How to Become a Content Creator in 2024
With the influencer marketing industry being valued at $16.4 billion, it’s easy to see why so many are trying their hands at being content creators. It’s a lucrative industry for the biggest content creators, allowing them to monetize their content by attaining sponsorships.
However, becoming a content creator can be difficult. Without knowing the crucial steps, success can be difficult to achieve.
At Collabstr, we believe that anyone should have access to the knowledge that will help them create the content they want to make. That’s why in this article, we’re going to take a look at how to become a content creator, making sure you get the best start possible within your niche.
What is a Content Creator?
A content creator is someone who creates and publishes content online, such as on social media, or a blog.
Content creators are everywhere in our Modern world. With content creator kits and video editing software becoming much more accessible, a huge amount of people are beginning to try their hands at content creation.
These types of creators use their platform as a way of producing content whilst making an income. From YouTubers and streamers, to podcasters and writers, content creators produce high-quality, regular content for a living. With this, they build an audience and push their platform to new heights.
Different Types of Content Creators
Bloggers
Bloggers are simply people who create written content for their own pages. Nowadays this primarily takes place on sites like Twitter and Tumblr, but blogs were king in the 2000s and early 2010s. While they may have lost some of their popularity, it’s still a major channel for content creators to make money, as 77% of internet users regularly read blogs.
Many bloggers' revenue stream comes from crowd-funding platforms like Kofi and Patreon. For instance, RPGBOT is a table-top gaming blog that uses Patreon as it’s main source of income.
Writers
Content Writers often work for publications and write articles about their publication’s specific niche. These content creators are the modern versions of traditional newspaper and magazine journalists, as the media world moves online.
Unlike other forms of content creation, this is one of the only forms where you’re either hired or contracted by someone else to do work for them, instead of making money off of your own platform.
Podcasters
These creators are simply those who make podcasts to listen to. Rather than creating visual media, Podcasters make media to listen to. They often make content that’s discussion based or explores a specific theme.
Most Podcasters make income from sponsorships and advertisements, by companies who want them to promote their product. By 2024, the podcasting industry is set to be worth $4 billion, which makes it an attractive prospect for companies and brands to reach new audiences.
YouTubers
YouTubers are those who make content on YouTube. These pieces of content are often long-form, covering a variety of different subjects and topics.
YouTubers make money off of both AdSense and sponsorships. AdSense used to be the main way for YouTubers to make money, but many YouTubers are moving towards affiliate marketing and sponsorships. This is due to YouTube’s difficult demonetization tactics and flagging systems, which saw a boom in the amount of YouTubers working with specific brands, or crowdfunding their channels.
As an example, budget guitar brand Harley Benton has been sponsoring YouTube influencers in the guitar playing niche, in order to extend their brand awareness. This influencer marketing campaign has been successful, with discussion of Harley Bentons increasing in guitar circles.
Streamers
Having once been for gaming-only content, streaming is becoming more and more popular every day for content creators. Instead of being limited to video games, streaming platforms like Twitch allow ‘IRL’ streams for basically anything.
Streamers make money from donations and subscriptions primarily but can also make money from sponsorships and other external methods, similar to YouTubers. In fact, streamers often branch out as YouTubers too, in order to diversify their income streams.
For instance, G FUEL has been incredibly successful on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. They’ve sponsored influencers in the gaming niche, who often advertise their products during streams.
Content Creator VS Influencer
Influencers are still content creators, though their goals when creating content are often very different to a standard content creator. For instance, influencers often target virality, in order to garner interest or to sell a product.
Content creators usually focus their platform on content first. They usually create long-form content, with an emphasis on quality and high-production value.
This isn’t to say that a content creator can’t be an influencer too.
Why is Content Creation Important to Companies?
So far, we’ve discussed what a content creator is. One of the main anxieties for aspiring creators, though, is its long-term viability. After all, there’s no point in having an aspiration for a field that doesn’t pay well enough for you to live.
