Is content creation worth it? The short answer, it depends.
Are you willing to put in countless hours with no return? Can you handle criticism? Do you have to be told when to work? Can you show up regularly to a “job” that might not ever pay you?
Content creation is currently a billion dollar industry. Unlike a traditional job, There is no cap on the amount of money you can make.
Like so many people, I dreamed of making money online while travelling the world. I had seen a lot of videos from full time creators living the lives of their dreams, so when I first started my you tube channel 7 years ago I had high hopes.
At the time, I was a full time musician and people loved my music, so I mistakenly thought that I would gain a following right away.
That’s not what happened.
I put up a few videos, all of which got less than 3 views. I didn’t understand how much time and energy it took to actually start to make money creating content.
While the benefits of being a full time content creator are enormous, the reality is it is a ton of work, and most people will not succeed.
I gave up on content creation for a long time…
When I started my first you tube channel my life was unstable and it was hard to put aside a regular amount of time to work on videos that no-one watched.
It wasn’t until a year ago of writing this article (July 2024) that I got inspired to try again. I picked up two of my youtube channels, and started this blog.
There is a lot more information about content creation than there was before.
This time, I knew what I was getting into.
I knew that it would take a long time to gain a following, and that it would probably take at least a year of making content before I saw a dime.
Content Creation take a lot of Time
To give you a perspective of how much time, I have spent at least 40 hours a week producing content for the last year. I work regularly on this blog, as well as two you tube channels.
This is in addition to working my “normal” job as a waitress.
I recently was able to monetize one of my you tube channels after posting at least one video (often 2) a week and responding to every comment.
I currently make about 7.50/week on one of my youtube channels. This might not seem like a lot of money, but for me finally getting monetized was a dream come true.
I want to give an honest review of my experience trying to be a full time content creator, because I think people mistakenly think that full time content creators are gifted in some way that the rest of us are not.
Even the term, influencer, sounds like something exotic and rare. People worship people with large social followings like Gods, not realizing they were once small creators too.
I never mentioned any of my channels to anyone but my closest friends until one of them was monetized.
Content Creation is more about Persistence and Consistency than Natural Talent
I don’t consider myself special, nor do I think I have anything more important to say than anyone else.
What I am able to do is to push through the resistance that keeps most people from ever making money through content creation.
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Reasons most People never get Monetized
1) Never Getting Started Creating Content
Many people who dream of being content creators never actually create any content. If you never get started, you will absolutely not be successful at content creation.
There are some of the main reasons most people never even get started….
- Fear of Criticism:
When you are creating content you are putting yourself out there for anyone to comment. You will get criticized because many people are critical.
I have thick skin, but some negative comments still get to me. It just comes with the territory.
- Self-doubt:
Many people never get started because of self doubt. They fear they are not good enough, or do not have anything of value to say.
The reality is that there are a lot of successful content creators that are not doing anything that spectacular. They are just able to keep going no matter what.
- Perfectionism:
Many people never get started because they think they have to be perfect and have all kinds of expensive tools to get started.
This is not true. The only way to get really good at content creation is to actually do it, and to do it often.
I had to learn to overcome perfectionism, or else I never would have posted anything.
I had 500 subscribers before I even started editing my videos. I thought that video editing was for tech geniuses and I am not tech savvy in any way.
2) If you don’t Already have a Following, no-one will Care at first
There is no instant gratification in content creation.
As far as I can tell there is no getting around the awkward faze where no one watches your videos and no one reads what you have to say.
Usually people that seem to have instant success at a new channel or blog already have experience.
3) It take a long Time to make Money:
Being a content creator is being in the business of getting attention.
If you get views or readers you get money from an ad agency or through affiliate marketing.
It is really that simple. Before you can make any money in content creation you have a decent following.
And this takes time. Sometimes a lot of time.
If you are an introvert it takes a really long time to be comfortable in front of a camera. Like anything, this can only be overcome by actually doing it.
4) Negative Comments
When you make content, you will get negative comments. This is the nature of the beast. Every job comes with its baggage.
