How One Creator Did It

Welcome to the newest installment of our collection, Creators Unlocked, the place we communicate with creators to know what it is like behind the screens of the tweets and TikToks to be taught from their experiences.

Immediately, we’re unlocking Katie Xu’s creator journey, from being the mind behind the social media accounts of firms like Kapwing to being a TikTok creator with 80,000+ followers.

Katie’s TikTok has grown in leaps and bounds because of a number of viral movies that includes her evaluation and recommendation about what makes a profitable creator. On this interview, we talk about Katie’s unconventional strategy to advising creators and have a look at her plans for development as a creator.

Q: What impressed you to begin creating content material on social media?

I’ve all the time been all in favour of social media and have been creating content material for a very long time – a minimum of since center college. Earlier than, it was for myself, golf equipment at college, or the cafe I labored at. However I solely began lately creating content material to construct my private model.

It took some time to get to that time as a result of I needed to take time to collect the braveness to lastly begin placing myself on the market. Till this level, I had been hiding behind different manufacturers, operating their social media as a enterprise. Now, I really feel like inspiring and empowering folks by way of content material and have even began getting messages that my movies assist folks get the braveness to begin for themselves.

Q: And what was the push to get began doing social media for your self, not simply different folks?

I stumbled upon freelancing unintentionally, but it surely opened me to a world of people that have been doing enterprise with no social media presence, and I turned the person who helped them try this. That was eye-opening to the significance of social media in entrepreneurship. As I constructed experience in social media, I noticed a possibility to construct my private model and that was what received me began.

Q: What sort of content material do you create, and who do you create it for?

The dearth of a area of interest doesn’t assist a lot right here, however the content material I create paperwork my journey as an entrepreneur and content material creator and helps me share my ideas, concepts, opinions, and experiences with all my numerous endeavors. The best viewers is aspiring content material creators and entrepreneurs, however I hope my content material can attain and assist a broader viewers.

Q: What’s in your device stack for content material creation?

For video creation, TikTok is the place it’s at. I don’t like creating movies outdoors it as a result of it provides too many steps to my workflow, which I wish to maintain easy. Even when modifying for purchasers, I log into their TikToks as a result of it feels extra pure and native.

By way of monetizing my platform, I exploit Stan for my link-in-bio as a result of the consumer expertise is so clear. And it makes the move of buying [my products and services] simpler for my viewers.

Q: What are your objectives for 2023, and the way will you measure their success?

By way of content material creation, I’d say diversifying my model and making a long-term, sustainable enterprise out of it. That’s my final aim as a result of whereas I like creating on TikTok, a platform that you simply don’t personal might be taken away at any time. The algorithm can determine sooner or later to cease pushing my content material.

Additionally, some background: I took a spot yr to pursue content material creation and I’ll be going again within the Fall [of 2023]. Once I do, ideally, I’ll have a model that I can take with me and proceed to doc my life.

Q: That’s so fascinating – by way of diversifying, what platforms are you contemplating? Are you trying outdoors of social media?

Positively – I need to construct a publication or a minimum of an e mail record. I’ve heard from many creators how essential it’s, and I positively see the significance as I slowly begin to construct my very own. It’s comforting to know that I can all the time attain my viewers.

I’m additionally tentatively contemplating beginning a podcast – and I say that as a result of I’m hesitant to leap on simply any medium or platform as a result of I prioritize focus and doing issues properly. However you may maintain folks’s consideration a lot better with a publication or 30-minute podcast than a brief video. The devoted readers and listeners actually grow to be your core viewers.

Q: The concepts you share on social media lean in the direction of the unconventional. What would you say your inventive course of is like? How do you provide you with concepts for content material?

I would say my technique of developing with movies can also be a part of the unconventional goodness of my content material. Earlier than attending to creating content material, I labored backward by way of technique. So I made a decision for myself what sort of content material I like, what I need my model to appear like, and what can be one of the best technique to get my concepts on the market.

There’s a number of nice recommendation about which concepts try to be sharing, tips on how to share them, and on which platforms, however it may be algorithm-oriented, which finally ends up being restrictive to creators. Personally, on TikTok, I need my movies to be uncooked, low-effort sharing of concepts. I need them to be issues I provide you with on the spot which can be good no matter flashy modifying or stylish music.

Q: The lo-fi strategy positively works – you’ve gone viral a number of instances already. And I do know that with virality comes stress, amongst different challenges. How do you navigate challenges as a creator?

With going viral got here a number of site visitors, and whereas it wasn’t a giant problem, I wasn’t absolutely ready to obtain the inflow. I had no official area and couldn’t deal with all of the incoming inquiries.

