Can I Make a Career out of Creating Content? – State of the Creator Economy Report Synopsis 2022
I’ve been a creator my whole life. I made dolls furniture with my dad in our garage as a kid, I painted, I sewed my ball dresses as a teenager, I wrote (and still do- obvs) and I even created an international line of high end kids clothing when I had my babies. But I got busy. And stuck in a rut; And my creative side, sadly, was left behind.
Except my writing. Writing is immediate and gives me great joy. Whether it’s my business blog, or personal one. I love to get words onto a page. To communicate.
So, it’s an absolute joy to read ConvertKit’s new State of the Creator Economy Report. Whats more, its heartening to read that many, many creators make a (very good) full time living out of words .
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Quit your 9-5 and make your passion your profession!
I’ve talked about quitting the 9-5 for a long time now. You can live the life you want and make money from doing what you love. Creating content is one of the ways that you can do this. Starting a blog, creating a podcast, sharing your knowledge through a course or ebook, or making video content for YouTube are all incredible ways to earn a living by sharing your passions.
And remember, its NEVER too late to follow your passion! Many, many creators didn’t start until their well after their 30’s. With full time creators representing the most amongst their age cohort from 41-60! Go get it girl! You deserve to be happy.
Making money from creating content
No matter which way you look at it, making money doing what you love is definitely a dream destination for many creatives. But how do you monetise your passion? I wrote an entire post about making money blogging, but you can also make money from ads on your YouTube channel and create cash by selling your ebooks or courses online.
But! Always a but! Bear in mind that you need to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Overnight success as a blogger or YouTuber simply doesn’t exist. It takes time and dedication, but most of all consistency. Google loves consistency and by doing small amounts each day, you’ll soon win favour in the SERPs (search engine results pages).
As Google starts to recognise that you’re here to stay, that you create valuable content that serves a purpose, you’ll get noticed in search engine results. This means more traffic. So don’t give up! Making a full time living off of your content takes time! Don’t quit before you see the results, they WILL come!
In fact, 67% of full-time creators started more than 3 years ago, and just over a quarter began growing an audience a decade or more ago.
ConvertKit Creator Economy Report 2022
ConvertKit’s survey found that the two top income generators for creators were Services and Digital Products (courses, ebooks etc), followed closely by affiliate marketing. Keep this in mind when you’re thinking of ways to increase your income. It’s super easy to create digital products now with platforms like Podia. And while blogging can be lucrative, remember, your knowledge is valuable, so package it up and sell that content!
Where to find an audience for my content?
If you build it they will come. Well, not so much, you actually have to do two things first.
The first is build a community, and the second is engage with that community.
Community building in my opinion is one of the most powerful ways to grow your business (and your income). Create content that is not only valuable, but is also uniquely you and your community will stick around long enough to engage with you.
By engage- I mean, like, comment, share, and open your emails!
You want a community that engages time and time again with your content. No point in sending out that newsletter to have an open rate that brings tears to your eyes (and not good tears). My open rate on emails is mega high. Ive built an audience – with ConvertKit and content – that has opted in to hear from me and want my content.
Theres a tonne of great channels to build your audience in… pick one or two that work for you! But, I have to say, email is defo the way to get cut through! So, start small, be consistent, start a list and aim for 50 subscribers, then 100, then the sky’s the limit!
You certainly don’t need thousands of subscribers to make good money. In fact most creators have less than 1000 on their lists! Crazy huh! Its all about the QUALITY of your list- not the quantity. If 200 people are on your list and they are WAITING for your course to drop. Thats 200 purchases. Versus a list of thousands that maybe never opens your emails.
YOU DON’T NEED A HUGE AUDIENCE TO MAKE A LIVING
ConvertKit Creator Economy Report 2022
In the same way that attention is skewed toward stories of “overnight success,” it’s easy to be
drawn to the idea of a massive email list. In reality, most email lists have under 1,000 subscribers.
What type of content makes money?
The sky’s the limit! The main thing to remember when choosing your topic, or topics is to keep it real. Stick to something you know or something your 100% passionate about. You will maintain momentum easier and will find it easier to garner an audience if you are 1. Sincere, honest, vulnerable, and 2. Know what you’re talking about.
Here’s some topic generating ideas to get you started …
Wrap Up
Whether you’re a hobbyist, a dabbler or are launching into your career as a creator full time. Theres a huge amount to take in. But, keep these two things in mind. Be patient, be consistent, be real, AND know that you have something valuable to share. You are 100% unique, and have a world of value to add. Don’t be scared, or do, but, do it anyway. Get started. Make your mark. It will be worth it.
