what part of your life should form your content.

But you may be looking at it wrongly. Lots of creators are multi-faceted. Meaning, they all have various interests and experiences. Looking for one part of your life to share can be very limiting. More so, as a creator, you want an avenue to showcase various forms of your creativity.

So, outline all the various things you are interested in and would love to share online, and let that form your content.

But, while creating high-quality content is key, Bola also recognizes that it’s easy to get lost worrying about the numbers. “As hard as it is, don’t focus on the numbers, that is likes, comments, and followers. Don’t let it be the source of your breakdown. Focus on just putting out high-quality content.”

Knowing that the numbers will always be out of control, and the only thing within your control is the quality of content you share has helped Bola Montana focus on the most important things to her as a creator.

2. Be prepared

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown.

The creator economy has provided lots of opportunities for creators to maximize their knowledge and get paid for it. Once you begin your journey the right way, you will come across lots of opportunities beneficial to you.

Something you want to do to ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunity is to be prepared. Daniel Ochuko shares his experience of how he got a paying gig after he started consistently posting online. “I was posting for a bit but it wasn’t consistent. However, two months after I decided to start posting consistently, I got a paying gig. It was in February 2022. In April 2022, I got a paying gig that paid in five figures,” he said.

While you may not immediately get the opportunities you want, you can create opportunities for yourself. Aderinsola recognizes that success happens when preparations meet opportunities. “Don’t just sit around waiting for something to happen. You miss out on opportunities you don’t prepare for. So while waiting for that job, build your portfolio by working on personal projects.” she says.

Remember, the key to success lies in recognizing opportunities and taking intentional measures to prepare yourself for them.

3. Work with what you have

Every creator has one or two creators they look up to and want to replicate their content style. But everyone has a starting point. Nobody magically got to their present state without a process.

As a creator, you may have to work with your phone before you get a camera. Or you may have to use Instagram’s reel edit functions or filters before you can get higher versions like Premiere Pro. Everything has a process.

Eniola understands that the creator journey is filled with lots of processes and hurdles, and he advises newbie creators to focus on their journey. “Keep trying to do what you can do at the moment and use what you have at the moment.

We can look at our favorite creators and wish to create content like theirs without knowing that they are also trying to figure things out. Continue at your pace and trust the process,” he says.

Other creators are there to inspire you and help you gain clarity on what type of creator you want to be, not to make you put pressure on yourself. When you feel like the pressure is getting worse, remind yourself that you are just starting.

In essence, focus on your journey and how you can take active steps to be better than you were yesterday.

4. Tell positive stories

Storytelling is the bedrock of any content strategy. As a creator, your uniqueness lies in telling your stories and using them to evoke emotions, establish connections, and convey the value you bring in a relatable and compelling way.

Storytelling makes your brand memorable and relatable. It’s a non-negotiable, especially, today that there are lot of content vying for people’s attention.

Laju Iren, popularly known as the Lord’s storyteller, understands the importance of storytelling as a creator. For her, you don’t have to share your life’s journey or experiences in the name of storytelling. Your story should influence people for good.

“I hope that I have inspired anybody as a storyteller to tell stories that affect people for good. Because you can tell stories properly but they are not stories that contribute to society. So you can be really gifted in that area but how does your work give back to society?” she says.

The center of your storytelling should be to positively influence the lives of anyone who comes across your content. This way, you are making an impact in the lives of people even without knowing it.  

Laju also knows that while telling good stories is important, you have to be visible for your story to be heard. She encourages creators to share their story online so people can benefit from it. “Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to fail. Remember why you are doing what you are doing and don’t wait for anybody to believe in you,” she adds.

The impact of your story can only be measured when people interact with it. If people don’t see it, there’s no way to know if it’s truly relatable.

5. Be you

There’s no better advice than this, as it portrays the true extent of the authenticity needed to stand out as a creator.

For every creator you admire, you’re drawn in by one quality of there’s or the other. It could be because of their content style, mode of delivery, or just general aura.

For example, Salem King is known as the Creator’s creator, helping people to get started on their creator journey. Hauwa Lawal is known for her chaotic but humorous storytelling. Tayo Aina is known for his stories about Africa, tech, and the creator economy at large.

These creators have identified what makes them unique and have used it to form the type of content they create.

Davio White shares his experience with authenticity as a digital creator and designer and concludes that being authentic is the only way to go. “Just be you and keep creating. Whatever I share online is based on my experience and I’m sure that someone needs it,” he says.

Authenticity sets you apart as a creator. Every time you bend to the whims of an algorithm or you keep doing what others are doing, you lose what makes you different. And without a difference, you cannot be seen.

Conclusion

Your creator journey begins with you taking the decision to share what you know online and being so good at it. But it’s a process. All your favorite creators spent years creating online before they found their uniqueness.

So start with what you have, where you are, and how you can. It’s not just about creating content, it’s about creating experiences, building relationships, and growing in such a way that your future self will thank you for it.