The best investment you can make for yourself is in content creation.
Content creators are the hottest new "career" in many parts of the world today. There is absolutely no shortage of platforms to become a content creator: think YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and different types of content like podcasts, and you'll find all kinds of avenues open up.
The global online video platform industry is worth $6.13 billion in 2020 and will triple by 2025; as of 2022, 75% of children 6- to 17-year say they want to be YouTubers, which has parents pretty enthused, but Here's why this is a good idea.
1. Forever Portfolio
Becoming a content creator is not only faster and easier than getting a degree, it is also a long-term investment. You may hear things like "be careful what you post online because it will stay online forever" as a warning, but the opposite is also true. Creating content online can serve as a portfolio for many different types of careers.
As a creator, you not only learn how to be in front of the camera and tell a story, but you also gain hands-on experience in a variety of in-demand skills such as video editing, producing, directing, videography, graphic design, social media marketing, and so much more, depending on the type of content you create.
Apps like LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok allow people to search for any topic they find interesting, creating influencers and thought leaders on a variety of topics. This includes business and recruiters: whether you want to make things like Mark Rober or be a comedian like Akilah, creating in public provides an easy way for people to discover you and become a permanent portfolio of your various skill sets.
2. a launching pad for your career
Content creators can easily and quickly build a portfolio, but at the same time, it is a sustainable launching pad for future career options. Not only does the creator economy create new job titles such as community manager and content marketer, it is also a unique opportunity for content creators to change careers from one to the next.
Creators like Lily Singh have done this with flying colors. Not only did she become a best-selling author, she became the first woman of color to win the Late Night Show and make the transition to mainstream media.
Kris Kohn has used her platform to thrive in the competitive real estate market. Other creators have started their careers as dancers, chefs, and gamers, proving that there are no limits when surrounded by a dedicated audience and community.
Even if you don't want to be the next biggest influencer on the platform, you can use these skills to start a business that supports creators, like Night Media, which manages MrBeast, or to moderate a creator's audience and earn the benefits that come with their network.
3. building a community
Having an engaged community is the holy grail of networking. Building a platform on the Internet is centered on audience development. If viewers see a message in video, they retain 95% of that message. In contrast, if they read it in text, it is 10%. Clearly, video is a powerful way to build long-term relationships with viewers.
How successful you are as a content creator depends on how well you understand your audience and what kind of community you can create. It is not enough to think about what kind of brand you want to build or what kind of video you want to make. True success lies in knowing exactly who you want to talk to with all your content and why that content will be valuable to them. This is true whether you are creating entertainment-focused or educational videos.
The community you develop as a creator will become a lifelong support system for what you want to do.
4. marketing
Video content marketing can help you generate revenue 49% faster than other types of content. This means that even if your ultimate goal is not to be the world's number one YouTuber, creating content for your brand is essential to the growth of your business, and video content is the fastest growing source of attention and interest in the world.
Even companies like Netflix, which directly competes with YouTube in the streaming arena, have more than 24 million subscribers on the platform. In the past two years alone, hundreds of companies like Jelly Smack have sprung up with the sole purpose of helping creators and repurposing video content from one platform to another.
With everything going online, becoming a content creator is a great way to get your business seen by the right people, at the right time.
Knowing that 64% of consumers make a purchase after watching a branded social video, creators like LegalEagle, an attorney, have used YouTube as a marketing vehicle. He has grown his audience to over 2 million viewers and has become a powerful and trusted voice on all things legal.
As David Bailey said, "To get rich, you have to make money while you sleep."
5. passive income
It's safe to say that if you're reading this, you're interested in making money, and if you're creating content for a platform like YouTube, you get 68% of the advertising revenue. In the first quarter of 2022, YouTube earned $6.8 Billion US Dollars in ad revenue, so That's quite a lot of money in motion.
However, this amount is only a small piece of the content creator pie.
As a content creator, you have access to a variety of revenue streams. Speaking engagements, products, brand partnerships, sponsorship deals, affiliates, and the list goes on and on. Depending on the type of content you create and why you create it, once you have created this content, you can continue to earn and be paid from your old videos without lifting a finger.
6. Being a Creator Is a Business
Content creators are similar to running a startup. The platform you build is a business with the potential to grow exponentially. 51% of marketing professionals worldwide cite video as the type of content with the highest return on investment (ROI).
If you have entrepreneurial dreams, nothing beats the rush of building an online audience. The cost to get started as a creator is as low as the smartphone you use every day, but the potential profits are endless.
If you're still wondering why you should become a content creator, consider it an investment in your future as an entrepreneur, choose your platform, and go on record. The effects will not be immediate, but it will be worth it.