However, content creators have found that companies love having content creators at their disposal, and would genuinely struggle without them. While this is great for creators in giving them a solid income, how do companies benefit from this?
Builds Brand Awareness
Creators that make high-quality content will often have a large audience. By sponsoring them, you can easily make more people aware of your brand. Especially if you pick creators that align with your brand’s niche, more people will be actively aware of your brand.
Creates Leads
Whenever a creator makes a piece of content with your sponsorship, their audience will inevitably see your brand. Especially if your brand is relevant to the creator’s topics, you’ll easily find yourself generating more leads.
Positions a Brand as an Industry Leader
When content creators advertise your brand regularly, their endorsement of your brand becomes stronger. By developing these relationships with the right creators, you can easily use their content and quality to establish your brand as the best in the business.
How to Become a Content Creator?
Step #1: Have a Clear Vision and Niche
With so many people becoming content creators, it’s important to find space in the industry for your platform to flourish. By finding a clear vision and niche to position yourself in, you can ensure your content grows a unique identity for your audience to latch onto.
Step #2: Develop Your Skills
Nobody likes low-quality content. By ensuring that you have the skills to make great content, you give your potential audience a reason to stick around. For example, if you’re looking to be a YouTuber, learn how to edit and create great thumbnails. For writers, get advice from editors and other writers about where you can improve your craft.
As a creator, you always want to be growing and improving. By constantly developing your skills and learning new things, you inadvertently grow your chance of attracting new audience members.
Step #3: Understand and Connect with Your Audience
Making content for an audience you don’t understand is a great way to end your career before you even start. Make sure to position your content to target an audience which will appreciate it. By doing so, your content will be more organic and won’t feel forced.
Connecting with your audience is a great way to ensure that they feel as though they’re truly involved with your content. Reply to their comments, questions, and even their DMs! This gets harder to do the more you grow, but you can only flourish by nurturing your community.
Step #4: Pick the Right Platform and Tools
Trying to migrate over to a platform which you have no clue about will inevitably lead to disaster. Instead, pick a platform that you’re comfortable with and let that help you unlock your potential.
Do some research and find out what tools your inspirations use, so you can know where to begin. Eventually, you’ll work out what your favourite tools are, but don’t go in blind.
Step #5: Create and Maintain Your Own Brand
Your brand is key to your identity. Without creating your own brand, you’ll lack cohesiveness and you could risk being forgettable to your audience.
Here are some branding tips:
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Ensure that your social media tags are the same on all platforms, as much as you can.
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Try not to make your branding too complex or niche. By coming across as too over the top, you can repel people from your content.
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Appeal to your audience. If your branding doesn’t connect with the people you’re trying to attract to your content, it’ll be hard to get people interested.
Step #6: Taking the Step Into Your Career
Eventually, you’ll find yourself having a large enough platform to take your content to the next level and become a professional creator. It can be hard to know where to begin, but moving forward is easier than it seems.
Collabstr is a great place to go to be able to turn your content into a source of income. Our marketplace makes it easy for brands and agencies to sponsor and commission content from you, making the whole process a lot less scary.
Instead of having to reach out to companies, Collabstr helps sponsors find you! All you have to do is put your profile onto our marketplace, and let potential interested brands and agencies reach out for whatever content they want to pay you for. This can be a sponsored post or a full ad, or even a full testimonial video. Why not join as an influencer today?
Take Your Content to the Next Level with Collabstr
Becoming a content creator is daunting, but the key is having the knowledge to succeed. By following these tips, you’ll be able to launch your content creation career off with a great start.
Collabstr is key for taking your content creation to a professional level. Rather than having to ask sponsors to collaborate with you, Collabstr allows you to let them come to you.
Becoming a part of our marketplace allows you to truly turn your content into a career with ease, and is the key to going from ‘someone who makes content’ to a content creator.
Join Collabstr today, and unlock your full potential. Alternatively, if you’re a brand looking to find an influencer, check our pricing and start posting your influencer marketing campaigns today!
