Raise your hand if you can admit overanalyzing nearly every situation is in your top 5 toxic traits. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️ Rest assured, you aren’t alone. Daily tasks, from “should I really add that to my grocery order?” to “is this photo even worth posting?” and everything in between can be consuming. Starting out, I was scared to even post because I was terrified about what people would think. As a content creator, this can be detrimental when it comes to running your business.
These days, I’m traveling the world (for free!) in outfits as colorful as my wig collection. How? I stopped letting the worry outweigh my passion. So, how do you build a genuine confidence in what you’re creating? Today I’m sharing my top 5 tips to breaking the barrier on overthinking, building productivity and establishing an unwavering confidence in many aspects – specifically when it comes to content creation.
Embrace your authenticity
One of the biggest roadblocks? Constantly comparing yourself to fellow creators. This usually kicks in heaviest for me when I’m feeling a bit stagnant while others grow and expand. From follower count, views, brand deals and success on other platforms, the comparison game can really take a toll. Remember, your community is here for you.
Finding inspiration vs. comparing make all the difference. Instead of putting myself down, I often reach out to creators that I find inspiring. Building community within the industry is key. Congratulate them on their successes! Give affirmation that you’re inspired. Ask for genuine tips or feedback. More than anything, be open to their feedback. Embrace your authenticity and don’t lose your voice or authenticity when it comes to creating content. Social media platforms are constantly evolving, introducing new features and updates to keep users engaged. As a content creator, authentically adapting and utilizing these new features is key.
Set clear intentions
Before you start creating new content, set clear intentions. What are you aiming to achieve? Define your goals, target audience, and the message you want to convey. When you have a clear vision, it becomes easier to stay focused and confident in the direction you’re taking.
In my early days, nearly all of the content I pushed focused on clothing. After having kids, evolving into an overall lifestyle page made the most sense. Trading in one super specific niche allows me to bring my audience along with everyday life in the most genuine tone. Social media has really shifted from the “picture perfect” vibe. Consumers crave a more authentic, “you’re my internet bestie” tone in content. My intention is evolving with the times, building confidence and serving as a one-stop resource for my audience.
Perfection is overrated
Avoiding going live with a post until it’s perfect? I’d say that was my biggest downfall up until 6 months ago. Thinking back, the amount of time I was wasting in an attempt to “fix” or scrap content altogether makes me want to scream. Overthinking usually winds up in a rabbithole of self-doubt, second-guessing and stifled creativity. Your audience is here for you. Follow your gut! The authenticity in your tone brings a level of relatability, offering a “friendship” aspect to your audience. Worrying you can’t chat on stories because you’ve got a blemish? Girl, don’t we all?! Your goal shouldn’t be perfection – it should be the connection. Trust your instincts and give yourself permission to experiment and evolve.
Engage with your community
If there’s one tip you need to hear, it’s probably be this. Low engagement is one of the biggest blows as a content creator. Dumping hours into creating content only for minimal audience interaction is disheartening – but also easy to avoid. Actively engage with your community. Listen to feedback, respond to comments, and create content that resonates with the ones showing up on your page. Building a supportive network gives you a direct line of communication as to what your audience really wants.
One of the easiest ways to get a feel for what your community is loving? Review your insights! How many views come from current followers vs. non-followers? Are you “listening” to metrics and using them in creating new content? Example – my “get ready with me” stories are some of the best performing for my community, but I was spending more time on creating content that had lower engagement. My audience was telling me what they wanted (via the analytics) and I was dumping more time, effort and stress into other avenues. Listen to the metrics.
Celebrate wins, learn from setbacks
No matter how big or small, acknowledge your achievements. Celebrating your successes reinforces confidence, a positive mindset and encourages you to keep pushing during those less exciting moments. On the other hand, when you encounter setbacks, take it in stride. Not every experience can be “the best ever” and the same goes for what you curate on social media. If the content is authentic to me, it’s not a failure. Analyze why something didn’t perform great, take note and apply those lessons to improve future content.
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
Remember, building confidence in your content creation journey takes time, so be patient with yourself. Trust in your abilities, stay true to your vision, and keep creating content that makes you proud. Happy content creating! 🚀✨
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!
