How to Be a Successful Content Creator and Start a Blog Series

This series will teach you how you can be a successful content creator and start a blog.

You dream of running a successful, profitable blog that lets you do what you enjoy: creating content.

You’re seated at an artsy-looking cafe in a city you’ve always wanted to visit.

Maybe it’s in Paris, London or in one of those a quaint cities that’s a hidden gem.

You’re looking out at the street observing locals and tourists as they stroll by.

There’s a laptop in front of you and you’re working on your latest project–something you’re so excited about.

You can’t believe that you’re in this beautiful city, working remotely, living your dream life and doing what gives you joy.

You get to travel the world and explore to your heart’s content.

But most importantly, you have the freedom to choose your lifestyle.

Today you may be working in a cafe in Paris, but tomorrow you could be exploring Oxford, Universal Studios Hollywood or South Korea.

That lifestyle is completely possible.

I’ve seen countless people do it.

Some call themselves creative entrepreneurs.

Others, content creators, digital nomads or bloggers.

They’re terms you see people use in their Instagram profiles.

But the coolest thing it’s not just a title, it’s their profession.

Though they have different names for what they do, they all have something in common and that is creating content.  

I, too, have dreamt of this lifestyle.

And as of January 2020, I became a full-time blogger in less than two years since starting this blog.

However, this was not my first blog.

In fact, I’ve been in the blogging industry for over 10 years!

Today, I am a full-time content creator.

When I started this blog, this is what I had written on my desk in my home office:

“Take concrete, measurable steps towards my dream life.”

I took small steps towards that goal.

Of course, there were instances I found it hard to balance blogging and a demanding full-time job.

There were times I was frustrated and tempted to quit.

And though times got tough, I kept on going.

I manifested amazing blog opportunities that helped me make the big decision to go full-time.

And as I navigate this full-time journey amid a global pandemic, I try to focus on the things I can control and how I can continue improving my craft.

As with any dream or goal, the first step is to start.

I couldn’t become a full-time blogger if I didn’t start a blog.

People may even say that the market is too saturated now, but if it’s something you really, truly want, then I say go for it.

There is always room for you and your voice.

However, I’m not telling you to quit your job to pursue this kind of lifestyle full-time if you’re just starting out.

You have to take calculated risks.

Only you can tell what’s best for you.

What I’m saying is don’t go into this blindly.

Quitting one’s job to pursue a passion is often romanticised, but let’s be real here.

How can you focus on making that dream life happen if you’re too worried or pressured about your next paycheck?

Or if you’re hungry? 

It takes a lot of hard work, patience, perseverance, and preparation to be a successful content creator.

You don’t want to be one of the thousands who start out hopeful and then abandon what you started because you’re not getting results.

You have to be able to set up your blog strategically in order for it to get to where you want to be and for you to make money blogging.

And how to set up a blog strategically is exactly what I teach in my How to Start a Money-Making Blog (Your Creative Business) online course.

However, I’m giving you a taste of what you can expect inside the course with this How to Become a Successful Content Creator and Start a Blog series.

Here’s what you can expect from this blog series:

• Why Do You Want to Be a Content Creator and Start a Blog?
• The Mindset You Need to Be a Successful Blogger & The Cost of Setting Up Your Dream Lifestyle
• What Type of Content You Should Focus On
• How to Create a Content Strategy Plan That Works
• How to Choose a Great Brand Name, Blog Host & Platform 
• A Step by Step Guide to Setting Up Your Blog

PIN THIS!

So while there are different types of content, the series will focus on starting a blog so that you can have an official headquarters for all the content you put out online.

But first things first…

Why Do You Want to Be a Content Creator and Start a Blog?

So you’ve been wanting to create a blog, but you’re afraid of putting yourself out there.

You don’t know how to start, so you tell yourself you’ll do it tomorrow when you’re feeling more prepared.

Or maybe, you’ve already taken those first steps, but you’re overwhelmed.

You feel like you don’t know if what you’re doing is right.

I’ve been there.

Multiple times.

