Content Creation Tips & Tricks
In 2013, I started an internship at NorthPark Center in Dallas, TX. I worked with the marketing and PR team for all things fashion, social media, and luxury. I quickly found that I was obsessed with styling news anchors, sharing about skincare products on the local morning shows, and talking about what to get for dad this Father’s Day on the radio. Things were definitely not as digital then as they are now, and the word “influencer” certainly didn’t apply to someone taking photos on Instagram. This was the blogger golden era! Think Emily Ann Gemma, Caitlin Covington, and having kitschy names like “Southern Pearls & Curls” or “That Chef Girl” for your blog name.
So, now I have this passion that I put on the back burner for several years while I focused on health and my career, that has completely changed since I first found it. In a more digital world, of course radio, television, and in person events aren’t exactly what they used to be. In order to reach people as effectively as I did in more traditional methods, I was going to have to go digital! I’ve become so intrigued by the algorithm, what makes certain people more popular than others online, and how to hone in on your craft in a world filled to the brim with oversaturation; what is my niche?? Here are my tips to get started, as I learn alongside you:
GET ONLINE
Don’t have a TikTok? Make one. Never had an Instagram? Head to the app store. In order to do any of the following, you’ll need an account. So chop, chop, little onion!
RESEARCH
Next, I’d start researching. In 2023, I decided to start digging more. I carefully collected data from all different types of TikTok and Instagram influencers, and I quickly learned one thing — each one focuses on one particular theme. Sure, they may share about an upcoming tropical vacation, but if they’re a fashion influencer, they’re pulling outfits for that vacation, not telling you about their favorite vacuum cleaner. The best advice I give is just that; focus on, and decide, what your niche is. In order to figure that out, you absolutely need to do the following!
CREATE
I always learn best by playing around and experiencing things myself. Some of my best content was made by just messing around. There is no shame in trying something new, expanding yourself into a new territory, or “failing” — fail forward and make the goofy reel/TikTok! I suggest starting with just capturing your daily life (think morning routine, how you pick your outfit for the day, making your morning coffee, your essential items that belong in your vehicle, what’s in your desk at work, etc.) In order to figure out what the niche is in your community, you have to start with a range of content! Most importantly, remember THERE IS NO PRESSURE. People are not holding you to an imaginary standard to make professional grade photos/videos. Take a 3 minute long video of watering your plants, take a photo of your dog. Whatever you make, just make sure it represents who you are as a person — this is why people follow you to begin with 😘 We’ll dig into my favorite content editing options towards the end of this post.
ANALYZE
Start by making your Instagram a professional account if you haven’t already; this will give you all the analytics that a normal profile will not. After that, check your insights! What posts have you made that got the most engagement? Which ones were shared, commented on, and liked the most? Let your followers show you was they want more of by checking out what you’ve already created! TikTok is the same way; they prepare your analytics for you, and serve them on a silver platter in your notifications. The only difference is that you do NOT need to switch your account to a different type.
STRATEGIZE
Now that you know what you’re going to create, you need to plan the how and when. Buzzfeed strategist, Coco Mocoe, suggests starting with no less than three posts per day so that the algorithm understands who you’re trying to reach. After roughly a month of posting three times daily, Instagram/TikTok will start pushing your content to the For You pages. This is why it’s so important to hone in on what you want to help your community with the most! Building your following will take time, patience, and dedication — hang in there, and get ready to learn!
Celebrate your successes, learn from your growth opportunities
You’ve done the hardest part! Getting started is 80% of it. The other 20% is keeping it going!
Here are some of the things I’ve learned recently that have helped grow my following significantly. I highly recommend listening to this The Skinny Confidential podcast featuring Coco Mocoe. She gets granular on ways to beef up your following, how to stand out in a sea of influencers, and what she predicts is coming next.
STYLE
I’ve learned from the greats that having your grid posts (mostly) match in style/color/font helps catch the eye of those visiting your profile for 2 seconds. In those 2 seconds, they’re deciding if they want to follow you or not, long term. People like to be able to see what your posts/reels are actually about, not just an aesthetically pleasing photo, so pick a cover photo for your videos that shows what happens in that video. I find it super helpful to feature text in cover photos!
TOOLS
Apps - I use several different photo editing apps to achieve the look I want for my posts. My favorite for stories is Canva! It’s a free app, but if you want to use tools like background removal, watermark removal, etc. you’ll need to pay for the annual/monthly subscription (I think it’s only like $10/month). Educators get Canva Pro for free if your school is eligible! Another tool I absolutely love is Faceapp. Sometimes, I’m the only one in a group photo not looking my best. What better than to fix my face, and keep a photo I love for years to come? Faceapp is $60/year and super user friendly. You can fix your hair, skin, smile, makeup — it’s truly amazing, and a pageant girl secret. The app I use most of all is Lightroom to edit photos. The app itself is free, however I did purchase some “presets” from Baya Rae Photography (@baya.rae.photography on Instagram) to edit my photos more easily. I had to upload the presets into Lightroom, but now editing has never been easier! Even the darkest photos can become light and airy.
Equipment - There are a few things I think all content creators need, so I’ll list them here! The item I use daily is the Octobuddy silicone suction thing that sticks to the back of your phone, and then allows your phone to stick to any hard surface. I’ve done it on walls, mirrors, cabinets — it’s awesome! And at a price of $13, it’s well worth it. I also regularly use this LED ring light tripod phone holder. It comes with a little Bluetooth remote to start your videos from a distance too. The ring light makes a huge difference, and can be turned to three different shades. This is also tall girl approved, as you can adjust the legs to any height 🤣 Lastly, this TikTok influencer, Alix Earle, recommended clip on LED light is amazing. It can clip to your phone so you don’t have to haul your giant ring light stand around.
That’s all I know for now, as I’m still learning too! I see this as an ever-evolving blog post that I’ll continue adding to. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading 💕