One of the reasons why the internet is awesome is because you can use the platform to build your personal brand. While there are clear pathways for people who want to become lawyers and doctors, this isn’t the case for people in creative fields like art and comedy. However, if you’re a creative professional, it’s a really good idea to use the internet to create the career of your dreams. While you will make mistakes and learn lessons along the way, the internet is the perfect place to expand your platform. To get things moving in the right direction, there are a few internal conversations you’ll want to have.
Content Frequency
Think about how often you’d like to produce content. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can successfully produce content on a daily basis without a plan in place. This is especially true if you’d like to be effective. Take a look at many of the comedic personalities on social media. If they’re not producing content multiple times a day, they’re usually posting once a day at a minimum. As a beginner, you don’t have to take on this type of challenge. However, whatever content calendar you decide to commit to, stick to it. If you’re only producing videos every Wednesday at 12 pm, remain committed to that for your followers’ sake. If they know they can find new content from you at a specific time, they’re more likely to tune in. As a result, you’ll gain traction as you work on building your platform. Don’t just produce content to say that you did. Always become intentional with every piece of content you produce. Consider each piece of content your professional signature. You never know where a piece of content will land in the digital space. As each post is introduced to new sets of eyes, every post will likely serve as your first impression to potential followers.
Creative Approach
Since you’ll want to stand out from the rest of the competition, consider taking a look at content creators and what they are currently producing. Find the loopholes and ways you can improve your own content. Don’t be afraid to push the envelope by trying new ideas. Experimentation will always help you as you’re working to find the perfect formula. If you’re a makeup artist who uses YouTube to develop your brand, consider using a website with a blog. Once you regularly update your blog and add targeted keywords in a strategic manner, you’ll be able to gain a consistent flow of potential clients or followers. It’s also good to discover your creative process. Some people love creative writing prompts. Others love to listen to music before the day starts. Learn more about what you need to do to spark the inspiration. As you learn your process and perfect your strategy, you’ll be able to gain a continuous flow of new ideas.
Visibility
In order to gain visibility, you’ll want to be consistent with your content production process. You’ll also want to do the research to find out when is the best time to post. If you’re building your brand by posting content on Facebook and Instagram, recognize that you’ll want to release the content at different times. The optimal time for Facebook isn’t always the optimal time for other social media platforms. Do your research to find out which times work best for your content. It’s also essential to consider an automated process. If you’re working at your full-time job and don’t have time to post, you can always schedule the content to automatically post at ideal times. While Facebook business pages allow you to schedule your content within the platform, this isn’t the case with all of the platforms. This is why brands like Hootsuite and Buffer are helpful in the automated scheduling process.
Collaboration
If you want to introduce your content to new audiences at a consistent rate, this is a positive effort because you’ll gain more traction and visibility. To get started, make a list of potential content creators, brands and businesses you’d like to collaborate with. Make sure that the collaborations make sense. If you’re a comedian, you can do a collaboration with a fellow comedian. Just make sure that you branch out. If your comedic rants are political, find a political YouTube show or political podcast that will share their platform with you. Provide value when you collaborate. Recognize that no one owes you their platform. You have to prove your worth and how you’re deserving of the exposure. As you make the list, always reach out to potential collaborators via email. One of the most unprofessional ways to reach out is through the direct message or private message. Be professional with your correspondence and follow-up. Don’t be afraid of rejection. Even though you might get a bunch of doors slammed in your face, someone will eventually say yes.