One other factor is that content material creation has been time-consuming. So I can positively see it being a problem if I needed to stability college and dealing for an organization alongside creating. To be sincere, I haven’t fairly discovered that stability but.

Scrolling is likely one of the hardest issues to deal with since you’re so used to partaking on social media as a shopper, however if you do it professionally, you need to pay ten instances extra consideration. Your thoughts is all the time content material analytically, breaking down the creator’s strategy and considering up enhancements. It could possibly take up extra time than senseless scrolling.

Q: How do you navigate the necessity to earn a residing from content material creation with creativity because it turns into extra of a enterprise?

My scenario is a bit completely different from different creators as a result of my revenue isn’t reliant on model offers – it comes from the enterprise I constructed earlier than beginning to take social media extra severely. So fortunately for me, revenue is fairly regular.

The half the place the stability will get difficult is that it might suck the enjoyment out of content material creation if that’s all you do. I do it for manufacturers, and I’ve to do it for myself as properly. I’ve spoken to so many creators who need to work on their very own content material however are so targeted on working for others that it turns into troublesome.

Q: What recommendation would you give to somebody who’s simply beginning to take their social media severely and construct their model?

One, notice that content material creation is a talent that must be labored on and never only a fortunate break that occurs to anybody. In fact, folks get fortunate and go viral however if you wish to pursue content material creation sustainably, it has to grow to be a part of your routine. Deal with each video you set out as apply in order that even when engagement isn’t forthcoming, you may keep constant. The massive creators make it look straightforward however they’ve abilities, whether or not in modifying or storytelling, or just connecting with folks.

Two, for my part, you need to grow to be the area of interest. I believe niches are a really nuanced dialogue, however you need to notice that you could’t disguise behind the class.

Even with cooking movies, when you’re simply doing tutorials on YouTube and that’s all you need to do, nice. However when you ever need to develop as a model and broaden into different components of your trade like releasing a cookbook, you need to be prepared to talk in your movies and inject your persona. That’s what builds actual reference to an viewers.

Q: You talked about that you simply make most of your revenue from consulting – however have you ever began making revenue from publishing on social media? And might you rank your streams of revenue from most to least worthwhile?

I’d say my favourite technique proper now could be teaching and dealing with folks to construct their manufacturers. It’s fulfilling to assist them work out what they need to be doing and supply them with readability. Then after that might be working with manufacturers, which is not bringing in an excessive amount of cash but, however is rewarding all the identical. Though to be sincere, I choose working extra within the background for manufacturers to generate income than straight up promoting one thing on my social media.

Q: What are some challenges you’ve confronted with regards to pricing your companies as a creator?

My largest problem is unquestionably understanding what to cost. I’m studying day by day tips on how to worth confidently and even what worth determines how I select to cost my work. I stay up for having a greater perspective in a few years, however proper now I’m nonetheless interested by the distinction between time vs. value-based pricing.

So many issues go into why a model deal prices a certain quantity – it’s not simply the time you spend or your follower rely but additionally your talent as a creator to ship nice content material and promote a model convincingly.

Q: Is there something, specifically, you are keeping track of within the content material creation house for the long run?

I’ll positively be keeping track of YouTube Shorts. I simply assume YouTube is unquestionably a risk with regards to the video house.

Takeaways

• Katie discovered success on TikTok by specializing in uncooked, low-effort content material that prioritized sharing concepts over flashy modifying or stylish music. This strategy allowed her to face out from the gang and showcase authenticity, which helped her achieve a loyal following of greater than 70,000 followers.
• To construct a sustainable private model, Katie plans to diversify her on-line presence throughout a number of platforms. She acknowledges the dangers of relying solely on one platform like TikTok, whose algorithm might change or cease selling her content material. By constructing a publication, contemplating a podcast, and keeping track of rising platforms like YouTube Shorts, Katie goals to make sure her model’s long-term success and stability.
• As a creator, Katie stresses the significance of injecting persona into content material and changing into the area of interest, slightly than simply becoming into one. She believes that this strategy helps construct an actual reference to the viewers and opens up alternatives for growth inside the trade. As an example, if a creator shares their persona whereas making cooking movies, they’re extra probably to achieve releasing a cookbook or constructing a private model round their experience.
• In terms of pricing her inventive companies, Katie’s largest problem is figuring out the suitable worth. She is consistently studying tips on how to worth confidently and considers each time and value-based pricing. Elements resembling talent as a creator, the power to ship high-quality content material, and convincing model promotion all play a job in figuring out the suitable worth for her companies. This deal with worth ensures that she will be able to present one of the best outcomes for her purchasers whereas nonetheless incomes a good revenue.