Build a six-figure content business from scratch with THIS process

I would say, for most of us, there are many reasons we want to become a content creator. Despite the various motivations behind why we want to become creators, I would say most of us agree that we also need to bring in an income. When we see all of these other creators out there bringing in six figures of revenue each year, it's hard not to want the same.

Step 1: If you want long-term success, you have to find your passion first.

There are a lot of foundational steps you should take before just jumping in and creating content. But honestly, the most important one is making sure you are building a business that you would be passionate about. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a content creator is posting about a topic that you don’t care enough about. This is the fastest track to burnout. Trust me; I should know. If you want to find long-term success as a content creator, it really starts with being excited about what you’re creating.

The best way to figure out what content you should create is by asking yourself a couple of questions:

What content do you like to consume?

What audience would you want to connect with?

…by answering these questions, it can start helping you pave the pathway to what content will build a brand and audience you want.

Here’s another question you can ask yourself:

What would you post about if you had 1 million subscribers or followers? If you knew that no matter what, when you hit upload, these 1 million people cared about what you wanted to say, what would you talk about?

This is what you should be talking about now. Even if it’s not the easiest path to finding success on your social media platform, it’s the one that will bring you personally the most fulfillment.

Step 2: Creating a sustainable content plan before you hit record

I'm not going to lie; creating a content plan is probably one of my favorite parts of the content creation journey. This is deeper than creating a content calendar; it’s creating a specific plan that will make it so much easier when it’s time to actually begin working on your content. By having this plan, you will know:

Where to post
What to post
When to post

Where to post:

Even if you’ve already started creating and have a few platforms where you're creating content, now might be the time to reevaluate everything and make sure this is the best place for you to be actively creating content. There are, of course, various different platforms, such as evergreen platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and blogs, or more timely platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X. Which still feels so awkward to say.

If you have followed your girl for a while, you know that I usually recommend starting with one evergreen platform and one timely platform. I know it’s easy to get caught up and feel like you need to be on all of the platforms from the very beginning, but honestly, in my opinion, that’s not the case. You’re far more likely to find success on social media if you focus on one or two platforms first. Give those platforms everything you have, and then you can always add more platforms as you start finding growth. My suggestion? Start a YouTube channel or a podcast and pair it with Instagram. I feel like this will be a solid start.

What to post:

This is when somebody might normally tell you to develop “content pillars.” I feel like as things have changed over time, content pillars, specifically, are getting further in the past, and instead, it’s really just breaking down parts of your passion and even areas in your own personal life that connect back to your niche. List those out and give yourself a guide on what to post about. Having this list is more of just a starting point. It just gives you some sort of organization on what type of content to create.

Obviously, this may change and adapt over time as your interests change or your path changes. I have personally adjusted my talking points multiple times over the years, and I finally feel like I have reached a really solid place, so don’t be afraid to make those adjustments when needed.

When to post:

It’s really important to set up some sort of posting schedule before you ever start posting to begin with or before you start building out your content calendar. The best way to stay consistent is by creating a realistic posting schedule that allows you the amount of time you need to create quality and consistent content. If you are just starting out and feel like it might take you a while to get used to everything, you could start by posting just 2 to 3 times per week, maybe Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But try staying active in your Instagram stories every single day. Maybe if you’re starting a podcast or a YouTube channel, you start by just posting one time per week. Maybe even every other week until you get comfortable. The idea here is to come up with a realistic posting schedule that you can keep up with long-term.

By creating this content plan and having a strategy of where you’re posting, what you’re posting about, and when you are posting it, this will alleviate a lot of the pressure that you will feel on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis when you’re creating your content.

Step 3: Creating content routines and habits will keep your consistency in check

There is one saying that you will hear over and over again when it comes to content creation, and that is, “Consistency is key.”

Let me know if you cringed a little bit when I said it?

