How to Kickstart Your Career in Content Creation
Have you been considering making a career change?
Looking for a professional path that will allow you to devote yourself to being a mom and a partner without requiring you to sacrifice your career goals?
Are you searching for a way to make an extra income without having to join the traditional workforce and slave away at a 9-to-5 job you find no fulfillment in?
Regardless of which of the statements above apply to you, you might want to consider making your career in content creation.
As an umbrella term that applies to jobs in various domains, content creation is an excellent way to put your skills to use and awaken your creativity. Moreover, it allows you to share your ideas while making a profit and finding professional fulfillment.
So, how do you kickstart a career in content creation? Well, it’s not that complicated.
Choose Your Medium
Before you start looking for jobs or honing your skills, you will have to choose your medium and niche.
The great thing about content creation is that there are dozens of different formats you can focus on (of course, without limiting yourself to just one). This means that you can play to your creative strengths and choose the media types that bring you the most joy.
If you’re good with words, writing will be the obvious choice. However, if you want to combine storytelling with a visual element, you might find video more fulfilling. Or, perhaps you have a knack for explaining things to people? In that case, focusing your attention on producing educational content (podcasts, webinars, or even long-form writing) might be the best choice for you.
Define Your Niche
Once you’ve decided what format appeals to you the most, it’s time to define your niche.
The thing with content creation is that many newbies try to do everything at once. And then, after months of struggling to produce high-quality content that gets them results, they realize they’ve been spreading themselves too thin.
You see, the best way to create content is to cover familiar subjects and to use the expertise and experience you’ve already acquired.
No, this doesn’t mean you should shy away from exploring new topics. But, it does mean that you shouldn’t try to pass yourself off as an authority on, say, web design if you’ve never gone through the process of creating a website before.
A short side note. Don’t let your lack of experience in complex subjects discourage you from going after a career in content creation! A quick browse through YouTube or Instagram will show that many influencers have made their careers by covering subjects close to home — family life, fitness, fashion, productivity, and even woodworking.
The great thing about content creation careers is that there are no limits to what you can make your niche.
Acquire Your Tools
While the tools don’t make the craftsman, you have to accept that you will need to invest in some equipment as you go after a career in content creation.
If you’re thinking about becoming a copywriter, this will be easy. All you’ll need is a computer (or a tablet with a keyboard). Yes, you can invest in a couple of app subscriptions to make writing easier — like a dedicated grammar assistant or a content checker to help avoid accidental plagiarism. But, on the whole, the initial equipment investment will be minimal.
If, on the other hand, you decide to go with podcasting or video, be prepared to shell out a bit more for your gear. However, you can find live streaming tools that are free, which will help with the overall costs.
And sure, you can get away with creating content on your smartphone. But to take the production quality to the next level, you will need to invest in some professional equipment. That includes microphones, lighting, tripods, and editing software.
Put Yourself out There
Once you know what type of content you want to create, have all the tools you need, and know what topics you want to cover, it’s time to start creating.
Apply to freelance gigs, reach out to brands you love to see whether they’re looking for collaborators, and start working on your online presence. Remember, something as basic as a LinkedIn account that showcases your skills and experience can be more than enough to help you land your first gig.
Don’t Forget to Work on Your Skills
Finally, as you look toward making content creation your career path, there is one thing you have to remember. Great content creators continue evolving — even after they’ve made a name for themselves.
So don’t underestimate the importance of perfecting your skills, seeking out additional growth opportunities, and going back to the basics from time to time.
Whether you choose to learn from books, online courses, podcasts, or even YouTube is entirely up to you.
What matters is that you know there’s always room for improvement and that you seek out opportunities to invest in yourself (and your career as a content creator). Of course, this doesn’t mean you should burden yourself with the pressure to be perfect (or the best in your niche). Instead, it should just act as a sort of motivation to dare to dream and do what you can to unlock your full potential.
Over to You
There you have it — everything you need to know about kick starting a career in content creation.
As you can see, there’s no set formula that will give you a 10-step program you can follow to become a professional creator. Instead, what you’ll have to do is find opportunities for yourself. Embrace those opportunities in ways that match your values, ambitions, and capabilities.
This guest post was authored by Sarah Kaminski
Sarah is a life enjoyer, positivity seeker, and a curiosity enthusiast. She is passionate about an eco-friendly lifestyle and adores her cats. She is an avid reader who loves to travel when time allows.
