Content creation continues to skyrocket as more people start or revive their journeys as digital creators.
The digital age has consistently evolved throughout the years. Youtube was a springboard for many who now regularly make waves on social sites. Digital creators like Jackie Aina, Allyiah Gainer and Shayla Mitchell all started on the video-sharing platform before transitioning into more short-form content styles.
As content creation soars as a lucrative business, TikTok and Instagram have become primary sources of revenue for online creators. While some have committed full-time, others have found the harmony between keeping their day jobs and being digital creators. Those who choose to balance both say there are some keys to success in managing two streams of income.
Filming Content In Batches
Deja Dodson started her content creation journey years before it became a booming industry filled with digital creators and influencers. It wasn’t until 2019 that Dodson became truly serious about creating content. While in college, she started her blog “Deja Daily Dose” to expand her already established fashion and lifestyle brand “Deja D.”
One of the biggest recommendations Dodson found useful as she captures videos is to film her content in batches. Content batching is achieved by creating a collective amount of content during a set period for specific projects that can be distributed later. This method helps with maximizing time and serves as a planning technique that allows evergreen content to be used throughout the day, week or in the future. If a person cannot upload new content daily, filming in batches helps with consistency.
As host of her podcast, “Let Me Tell You Something,” Dodson provided an example of how filming in batches of her preparing for an episode allows her to create content that can also be used for her other platforms.
“If I’m doing my podcast, I’ll record TikToks of me doing my makeup, hair and outfit so that I have multiple pieces of content,” Dodson told 21Ninety.
Other suggestions Dodson made include using a planner to stay organized and making time for self-care. She said those tips have helped her deliver premium content as she manages her full-time job as a social worker.
Juggling a full-time job and content creation can be a hassle. Still, Dodson noted that emerging digital creators passionate about entering the online landscape will find the time to pursue it.
“Make sure your intentions are good, and you’ll be able to balance it,” she continued. “Be authentic to you.”
Find Your Focus
Kyyah Abdul has prospered throughout her content creation journey by carving out her lane and she urges others to do the same.
“You have to understand your lane and stick to it,” Abdul said. “What makes it hard for a lot of people is when they don’t know the content they want to create. If they consume a lot of content while working their full-time job, they start to feel like they need to do all these different things, and it may not be getting the traction they feel they deserve. That’s because they don’t have a focus.
Abdul said she became serious about establishing her content creation journey within the past two years. After undergoing jaw surgery, she began filming about that experience for six months. Eventually, she started incorporating more videos targeted on career, lifestyle and fashion. As she expanded her focus over time, her audience became more solid. With over 234,000 TikTok followers and over 81,000 Instagram supporters, Abdul has earned the luxury of incorporating new content ideas that will perform well.
Abdul, who works in the biotechnology field and is the founder of her clinical research company “Ilana Health,” also added that consistency and forming a schedule are contributing factors that can help manage content creation while working full time.
Her biggest advice for those entering the digital field is not to force out content that is not of natural interest.
“It [content creation] has to be something that you really want to do,” Abdul said. “…If you’re trying to force yourself into doing makeup and skincare but you’re not already someone who likes that, it’s going to be very overwhelming for you.”
She added, “…Unless that’s a journey you’re going on, and you want to document that journey. It just has to be something that comes easy to you rather than trying to force yourself into something you haven’t explored already.”
Setting Realistic Expectations For Consistency
Digital creator Jihan understands that posting consistently while working a 9 to 5 is challenging. So, she encourages aspiring content creators to define what consistency looks like for them.
“Gone are the days of you trying to post three, four and five times a day,” she said in the TikTok video. “That is not doable when you have a 9 to 5 and half of your day is already filled with meetings.”
As part of her “Content Creat-HER Tips” series, Jihan posted a video featuring five tips on transitioning into content creation. While other online creators emphasize the importance of consistency, Jihan also wants people to set realistic goals that are feasible when managing a full-time job.
“Consistency for you could mean posting every other day,” she continued. “Then, on days you don’t post a full video, you post a story.