The thing is, though, consistency is a very important part of growing a content creation business. It’s actually one of the things people struggle with most, and even if they’re doing everything right, when they are posting, if they’re not consistent, unfortunately, they’re not going to see growth. So something else you should do if you’re really trying to build a business is come up with a content routine.

I have changed and developed my content routines over the years, and I finally found one that I feel like works for not only me and my schedule but also my partner, Dan. He works from home as well and has a lot of meetings, so it’s always been a challenge to find a good balance with all of the filming and audio recording that I do for my business. But now, after all the years, I found one that works really well for me.

My weekly routine:

Starting on Monday morning, I will actually be working on editing a video that I filmed the week prior. The other days throughout the week, I’ll be working on scripting and outlining my videos, and on Fridays is actually when I film my videos.

This is also strategic because it gives me a weekend away from my computer, so I can come back on Monday morning and have a fresh new perspective on the video I filmed when I’m diving into editing.

How to develop your routine:

We all have different day-to-day needs and requirements; you might have a full-time job or maybe you have children. You'll have to find the content creation routine that’s going to work for you.

Something I find helpful with this is making a list of all the content you plan to create and then creating a list of all of the subtasks that you will need to do to create this piece of content. Find ways to stack these tasks on top of each other.

For example, if you need to write an outline or script for a reel but also a script for a YouTube video, and you also need to write captions for your Instagram content, maybe do all of these in the same day so that you can batch all of your writing, and by focusing on the same similar task, you might get into a better flow. Same with filming, same with editing, etc. But by making a list of all of the tasks that you need to do, you can find a way to fit those in throughout your week better than just telling yourself you need to create five Instagram posts and one YouTube video each week.

Step 4: Not every income stream will be right for you, but there are a lot to choose from

Let’s be honest; figuring out where your income is coming from is probably one of the major reasons you decided to check out this episode today. But before diving into the numerous income streams you could potentially be using in your business, remember that the only way you will get to the point where you can have these income streams is by building all of these foundational steps we’ve already been talking about in steps one through three. So just keep that in mind. I think the best way to lay out all of these different potential income streams is by listing them off one by one.

Brand Partnerships:

Let’s start by talking about one of my largest revenue streams last year in 2023, and that is brand partnerships. This is probably one of the more popular ones that people talk about or think about. The idea of brand partnerships is very simple: a brand reaches out to you or you reach out to them, and they pay you to place an ad on your social media post, whether it’s a YouTube video, a podcast episode, an Instagram post, etc.

They provide you with some requirements, negotiate a price, you both sign a contract, and then you create the piece of content, get their approval, and normally after your post has been made, you will eventually receive the payment. It’s a pretty basic exchange; they pay you to place an ad on your content. But it can get complicated.

There is a lot of back-and-forth involved; you have to thoroughly read through contracts and make sure you and the brand are on the same page. Some brands I’ve worked with in the past didn’t take much time at all; it was a very simple process. But there have been other, larger partnerships where I could spend hours on my computer working out the details. So, even though it is and can be a large source of income, it’s also a lot of work.

This also reminds me to encourage you to ask for what you’re worth. Don’t be afraid to price your time appropriately. As a smaller creator, sometimes I feel like we let people take advantage of us because we feel like our audience isn’t worth a higher price range, but regardless, you are putting a lot of work into this and if they are interested in working with you, they will also negotiate with you to find a fair price.

Digital Products:

Next is digital products. Now this could be a PDF or a template; this is a lot of what you will see from me. You can also have courses and memberships, which are usually a higher-ticket priced item. I have my Instagram roadmap course and am in the process of planning a membership as well. But the one thing that all of these have in common is it’s a digital format that provides high value. The great thing about digital products is really the sky is the limit with what you create and how much you charge.

Affiliate Marketing:

Another really popular revenue stream for content creators is affiliate marketing. This is when you get a trackable link from a brand or business, and you can share this link with your audience. If somebody makes a purchase using your link, you will make a small commission at no additional cost to your audience. The biggest thing with affiliate marketing is being transparent; legally you do need to tell people that you are sharing an affiliate link. And also make sure that you’re only sharing products you truly love and feel like would provide value to your community.

