How to Actually Become a Geek Content Creator in 2023

Content creation is central to the growth of any geek influencer. Whether you stream live game plays, create geeky merch, or cosplay popular characters from pop culture, you’ll need to create content in order to reach the wider audience that resonates with you and your message. That means — like it or not — you’re also a geek content creator.

Content creation can easily become a slog, especially if you’re the solopreneur creative type who hates being in front of people. If you’re single-handedly running much of your business, it might seem like a waste of time to make posts or show up live. Your work should be enough to speak for itself, right? Even if you’re the type of geek who doesn’t mind creating content, you might find the constant grind of doing quickly wears down your soul.

Coming up with a content creation plan is only half the battle; googling “content creation” yields a plethora of plans which promise success as a creator. And you’ve probably heard most of the tips and tricks already: make sure to stay consistent, post valuable content, speak to your specific niche.

If you’re reading this article, you probably have some sort of content creation plan already in place. And yet… you probably also find yourself struggling to execute your plan on a day-to-day basis. An often-overlooked fact is that being a successful content creator isn’t just about investing the time and effort to create good content — it’s also very much about maintaining a healthy mindset around your work.

So what can geek content creators do to win the battle against the mental hardship of the job? Whatever content creation plan you have, here are four mindsets you need to nurture if you want to grow a sustainable content creation practice.

1. Decide on a content creation plan that is achievable for you.

This sounds ridiculous, right? Why would you create a content creation plan for yourself that you couldn’t actually execute? You’d be surprised how many people try to post visually stunning posts every day simply because it’s what they’ve seen others do. That might be possible for a big brand with a whole team of content creators, but for a solopreneur, this is a guaranteed recipe for burnout or overwhelm paralysis. I promise you, it’s not a reasonable starting point for any one-geek-show.

When you decide on a content creation plan, make it achievable for YOU. This means being honest with yourself about how much time and energy — both physical and mental — you have in a given work week. Yes, it’s wonderful to post every day, including weekends, twice a day, on every social media platform. Yes, that would potentially give you the highest chance for the most reach and growth. However, is such a schedule even feasible for you? Can you guarantee that you will commit to the plan you’ve decided on?

This is about taking you and your work seriously. You take your work seriously by committing to the plan you’ve decided on. This show of commitment will not only help you build more confidence in yourself, but will also be a solid and sustainable way to grow your work and business.

2. Perfect is good, but done is better.

This is a mindset I learned from my marketing mentor that I continue to hold dear to my heart. Perfect may be good and something you want to strive for, but the best result is a done result. Teach your brain that not every piece of content is precious. The post you make today is not the end all, be all of you or your brand. Whether the post goes viral or absolutely flops, tomorrow you’ll still have to think of the next post, and the one after that. If the post you put out today takes all your emotional energy to create, what will you do about the next post you have to make?

A mistake often made by beginner content creators is that they pour all their energy and soul into one specific post as if it’s a sprint; they forget that content creation is a marathon that requires the same amount of energy every time. It’s better to get your ideas out there instead of worrying if you’re using the prettiest photo or saying the perfect words. These are things you won’t know anyway until you’ve put content out and seen how your audience reacts.

Get your posts done and out instead of stressing over whether or not they’re perfect.

3. Beware of comparison-itis. Your plan is valid.

Comparing your content to that of another content creator is inevitable. You’re working directly on social media platforms. You can’t help but see other people’s content. In fact, sometimes it can be helpful to see what others in your niche are doing to know what topics and trends are ideal for posting.

The trap occurs when you start trying to replicate only what you see others do. When all you’re doing is copying what others have done, it becomes easy to agonize over not looking as good as, or not posting as much as, or not getting as great results as some other creator. Getting stuck in a mental loop of always wanting to do what another creator is doing is a recipe for unneeded pressure, insecurity, and de-motivation.

Remember that your plan is valid, just like any other content creator. To repeat the importance of mindset #2, you won’t know what works for you and your audience until you try it. What they’re doing may look cool and seem popular, but what works for them may not work for you or your audience.

The best plan for you is your plan, regardless of what other content creators are doing

4. Give yourself permission to step away.

It’s imperative that you build breaks into your work. This may look like a five-minute stretch break during the work day, or maybe just staring at the ceiling for a bit. Sometimes the hardest thing to do as a content creator is to step away and not feel guilty over it.

Whether you are hitting pause because of frustrating troll comments or simply due to burnout from the content production grind, understand when your body says it’s weary and listen to it. The great thing about being your own boss is you get to make your own schedule. Build in that time away, let your mind check out from the content creation grind, and give yourself space to re-energize.

If you want to build sustainable content creation practices, this mindset alone can make or break your business. Remember that stepping away to reset when things get overwhelming is very alright. Social media will still be there when you get back, and it won’t be as big of a backslide as you think it is.

Last thoughts

Creators often forget that the content creation game is as much a mental effort as it is a physical one. Putting content out can be scary, time consuming, even a weary grind. That’s why it’s just as important to put energy into building mental fortitude as it is to put energy into the production of content.

Building a brand as a solo geek content creator is not easy, but practicing these four mindsets can help you develop your brand in a way that is sustainable — all the way to boss level.