3 burning questions i had when i started content creating

In my recent post, I gave you all a bit of a backstory to what brought me into the world of content creation and how I’ve been doing since I started, but it’s been a journey. When I first began content creating, I didn’t know much about the industry nor about what a content creator actually was. I knew I enjoyed fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, and tried to create videos and capture photos of me doing what I love. As I learned more and more about the industry and how I was able to monetize this hobby, that's when the questions started rolling in…and trust me, I had a bunch of them. Today I am going to share these questions with you all, so that you don’t feel as though you need to know it all when it comes to content creation because I sure didn't. So let’s get started.

Image Courtesy: Mohamed Mahmoud Hassan (Creative Commons)

Question #1 Do I really NEED a camera?

You’re probably laughing at this question, but this was a genuine concern of mine starting early on. All of the well-established content creators and YouTubers had fancy cameras that took their content to the next level, and I personally didn't have the funds for that. I put my creator journey at a standstill thinking that I needed to save and invest in the camera first before creating content, but that was not true and a big mistake. What you need is the MOTIVATION to go out and create content, regardless of if you have a camera or not. Using what you have goes to show that you have the drive and passion to do this. In fact, a phone is perfect for starting off your creator journey and just getting into the swing of content creation.

Question #2 Do I HAVE to post everyday?

Listen, I enjoy social media as much as the next person, BUT, I simply don’t enjoy being on my phone 24/7. I learned early on that I would really have to follow a schedule and plan things ahead of time if I wanted to still have hours off of my phone and enjoy real life. To be a content creator means you must have the drive and passion to want to create content and post, especially if you want to be consistent. I found that I didn’t have enough time to do what I truly wanted to do in this space due to plenty of my time going towards coursework as a full-time college student. I do have some apps that do help me stay organized when I have projects here and there, Notion being my absolute favorite for calendars and posting schedules. My goal is to become more consistent and follow a schedule once I’m out of school that will help keep my engagement up, even on the days when I’m not posting.

Question #3 What software should I use? How will my videos turn out if I don’t have the best software?

This was something that stressed me out, for NO reason at all. Starting off as a creator means you start slow and grow overtime. I was too busy focusing on these expensive software equipment, when I could’ve started out using apps on my phone, or editing software on the platforms I was using and move on as time goes on. For those starting out, I implore you to not throw tons of money on software and equipment just yet, see what you can do with what you have and work your way up overtime!

A few of my favorite editing apps on my phone are Splice, CapCut, InShot, as well as iMovie.

Here’s also a video that discusses the best editing apps for both iPhones and Androids.

I hope to encourage you all to continue to create what you love and ask questions, remember no question is a dumb question. The more you ask, the more you learn, and I believe you can dominate in an industry like this by being honest with yourself and getting answers to the questions you have early on.

Let me know if you prefer filming content on your phone or a camera and why?