Alright that’s not me but doesn’t she look carefree and relaxed?
So, I started this blog last year. I’d just resigned from one of the jobs that I’ve been bouncing back and forth-from. Ever since my department closed at the job I thought I’d retire from in 2020, I’ve sort of been all over the place…literally.
The Pandemic has shown me how fleeting things are. I’ve lost family and friends to the Covid disease and I realize that now I find it hard to waste my time doing things that I just don’t want to do. Granted, I am getting older and honestly that may contribute to my refusal to waste what I now consider life’s most precious commodity…time.
Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.comBuddy working a job he can’t stand. Trading time for dollars
I’m blessed and thankful to say that I’ve been very successful in the corporate world but the money and success mean nothing when you add up the years of stress and wasted time climbing the proverbial “corporate ladder”.
It may sound crazy but what I’m no longer willing to white knuckle it to work trying to make it there by 8, because I had to stop for gas. I’m no longer willing to work with people that make me feel uncomfortable. What the new “gig economy has taught me is that I can make money on my own terms. I plan to take full advantage of it, even though it doesn’t pay what my corporate job did. For me, having my time back is better than all the money in the world. Tyra
Today’s Blog is all about how long I’ve been creating content and what exactly is considered Content Creation. How can you get your foot in the door of Content Creating, yourself?
What is a Content Creator? A Content Creator is anything that you create and share on a Blog, or YouTube or Social Media. But, you probably want the boring Google definition. Ok,here goes…. According to Google, the actual definition of a Content Creator is someone who is responsible for the contribution of information to any media and most especially to digital media.
In 2012 when I began blogging I don’t believe the idea of content creation was even a thing. As time went by and Social media became more prevalent and You Tube videos started their wave of popularity, this new genre of common people creating electronic content, sharing that media and getting paid for it is now known as Content Creation.
I started out with my first blog on the Blogger platform, those blogs were very raw and even a little hard to understand. Three years later I created my next Blog on themelaninpot.com; Perespectives of American Culture, Politics, Finance and Love. Then in 2019, I created beautyismyculture.com a Beauty, Lifestyle and Wellness Blog. My most recent venture is a Cooking class that I created and filmed available for sale on Udemy.com. All these forms of media make me a Content Creator. Don’t get me wrong, it all comes at a price.
You basically are taking the risks, not only financially, but emotionally as well. Any creator knows how sensitive our own content is to us. It is hard to share what we created but the beauty, believe it or not, is within that discomfort. You see, once you release that thing that you created into the world of social media….you must begin the marketing process and let the chips fall where they may. Keep promoting that thing but begin anew on the next venture always with the aim to keep creating.
One popular and very successful content creator that I follow stresses Content Content, Content, meaning just keep creating. You can get your foot in the door by beginning wherever you are. If you want to become extraordinary instead of ordinary you have to put faith in yourself.
How about a Podcast, a YouTube channel, have you ever thought about creating a class to teach others something that you know how to do so well, that you could do it with your eyes closed. It took me a while to get over what others may be thinking about me and what I was doing. I also had trouble seeing myself on social media but eventually, I began recording and seeing myself on electronic media without wincing or questioning the way my voice sounded or even picking myself apart.
I found that the more I did it, the easier it got. If you focus on what you want and remove all other distractions you will be surprised how far consistency, faith and a little vision gets you.
So, recently YouTube advertised that it will now begin running ads on any content creators videos that it chooses, without paying any royalties. As of November 18th, their newest terms and conditions update stated that YouTube has the right to monetize any content uploaded to its platform. That being said, they will begin inserting Ads on videos that belong to creators that are NOT members of the YouTube Partner Program where the members are allowed to share in the revenue made from the ads run on any of their videos posted on YouTube.
Here’s what that all means….Although YouTube grossed over $5.04 billion dollars in revenue this year and is expected to likely increase revenues and margins by 2021, they have decided to make this monumental move that will likely make many new YouTube content creators very unhappy.
Yes! Us new unseasoned YouTubers with less than 1000 subscribers and less than 4000 valid public watch hours will not be paid for the Ads that YouTube posts underneath our videos.
I realize that this change sounds harsh, however, YouTube is a business and as such, businesses are created to serve a need and provide a service. Regardless of their mission the business ultimately is driven toward monetary gain.
I, myself are new to YouTube content creation but are not deterred in anyway regarding these new developments. The way I see it, this could be very bad for YouTube or it could force us new content creators to roll up our sleeves and usher in a new Golden Age of YouTube. It all depends on how you see it, perspective is everything.
So, you’re thinking about starting a Blog huh? Perhaps you’ve been contemplating creating your own Blog site for quite a while. So, if that’s the case what exactly is holding you back? Taking that inevitable step out on faith is all you need to get started doing your own content on your own website. Blogging is the very basic level of creating content, however in the opinion of this Fearless Content Creator, you gotta start somewhere.
