4 Realities of being a Content Creator
With the outbreak of Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdowns in most parts of the world, many lost their jobs through retrenchment and collapsed businesses. With YouTube watch time rising with the duration of the lockdowns, many of the jobless look towards being a content creator as a possible source of income. At the same time, more youths are aspiring to become content creators with the notion that content creation is an easy and yet, fulfilling (I mean, for the pockets) career path. However, being a content creator isn’t as rosy as it seems, and here are 4 realities that you should know if you are looking to join this sunrise industry.
1. Starting a content channel is akin to starting a business
For every successful content creator we know, there are countless who have failed. Starting this journey to become a content creator takes perseverance and persistence as it often takes months before a creator hits their first break. At the same time, this period may be a trying time for creators, and many drop out at this stage as they feel their efforts are not rewarded. However, for those that persevere and eventually succeed, it can be both financially rewarding and satisfying.
Just like running a business, being a content creator provides an individual with the luxury of time flexibility. While this may sound good on paper, content creators often end up working much longer than the usual 9–6 job as they continue to clock hours even during weekends and public holidays. This lack of work-life balance is further exacerbated as the lines between work and life are blurred as content creators often work in the same place where they live. As a result, many new content creators run the risk of being overworked and suffer burnout.
2. Being recognisable isn’t always a perk
For many individuals, putting their faces out there on the Internet is already a nerve-wracking thought. For creators, it is even more stressful as they may be recognised on the streets by their followers. On top of that, their actions on the streets are magnified and hence, have to constantly be on their best behaviour when out in public.
Creators will also have to be emotionally strong as negative remarks are commonplace on the Internet today. From looks to mistakes, haters can find anything to criticise the creators for and creators should be emotionally strong to be able to disregard these non-constructive comments. At the same time, they must also be able to tolerate being discussed on public forums and accept that they may have lesser privacy due to their audience’s interest in their private lives.
3. Producing content requires a variety of skillsets
For starters, being a content creator is not just about taking a camera and filming yourself. Not only do content creators need to know how to film and edit videos, but they are also required to know how to do business development to source for clients, accounting to do their taxes, and even project management to manage client projects. While content creators often hire employees to help manage certain aspects of their jobs, this usually only occurs much later in a creator’s journey when they get to enjoy a steady stream of income. Hence, a content creator is often left taking on all the roles of a traditional business by themselves.
If that doesn’t sound daunting enough for you, creators are also often required to be inquisitive as the nature of the industry often takes creators far beyond their comfort zone, forcing them to pick up new skills and new topics to bring even greater content to their audiences.
4. Shooting the video is just a small part of content creation
Even before starting a shoot, many hours have already been placed into preparing for the shoot as logistics have to be prepared. If there is an outdoor shoot, permissions from location owners may also be required. Creators would also spend hours researching the topics so that they are able to present relevant content in the videos.
Upon the conclusion of the shoot, post-production takes place where countless hours would be spent on editing and perfecting the flow of the video to provide the most entertainment to their audiences.
While the realities of being a content creator may sound daunting, Bloomr is dedicated and able to ease your transition to becoming a content creator through the upcoming Bloomr.SG MCN Accelerator program where participants will be taught exactly what they need to help them in their journey to be a successful YouTuber.
Hence, if you are a Singaporean or Singapore PR and between the ages of 18–35, do consider giving Bloomr.SG MCN Accelerator program a shot.