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing creators pushing products that you know aren’t good quality and you know they’re just pushing the product so that they can get a commission, not because they think it would really be beneficial for their audience. One tip that I have, especially if you’re at the beginning of this journey, is to start sharing products you love now even if you do not have an affiliate link. This will get your audience used to and comfortable with the idea of you sharing products you love, and then when you share products as an affiliate link, they are already going to have built some trust with you. I also recommend sharing products you love even when you don’t have an affiliate link.

It’s very easy to get greedy when it comes to building a content creation business because, of course, we’re trying to build a financially stable business here, but it’s important to remember that overall, we are speaking to humans and want to help them, so it doesn’t always have to be about what you get out of it but what they get out of it.

Google AdSense:

Another option for revenue is Google AdSense. This is specific to those who would want to start a YouTube channel or have a blog. On both of these platforms, you can run advertisements on your content and make a small income every time somebody sees your ad. Now, this usually isn’t a large chunk; even for YouTubers, I know there’s a misconception that people think YouTubers make tons of money from YouTube, but really, the majority of the content creator's income is from the other income streams I’ve already mentioned. Adsense plays a pretty small role in my six-figure income. But it is income nonetheless and definitely something you should add to your income streams if it makes sense for the content you’re creating.

Services:

Finally, I also want to touch on services. For me, my business started as a service-based business, and eventually, my personal social media brand grew, and my social media services turned into its own brand, which is Creatorly Media, where I have a team helping create content for other small business owners and brands.

The great thing about services is if you’re able to get clients, it’s an easier way to make money a little quicker as a content creator. You could even be helping other creators create their content and charge a fee for that. You could do product photography for brands that you admire; there’s lots of different ways that you can do services and try to relate it back to your content and brand. If you’re an educational brand, you could offer one-on-one coaching services or audits. There are multiple different directions you can go, but services are definitely a way a lot of creators are making an income.

Me personally, I do a mixture of all of these.

Step 5: The growth strategy that works on ALL platforms

Let’s talk about strategy. No matter what platform you are posting on, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind.

You should always provide value. No matter where you’re creating content, quality and value matter. Why would somebody want to consume your content if they’re not getting anything out of it? Whether that be education, inspiration, entertainment, etc., make sure your content is valuable.

Find a way to differentiate yourself. And constantly get asked if social media is oversaturated, and if somebody can still grow on the platform. And the answer is yes, and yes. Though there are tons of people on the platform, you can still grow on the platform by finding a way to stand out and differentiate yourself from the rest. We’re all different. There is something that sets you apart, and it’s your job to figure out what that is and really lean into that with your content.

The goal is the same: capture attention and keep it! Regardless of where you’re posting, the goal is always to grab somebody’s attention and then keep it. With YouTube, that is your click rate and retention rate. With short-form video, that is the hook and, of course, the content of the video. The point is, we need to figure out a way to get their attention and then keep it. And preferably give them a reason to stick around to absorb more of your content.

Make it binge-worthy. Make sure your content is like somebody’s favorite show on Netflix. You know what I’m talking about; your favorite show drops another season on Netflix, and you can’t help but binge the entire season in one night. If you make sure that your content, whether it’s on YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok – make sure the content fits nicely together and is binge-worthy for your audience. If you get and keep their attention, and then they click over to your profile, and all of your content fits that same vibe, high-quality, and connects with that ideal viewer, you’ll be ready to see a spike in views.

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I know we all want to see quick success, especially when we’re pouring our time and heart into our content. But here is my mission for you: Give it one year—one year of being consistent on social media. Not posting this month and then again a few months later, and then one time here and there. I mean, consistent for one year. That is the only way you’re going to find success. And one year from now, if you are following all of the steps in this process and keeping consistent, you will start seeing results.