In the future, everyone will be a content creator. Here’s what you need to know.

The internet is a magical place.

Anyone can become an influencer or content creator. Pick any niche, passion, or esoteric topic, start posting content regularly and watch your audience find you.

Posting one piece of content won’t change your life but posting every day will.

What started as a hobby during the lockdowns has blossomed into a creative outlet for me. I’ve made new friendships, been offered incredible opportunities, and added an additional stream of income.

I had no expectations and never really knew what I was doing. There are no rules. But here are five things I wish I knew earlier.

#1 People Will Know You Before You Know Them

Consuming content is an intimate experience. Especially through a podcast. You are literally in the person’s ear for hours at a time.

You might even be keeping them company as they travel, shop and go about daily life. You feel safe and sound familiar to them.

They will know far more about you than you know about them.

They have formed emotional bonds with you before you even know who they are. It’s quite an odd experience having someone tell me how my podcast and articles have shaped their life.

Overall, this is a positive thing. But I do sometimes feel off balance when I meet people or clients for the first time who have been following me on LinkedIn or Medium for years.

I am sometimes treated like a minor celebrity and it makes me feel uncomfortable.

#2 People Will Judge You Before They Even Know You

You’ll be judged. Get used to it.

No matter what you do, some people won’t like it. For wrong or right reasons, some people in your life might not like that you put yourself out there.

I’ve learned most of these people either fall into three buckets:

1. Insecure

2. Jealous or

3. All of the above.

You can’t pander to these people. Just learn to ignore them and focus on what your supporters and fans have to say.

You can’t be everything to everyone and nothing to yourself.

#3 People Will Consume Your Content Without Engaging

Just like posting and ghosting, you’ll have people who consume and ghost.

I’ve had random people message me saying that my content on LinkedIn has changed the decisions they’ve made and the way they think.

But when I go through my stats, I don’t see their name. No likes or comments. No history of engagement. Some people aren’t even connected with me.

While not everyone will engage actively with a ‘like’ or ‘comment’ or ‘subscribe’, there are people out there who are consuming your content without your knowledge.

Never underestimate the impact and reach your content is having on people.

#4 People Will Approach You (Duh)

I’ve been stopped at the gym, at work events and even at a soccer game once.

When you put yourself out there publicly, be prepared for people to recognize you on the streets.

All my in-person interactions have been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve never received hate. Most people who approach you in real life are probably fans.

You’ll be surprised at who some of your fans are. I was at the gym with a friend and got stopped by this hulk-like figure of a man.

I thought he was going to start a fight but he asked: “Hey man, are you, Michael Lim? I listen to your podcast all the time.”

Never judge a book by its cover. But I did not expect him to be a big listener of the podcast.

#5 Creating Content Is Hard Work

I’ll be honest, I never appreciated the work that influencers and content creators do to provide value for their audience.

I would scoff when I would hear that they burn out or they need to do this full time. I mean, how hard is it to post pictures on Instagram or record a video of yourself dancing?

Answer: really fucking hard.

Until I started writing on Medium, producing a podcast and consistently posting on LinkedIn, I never understood how much work goes into creating valuable content.

It’s not just the hours you have to put in but the dose of creativity and vulnerability that goes into every post.

You can’t have a copy-and-paste strategy with your content. That gets really boring real fast. Each post must be novel, valuable and compelling.

If you’re not putting something on the line each time, good luck reaching any meaningful audience.

You also have an existential fear of waking up and being irrelevant. Even writing that sentence sent a shiver down my spine.

Be prepared to work hard AND smart.

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