Things I’ve Learned about Being a Content Creator
Roy Marko has two YouTube channels, and both are doing… okay. To be clear, when I say okay, I do mean okay. It’s not something to go nuts over but it does create a bit of income that helps over the course of the year. It’s also something that at this point is moving from a hobby/ side hustle to a more part time or full time job. With that being said, it’s four years since the channels were created. Not uploaded, although, to be fair the main channel Roy Marko’s Garage was “made” in 2007, with wanting to comment on a video.
Since this time here’s what we can say about YouTube. It is a job, and it’s hard. You create content and then you need to more analysis of the content and what it did. You can celebrate small wins (100 subscribers anyone?) or the big ones, but there are always others who will be slower, or faster at hitting them than you will ever be. You can be recognized for your hard work, or not. The point is that YouTube is like anything else. You are working for your followers, and you can do it “your own way” only to gain more or lose more of whatever you wanted to have in the first place.
On to a few points….
1- Content isn’t king, you have to put out content or it won’t happen, but if you don’t have the right video at the right time or to the right group of people you won’t be noticed. I’ve seen a lot of content creators struggle with this. When you hear content is king they aren’t wrong, but they aren’t fully correct. I would say it’s like a blog a thousand blog posts will get you no where if they are short or nothing happens on them. Same for almost any place where you create content, if your audience doesn’t want it, then you will not get anything out of that content. Even if your content is great, it still might fail. The content has to be more than one and done. It has to be a part of something a lot bigger than what you might think it needs to be.
As much as some will dismiss the idea they have other ways to get people there it’s not uncommon to see a group of like minded people on other sites offering content to people there as well. It’s the hidden gem to content is king- the king might be the head of everything but (in unkingly fashion) he had to work for the progress he made, and he worked long and hard to get people to follow him.
2- Stop celebrating every point. At least not in public. You’d run the risk of either someone thinking you need to get your head examined, or you risk becoming the butt of everyone’s jokes. Don’t be that person. There is a time to celebrate every milestone, but do it to the level that is appropriate for where you are at. For example YouTube sends a congratulations email to people who have 10,000 subscribers, they don’t send a play button for that. No, that is reserved for the people who have 100,000 and beyond. So, do get excited you have 100, 1,000 or 5,000 subscribers but focus on the end goal which is getting to say something where a 9-5 job is not needed.
Be realistic, I’m sure at some point you will have more than what you thought you would, and that is great. Pat yourself on the back and keep on going. If you do that then when someone says “what do you do for a living?” you can answer “content creator” and have a surprise milestone for them.
3- The bigger you get…. the more you have to think about the pubic. Some random person might know who you are and want to meet you. Be kind, gracious and caring. It’s a good thing. Also show them respect, they are the reason you are where you are. That being said, realize that it’s a double edged sword, people might “know” you, but they don’t. They don’t know about the hours you put in to your work in the background, how much you miss because of the content creation, and how much you will miss. To them you are cool- you made it. Be thankful and respectful in public.
This public also wants more of what you do. If you have success with say paint by numbers on your channel, then often changing this to say freehand painting might get the very same followers mad and have them leave. The public is your boss, and it doesn’t matter if you like that part or not.
4- Even though it’s still a job…. just enjoy it.
Those are some of the things which helped me grow over the last four years as a content creator, so here’s to more content in the next year. This blog will be updated more as well, so see you with more content and more community everywhere.
