How To Become A Successful Video Content Creator – Insights From KallmeKris

I frequently write about how the world of work is changing. The development of new technologies means that some jobs that were common in the past no longer exist: think lamplighters, elevator operators and switchboard operators.

Also, new jobs are being created all the time. A new occupation is the creator of video content. Today, technology enables creative people to make a living by creating their own niche audiences, developing a personal brand, and growing a unique fan base.

One such creator is Kris Collins, also known as KallmeKris, who, since starting her career during the pandemic lockdown, has grown an audience of more than 43 million viewers on video-sharing services including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and more. and Twitch.

This week, he joined me for a webinar where, among other things, we discussed his top tips for succeeding in the hyper-competitive but potentially very rewarding world of video content. Here’s an overview of them, and if you want to watch the full interview, you can find it here.

Have a content strategy

As with any endeavor, whether in art or business, think about what you’re trying to accomplish and set plans to make it happen. In the case of content creation, this means understanding the different formats and types of content that will work across different channels, and taking a methodical approach to writing, filming, editing, and publishing.

Colins tells me, “I do a lot of comedy sketches…so I have to have a schedule, otherwise I’m not very organized! So I keep a Google calendar: mornings are for writing and afternoons are for filming. .. the edition is at night But because I have many different platforms, usually TikTok is the beginning of the day, Youtube is the noon “.

To start, he started by looking at other people’s channels and talking to other content creators to get a sense of how different content performed on different platforms.

She says, “I do what I love, I love writing comedy and creating characters, and I think that has a lot to do with how successful I am, so start with something that you love to do, and if you really want to be successful with that you have You have to manage your time very well.

Learn from your mistakes

Jumping into the deep end and getting your hands dirty is a great way to start learning right away on the job. But one lesson Colins learned early on is to take time for yourself and avoid burnout.

She tells me, “I’ve been doing five to eight videos a day for over a year, I definitely had several burnout periods and I was pretty low.

“But at the end of the day…people aren’t going to care if you take a day off. I’m a mental health advocate and I didn’t really take care of myself through the whole process.

“But now… I focus on quality over quantity… that’s something I wish I had discovered sooner!”

Learn to manage your income

Content creators don’t get a nice, simple paycheck per month, with their taxes and other expenses covered. They are usually self-employed, and if they want to be successful, it will usually involve managing multiple streams of income. These could come from subscription fees, sponsorships and brand deals, services like Patreon, referrals, pay-per-click advertising, Google AdSense, or many other potential sources.

Colins said, “I also sell merchandise…it’s multiple streams of income, and it gets overwhelming…I’m a very scrambled brain person!”

Financial service providers, including fintech startups, have been quick to take notice of this emerging market of self-employed online workers, many of whom may not have had a deep understanding of the intricacies of managing their own finances before starting out. exciting digital races. Colins told me that she uses an app called Able that is designed to help people like her manage her income and taxes.

“you set it up with your bank account, and when you get paid… set aside the money that you’ll have to pay in taxes… the problem I had when I started is that you’re getting this income, but you don’t realize that not all of that money it’s yours! This helps you not to worry about it… the money you get is the money that is yours so you put it away [taxes] by the end of the year or the end of the quarter or every time you pay your taxes.”

Pay attention to analytics

Keeping an eye on the demographics your content is popular with, the time of day they watch it, and which videos are performing well and which are underperforming is key to growing your audience and serving them videos that are relevant. Each platform provides different tools for creators to mine their viewer data for insights, and developing a broad understanding of all of them is key to success.

Says Colins, “At first, I didn’t focus on them, but it really matters… I keep track of everything.

“Sometimes the algorithms just don’t like you that day, and it doesn’t work well, but most of the time, if it’s shared frequently and there are a lot of likes or comments, you know. [the content] it is successful.

“People like to scroll fast, so you have to catch them in the first one or two seconds; you have to do something to catch the viewer… maybe it’s the thumbnail that wasn’t good enough, or maybe the video It was too long – People’s attention spans are getting shorter, so analytics is absolutely something every creator should consider.”

Always be on the lookout for new opportunities

Technology makes it possible to do this for a living, so content creators should always be on the lookout for future trends and new opportunities ahead. Colins tells me that she is currently interested in NFTs and the potential they have to unlock new ways to monetize and share content. She is also looking to do live tours to meet her fans in person, and she is also looking into opportunities to get involved with traditional media like film and television.

She says, “Those are the big projects right now, I’ve got a bunch of little ones too, like writing a graphic novel and doing other things, there’s like a hundred other things!”

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