I'm getting burnt out (QUALITY vs QUANTITY)
Every content creator (no matter what medium-vlogs, tutorials, DIYs, reviews, gaming, blogs, etc.) has been burnt out. (If you think you haven't, just you wait. It's coming!)
I have been in different platforms and mediums already and across the board, it's something that I tried to keep up regarding algorithm, creative freedom, brand deals and keeping yourself up to date on the trends and riding the wave to get as many likes, followers, etc.
I got burnt out! I was MIA for more than 2 months for engagements and when I went back in the zone trying to keep up again, I started going back to my old contents, it cringe me a lot for I realized that the contents I have been putting up were not the best contents I have been doing. Most of it doesn't reflect or represent what I am or my brand is.
I had to re-brand myself, re-vamp my strategy and restructure my contents moving forward since I don't seem contented about the materials I was supposed to publish. I don't feel contented that it's good enough-that it's going to appeal enough or it will showcase the story that I want to tell. In short, I don't get myself satisfied about the materials and contents I try to piece together.
I need to pull the breaks and think over because not only my Cyclothymia is recurring but also because of the fact that things are getting crazy since the start of the year. My engagements and opportunities are flowing but I don't get myself in the zone that I want to be where I lead to a point that I have to put myself in danger (physically, mentally and career-wise). I have to step back and rethink everything before I release a new content to just update the public on what is going on.
Here's my opinions and observations on what is going on and what I observed in the community of YouTube, Content Creators and Influencers:
1. The internet and mainstream platforms are already crowded. The struggle of standing out and conforming to the environment you are in is real! Life in itself is crowded enough. Because there's a rise of these big creators and famous influencers and their power being famous and a huge following and companies see this as an opportunity, they are earning a lot. With that, everyone wants to jump in and wanted to join in and be the kind of influencers and content creators they follow and wanted to be famous as well with no plan and platform on why they want to be.
2. Influencers are first and foremost, content creators. Every big influencers and creators always emphasizes the fact: MAKE IT YOUR PASSION. That's the root of being an influencer. Quality Content is their money makers. It's getting hard for us now to do the same because companies wants to invest more on these big influencers and content creators because they have a bigger number of following and impact to their potential markets.
3. Social Media Platforms Incidents and Sudden Change Shifts. Since the start of year, there were a lot of things happening in the internet. From the Logan Paul Issue, to the viral post about a social media "influencer" tried to get free accomodations in Europe because she and her boyfriend are celebrating their anniversary or something and the owner retaliated because she used her number of followers in a wrong way, to the changes of YouTube Monetizaiton policy and to the shooting incident in the YouTube HQ. These things gave much more impact on how everything is being shapen as of this time for Content Marketing and Influencer Marketing.
4. Paid followers, subscribers, Sub-for-Sub and Follow-for-Follow. These issues are becoming dormant and are becoming the loopholes to try and beat the platforms' respective algorithms and to go around the policies and shortcut to be able to earn their easy-money. Mainstream platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc. didn't go this unnoticed and has come up to keep their own platforms more organic and more realistic since there are a surge of users trying to go after the lifestyle, business model and follow the trend in having a passive income. These platforms are losing money from the ad owners because they are not satisfied with the conversion of either their sales or targets on why they are investing on these platforms. This led to a lot of changes when it comes to policies and analytics structures to satisfy both the community and the ad owners and companies to not lose money and give a better shape on how this business model can shape itself.
5. Content is KEY! It is true! Content is KEY! Better story telling and value is what you really need. Clickbait is just a tool, tags, hashtags, optimization are the same They are just tools. But what makes these creators and influencers are their content's story. This can't be reiterated and emphasized enough since people are forgettitng about it. Genuine content, followers and story is much more valuable in this digital age since everything can be found as it is. SEO and metadata is just something to help you and make you searchable. So you have to have a good sense of these. Content may be key but if you don't have a basic knowledge of this, you can't leverage yourself and your content.
This is just the beginning of the number of changes that will happen in the community. For sure, there will be more and a lot of platforms will do the same.
These observations are just a few but it always draws me back to the question: Why are you doing this in the first place? At first, I just wanted to try it out because it's fun and I have more creative freedom outside of my performing arts which is my life passion. I wanted to inspire people of my life story and I want to make an impact to the younger generations since I am sure that there are people out there that is undergoing the same things I am undergoing. People may have different stories but I know there are parallel circumstances are happening with different people. Content Creation may be a new passion but I know I always wanted to do create something. Whether it may be a video, write-up, composition, etc. This should always be a passion, first and foremost before you make it your business.
This is what drives me and what made me re-vamp my brand as Hunter James and #ItsTimeToHunt because as far as I am moving right now, I always end up hunting for myself, voice and opportunities I should be growing on.
So... in leigh way and a segue to end this long-ass article/blog: "If you don't know what to do today, it's time to hunt!"
