Blair Williams is the founder of the WordPress membership plugin MemberPress and affiliate program plugin Easy Affiliate.
The creator economy is growing at an exceptional pace. People are quitting their jobs to become full-time content creators, as it not only allows them to do what they actually like but also make a decent living from it.
However, becoming a successful full-time content creator is not as easy as it sounds. Content creators encounter a variety of challenges, especially when getting started.
Some of these obstacles may be easier to overcome, whereas others may have a devastating impact and often lead creators to quit midway.
In this article, we will discuss the six common challenges content creators face when starting their journey.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
1. Niche Selection
Niche selection is one of the critical challenges aspiring content creators face at the start of their journey.
People pursue content creation because they want to make their hobby a profession. So, it’s a no-brainer that they’d want to create content around topics that interest them the most.
Creating content about something you’re passionate about makes it easier for you to keep the needle moving, as your work doesn’t seem boring anymore.
The problem is that what excites you may represent a narrow niche or have limited monetization potential.
This may make it difficult for you to get the desired level of traction or generate revenue from the content you create.
So, content creators often face the dilemma of whether they should go with a niche that piques their interest or one with better traction and monetization potential.
Maintaining the right balance between the two is a viable approach for you to get the best of both worlds.
2. Platform Selection
You can be a successful content creator by building a standalone website, leveraging social media, or using other online platforms.
Creating a website has its perks, as you get complete control and ownership of the content you share with your target audience. The downside is that you may require an investment to build a website and for the tools that increase the functionality of your platform.
Leveraging third-party platforms or social media may help you get started with minimal or no investment. But you will have to follow the guidelines and policies implemented by the respective platforms.
Furthermore, your niche selection, the type of content you create, and the preferences of your target audience are also a few essential factors that dictate the results you get by sharing your content through a particular platform.
So, it’s not an easy decision to make for content creators, requiring them to test out different alternatives to figure out what works best for them.
3. Getting Traction
Attracting the right audience when you get started as a content creator is not easy, especially if you choose to do it organically.
You’re not the only content creator in your respective industry. There are others who have been active long before you and have cultivated thought leadership over time.
Your target audience will likely prefer consuming their content compared to yours because they have more authority and followers.
So, it may take time for you to reach their level or surpass them. Eventually, the intended audience will start liking your take on the respective topics. But till then, you will have to remain patient and keep doing what you do best.
4. Consistency
Being consistent is a challenge that even veteran content creators face from time to time. Whether it’s the creator’s block or your personal commitments, you need to be an active content creator to stay relevant.
So even when you’ve finally started doing what you really like, there may be days when creating content seems like a chore to you.
Staying consistent is even more difficult when you’ve just gotten started. You may not see the results as per your expectations, which may cause a lack of motivation. It often causes you to doubt yourself, and you may end up considering quitting.
When this happens, find a way to overcome your doubts and just keep moving forward. Surrounding yourself with positive people and interacting with fellow content creators often gives you the motivation to not give up.
5. Content Ideas
Even though you’ve just gotten started as a content creator, it’s possible that you may struggle to come up with new ideas for your content after some time.
This generally happens when you have chosen a narrow niche. Plus, creating content day in and day out may also make it difficult for you to come up with something fresh each time.
You can overcome this obstacle by leveraging shoulder niches and exploring topics that complement your core niche selection.
6. Monetization
There are a number of ways you can monetize your content and generate decent revenue online.
You can paywall your content, join affiliate programs, promote your own products or services, leverage the monetization opportunities offered by different platforms, and accept donations.
However, reaching this stage takes time. You need to have a decent following and build a community around your brand.
Furthermore, if you’re leveraging third-party platforms to make money online, you will have to follow their guidelines and meet certain requirements to unlock monetization.
Overall, generating revenue through your content can be cumbersome and may take more time than you expect.
Wrapping Up
In this article, we covered the six common challenges content creators face when getting started.
If you’re an aspiring content creator, it’s best to prepare yourself for upcoming obstacles and devise useful strategies to overcome them.
Patience and preparedness can help you achieve the set goals and set you on the path to becoming a successful content creator.