What is a content creator?
When I was 10, I wanted to be an astronaut. Yea... like every other kid on the planet. But, I really meant it. I ended up doing Astrophysics at Uni 8 years later. Sadly (for me, not for the state on Astrophysics today), it was a bad choice. It’s far less fascinating facts about black holes, and far more amazingly-dull, 13-page maths problems.
Oh, if only I was 10 now, in 2024. I could again be one of the cool kids and say, “I want to be a Content Creator!” If nothing else, I’d have saved myself 4 years of math headaches and space-based tedium…
But, what is a content creator? What do they do, really? Most importantly, how do content creators make money? Well, despite my ill-judged foray into Astrophysics, I actually ended up making my crust as a content creator, and enjoying it a whole lot more!
So, having done it for 14 years now, I can share my experience. Let’s take a look - how does this Content Creator lark work, then?
Definition of a Content Creator
Just to narrow the terms a bit, I'm talking about independent digital content creators, here.
I suppose you could argue that Steven Spielberg is a content creator. I mean, I use the word argue… but there’s no argument, he really is, and a far more epic one than I!
But, in our context, a digital content creator usually fits into the following brackets:
- they publish online, under their own name or brand
- they’re often independent - one person or very small teams
- they publish on digital channels, usually YouTube, a podcast, a blog, or social media
- they often make money through sponsorships or brand deals
Of course, these can all change, especially as a creator grows their following.
Mr Beast is an example of a channel that started independent, and grew a team over time. Now, he’s one of the biggest creators on the planet, runs a full-on production company and makes money through all sorts of related products, like chocolate bars!
But, the far more common example is one or two people, making content they’re passionate about and earning a decent living through a few brands that they’re loyal to.
So, what categories do those creators usually fall into?
Types of Content Creators
There are a few ways we could break this down, but one of the most obvious is by platform, so let’s start there. I’ll dig into the different avenues for creators, here, and then in the next section answer the thing you really want to know: how they make money…
Bloggers
The OG of content - the plain ‘ol written word - has existed since the start of the web. And wherever you can write, you’ll find people espousing about their passions!
A blogger picks a topic, and just starts tapping away, publishing articles that hopefully start to gain a following. It might be education - answering common questions on a topic - or entertainment, from real-life stories to fictional accounts. The only thing that bloggers have in common is that they write a lot, and fans come to read their stuff.
Don’t worry, it’s not just black and white - you’ll usually find a lot of images on a good blog, not to mention some video and audio content (creators often cross categories - after all, they love to create!). But, the writing is the core characteristic.
Social Media
Next came social media. MySpace, LinkedIN, Facebook, all early 2000s, just ahead of podcasting (next up!).
Originally, they were mostly for connecting with (stalking…?) existing friends. But, through the last 20 years, a few notables have morphed into public publishing platforms, particularly Instagram, TikTok and X/Twitter.
The first two are the prime ‘creator economy’ platforms on social media, with top Instagram influencers commanding huuuge audiences, and enormous brand deal fees (more on what that means later). TikTok is no slouch, though. It’s newer, but it grew like a weed over the past few years, powered by dance crazes and crazy memes, plus some active support by TikTok themselves in the form of their creator fund (although controversy over how effective that was for actual creators…)
Many creators make a full-time living through their Insta or TikTok channels, and for those that live their life on social media anyway, it can feel like a great fit.
Podcasting
Podcasting is 20 years old this year, entering the creator scene in an explosion of xml code, rss feeds and home-baked audio in 2004. These days it’s a huge industry, top podcasts hitting 10s of millions of listeners and boasting celebrity shows by the score.
Podcasting can often be the bedrock of a creator’s strategy - a low-friction way to go deep on subjects, talk to other experts and really engage with a community. It’s often the most open, un-edited, raw space, and as a consequence, it can breed the most loyal and committed fans. It’s all about that transparency, after all - it feels like a chit-chat with a friend.
In form, it started out as audio only, and long form, akin to talk radio. Over time, video podcasts popped up, and have grown over time. But the majority are still audio, and both formats can work well.
YouTube
Finally YouTube, launching just a year after podcasting and now the 2nd biggest search engine on the planet. It basically owns user-created (and a lot of brand-created!) video now in 2024; the first stop for creating a video channel, presuming you’re not streaming live (and even if you are, for some!) It’s where the world goes to, both, learn literally anything, and to atrophy your brain with endless cat videos.
YouTube covers a vast range of content types, from it’s TikTok-style YouTube Shorts, to concise and highly produced education, to long-form video-podcast-style conversations and interviews.
Whether you’re into high-polish video production or raw documentary style filming, this is the home for your video.
How do Content Creators Make Money?
Right, let’s get down to the cold, hard cash. Or the promise of it, at least 😆
Here are some of the most common ways that creators make money:
- Sponsorship
You grow an audience. That audience trusts you. Then brands pay you to advertise to your audience. This is normally paid on a CPM basis (cost per thousand people), so you can negotiate a rate based on your audience size. - Brand Deals
Similar to above, but more involved. You might create sponsored content for a brand (eg. a video guide to their product) or become a brand evangelist for them. Usually priced in relation to your audience size, but more room for negotiation based on the involvement and value you can bring as a creator. - Product development
By-pass the brands altogether and create your own! Mr Beast created a chocolate bar. Logan Paul and KSI created a soft drink. Create a product that really appeals to the audience, and then you become your own sponsor. - Service development
Do your audience have a problem that you can help them solve? Then, offer it as a paid service. If you talk about web design, then you might charge web designers for coaching by the hour, or offer a subscription membership. You might even set up a full agency-style service and charge a whole lot more to just do it for them. - Audience Support
A lot of content creators decide to avoid advertising or sales altogether, instead just asking their audience to pay directly for the content. This often means a freemium model, where the core content stays free, but the audience can pay something to get premium episodes, shoutouts, community access, or more. Patreon is an example of a platform that’s used for this.
