Is Content Just A Matter of Charisma and Timing?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the time it takes to create content. And not just create it but actually curate content for your channel or brand. How much time and thought goes into executing a “successful” post, and the time spent thinking of a way to basically reinvent the wheel to keep up with the standard.
Because content is content is content, sure. But if you’re taking it seriously, if it’s your main source of income and your literal job, it’s not as simple as just setting up your phone on a jar of peanut butter and recording yourself in your kitchen talking about the interest rates. I mean, some people are lucky enough that that is their literal job. They’ve found a way to make it work. But to be a capital C Content Creator, the job can sometimes be more work off-camera than on camera.
With many creators on YouTube who are DIY with their work, let’s just use Drew Gooden as an example, there are long stretches of time before most uploads. That’s because he is either writing a script for the video, which is often 30 minutes long at minimum, ordering products that he is going to talk about, watching films that he is going to talk about, researching topics for accurate information and data, traveling to specific places, setting up different shots or locations to include in the videos, and of course editing everything down into a cohesive and enjoyable piece. deep breath That can be multiple 40-hour work weeks for a single person. And I haven’t even mentioned brand deals and sponsorships. That’s a whole other can of worms.
That’s just one example, though. Obviously, the attack plan can be different for each creator, depending on their specific content, any help hired, and the actual platform being used for the content. But that’s always been something I wondered about as a consumer.
I also think that the amount of work/time that goes into the content, as well as the time between the content being published, can factor into your brand. For some creators, it’s not always so much about the what they say, but the how they say it, and when.
There’s some sort of charm to having to wait for an upload or new edition of someone you like to watch/hear from. It’s like cable sitcoms when you had to wait each week for the next episode, or until the fall for the new season. You get the notification or see the new post on your subscription list and the excitement that fills your body as you furiously click to watch/read/listen is just electric.
There are plenty of commentary channels on YouTube and TikTok, for example. Some post weekly, if not multiple times a week, just sitting talking into a camera. And that’s fine, that works for them, and people always love to hear about drama or someone’s opinion on whatever new trend is happening. But while that’s all well and good, there’s always some kind of special quality, in my opinion, of those who make something more than just watch-and-react or summarizing events type content. Maybe that’s just a me thing, and not that I look down on creators who are just trying to get out content. I just think for me, personally, looking at a launch plan for myself, I would plan a cadence of posting that allows me time to really craft something that makes people excited to click on because they know I’ve put effort into it.
Shifting gears slightly here, I also think a lot about the oversaturation of the market. There are just so many channels and podcasts and accounts and newsletters and blogs and influencers and and and…. Just think of the true crime genre. There are countless true crime content sources, and so many of them have covered the exact same cases.
I wonder if popular creators still attract audiences because of their charisma and the way they discuss specific cases. Almost like “oh, what do THEY have to say about this well-known case? How are THEY going to tell the story?” Which kind of harkens back to my “what, how, when” comment. Maybe that’s the key when stepping into a crowded genre, to simply be a likable and engaging human.
I’ve rambled all over the place again, I fear. Still getting my bearings on a newsletter. But I hope most of this makes sense.