First, just aim to get your blog off the ground, or at least out of your head. I started using the free platform called Blogger. Let me tell you, I absolutely hated it. I wrote maybe three or four blogs there and called it quits. I found it wasn’t user friendly and frankly hindered me from consistently writing blogs.
After that I had to get very specific about what my niche was. What did I want to discuss pretty consistently? Well, I narrowed it down to perspectives of American Culture, Finance, politics and relationships. I knew those topics were popular, interesting and most of all I was passionate about all of them. I knew if I had to I could write about them for hours.
Lastly you have got to have the right intention. You see I’ve been writing short stories my whole life. I believe that because I have always been such an avid reader that the next natural option would be to become a writer. So, for me writing is a passion. Make sure that you are making a decision to become a blogger for the right reason. It will last longer and may even become the money maker that allows you financial freedom.
The word Entrepreneur has been associated in many fields and is described and defined in a variety of people, in many ways. The word itself was of French origin which evolved into meanings that pertain to people who take the risks, founders of businesses and or someone who is accountable in case of failure or success in a business venture. It is a person who founded a new enterprise, it is also understood that entrepreneurs take the largest part when it comes to risks inherent to businesses. After all, they are normally the owners of the company or the business unit. The common perception with entrepreneurs is that they are the establishers of new entities that aim to offer innovative or existing services or products in the market. The talk of profit or non-profit issues also vary, depending on the type of business management being referred to.
But you and I both know entrepreneurs right? Think about it, we really do. If you consider the man on the corner that sells snow cones, candy and treats out of his garage….well believe it or not, he’s an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are the people with widely different backgrounds. Some build brands or work tirelessly on a product that they believe in. Really, anyone can be an entrepreneur, given an idea and a functional business model. The truth is an Entrepreneur is someone that sees a need and takes on the financial risk to start a business to fill that need.
Beatrice Dixon of The Honey Pot Company, Plant Based Feminine Products
There is no cookie cutter definition of what an entrepreneur is. Take Beatrice Dixon for instance the Founder of “The Honey Pot Company” a plant-based feminine hygiene line created with a goal to provide women with a healthy alternative to feminine care that is free of chemicals, parabens, carcinogens and sulfates that typically are consistent ingredients in most common feminine products on the market. Her backstory is a bit unconventional. She didn’t major in business in college nor was she traditionally a part of corporate America before launching The Honey Pot. She worked in the pharmacy world as well as retail before launching her brand. She actually began The Honey Pot Company in her kitchen. As for what caused her to create The Honey Pot Company, it was necessity. She truly wasn’t looking for a business to launch — She was searching for a solution to her vaginal and feminine health issues.
Another Entrepreneur you may not be familiar with is Instagram sensation with over 261,000 followers “Brother Ben X” – Brother Ben X
Instagram: @Brotherbenx Brother Ben, is a successful serial entrepreneur that focuses on digital real estate. After hearing the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teach on “debt is slavery”, Brother Ben dropped out of college to start his own business. After partnering with his brother Jake Tayler Jacobs, they created digital real estate under their financial institute assets before splurging. Brother Ben teaches people how to build, grow and scale their business online using his digital real estate resources. Their company now makes over $200k a month and has been able to help thousands with his program and the information he provides his listeners on his Podcast. Brother Ben plans to show over 10,000 people in 2020 how to make money online and change their lives to become financially free. Brother Ben is an inspiring Entrepreneur to say the least.
The Gig Economy or Gigging.
Although Entrepreneurs, of course are among the main components of the capitalistic world, there has been a shift in the global job economy that has opened the door for entrepreneurship to become more main stream.
Contract work called gigging is becoming more common and taking up more of the labor market. Instead of being paid by the hour or by the year businesses are temporarily hiring people for specific projects. This shift has made it financially easier for entrepreneurs to get their business going without committing long term to paying employees but also has allowed early stage entrepreneurs to support themselves as they develop their products or services.
In the Gig economy you can go anywhere to look for the employment that provides you with the flexibility that you so desire but also allows you to focus more on that passion that you so want to create and sell.
Today’s entrepreneurs are well suited for the Gig economy because we know how to hustle and are fierce hustlers that know how to create our own diverse income streams while marketing ourselves as well as connecting with others. That’s not to say there aren’t issues with working the GIG lifestyle. Having separate jobs makes it easier in the event that you lose one job and can easily transition to another. For some people scrambling to pay rent and buy food can be a real struggle and not an option when one is an entrepreneur. The truth is Entrepreneurship is NOT easy. Do NOT allow anyone to make you believe that it is. Many of us take the leap of faith to begin new businesses and stick with them through the ups and the downs regardless of the notion that the ship is sinking and that the lifeboats don’t appear to be functional.
As a tried and true Entrepreneur until the death of me what keeps me going is that I can fearlessly Create anything that I want to and honestly….it’s mine. I love the feeling of releasing that beautiful new thing into the stratosphere of social media, opinions be damned…cuz that’s my baby and it makes me proud to have been the creator and not the employee. Just remember that anyone can be an entrepreneur with a great idea, consistency and thick skin.
