Raise your hand if you can admit overanalyzing nearly every situation 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️ Rest assured, you aren’t alone. Daily tasks, from “is this a good partnership” to “is this photo even worth posting?” and everything in between can be all-consuming. As a content creator, this can be detrimental when it comes to running your business.
These days, I’ve taken my love of social media into a full-time business by posting real-life content, life updates and everything in between without a second thought of what anyone would think. How? I stopped letting the worry outweigh my passion. Today I’m sharing my top 5 tips for breaking the barrier on overthinking, building productivity and establishing an unwavering confidence in many aspects – specifically when it comes to content creation.
Don’t listen to the noise
One of the biggest roadblocks? Listening to what “industry experts” say is essential. Spoiler alert: anyone can label themselves an industry expert. Most people doing so want you to purchase their course, or subscribe to a list or something similar. When I started out, everyone emphasized “niche down” as an essential to success. If you tried covering everything, you were “sure to fail.”
Thank goodness I didn’t listen. Sometimes people land on my page for the easy, affordable outfits or Amazon finds. Others show up for travel tips and recommendations. My DM’s are always full on the days I’m sharing family/parent/lifestyle content. Truly, I would have broken my brand and burned out so fast had I niched down.
Now, that doesn’t mean you should dump as much of yourself equally into each area. You should still have an elevator pitch on who you are as a creator! Listen to your audience and visit the analytics from your content to see what they actually want. Which areas show the most engagement? What brings the most growth? Most of all, which brings you the most joy? Just don’t limit yourself to one area, or you’ll cut off endless opportunities and audiences.
Have multiple streams
Diversity is key. You never know when one social platform is going to tank, take over or disappear altogether. Taking the leap into content creation, for fun or for a career, is already intimidating. Ensure your audience has many avenues to stay in touch, just in case the worst comes to fruition!
A few essential areas to diversify:
1: Income: In an ever-changing industry, having multiple sources of income is essential. Outside of partnerships, I take on social media management clients. Not only does it give me a guaranteed payment each month, but it’s a great reset for my creativity! Ensure you’re mixing in other sources of income, from freelance to contracted work.
2: Inspiration: Diversify the ways you find inspo, regardless of your industry. First, don’t let the internet be your only source! Unplug and do something totally unrelated. Craft, go for a walk, binge a reality show… whatever you do, be present for it. You’ll find inspo regardless, as long as you’re actually invested in the moment.
3: Partnerships: Utilize more than one resource for landing deals. We all have our favorite platforms, brands or contacts we call up for collaborations. One of the worst mistakes I made early on was getting comfortable with re-occuring partnerships. After a year of working together, 2 of my biggest repeat partners got new brand reps with zero funding for influencer partnerships. Avoid relying on repeat work (unless you have a contract!) and get comfy with the uncomfortable.
Create with confidence
Avoiding going live with a post until it’s perfect? There will be an infinite amount of reasons to feel insecure or second guess yourself. The comparison game can hit hard, especially in an industry where YOU are your brand. Overthinking usually winds up in a rabbithole of self-doubt, second-guessing and stifled creativity. Your audience is here for you. Follow your gut!
Also, it doesn’t matter what ‘they’ think. Worried about the opinions of Kelly from middle school when she sees you creating content? Spoiler alert: her feels aren’t going to get you anywhere, bestie! Don’t get me wrong, it can feel a little intimidating, especially starting out. Imposter syndrome can set in and leave you wondering if you’re in too deep… but trust me, you’ve got this.
You’ll always have room for improvement, but you can’t get better if you never get started. Your goal shouldn’t be perfection – it should be the connection. Trust your instincts and give yourself permission to experiment and evolve.
Persistence is essential
Brands receive thousands of emails from eager creators. Seriously, so. many. emails. If you don’t hear back right away, don’t get too disheartened. Between changing brand reps, new product launches, expanded marketing budgets and so on, there are endless reasons you haven’t heard back. One of my creator friends recently shared that she had to reach out eight times before she got a response, and she was accepted to a campaign on that reply! That won’t always be the case, and that’s okay.
Just because you got a “no” this time doesn’t mean you will next go around. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve pitched brands, gotten a “no” and then a “yes” down the road. Your content is constantly evolving, their budgets are always changing and sometimes the stars align on that next follow up.
Bonus Tip: Practice Mindfulness & Self-Care
Take time to take care of you. Analytics are helpful. Finding inspo within your community is awesome. Landing a major win with your audience is exciting… but refilling your tank is essential. Avoid burning out and practice barriers from your time on social media. You deserve a little grace, so be patient with yourself. Trust in your abilities, stay true to your vision, and keep creating content that makes you proud.
The bottom line? There is no formula to success in your journey, but being authentic to yourself is essential. Know your goals, trust your gut and listen to your audience. The moment you compromise your authenticity for a partnership, payment or to be more like trendy gals on your platform, you lose credibility with your base. Just remember: they’re here for you.
So, what do you think? Ready to join in the crazy world of content creation? Let me know your thoughts below!
