Consuming content online can be done almost in a heartbeat nowadays — and I’m talking quite literally here. To think back on how many TikToks or Stories you’ve watched over the last 24 hours means, simply, to lose count. But no matter how mindlessly we regard them, the process behind creating such content takes much more effort than it does to watch the result, and requires a lot more time, organization, and focus than it may seem to an outsider.
If you’ve tried making content before, you probably find this to be true: While it flows nicely in the beginning, producing constant posts or videos can get hard and overwhelming when combined with a personal routine. This can be especially true for newcomers, because staying motivated while finding your rhythm, audience, and time to work with both can be challenging. It is entirely possible, though — all you need is the right advice to guide you in the field. And, of course, per the stereotype, a lot of passion.
How can I start content creating?
“Content creation is much like embarking on a cross-country road trip. It’s long, but filled with exciting twists and turns,” Christina De Lapa, owner of the literature focused website Snug Bookworm who runs their Instagram, tells Her Campus. “It’s crucial to pick a topic that genuinely fascinates you. If it doesn’t engage you, you won’t continue to do it as life gets busy and your motivation goes up and down.”
And, although talking about your interests might seem like the basics of the content creating handbook, De Lapa emphasizes, “Before you begin, ask yourself: Does this excite me? Do I have an inherent understanding of it?” If the answer to both is a yes, you might have a winning combo — and a hint toward finding your niche, which should be the very next thing to have in mind.
Finding a niche & the social media algorithm
To Pryor Gaming’s Isaiah Pryor, who has been making gaming videos for over four years and has 2.3 million followers on TikTok, finding a niche is “the very first step you need to take as a content creator. By creating a general type of content, you’re able to appeal to the same individuals and keep them on board as you assimilate new viewers into your audience too.”
He explains to Her Campus that even big creators like MrBeast, who make more broad and appealing content, have a niche in mind. That’s not only to bond with a specific audience, though. “If MrBeast posted a makeup tutorial on his channel, it would underperform compared to his other videos. Why? Because social media platforms want to serve the right content to the right people to keep them on the platform.”
Pryor says that the current TikTok algorithm, for example, uses the data from users that engage with your content, the tags on your videos, and key words to classify what kind of content you make and who it will appeal to. This process helps the creator and the audience simultaneously.
“If you post outside your niche, however, algorithms don’t generally like that. That’s because your repeat viewers are less likely to engage, and the algorithm struggles to serve content to who it appeals to because it contradicts with the audience profile it’s built up for your content,” he continues.
De Lapa adds that expanding from a certain scope is the safe way to go. “For instance, I started with the niche of looking at book tropes that people tend to engage with (like second-chance romance, only one bed, etc.), and with books trending on TikTok. This allowed me to find a more niche audience I could engage with. If I started with Lord of the Rings, I would have been lost in a sea of content,” she says.
How to avoid the “sea of content”
Unfortunately, even despite your best efforts, you might find yourself indeed lost in a sea of content anyway.
“You need motivation and persistence,” Pryor says. “The vast majority of wannabe content creators fail — not because they are bad or because they don’t know what they are doing. Rather, they don’t stick with it long enough because they lack motivation. It can take years of constant improvement and posting to finally gain traction, so you have to be prepared for that.”
The gamer advises that you shouldn’t expect results or to go viral right away. His tip is to not pay attention to the numbers: “Your focus, especially at the start, should be primarily on making content you love — that there’s also an audience for — and improving every time you make a video.”
He jokes that expecting to blow up on social media right away is like a middle school football player expecting to get drafted into the NFL without years of dedication. “If you make enough videos and improve every time, eventually you will find success,” Pryor adds.
Juggling content creation with your personal life
“We are all juggling multiple things. Organizing your content, then, can help in curating a harmonious spread and setting a pace that aligns with your lifestyle,” De Lapa says.
This balancing act, according to the content creator, boils down to strategic organization and time management. “Identify a planner tool that suits your style, such as Notion or Excel, and use it to track your deadlines and bandwidth. Aim to build a content reserve during quieter periods that you can deploy when life gets busier too,” she adds.
Analyzing your daily routine to find pockets of time that can be used for quick tasks, like taking photos or squeezing in a study session, can also help in optimizing the day instead of doing everything in a rush.
Mango, a content creator who posts comedy videos on TikTok as @mangohallucinates and has racked up over 300,000 followers, suggests setting aside even just one hour a day to ideation, writing, filming, or other content creation tasks, as well as a creative twist to manage time — integrating both your academic and personal life into your content. “If they don’t seem to allow too much time to post two videos a day about your passions, post one about them and make the second video about your personal life. You don’t have to go crazy, but it doesn’t hurt to show your dog or go out with friends and vlog from time to time!” Mango says.
Pryor, on the other hand, reassures that it might seem like you can’t handle it all because, well… you just might not be able to. “There’s no perfect solution that allows you to focus on both academics and content creation; you can’t give 100% effort to both. Determine what your priorities are and schedule time for both accordingly,” he says. “Whatever you choose, there’s opportunity cost, so make sure to minimize it according to what you deem important.”
Keeping it consistent
As a content creator, motivation (much like creativity) comes and goes. For De Lapa, having a stockpile of content from other productive bursts can be a lifesaver. “Creating a buffer of content can afford necessary breaks without breaking the schedule. You should also gift yourself time for things that spark joy,” she advises.
Producing content according to important dates — like upcoming book releases — and popularity is also important, as well as creating room for passion-driven, spontaneous content. When it comes to keeping creative, her suggestion is also pretty similar: “Keeping a Pinterest board for inspiration, setting goals with friends, and actively participating in your chosen community can also work wonders for motivation and creativity.”
Pryor adds that experimenting in your content is crucial for creativity. “If you find yourself never mixing up what you’re making, your motivation and creativity will decline,” he explains. “Some ways to be more creative is to go out and do things. Change your scenery. Watch people’s content in your niche and other niches. Look at your audience’s feedback.”
Joining trends might also be a fun way of mixing up your content. “Look at your For You Page, since the trends will likely pop there every week as you watch recent content. It can also be a gateway for people to land into your content,” says Mango. But she emphasizes: “You should have trends and also longer content that goes deeper into your schtick and your beliefs.”
“Also, don’t compare yourself to other creators,” Mango adds. De Lapa agrees: Ultimately, “your unique voice and perspective sets you apart.”