I know you’re surprised, yes I’m back for a second day of sharing some truly important information. That is if you are a new Blogger or even an aspiring Blogger then this message is for you. I’ve compiled some simple steps that I believe are important things you can do your very first month as a Blogger.
The first thing that I think you should do is JUST GET STARTED. Yes, I really mean it. Get started wherever you are. Someone once said that “The world belongs to the Doers”. Stop scrolling on Instagram watching your favorite influencers, stop listening to your favorite podcasters and either start your own blog, podcast, ebook or ecourse but now is the time to do something. Start creating content wherever you are. Whatever that content is just do something that brings you closer to your dreams and goals.
Next Set up Your Social Media Presence. My preferred media outlets and also the ones that I’ve found success on are Facebook, Instagram (my favorite) and Pinterest. Make sure your handle or social media name matches your Blog. This will make it easier for your followers to find you.
Create a content calendar. This is one thing that I’m terrible about. For a while there, I wasn’t consistent with my blogs. I would attempt to binge ten blogs at a time and that was a terrible idea. For one, I ran out of things to write about. Now days I’ve created a calendar of content that I can refer to daily to keep me on track as well as accountable to myself and my Blog, which keeps me consistent.
Another thing that I found very important is when I gave some deep thought to what my purpose in beginning my Blog “The Melanin Pot” was. I started the Melanin Pot because I realized that I had things to say. I realized that regular everyday people could also give their opinion on any given subject. I wanted to help facilitate that journey if I could. So, figuring out what your deep purpose in creating your Blog is very important. It keeps you grounded and reminds you of why you created your Blog.
Get Organized in your content as well as physically in your workspace. This is an idea that is true of not only business but life in general. I will admit to being messy occasionally, I mean I am a creative after all. But I realize that if I don’t keep things organized then I will never be able to move forward.
Lastly Create a Niche like never before. The content or subject of your Blog should be very specific. What I mean is that There will always be a tug-o-war between major publications and individual Bloggers or (beginner Bloggers) We have to hold our own by appealing to very Niche topics and very specific demographics.
I hope you found this info important to your cause and informative. Please like and share or reach out to me at melaninpot@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading
So….I’m back. I know…I’ve been gone for a while but it’s time to come back and get busy. I actually love blogging, so my commitment to the craft is to be more consistent. That being said, I’m here to help others interested in blogging and at some point make money while doing it.
I’ve been writing short stories since I was a teenager in high school. I loved reading. I would read anything that I could get my hands on, therefore writing was the next natural progression on my literary journey. I started out writing short stories about the people in my family. I renamed my mother and father and created characters for them in my stories. I’d often read old stories that I’d written and was disappointed to reach the end of the tale, unfinished and waiting for a conclusion. I’ve legit got a bunch of them on my hard drive. Around 2016 my 1st blog The Melanin Pot was born. You can see my first blog creation here at http://www.themelaninpot.com where I discuss perspectives of American Culture, Finance, Politics and Love, all brewed, mixed & poured out of the Melanin Pot. Today I thought that I would share 5 mistakes that beginning bloggers make. Hopefully you will do better than I did.
The top 5 Rookie Mistakes that Bloggers or aspiring bloggers need to avoid are:
Here are some very basic mistakes that one should not do when starting a Blog
Do not start a Blog about something that you are not passionate about. You must be passionate about the subject that you plan to write about or focus on or that blog will be sitting unused and ultimately you will consider it a failure. I’ll be honest, I started my Blog “Beautyismyculture.com” over a year ago but I’ve found that I’m just not very passionate about make-up and fashion…so yeah. Definitely, write about a subject that you concentrate on the most.
Don’t Overthink the title of you Blog. If you spend more time than you need to on a domain name or title it really should be simple and direct to the point. Don’t spend more time than you need to trying to perfect what cannot be perfected. Keep it simple. The truth is it’s about what you write and what you do, not the title of the Blog.
Free Blogs are NOT the way to get started. Starting on sites like Blogger.com is counterproductive. Why, because on a free site, you don’t own your content. Yep, they can go down at any time or simply take your content from you. You always want to get started with a paid blog, there are some very affordable blog hosts. Personally, I started with GoDaddy but many others rave about other really affordable sites like BlueHost.
Do NOT forget to invest in yourself and your business. I’ve spent dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars investing in as well as furthering my education and research into blogging. Why? Because knowledge is power. Most of the things that I’ve learned have been right on the internet. YouTube University is king of learning. Never underestimate what that average person can teach you about this business.
Lastly Do NOT GIVE UP!!! It will seem hard at 1st, you may become frustrated and afraid to put yourself out there. It doesn’t matter if it takes 7 months or 7 years to find success what matters is that you don’t give up. Just put one foot in front of the other. If you never begin, then you will never know. Good Luck
www.udemy.com/share/1036UmAEIfclxQR3wF/
The Melanin Pot!!! 