Ultra.
If you’ve heard of routines like “The Miracle Morning,” you know many professionals swear by a fixed regimen to help them achieve their goals. As a content creator, you have a seemingly endless number of tasks and it can be a struggle to figure out what needs to be done and when. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula, there are small steps you can take every day to help you on the road to creator success.
Brainstorming
Time: 15 to 30 minutes per day
First and foremost, content creators need to create! Therefore, it’s essential that you spend time every day flexing your creativity muscles. While it’s important to keep a journal or notes app handy at all times (for when inspiration strikes), you can also block out a chunk of time to brainstorm ideas.
How to Brainstorm:
- Browse similar creators for inspiration (not emulation)
- Review your past content to see if there are gaps you can fill in or content you can repurpose
- Journal, doodle, or try creativity exercises
- Check out news and trends for your niche
- Create a mood board (Pinterest for the win!)
- Consider your audience—what content do they want to see? What problems do they have that you can help them solve?
Networking
Time: 15 to 30 minutes per day
Hobnobbing with fellow creators is a great way to make friends, line up potential collaboration opportunities, and so much more. Your peers are a valuable resource and can help you become a better (and more successful) creator. Spend time every day having genuine interactions with people in your circle—if you don’t have a circle yet, start by following people whose work you like and respect. Don’t just leave generic comments; say what you liked about their content or how it affected you personally. Even ask questions to keep the conversation going.
Poor Examples:
- “Great post!”
- “Keep up the good work.”
- “Love it!”
Better Examples:
- “Your photography skills are always on-point.”
- “Thank you for sharing this, it made my day.”
- “I love your personality. You really inspire me as a creator.”
- “Thank you for sharing these travel tips. What are some destinations on your travel bucket list?”
Once you have established a mutual connection, you can take the next step and ask for advice or suggest a collab. We have a post all about how to collaborate with other influencers you should definitely check out.
Interact with Your Community
Time: 10 to 20 minutes per day
Without an audience, your content will fall on deaf ears. Great content can draw people in but to keep them around, you need to give them a reason to stay. A dedicated, loyal community of followers is worth its weight in gold, which is why interacting with fans should be high on your list of priorities. People love when influencers respond to their comments and make them feel appreciated. If you have a smaller following, you should be able to respond to everyone in a few minutes. As your community grows, you can set a time limit so you’re not reading and responding to comments all day long.
Pro tip: Remembering repeat commenters can make a huge impact. For example, try replying with something like, “Thank you :name:, your comments always brighten my day!”
While we’re on the subject, Link Space is the perfect link in bio tool to keep all of your important social media links in one convenient place. Easily navigate to your sites to read and respond to comments quickly. Better still, people following and supporting you on one platform can easily find you on other platforms without having to search. Link Space has a ton of other features and best of all, it’s free! You also have the option of upgrading to the pro version of Link Space (a la carte or through Streamlabs Ultra—a pro suite of tools for creators) for access to even more amazing features.
Check Your Data and Analytics
Time: 5 to 15 minutes per day
Knowing and understanding data such as watch time, audience demographics, and more is crucial to learning and growing as a creator. By checking your analytics regularly, you can see which of your content is resonating with your audience and which isn’t. This insight allows you to make adjustments accordingly so you can keep creating content that people like, comment on, and share. Simply creating content you enjoy may leave you fulfilled but if it doesn’t appeal to others, you will have a difficult time making an income from all your hard work. Our post on Instagram analytics will tell you more, but check out our list of items you should be tracking below.
Important Analytics to Check Regularly:
- Views, Impressions, and CTR (click-through rate)
- Average view duration (we have an article on YouTube analytics)
- Audience information (location, age, gender, etc. can help you determine best times to post)
- Engagement (likes, comments, and shares)
Remember to use analytics as a tool rather than a performance report, as it's easy to get caught up in "analysis paralysis." Some creators get discouraged when their numbers aren't what they'd like them to be and their mental health suffers as a result. Don't let the fear of low numbers stop you from making content.
Sample Schedules:
So, how can you put all of this into practice? We created a few sample schedules for you to incorporate into your day. Carving out a chunk of time (45 minutes to an hour) every day will ensure you don’t get overwhelmed or out-of-touch. A little a day goes a long way to avoid burnout, so give one of these schedules a try today.
Early Bird (45 minutes)
Early Risers (and procrastinators!), this one’s for you. Finish your tasks early so you can spend the rest of your day as you please. Take a few moments in the morning to stretch, express gratitude, and just be present. After having a quiet moment, grab your morning bean juice and your laptop or phone to tackle the following items:
5 minutes - Respond to comments from your recent posts/videos
10 minutes - Read the latest news for your niche, check leading influencer posts
10 minutes - Network/build relationships
15 minutes - Brainstorm/content calendar planning session
5 minutes - Quick analytics check
Power Lunch (50 minutes)
If you have a busy work or school schedule, sometimes your lunch break is the only time you have to get things done. These tasks are best performed over a zesty salad or hearty sandwich.
10 minutes - Analytics/data check
15 minutes - Brainstorm/creativity session
10 minutes - Respond to comments/tease upcoming post or video
15 minutes - Network by leaving thoughtful comments on at least five posts
Night Owl (1 hour)
Spend your evening winding down before bed with slow-paced research and reflection. If you're a troubled or anxious sleeper, try one of the other schedules and have a brain dump or journal session instead.
15 minutes - Network and get inspired from fellow influencers
10 minutes - Analytics/data check
25 minutes - Thorough brainstorming/content planning session
10 minutes - Respond to comments on your recent posts
If you’d like to read more about how to succeed as a content creator, you can check out our posts on staying organized, how to approach sponsors, and social media management tools to try. Remember to try Link Space to keep your links organized, along with other great features like accepting tips and collecting info to build a mailing list.