It should come as no surprise that becoming a YouTuber or influencer ranks among the top dream careers for today's youth. After all, who wouldn't love the idea of racking up likes, comments, and shares to earn a living? (Not to mention the occasional brand freebies and attention from doting fans.)
That said, with more people striving for virality than ever, getting started as a content creator can be a pretty daunting undertaking. Sure, you can grab your phone and start recording, but scaling it to attract brand partnerships and boost your follower count requires a mix of savvy, grit, and innovation.
Let’s peel back the curtain, skip past the obvious, and reveal how to become a social media content creator in 2024.
1. Carve Your Niche
With countless ASMR sessions, makeup tutorials, and travel vlogs saturating the market, simply joining the crowd won't cut it. To make a splash in 2024, it's time to think beyond the conventional and carve out a niche that's distinctly yours.
Take, for example, the case of TikTok NPC live streamer Pinkydoll, who, at the height of her popularity, earned as much as $7,000 a day by saying her "Ice Cream So Good" catchphrase thousands of times while popping popcorn with a hair straightener.
Source: @pinkydollreal
So, how do you choose a niche for content creation? Keep these tips for new content creators in mind:
- Explore untapped markets: What trends haven’t hit the mainstream yet? Use tools like Google Trends or listen to conversations on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) to catch wind of the next big thing.
- Innovate within existing social media content niches: If you prefer to stick to tried-and-true arenas, think about how to bring them new life. For instance, if you're into gaming, perhaps give retro games a modern twist, like live interactive play-throughs with your followers deciding the next move.
- Create hybrid content: The allure of combining seemingly unrelated interests lies in the unique new angle it introduces to familiar content. True crime content creators, for example, have found a winning playbook by pairing gripping narratives with get-ready-with-me makeup videos.
2. Create Your Signature Style
As a new content creator, your signature style is your calling card. It’s what makes you instantly recognizable to your audience, setting you apart from others in the field. (And also why all of MrBeast’s videos feature similar wide-eyed, open-mouthed thumbnail images.)
Source: MrBeast
Use these tips for new content creators to establish your signature style:
- Maintain visual consistency: Choose a color scheme, font style, and editing effects that reflect your content's personality. Are you edgy and modern or elegant and understated? Make sure your visuals consistently align with this aesthetic across all your content.
- Choose a tone and persona: The key to breaking through the noise is owning your unique perspective. Whether you’re passionately quirky, profoundly insightful, or irresistibly humorous, let your authentic voice lead your content. Authenticity resonates with audiences far more than polished, artificial personas.
- Establish recurring formats or themes: Incorporate specific formats or themes you revisit in your content. For example, you might have a weekly “Challenge Accepted” video where you tackle new trends or tasks or a monthly “Deep Dive” where you explore complex topics.
- Brainstorm catchphrases and hooks: Develop catchy phrases or hooks that encapsulate your brand. These should be memorable and give a quick taste of what your content delivers.
3. Pick the Perfect Social Media Platform
Trying to stand out and build a following from scratch on social media giants like Instagram and YouTube in 2024 isn’t easy — other content creators have spent years accumulating loyal followers and mastering the algorithm.
If your content isn’t getting any traction, consider exploring emerging platforms where the competition is less fierce. Platforms like Mastodon or Bluesky offer fresh opportunities for content creators to make their mark. Originating as challengers to mainstream social media, these alternatives have attracted attention for their user-centric features and decentralized nature, which can offer a more engaged and active community.
And don't overlook the power of niche platforms like Tumblr — which, contrary to what you may think, isn’t just for fandoms that peaked in 2013. Today, Tumblr is a vibrant space for artists, musicians, and other creatives.
4. Experiment with Serialized Content
Research might suggest that younger generations only have an attention span of eight seconds, but here's the truth: when your content captivates, viewers stick around.
Take, for instance, the viral success of the 50-part 'Who the F Did I Marry' 50- video that TikToker Reesa Teesa created earlier this year. Despite every video running over 10 minutes (yes, the series totals six-plus hours), each one has also amassed over a million views, with the opening installment generating 37 million views.
Source: ReesaTeesa
This example underscores the power of serialized content — think of it as the social media equivalent of binge-worthy TV shows, with each installment leaving your audience eager for more.
Consider these tips for new content creators eyeing serialized content:
- Use popular formats to your advantage: When it comes to content formats, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Borrow ideas already popular in other media and adapt them to fit your content style and platform.
- Spice it up with interactive elements: Make your series interactive by involving your audience. Use polls, Q&A features, or even ask for suggestions on what they'd like to see next. This interaction boosts engagement and makes your followers feel like they are part of the creative process.
- Cross-promote for more exposure: If you're managing multiple social platforms, use each one to promote your content. For example, tease upcoming content on Instagram Stories, summarize past videos in an X thread, or share behind-the-scenes content on Tumblr. Cross-posting across social media channels maximizes your visibility.
5. Have a Strategy for Turning Content into Cash
You've got content creators who earn a few dollars here and there, and then you've got those who've become household names. Let's be honest: you're probably not going to enjoy the same riches as MrBeast or Charli D'Amelio overnight from content creation alone, but you can monetize content creation to create a steady income stream.
Here are some common revenue sources for new content creators:
- Sponsored content: Start by collaborating with smaller or local companies that may be more approachable, and gradually build up to larger partnerships as your follower base grows. This could involve featuring products in your videos, dedicated product reviews, or co-creating content that promotes their brand.
- Affiliate marketing: Earn commissions by promoting other people's products via affiliate links in your video descriptions or social media posts.
- Merchandising: Create and sell your own branded merchandise, such as t-shirts, hats, or digital products like eBooks or courses.
- Ad revenue: Leverage the built-in ad systems on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Optimize your content to meet the platform's monetization criteria, which often involves having a certain number of followers and view hours.
- Fan funding: Use platforms like Patreon, Ko-fi, or the membership features on YouTube and Twitch to offer exclusive content, early access to videos, or special recognition in exchange for their support.
Even the most eccentric content can find its market and monetize effectively. Just look at how Sylvanian Drama — an account that unleashes its unhinged humor in the form of animal figurine skits — recently collaborated with Sephora without sacrificing any of its personality.
6. Fine-Tune Your Posting Times and Frequency
The key to maintaining audience interest is consistency, but how much is too much? You want to stay on your audience's radar without coming across as spammy. Start by testing different posting frequencies, whether that’s daily, thrice weekly, or weekly, and using analytics to track which one garners the most engagement.
Beyond finding the perfect posting frequency, don’t overlook the power of posting times either. You want to post when your audience is most active, which, depending on your niche, could be first thing in the morning or Sunday afternoons.
That said, no one wants to wake up at 3 AM to post content, even if that's when half the world is scrolling through their feeds. To optimize engagement without disrupting your sleep schedule, leverage social media scheduling tools like Postpone. With Postpone, you can schedule your posts ahead of time, ensuring you hit those peak engagement windows without the midnight alarm.
7. Create Content That Excites You
Many content creators burn out because they focus solely on output rather than the joy of creation. So, beyond reading blogs on how to become a social media content creator and applying these content creation tips, make sure you plan on producing content you’re passionate about.
Content creation should be an enjoyable process — so much so that you would still do it even if you had one subscriber and it earned no money. Chances are, if you’re having fun, your audience will too.
As you explore these next steps, let Postpone help you pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. Beyond scheduling, Postpone's powerful analytics tool tracks your content’s performance across platforms, including Reddit, X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Tumblr, and more. Armed with this data, you can adjust and optimize your plans, ensuring your content (and time, sweat, and resources) gets the attention it rightfully deserves.