Is it Hard to Become A Content Creator?

Last Updated on August 2, 2024 by Jan Barley

Is it hard to become a content creator?

Creating content seems easy, doesn’t it? However, how challenging is it to become a content creator? Moreover, how much do content creators make and is it worth the effort?

The experts tell us that the $250 trillion creator economy will double in the next four years. Becoming part of that success is a dream for many of us.

When stuck at a desk or your boss is ranting at you, imagining spending your days creating content seems a better alternative. It is, for sure, but there are some essential things to consider.

I’m a freelance writer. Midway through 2023, I lost two big clients, wiping out my income. That’s when I decided to focus on digital marketing and create my own products. However, I’m a widow living in rental accommodation and need a regular income.

After scratching around for work, I have some gigs set up, but I have to pitch every month, so I cannot guarantee the workload. I can’t be **sed to dig deep and get regular work because I am 100% committed to breaking free from the freelance lifestyle. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

So, here’s what I intend to do with my content creation. Then, I will share the challenges that I am sure will be relatable.

1. Work on my Pinterest strategy. Pinterest is a fantastic search engine
2. Start a YouTube channel (in progress)
3. Finally get started with TikTok
4. Post on Instagram
5. Acquire partnerships with affiliate products I endorse
6. Work on my DFU business as that will generate passive income

I felt exhausted just from writing the above list!

Here are the Challenges:

• Cramming my freelance work for two weeks to give me time to work on my projects
• Creating pins to schedule 3/day Monday to Friday and 2/day at weekends
• Feeling too exhausted to create Instagram reels
• My mentally fried ADHD brain implodes at the thought of creating and (worse) editing it
• Appointments for hair, doctors, dentists, meeting a friend for lunch, eat into my time

Intention minus lack of time = overwhelm.

Realistically, once I create sufficient income from digital and affiliate marketing, many of these problems go away.

Here’s the truth: You never have as much time as you think, and everything always takes longer than you estimate.

The Next Step if You Want to Become a Content Creator

Be prepared for the amount of work involved. After the first month, I was exhausted. Talking to other content creators on Threads, they feel the same. It’s full on. So, it’s vital to find a rhythm that suits your personality, energy levels and time commitment.

If you work full-time, you have a smaller window of opportunity. However, I believe it’s important to cut yourself some slack and commit to what YOU CAN DO instead of focusing on what YOU CANNOT DO.

I commit to do at least one thing daily towards my future. Consistency and determination are the keys to success. In late April, I began promoting an MRR (master resell rights) product but I had misgivings from day one. There are things about the MRR business model that I don’t align with.

Be aware of how you feel about what you promote, If it doesn’t light up your soul, it may be hard to sell.

How I Manage My Workflow

In early June (2024) I joined a done-for-you business and that ticks all the boxes. It’s ethical, no tech setup, no payment processors and a money back guarantee. You get your own Shopify store with over 200 products and there’s no monthly fees. It’s also less than half the price the MRR is and is 100X the value.

I joined the DFY business because I believe in it. Because I like the business model, the product, the founder and the community, I feel less stressed about getting everything done. It is an easier product to sell than MRR with more benefits, including a money back guarantee, which I think the MRRs should have because they are so expensive.

Anyhoo, here is my approach to managing my workflow.

1. Pinterest Strategy: My marketing priority is Pinterest. I schedule 3 pins Monday to Friday and two a day at the weekend. On an Excel doc, I plan what pins to post each day and add the link and the times to post. I split throughout the day.
2. Canva: I create all my pins on Canva, usually in one go. I have around a dozen pin templates and change colours etc.I have studied design to get better and quicker at creating effective pins.
3. Video Content: The DFU Business gives us 12 months of content. I have 600 aesthetic reels to play with and hundreds of stunning images.
4. Camera Facing Content: I do about 85% faceless but do one or two camera facing videos each week. I edit in Capcut  (free version) or on canva
5. Sceduling: I schedule directly on Pinterest and TikTok and Use Metricool (free version) for Instagram.
6. Instagram Threads: I spend time in the evening on Threads engaging with others and I post 1-3 threads daily.
7. Instagram Stories: I don’t do enough Instagram stories and I should because they get more traction than reels and posts. However, I just run out of time most days
8. YouTube: I’m failing dismally. I need to give something up to start doing tutorials on my YouTube channel, which is pretty much dormant

I reckon that lot takes me around two days. Anyone who says you can create an online business as a content creator in 1-2 hours a day is fibbing. For beginners, that is an unrealistic expectation. With more experience, it may be possible. Repurposing content can help and batch creating is a better option than trying to do it daily.

In conclusion, It’s not hard to become a content creator, but there are challenges. However, nobody made me aware of these challenges. I’d have coped better had I known. So, I hope this article helps you to manage better than I did during the first few months of content creation.