Creator burnout is real. Whether you’re a YouTuber, podcaster, influencer, musician, or anything in between, it’s easy to crumble under the weight of being a full or part-time content creator. Thankfully, there are several strategies you can use to help beat burnout as a creator and reframe your content-building game plan.
Below, we’ll detail what might be causing your burnout as a creator and share 6 strategies to get over the hump.
What Is Creator Burnout?
According to Vibely, 90% of their full-time creators reported experiencing burnout, with many claiming that their burnout period led them to consider quitting altogether. But what exactly does burnout look like?
For some, it could simply be exhaustion. For others, it could be loss of interest in their passion, or feeling overwhelming pressure to appease the ever-changing landscape of social media. Creator burnout is an individualized experience where tired or jaded makers start to lose their grip on their drive and passion.
What Causes Creator Burnout?
It’s unsurprising that many creators experience a form of burnout over the course of their careers. After all, this is a relatively new field that doesn’t have a standardized outline for self-care and work-life balance that may come more easily with a typical 9-5.
To beat your burnout, it’s key to understand what exactly is causing your dismay. Here are a couple of common creator challenges that might be contributing to your exhaustion:
- Monetization Troubles: Some creators jump into a full-time career too fast, which can make it difficult to sustain their livelihoods. Being a creator in general comes with unpredictable income, which can be stressful to stay the least.
- Posting Volume: Algorithms for just about any content thrive on consistency and unique content. This means that creators need to be consistent, leaving little room for regular breaks.
- Neglecting Basic Needs: Full-time creators serve as their own managers, which can easily slip into working far too many hours.
- Outside Pressure: Adhering to the trends and needs of your audience isn’t always easy. It can be difficult to find your voice while constantly adjusting to hold your relevance.
6 Strategies To Beat Burnout As A Creator
Identifying you’re experiencing burnout is one thing, tackling it is another. Here are 6 strategies that are designed to help you tackle burnout as a creator.
1. Create Effective Fan Funnels
You need to create spaces where casual audience members have the opportunity to evolve into more dedicated fans. Using a supercharged link in bio streamlines the process by providing your followers unique, branded (and often monetizable) experiences that are designed to help convert them into true fans.
2. Batch Create Content and Create Healthy Habits
To take some of the weight off of your shoulders, try batch-creating your content. This way, you can set aside one or two days a week dedicated to creating, allowing you to focus. The rest of the week, all you need to do is post and focus on getting inspired. Set limits for yourself on socials so that you can take time for yourself. Physical and mental health comes first – if you aren’t feeling you’re best, you’re not going to be making your best work.
3. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously
Sometimes it’s all too easy to forget that many of your fans loved your brand far behind you gained a larger sphere of influence. When all else fails, try to let the pressure of the outside world subside and focus on putting out something you’re personally proud of.
4. Build A Self-Flourishing Community
To reduce creation fatigue, focus on building community spaces that sustain themselves. Platforms like Reddit and Discord, where users can contribute their own content and interact with one another are a great place to start. Your content pipeline shouldn’t just be creator to fan, it should be fan to fan, too.
@withkoji The #creatoreconomy in 2022 is a goldmine. Just ask @TASTY SHREDS. #monetizetiktok #monetize #makemoneyonline #makemoney ♬ A Moment Apart – ODESZA
5. Ask Your Audience What They’re Looking For
All too often, we overthink trying to give our audience what they’re looking for. Why don’t we just ask? When in doubt, ask your audience what they’d like to see more of. This won’t just help you create a more effective piece of content, it will also build a deeper connection with fans. Mini apps like Polls streamline this process so that you can get back to content creation.
6. Don’t Jump Too Quickly
There’s a sort of fantasy that comes with claiming your status as a “full-time creator”. After all, who doesn’t want to say that they get to do what they truly love for a living? However, it’s important that you make sure you’re fully prepped for reliable income before jumping ship from your day job. Taking risks is part of being a creator, but you can help reduce some of the shellshock by bolstering your savings, and testing the waters well before you pull the plug.
In the meantime, you can start building up streams of income utilizing Koji’s endless stream of link in bio monetization mini apps. Lowering your financial risk will help you keep the pressure at bay while working through the peaks and valleys of transitioning to full-time creation.
Creator burnout is unfortunately all too common. Hopefully, these strategies make it easier for you to sustainably create and get back to enjoying what you love.