My first encounter with blogging was when I opened a LiveJournal account and blogged about the concerts as a way to remember my experience.

Then, I opened a Xanga account, where I allowed myself to explore creative writing. 

A few years later, after I finishing the first draft of one of my novels, I realized I wanted to earn money from writing.

If possible, I’d like to work in the music industry as a music journalist, so I opened a music blog as an online portfolio.

The magazine I wanted to intern for said that having a blog would help in the application process, so I opened my first WordPress blog.

Though I never did get that internship that blog then led me to work with amazing people in the local music scene.

I’d relaunched that music blog twice.

My last blog was another attempt at merging what I loved: music, writing, and travel.

Later on, I realised that I still really love those topics, but I just wasn’t as passionate about going to a show every night nor did I have the energy to stay up that late for days in a row.

I just couldn’t see myself creating that type of content every day for the rest of my life.

I felt like I wasn’t making much of a difference.

It was hard letting go of music blogging even if I’d rebranded my blog as a travel blog for music lovers.

Once I made that decision to start over, I had to decide what was I going to do next.

I felt a little lost and stuck for a while not knowing what to do though I knew that I still wanted to blog.

I love blogging and learning about content creation.

I spend hours devouring lessons, videos, posts about how to become a better content creator.

I had to figure out why this was something I kept going back to.

This led me to launching this blog.

If there are thousands and thousands of content creators today, why do you want to become one?

Is it to express your creativity?

Establish a side-hustle?

To become a full-time blogger?

The way you approach content creation will depend on why you do it.

It may seem like it’s all glitz and glamour especially when you see bloggers, vloggers and creative entrepreneurs getting paid to attend events or travel, take photos and share them on social media.

It looks easy.

It looks like they’ve got a perfect life.

But remember that everyone goes through ups and downs of life.

Social media just has a way of filtering the carefree moments.

Everyone has their off days. 

What you don’t see are the years of hard work they put into building their career to be able to get to where they are.

It’s not an easy path nor is it a fast lane to earning big bucks.

It’s a huge, time-consuming (and at times exhausting) commitment. 

So ask yourself: what is your purpose behind content creation?

Start with your WHY.

For me, blogging started as a creative outlet, a way to document my life.

Later on, it became a chance to pursue a career that involved writing.

I’d come to realise that a blog is a lot like running an online magazine.

I was the editor-in-chief of my university publication for two years, so it made sense why I was drawn so much to this path.

Over the years of pursuing many blogs, I forgot why I started.

And when you forget why it’s easy to get dissuaded.

It’s easy to remember why you started and why you want this so badly.

The first thing I want you to do is to take a step back and truly evaluate why you want to be a content creator.

Take a piece of paper and write down all the reasons why you want to be a content creator. 

Get crystal clear on what it is that motivates you.

And then take action.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BLOG TIPS + CREATIVE BIZ (@izzmatias) on May 3, 2020 at 6:04am PDT

Here are a few questions that you can reflect on to help you uncover your WHY:

1. Why do I create content?
2. Why do I want to become a successful blogger?
3. What is my ultimate goal for my blog?
4. What does my ideal day look like and is content creation a big part of that?
5. Do I want to become a full-time blogger?
6. Do I want to earn money from blogging and/or content creation?

Ever since taking Arriane Serafico’s classes, I’ve learned how important it is to figure out your motivation behind a project and remind yourself of it.

How important it is to take action every single day because you’re guided by your “Why”.

Once you’ve identified why you want to pursue this kind of lifestyle, stick that reason somewhere you can see it, so you remember why you started in the first place.

I have mine in my Notes folder on my phone, posted on the white metal frame in front of my desk and written in my notebook.

I need to be constantly reminded of this and that’s why I’ve put up lots of reminders.

It helps me to stay focused and remember why what I’m doing is important to me especially on the days that are challenging. 

Need more help? Check out the How to Start a Money-Making Blog online course.

Join my content creator course and learn the step-by-step process and strategies that I used to set up my blog, make money online and helped me become a full-time blogger. Click here to find out more about the How to Start a Money-Making Blog (Your Creative Business )