As a content creator, you will be putting yourself out there for people to comment on.
You will get negative comments. You can either delete them or respond to them, or simply leave them there.
Try to be positive about negative comments.
Getting negative comments means your content is out there for trolls to find.
Come up with a personal policy to deal with negative comments.
My personal policy: If a negative comment is either funny or constructive in some way, it stays. I may respond or I may not.
If it is not funny or constructive, it gets deleted without comment.
No one will make you Create Content Regularly:
When you have no following there is very little external incentive to show up and create content.
You have to be internally motivated at first to keep producing content
People who claim to be able to start money right away on social media platforms on a blog usually have a leg up.
It is usually not their first time creating content, or they have reserves of money to spend on ads, or connections.
Be Realistic about what you can do:
If you are just getting started making content and do not have these resources, it is important to be realistic about the time and energy needed to devote to it without any kind of monetization.
If you are not making money with content creation, or having your bills paid by a generous benefactor, then you will need to have a “normal” job and those take up a lot of time, ie. about 40 hours of week.
When you combine that with other obligations such as raising children and buying groceries, time turns into a precious commodity.
In general, the more time spent on content creation, the closer to monetization.
Stick to a Schedule:
When you first get started creating content, It helps to set aside time each week, preferably each day and stick to that schedule.
For many people, doing this is very difficult. That is why most people prefer to show up to a job that guarantees pay. It is easier to show up somewhere when you will be punished if you don’t.
I am not trying to discourage anyone from creating content. In fact, I think it is well worth all the obstacles.
I just think it’s important to know exactly what you are getting into to avoid disappointment and giving up without putting in an honest effort.
How to stay Motivated to Create Content
1) Focus on the “Why”
If you are aspiring to be a content creator, remind yourself why you are doing it.
My primary reason for content creation is freedom. Content creation means making your own schedule and not being stuck in one place.
I also know that I am providing value to other people.
I love to uplift people and inspire them through my music and wisdom. Even though I do not currently make a lot of money, it is satisfying to know that a few people are benefitting from my efforts.
If I didn’t have this I don’t believe the money would be enough incentive.
2) Be Yourself
It is much harder to be successful at something when you are trying to be someone else.
So many people think they have to have a certain personality to be an influencer.
This is not true. If you are trying to be someone else it will be much harder to keep going.
Know that you have your own unique way of seeing the world and you have something no one else can offer.
I am far from the classic content creator. I am introverted and to be honest, pretty awkwards at times. I just don’t take myself seriously enough to pretend to be otherwise.
I personally know that if I tried to pretend to be someone other than myself I would not be able to keep going.
3) Know that Making Content is part of the Learning Process
You will most likely not get views or money when you first get started creating content, but you will be gaining experience.
We learn by doing things.
You can buy all the courses and books and watch all the videos about content creation, but that will not replace actually doing it.
Your videos or articles will probably suck at first, but that’s okay.
So many people hide their earlier work out of embarrassment. but without those earlier attempts successful content creators would not be where they are today.
By actually starting to produce content, you are doing more than most people.
100 percent of negative comments I’ve gotten are from people that have never even tried to create content themselves. They are afraid of getting the criticism that they so willingly offer themselves.
Big channels were once small channels. When you look at people who are successful content creators it is easy to forget that.
They learned content creation one small step and a time through doing.
So Is content creation worth it?
For me, it is well worth the effort.
I knew what I was getting into when I decided I wanted to be a full time content creator. I told myself that I would try my best at it, and if I failed, at least I would know I tried.
If you want to be a content creator, I think the most important thing is to enjoy yourself.
Although it is hard work and long hours, I love sharing what I’ve learned with others.
I love making music and I love editing videos. I love writing and sharing what I’ve learned with others in hopes that they can benefit.
There are many paths to financial freedom in 2024. So many people are living satisfying lives filled with abundance as a result of this growing technology.
Growing up I never dreamed that such an avenue as content creation would exist and I am grateful to be a part of it in my own way.
Hopefully you found this article helpful, and good luck on your journey!
E-mail me aglassofcheri@gmail with any questions.
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