Recommendation From This Ex-TikTok Worker About Being A Creator

Welcome again to Creators Unlocked, a collection the place we interview creators about their finest practices. Immediately, we’ve bought Ayomi Samaraweera, TikToker and creator economic system startup founder, on the docket.

Ayomi’s journey as a creator instantly stands out as a result of she didn’t begin within the creator economic system as a TikToker, as many do, however as a TikTok worker (TikTokee, if you’ll). She’s gone on to work at totally different corporations (her personal included) that focus on creators, however the preliminary expertise knowledgeable a variety of her method to the creator economic system.

Nevertheless, regardless of her historical past with the corporate, it wasn’t working at TikTok that led to her becoming a member of as a creator – that got here after. She particulars these experiences and her prime classes and recommendation on this article.

Develop a technique on your content material and the platforms you put up on

An understanding of any platform you select to create content material for is essential, however Ayomi’s creator journey actually highlights why it is so necessary. Constant posting was the preliminary success marker for her TikTok.  

Ayomi shares, “After I began posting content material persistently—twice a day for the primary 30 to 60 days—I used to be in a position to practice the algorithm to establish my target market. Plus, I gathered beneficial information on which movies had been attracting an viewers, changing viewers into followers, and which matters had been producing essentially the most engagement.” The info she gathered from TikTok’s analytics guided her content material technique and supplied a roadmap for future content material creation.

TikTok’s not the one function that gave Ayomi crucial insights into what can result in creator success. Her time at Jellysmack – a startup that assists creators in increasing to a number of platforms – confirmed her {that a} presence on a number of platforms is non-negotiable for development.

The principle motive? Counting on one platform may be dangerous. Ayomi factors out that “If the platform disappears or its algorithm adjustments in a single day, creators might be left in a tough place. These days, a number of platforms for short-form content material, reminiscent of TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels, supply monetization alternatives. Being multi-platform not solely supplies a security web however it may additionally assist attain totally different audiences, facilitating the expansion and diversification of your follower base.”

Ayomi’s taking her personal recommendation as she evolves in her creator journey. One in every of her targets is to department out to a number of platforms. As she explains, “I’ve began creating content material on LinkedIn and am now a part of their Creator Program, which is thrilling. I additionally need to construct my presence on YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, in order that’s a major multi-platform aim for me. I’ve labored for corporations that emphasised the significance of such a technique, so it is time I carried out it myself.”

Prioritize your psychological well being

Inventive burnout is the fact of many creators, and there’s not sufficient assist from platforms, manufacturers, and businesses. As Ayomi highlights, “It is intense to consistently create content material and share points of your life.” She additionally mentions that pushing by tough patches doesn’t work for her, as her mindset closely influences her artistic course of. This implies if she’s not in a optimistic headspace, she will’t create.

So, how does she keep constant and sustain together with her psychological well being, you ask? With batched content material. “You would possibly discover me sporting the identical outfit throughout 4 or 5 movies as a result of I’ve batch created them whereas in a artistic zone, she explains.

Nevertheless, she does not push herself if there aren’t any backups and she or he’s simply not feeling it. “There are occasions once I could not put up for every week, both as a consequence of time constraints or the necessity to really feel passionate and mentally ready to supply high quality content material for my viewers.”

For creators, Ayomi’s recommendation for burnout prevention is three-fold:

• Speak about what you like so it doesn’t really feel like a chore. That is a part of why she wouldn’t advocate sticking to a single area of interest. “It is helpful to have a number of pursuits and focus on totally different elements of your life.” Increasing her content material and sharing her real passions makes content material creation really feel much less like work and extra like sharing the thrill together with her viewers.
• Construct in breaks. “Being a creator is a job, and you must deal with it as such. Keep away from working extreme hours; take time to eat, see family and friends, and take holidays. These rules ought to apply to content material creation, whether or not you are doing it full or part-time. Each creator wants time to recharge,” she recommends.

• Setting boundaries – it is completely okay to maintain elements of your life non-public. “Whereas I am fortunately married, I do not often focus on my private relationship. Apart from a TikTok I as soon as coerced my husband into (he is not into social media), I’ve stored that a part of my life non-public.” Boundaries round what to share and what to maintain non-public may be instrumental in stopping creator burnout.

In essence, prioritizing psychological well being is a non-negotiable for creators. Ayomi’s story highlights the significance of a optimistic psychological state for sustainable and constant content material creation.

Take into account how your experience can gasoline your content material

Ayomi began out posting content material about her expertise from her decade-long profession as a administration guide on TikTok. “From the get-go, I knew I wished to concentrate on a distinct segment the place I felt assured: my expertise in administration consulting and dealing in a company setting. So, I started posting content material in the summertime of 2022, providing recommendation on careers and interviews, insights into being a administration guide, ideas for job functions, and speedy promotions, amongst different issues—all primarily based on my private experiences.”

Data from her time at TikTok influenced her method to content material, and she or he doubled down on a distinct segment early on, which allowed her to develop shortly. Being so particular meant that her viewers was instantly drawn to her content material, which allowed her to construct a fanbase shortly. She additionally adopted ways described as “marathon” that led to a few of her early success, together with posting two movies a day from Monday to Friday for a month.

“My preliminary technique was to suppose again on my early profession days as a administration guide. I contemplated, “What recommendation would I’ve valued then? What do I want I might identified, and the way would possibly that data have altered my selections?” I aimed my content material at myself a decade in the past, specializing in classes discovered and actions I might take in another way if given a second probability,” she shares.