In truth, the creator economy is no different from the regular economy: the only limit on how you can earn from your content is your imagination. Whether it’s affiliate marketing or selling your IP for movie rights, it’s all down to how creative you can get. And hey, if there’s one thing we have, it’s creativity!
Who Can Be a Content Creator?
Can anyone be a creator? I’d argue - and often do… - that yes, they can! It’s just down to playing to your strengths.
Here’s an example: our content came about because of my own unique blend of attributes and skills. I was shy, to start with. So I had no desire to be on video. And I was geeky, I really loved playing around with gear and software. But I’d also worked in education for about 6 years by that point, so I had learned how to teach.
So…
- Podcasting: check! Good for introverts or more shy personalities, because it’s less exposed and leads to deep conversations.
- Blogging: check! Great for nicely structured teaching, summaries and setting tasks.
- Podcasting + Blogging = high-volume, high reach written content to attract in the masses, and then high-touch, high-trust audio content to turn casual visitors into loyal fans!
On the other hand, if you’re an extrovert with a talent for bringing people out of their shell, maybe you go straight to YouTube. You use your personality as the draw, and you set challenges for random people on the street, creating a fun entertainment show.
It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you like, I think just about anyone can be a creator. It just takes figuring out your strengths.
What Skills Does a Content Creator Need?
If you’re heading down this road, what skills do you need in your toolbox? Here’s a rundown of all of the skills I’ve found handy over the years:
- Writing Ability
If you’re blogging, this is a no brainer. But even without, you’ll be writing scripts, landing pages, brand deal proposals, team communications and a whole lot more. Writing is a skill worth cultivating. - Technical Ability
It’s easier than ever to create content now, but you’ll still be messing around with websites, microphones, cameras, keyword research software and more. If you’re totally tech-averse, then get yourself a technical content partner. - Content Editing
This applies to text, video and audio: you need to cultivate the ability to craft good content. That means coming up with great ideas that solve your audience’s problems, creating something that delivers that idea to your audience, and then editing it like crazy so it’s honed down to a concise, clear and actionable asset. Oh, and it should be fun, too. Not asking a lot, huh?
Really, that’s it. There’s more to it over time, but if you can write well, edit with thought and deal with the tech that goes along with it, then you can get your content out into the world.
What About… Presentation Skills?
This is a funny one. There’s no question that it’s worth doing training around this over time. From standard presentation skills to improv classes, anything that gets you thinking about how you structure and deliver your content is great.
But… a lot of the power of both Podcasting and Video is the ability to just (I know, I’m sorry) be yourself. It’s the honest humanity in a creator that often connects with people.
Again, though, getting some feedback on your content, or those crutch words you use again and again… and again… is always gold. Doesn’t matter how great you are, that 100th ‘um’ or ‘ah’ in the space of 1 minute can still destroy any connection you have with your audience!
What Tools Does a Content Creator Use?
The trouble with tool recommendations is that:
- It’s often quite personal - what approach and style do you prefer
- It’s often very tailored to the type of content you create - video editing for shorts vs long form is quite different!
- They do tend to go out of date at the speed of light 😆
But… I’m a masochist, so I’ll give you a really brief rundown anyway.
Here are some great, commonly used creator tools:
- Recording a Podcast: Alitu or Streamyard
- Editing a Podcast: Alitu or Audacity
- Editing long-form Video: Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro or Davinci Resolve
- Editing short-form video: Capcut
- Blogging: Wordpress or Ghost
For a full list of all the gear I use in our company, from software to equipment, then check out this article: the gear I use in my creator business.
How Much do Content Creators Make?
First off, you’ll be unsurprised to hear, this is a huge range! But I know you want some ballpark figures, so let me give you a few examples:
Sponsorship revenue
This includes platforms like YouTube Advertising, which typically pays $3-$5 per 1,000 views, and display ads on blogs, which might earn $5-$30 per 1,000 views depending on niche. Podcasting sponsorships tend to earn around $20 to $25 per 1,000 downloads per ad.
Sponsorships and brand deals
These can be a lot more lucrative if you find the right partner. Rates vary a lot but might range from $100-$10,000+ per post depending on audience size, engagement and what you’re offering to do. If your audience is in the 1000s, you’re looking at the low end of that scale, and if it’s in the 10s of 1000s you’re starting to work towards the middle and beyond.
Digital products
Selling courses, ebooks, or templates can be nicely profitable, too. You could sell an ebook for $9 to $39, and a course anywhere from $50 to $1000. In the past, we’ve generated $4,000 to $5,000 on digital product sales, when we’ve concentrated on it.
Audience Support
Platforms like Patreon allow fans to support creators directly. Top creators on Patreon can earn upwards of $10,000 monthly. More standard creators with audiences in the 1000s or tens of 1000s might earn $50 to $100 per month on the low end, up to $1000 or more on the higher.
Want to be a Content Creator?
Now you know what a content creator does, fancy it yourself? Have to say, I’d recommend it: it’s been a pretty crazy, but wildly fun 14 years doing it myself, so far 😁
If you fancy diving in, here are a few steps you can start with:
- Podcasting - often the easiest place to start. Low gear requirements, you can have a script in hand, and it’s just a conversation after all! Learn how to start a podcast here Or Plan your show with AI here
- Blogging - it’s a great complement to a Podcast, or even start with blogging on it’s own. Here’s how to set up a websit for your podcast and blog
- YouTube - keen to jump into the world of video? Great! Here’s the best video editing tools to start with
Get involved, it’s worth it! Have fun 😊