From June 23 to 25, I had the opportunity to attend VidCon, a convention for people who work and are interested in online video and its potential as a content creator. I attended workshops and panels, from things like “Thinking Outside the Box” to “Alternative Careers in Online Video.” I took away so much information about the growing industry and what it's like for people in the online space. Here are the things that I felt were some of my biggest lessons that I learned about being a “Content Creator.”
You don't have to be a YouTuber to be an online content creator.
When I was at VidCon, I spent a lot of time trying to explain why I called myself a creator even if I wasn’t making videos. No matter what, the fact is I have somewhat of an online presence because I put out unique content that I can make other people Identify with each week. That makes me an online content creator.
Vlog if you want to vlog.
I spent a lot of time collecting footage for a vlog that I didn’t know if it was going to be posted or not. But in doing that I also collected some of my favorite memories from the event. You never know what you will catch on film and how much that footage will mean to you later.
You can't be afraid to make what you want to make.
Art is risk and I think that online content creators are in a way artists. They take something that can seem so ordinary and make it into something incredible. You have to create what you want to create and not be afraid of rejection. In the words of Troye Sivan, “If you want to make cool s**t, make cool s**t.” The only person you have to impress is yourself.
Everybody starts at zero.
When you create anything it starts at zero views. You start at zero subscribers, zero followers, zero everything. Everyone starts at zero, but the question is what are you going to do to stand out and get views.
When meeting big creators...
You cannot freak out. I don’t know how much I can stress this. If you’re meeting a big creator that is someone you look up to, you’re more likely to have a conversation with them if you’re not freaking out and scrambling just to get a picture. They are people, too.
I'm going to marry Thomas Sanders.
I mean, we are meant to be. Please see pic below.
Make friends wherever you are.
You never know who you will meet and how much their friendships will affect what you're doing. Sometimes they can get you a connection to different events and places that could help you further in what you want to do no matter what it is. Plus, you never know who you will meet in return.
Consistency and branding are key.
It is crucial that if you are putting out content that you make sure that it is one consistent to the standards by which you’ve set from previous content and two, make sure that it stays in line with the brand that you have organically created for yourself. This will ensure the best results for a consistent community for you to allow growth in this social space.
You can't be afraid to ask for help.
There are endless amounts of resources online to help you put out quality content but there is also no shame in asking for help. Look at the people who inspire you and ask yourself how did they end up there. What steps did they take to ensure success? Send them an email and ask them if they have time to talk to you about it. The worst they can say is no.
There are so many alternate careers in the digital space.
You don’t have to live your life in front of the camera. There are endless amounts of people needed to do work behind the scenes, too. Experiment with everything and find something that you're passionate about doing. That will lead you to doing a job that you will love doing.
When first starting, worry more about the community you build.
It really should be quality over quantity at the beginning. You want to build a community that is going to be supportive and should be fun for you to be in. This will set the tone for everything you make/do in the future.
Be authentic.
There is no point in building a brand for yourself if the person who consists of the brand isn’t being themselves. It will be daunting to have to be someone else if that is who you perceive yourself to be online. It’s the easiest thing to be, remember that nobody wants to watch a second rate version of someone else, they want a first rate version of you.