For Ayomi, the target of her content material on the time was to information people, particularly younger individuals new of their careers, who would possibly lack accessible mentors or steerage of their networks. Individuals liked it – she landed her first model deal with only some thousand followers and grew to 10,000 in three months of posting.

Regardless of her early success and deep data of social media, Ayomi’s consistently studying. “Though I labored at TikTok, I do not think about myself an skilled. I am consistently discovering new methods to maximise the platform, staying updated with new options, and attempting to extract as a lot worth as I can from the device,” she advises.

She additionally highlights different creators as a beneficial supply of information, with one key reflection, “Daily presents a brand new alternative for development.”

Lean into alternatives for evolution as a creator

It’s pure to evolve as individuals, and creators aren’t any totally different. Ayomi’s new actuality as a startup founder means her content material will inevitably change. Whereas the majority of her viewers got here from her humorous profession content material, she’ll be posting extra creator-focused content material and snippets from her experiences as a founder.

The problem with evolution comes when it impacts creators’ development. Niching down may be nice however as Ayomi acknowledges, it may be tough to pivot. “Experimenting with totally different content material generally ends in decrease engagement, which might be considered as content material ‘flops’,” she explains.

Nevertheless, she doesn’t see decrease engagement posts as flops – simply extra slowly reaching the best viewers. She additionally factors out that a lot of her followers have been supportive and are following her journey, participating positively within the feedback.

So the numbers may be dipping, however Ayomi’s shifting her focus from metrics, particularly self-importance metrics like views. “If we grow to be too fixated on [metrics], it may discourage us from venturing out of our established area of interest as a result of new content material could not all the time carry out as anticipated,” she shares.

“Finally, I benefit from the content material I am creating and can think about myself profitable if, by the top of this 12 months, my viewers has diversified past simply these looking for profession recommendation and aiming to interrupt into consulting. If I’ve reached a broader spectrum of individuals with my content material, that will be a real success for me,” she provides. So, though development may be slower whereas breaking out of a distinct segment, the true worth of Ayomi’s content material is within the authenticity and significant connection together with her viewers – not views.

Create for your viewers – but in addition for your self

Ayomi began posting on TikTok to higher perceive the target market of her startup, Cover – creators. “I wished to realize firsthand expertise of the challenges creators encounter and perceive their day-to-day realities to serve them higher…I additionally wished to develop my community of creators. So, I assumed turning into a creator myself would supply the very best perspective on the hardships creators face and the journey from zero followers to a rising viewers,” she explains.

When occupied with what she wished to share, she determined to concentrate on profession content material for individuals new to theirs, particularly in administration consulting. She fueled a variety of her content material with the questions and feedback from her viewers, explaining, “When a selected remark gathers tons of and even hundreds of likes, I understand it as a subject of viewers curiosity and infrequently reply with a video, which proves to be an excellent content material thought hack on uninspired days.

Success for me is about constructing a group – that goes past merely accumulating views. Neighborhood constructing and establishing belief takes time – Ayomi Samaraweera, Founder & Creator

Nevertheless, she clarifies that though she’s very strategic about content material, she doesn’t let the technicalities affect an excessive amount of of what she creates and the way she does it. “Success for me is about constructing a group – that goes past merely accumulating views. Neighborhood constructing and establishing belief takes time. As an illustration, I posted two movies just lately; one garnered 300,000 views, whereas the opposite had simply 500,” she says.

“However I am going to proceed making content material just like the lesser-viewed one as a result of it is geared toward a selected viewers – these on a startup journey with me. It isn’t in regards to the numbers however about accompanying these within the journey and constructing a devoted group.”

For Ayomi, her content material isn’t about catering to her viewers however about ensuring her recommendation reaches and resonates with the individuals who care in regards to the data she shares or her journey.

This method interprets to measuring the success of her content material which, as she places it, is all about Affect. “I outline success by the diploma to which I will assist individuals. So once I obtain a direct message or an e-mail or see a remark from somebody saying that one in every of my movies helped them go an evaluation middle or land a job with a Large 4 firm, that is success to me.” It isn’t in regards to the views however the tangible distinction her recommendation makes in individuals’s lives.

Takeaways

Right here’s the TL;DR from Ayomi’s story and journey as a creator

• Develop a multi-platform content material technique: Ayomi emphasizes the significance of being current on a number of platforms to keep away from the chance related to reliance on a single platform. By being multi-platform, creators can attain totally different audiences and diversify their follower base.
• Prioritize psychological well being to keep away from creator burnout: Ayomi factors out the depth of continually creating content material and shares her methods for sustaining psychological well being, together with creating batched content material, constructing in breaks, and setting boundaries concerning private life.
• Leverage your experience in your content material: Ayomi’s success on TikTok was largely as a consequence of her concentrate on a distinct segment the place she was assured—her expertise in administration consulting and dealing in a company setting. Her technique of directing content material at her youthful self resonated together with her viewers, serving to her shortly construct a following.
• Embrace evolution as a creator: Ayomi’s journey exhibits that it is pure for content material to evolve as a creator’s life adjustments. Though this will end in slower development or decrease engagement, the true worth of content material lies in authenticity and creating significant connections with the viewers, not simply in excessive view counts.
• Create content material that resonates along with your viewers and fulfills you: Ayomi’s technique is centered round creating content material that gives worth to her viewers whereas additionally aligning together with her passions and pursuits. For her, success is outlined by the impression her content material has on her viewers and never simply by metrics or view counts.