A lot of Gen Zers want to make a living as content creators. Most of them don't really know what they're getting themselves into — or how hard it can be, a career expert says.
Nearly half of Gen Zers between the ages of 16 and 18 say they'd rather pursue nontraditional roles like content creating than attend college, a 2022 Adobe study found. But only 12% of full-time content creators and 3% of part-time creators make more than $50,000 per year off social media, according to Linktree's 2022 Creator Report.
The gap is easy to explain: Many people don't know that it takes more than just posting pictures and videos, says Patrice Lindo, CEO of career consulting firm Career Nomad.
Lindo says she's coached roughly 50 social media creators since launching her firm in 2019, focusing primarily on TikTok and LinkedIn. Here are her top five tips for getting started and actually making a living as an online personality:
Find a balance that works for you
Posting at 6 p.m. three times per week might work for your favorite content creator. It might not work for you. Instead of trying to copy someone else's blueprint, find your own balance, says Lindo.
"Try different things and see what works," she says. "[You can] do that by journaling, gathering data or seeking advice from people who took the leap or are balancing their corporate job with their social media job."
Maybe meticulously planning out a month's worth of content in advance is helpful. Or, as Lindo puts it, you might find that planning too much can make you "lose authenticity."
Her broader point: Doing this kind of research can help you make informed decisions for your content strategy.
Don't make going viral your No. 1 goal
Having millions of likes, comments and shares is exciting, but it shouldn't be the reason you post, says Lindo. The chances of going viral are one in a million — literally, according to a 2016 Stanford University study. If you're depending on a viral video to earn you a cash windfall, you're fighting low odds.
Building a consistent base of posts is probably a better strategic move, and if you aren't creating content out of genuine interest or passion, you may want to choose a different career path, Lindo says.
"It's not about going viral," she says. "It's about being consistent and posting quality content."
Create a brand and stay true to it
Your brand makes you memorable to your audience. Start by defining it, and then keep yourself from straying too far away from it.
Fans of beauty influencers, for example, probably seek them out to see makeup and hair tutorials, or learn about cosmetic products worth using. If those influencers suddenly started streaming video games or filming "mukbang" eating videos, their audiences would be a little confused.
Lindo recommends asking yourself three questions:
- What is your brand?
- Are you being true to that brand?
- Have you started to map what that looks like, so you're not all over the place?
Once you've established yourself, you can then expand your brand over time — rather than jarring your audience with quick, unexpected changes of direction.
Don't think of social media as an easy 9-5 alternative
You may think that social media is easier than a traditional job. There's no boss telling you what to do, and you have the flexibility to post on your own terms.
"[But] the other side of that flexibility and autonomy is that you don't have one boss, you have a million bosses — your followers," says Lindo. "They're the ones that count on you to show up and hold you to a specific standard."
You'll need to invest in your mental health and self-care to prepare yourself for your audience's comments and critiques, Lindo says. And you'll need to recognize in advance just how much work goes into building a social media career, as creator Morgan Eckroth told CNBC Make It in May.
Eckroth, a barista whose social media videos bring in thousands of dollars per month, said she dedicates time to monitor her videos' analytics, research posts from other creators and search the internet for inspiration.
She also makes money through brand deals and merchandise sales, which involve different skill sets and more dedicated focus. It can be a lot — and Eckroth said she probably doesn't even spend as much time tracking numbers as most successful creators do.
Give yourself grace
Getting any career off the ground can be difficult, and social media is no exception. Don't be hard on yourself if things aren't working out how you want them to, says Lindo.
Instead, recognize what's working for you and what's not producing your desired results, and brainstorm ways to change the situation. If you've committed to posting content every other day, for example, but other responsibilities have left you with less time to record and edit, don't feel like a failure, she says.
Instead, find a solution, like lessening your post cadence or planning your other responsibilities to better suit your schedule.
"You just have to figure out what works best for you, which takes time," Lindo reassures.
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