When it comes to anything like a new skill, project, or hobby, there’s a lot to learn when you get started. This especially applies for creating content online.
How do you find your voice as a creator?
If you want to create content but don’t know where to start, this blog post will cover 4 major considerations to find your voice and hit the ground running.
- Why do you want to create?
- How do you find your niche?
- Which platform(s) and media works best for you?
- Who do you want your online persona to be?
1. Why do you want to create?
Everyone has their reason for making content. It’s a ton of work, and there’s only a small chance you’ll make it big and be able to turn it into a self-sufficient career.
That being said, what is your reason for putting in the effort?
Is it to entertain an audience? Build a community? Inspire others? Share unique knowledge? Find creative ways to help people?
Everyone has their “why” for starting to create, even if they’re not consciously aware of it! Start with a bit of introspection, list reasons why you want to create, and let those guide the rest!
One major word of warning – if your only goal for making content has to do with money or fame, it might not be for you. It’s fine to want those things and actively try to achieve them, but they’re not a guarantee. Focus on why you’re creating what you’re creating and how it would add value at large, not just how it would benefit you!
2. How do you find your niche?
We have another blog post going into much more detail, but it largely comes down to finding the intersection between three factors:
- Do I enjoy this?
- Am I good at this?
- Is there untapped demand for this?
These terms are intentionally vague, and there are always caveats.
For example, you might be terrible at a game but want to stream it. If you enjoy the game regardless, and if you’re good at being bad, whether that’s through a magnetic personality or lots of memorable moments in failing, it could still count!
Be aware, though! Many new creators fall into the trap of attempting a 1:1 recreation of the people they watch most. It’s fine to take inspiration from larger creators you follow, but if they’re filling the niche, there may not be space for you too. You can make something similar to content that already exists, but add a unique twist.
Again, more details on finding a niche in another post.
3. Which platform(s) and media work best for you?
Circle back to your “why” and your niche, then relate that to a type of content like streams, longer podcasts, short videos, long videos, photography, or blogs. What makes the most sense for that?
If your focus seems more on community and entertainment, streaming on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook might be the medium to focus on! Streaming on a consistent schedule is a great way to build a community through engaging entertainment.
If your focus seems to be more utilitarian and educational, podcasting, blogging, or longer videos might be your best focus. People generally don’t look up streams for solving specific problems or getting advice – they generally look for more planned-out and searchable content like YouTube videos.
On the flip side, if you don’t have consistent availability or dislike being put on the spot, streaming might not be right for you. If you stream, it’s important to do so on a consistent, predictable basis, even if it’s just once or twice a week. When you make a stream schedule, make sure it’s something you can stick to regularly without sacrificing your health!
Similarly, if you’re not a fan of scripting or editing or don’t have the time to do so, videos and blogging might not be right for you. If you have a busy schedule, we do have resources to help balance content creation with that, though!
One last note – while this step is for picking which platform/media work best for you, we do recommend building a presence on more than one!
Streaming is great for engaging your community, but it’s not great for discoverability to grow that community. You might want to make videos such as (entertaining, self-contained) stream highlights on YouTube or TikTok to supplement your growth.
Likewise, while videos can be great for discoverability, you’re missing out on tight-knit engagement with your community. Consider occasional streams, such as small events, Q&A sessions, and more to strengthen your video-centric community.
The main point is to consider which platform aligns most with your “why” for making content and your niche, then starting there.
4. Who do you want your online persona to be?
Many creators are more or less the same person on and off camera, but that is one of many ways to present yourself! Consider your ideal audience and your goals as a creator.
Do you want to appeal to a wider, younger audience, or a smaller, curated, more mature one? Do you want to be seen as fun and meme-y, or do you want to put out a more professional persona?
Your persona is what attracts (or turns away) different audiences, brands, and more. It’s impossible to appeal to 100% of people, so figure out which groups you want to appeal most to!
Think of a few adjectives (or even short sentences) you hope might describe you as a creator, and try to lean into those as you create. For example, if you make educational content and want to appeal to a more mature audience, your adjectives/sentence might be along the lines of “a professional, educated, friendly person who hopes to help their audience without wasting their time”
Do note that we’re not suggesting for you to change who you are or be “fake.” Think of it as choosing an occasion and dressing for it. You wouldn’t wear a T-shirt for a professional audience or wear formal attire to the gym, just like you wouldn’t put on a jokester persona when building a more mature audience or put on a no-nonsense, efficient persona when building an audience looking to connect to your personality. It’s a filter, not a mask.
Present yourself to attract the audience you want to have!
Lastly, if you’re worried about hardware, fret not! Unless you specifically need tech for a function of your content, see if you can get started with what you have on hand. As important as high-end gear is to make your content look and sound its best, you don’t want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on tech to then find out you don’t enjoy making content. Test making content with what you already have, make sure you enjoy doing it, then buy upgrades.
Of course, if you are searching for equipment, we recommend getting affordable gear that will work to get you started as well as last for years to come. For many scenarios, we have you covered: Check out our Simplified Summer Setup for some more details on easy to use hardware, and visit our store to snag a few products on sale while you’re at it: Check out our store here!
Between some guidance and affordable hardware, you’ll find your voice as a creator in no time. Stay tuned for more tips from some of our AVerMedia partners soon—but for now, here’s hoping you’ve got some more inspiration to #boldlycreate with us.
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