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Work at home businesses are booming. The self-disciplined entrepreneurs that are willing to show up every day and do the work can earn freedom, a great income, and the perks of working for themselves. Becoming a content creator is a popular choice.
What is Content Creation?
Content creation is the act of creating information (text and video) that people want. It may seem like a vague term for those that haven’t been involved in the world of blogging or online business, but rest assured – there are countless opportunities available if you have something to offer the world.
Content is anything you publish with the goal to attract a visitor, lead, or customer. Today, the most popular mediums for content creation are Youtube, Podcasts, Social Media Networks, and Blogs.
Each of these platforms is its own market, and each platform’s followers have different interests. Blogs like this are popular for passive income, but they require a lot of patience and active work on the front end.
When you start with content creation as an online business model, it’s important to pick one specific medium or interest that you can focus on. It’s hard to do everything well when you first start out. Focus on one thing until you get good at it, then move on to your second niche. The more specific your area of expertise is, the better off you’ll be.
How To Become a Content Creator
- Choose a Niche
- Choose a Platform
- Create Content
- Build a Large Audience
- Monetize your Content
Content Websites
Content websites also referred to as “niche websites”, and “authority sites” are created for the sole purpose of monetizing content. Money is made through affiliate marketing, digital products, sponsorships, and ads.
The website owners choose a niche and create content that satisfies google searches related to that niche. Using SEO research and keyword tools like AnswerThePublic.com, and SEMrush, the blogger can easily find low competition keywords and questions that they can create content around.
Content websites require patience as it takes a while for Google to begin to index and rank the pages on the website. Newer websites with low domain authority have a harder time competing on Google. It can take months, even years to earn backlinks, and trust with Google to rank for more competitive terms.
To start a content website, you choose a website platform. I prefer WordPress as do many bloggers. You can get your WordPress website foundation and host at Flywheel. If you want to have a website built for you, talk to my brothers Jeff and Paul Helvin at Ballen Brands.
Youtube Content Channels
Creating a youtube channel is another way to monetize content. Most people don’t think of Youtube as a business model, but it can be extremely lucrative if handled correctly. Youtubers are earning hundreds, thousands, and even millions from their videos (after Youtube takes their 45% cut).
To get started as a content creator your first step is to build up an audience. As you grow your audience, they will increase the worth of your youtube channel and promotional opportunities will appear. The most lucrative Youtube careers are those that can be promoted through other social media networks like Facebook and Instagram.
If you want to become a Youtube Influencer, it’s important to get good at shooting videos, editing them well enough to attract views and subscribers, and being aware of the rules for running a Youtube channel.
When you’re just starting out on Youtube it’s important to produce high-quality content that doesn’t take much time to create. Produce 5-10 minute long videos with no editing required and have a high enough resolution that your video can be uploaded to other social networks.
With each video you create, edit, and upload, link back to your website or Youtube page so that people will discover more videos of yours on their own accord.
I highly suggest a Youtube optimization tool like Tubebuddy. It’s a free Chrome extension (with upgrades available) that helps you do topic research, choose the right title, description, create thumbnail images, and more.
Once you have a large enough audience, you can sell sponsored placements on your videos. When you have 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time within 12 months, you can apply to Youtube’s Partner program and get paid for ads that run alongside your video.
Podcast Content Channels
Podcasting is a great way to create a brand and build a following. It doesn’t require a lot of tech ability or equipment, so you can get started quickly. You’re not limited by the amount of content that you can produce. Your audience can consume your podcasts at their own leisure, and they don’t have to leave their seat!
Before you start a podcast, create an outline for each episode. This will help guide you through recording and editing a high-quality podcast. You’ll also need to come up with a name for your podcast and brand. If you plan on recording episodes more than once, it’s best to purchase a domain and hosting account so that your podcast is accessible via www.yourpodcastname.com. You can register a domain name at GoDaddy.
The easiest way to start a podcast is to record an audio file using the free application Audacity. Once you’ve recorded and edited your podcast, you’ll need to convert it into an mp3 for distribution on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Mixcloud, SoundCloud, Tunein Radio, and other podcast directories.
Podcasts can be monetized with sponsored placements, affiliate marketing, digital sales, courses, coaching, and other services.
Your audience will become your customers and you can continue to provide value to them as long as they remain engaged.
This popular article might help you get started with Podcast ideas.
Email List Content Channels
If you have a blog, newsletter, or some other type of content marketing then you have the foundation for an email list. Building up your subscription list is the best way to get visitors back to your website and get them consistently consuming the value that you create.
When you build a relationship with an audience member, they will be more likely to purchase from you in the future because they feel like they know and trust you.
The best way to make money from your email list is initially through lead generation and building strong relationships over time. Once you have a relationship with your subscribers, you can promote affiliate offers, digital sales, and other services that they’re interested in.
While it’s true that open rates for email are much lower today than they once were, they are still a powerful form of reaching an audience. With strong messaging and relatable stories, you can turn an audience member into a customer.
Mailerlite is a great email software platform for beginners. It’s affordable and easy to use. I also like Keap for my sales funnels.
Social Media Content Channels
Social media influencers are content creators that influence buying decisions on social media by demonstrating products, fashion, beauty, or by providing informative or entertaining content.
The content creators that engage with their audience and show real value tend to get the most traction. Setting up profiles on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Pinterest will help you engage with your audience but it’s not enough to just set them up. You have to use them regularly in order to build a relationship with an audience.
The only way to make money on social media is to reach a large enough audience where you can build trust and convert some of them into customers, or paid views. Use your content as a way to attract visitors that are interested in the problem that you solve, then position yourself as an authority in your industry by providing value through free courses, helpful information, or other marketing resources.
TikTok has allowed influencers to explode their reach and income with paid views on their videos.
Whether you are creating Instagram Reels, Pinterest Stories, or Facebook Groups, video is a preferred type of content on social media today, so be ready to embrace it.
Closing
Becoming a content creator isn’t especially hard. It requires some good front-end research to pick the right topic, deciding on a platform to build an audience, spending time on task creating content, and building a large audience for monetization.
Building content websites, youtube channels, podcasts, email lists, and social platforms can build freedom and wealth for those willing to do the work.
