What makes a successful creator?
I was on a podcast, yet another, but this time it was a different conversation.
Hey there friends,
I hope you are doing good!
I am surprised by the volume of Mumbai rains, it is no longer pleasant! Please manifest some sunshine for us Mumbaikars.
Last month I was in Bangalore, I shot a podcast episode talking about the current creator scene and my personal journey. Some of the questions were very interesting and they made me think about my work and its changing dynamics ever since.
I have always talked about how the content you consume directly influences the content you create. During the podcast, I had a revelation, well not exactly a revelation but yes a clear pronouncement of how I create and consume content in exactly opposite ways.
As a community leader, most of the content I create can be roughly catalogued as thought leadership or insightful content and hence text is the most appropriate and convenient medium for me. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Substack are three of my favourite places to create content on.
LinkedIn also currently is the most pro-creator platform as they keep coming up with their unique creator-friendly features and monetization tools. Twitter is easy in the sense that it is very swift, it is spontaneous and easier to interact in. And obviously Substack because of you folks, because I have a specific community here following me for a specific kind of content.
When it comes to consuming content, YouTube tops the chart, followed by Instagram and then Newsletters. Why is there a discrepancy between what I consume and what I create? If my consumption does not directly reflect in my creation then where do I find my inspiration? Our brain does not segregate between content pieces on the basis of genre or platforms, so inspiration can not be traced down singularly.
I might tweet something sparked on the basis of a YouTube video. Secondly, the content I consume is more video-oriented specifically because I am not particularly good with video content, so the stuff I see is most ambitious in the I-will-also-make-such-content-one-day. And the reason why I consume less text-based content on the platforms I create in them is to avoid saturation of thought or unnecessary critical observation of everything I come across.
I was also thinking and talking about success and its metrics of it for a creator.
Obviously, there are the analytical metrics of the number of followers/subscribers or content-specific numbers like likes/shares, etc. The amount of money you make off your content or the number of sponsored deals, monthly, quarterly, annual growth, etc is there and very much important. Because the numbers do define something and help you get a vision of your work. However, I personally see and define success in a few unquantifiable ways.
Establishing a distribution empire-
I think it is extremely important to establish a pan-platform presence. The most successful creators today are the ones who have leveraged their initial presence on a specific content platform and spread out to every other channel thereby establishing multiple revenue streams. You might be a Youtuber but you also need to create a strong presence on Instagram, and Twitter, have a decent email list, create merch, create courses, have a separate niche community on Discord, etc etc. Being successful means having a well-rounded vision and a well-spread-out digital presence. This is also important because it shows the creator’s capability to repurpose their content according to the specificities of the platform as well as adapt and cater to different sub-sections of their audience.
Finding a unique voice-
This might sound quite cliched but it is actually very powerful and absolutely essential when it comes to creating a presence in a highly saturated content market like ours. No matter how niche your field is or how closely knit your community is, the only thing that gives you an upper hand over your peers is your personal voice. Think about brands who have monopolized their fields, think about digital platforms that instantly stand out. It is almost always a unique brand voice that makes them so memorable. You must strike a chord of utmost familiarity with your content pieces so that your followers recognize your piece of content through a single sentence, through a single frame.
Enjoying what you do-
“Are you telling me to enjoy my process of creation? ” well, yes.
I know this almost sounds intrusive and unsolicited. The fact of the matter is I have been here in this space long enough to know how demotivating it can get at times. I know the imposter syndrome, the worthlessness, the competition, the stress. “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” is a lie. Even the things you are passionately in love with can leave you feeling unfulfilled and stressed on days. The challenges are never-ending, and creativity takes its toll. And sometimes the bad days just don’t seem to end, and sometimes we keep doing things even if they frustrate us and finally end up losing our spark. It is important to hold on to the joy that creativity provides, to keep doing it because we actually love it not because we have to.
Thank you for reading till the need. For any suggestions, queries or advice reach out to me directly on my Instagram @pawan_rochwani.
I will see you in the next one, till then take care!