The Content Polymath Podcast

We talked about Strategy, we talked about Automation, but now it is up to you. What are you doing to Execute on your Strategy?

Are you spreading yourself too thin, doing great across the board, or firing on all cylinders? Let’s talk!

Why is it important to Execute Content Creation skillfully?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve failed to be consistent, or to even just get content out at all. It happens to all of us creators at some point. Over time with practice, then we get better at doing the act of making content.

It becomes easier to actually make a video or post, but without that practice it can take a lot of effort still. If your content takes more effort to make in the first place, then this can be even worse.

Sometimes it is better to just decrease the effort, such as with editing, if it means you actually put the video out. Your editing skills will still get better over time, and you can do a lot with AI too.

Other times batching can be of great help, such as what I’ve done with this series. I wanted to be consistent for the rest of the year so I batched things out. Then I can focus on events, or experimental content. In the end you just don’t want to burn out, and that is very important to actively avoid.

How to go about doing it sustainably!

It comes about with practice. I talked about doing 100 reps, and you really don’t know what you did right or wrong until after that point. Even then you don’t really get “good” until around 300 reps.

Mind you this is my view, and what I’ve seen from creators. I should also note that I think there is a point in between 100-300 where creators get good. That point is different for every person.

Not to mention your rep count resets anytime you switch too. Whether it is video, audio, LIVE, written, short, or long, content. They all have their own skill level that grow on their own.

Now the skill of getting comfortable on camera, or hearing your own voice, those are things that if you do one content type. Then it might be easier to do the other ones. If you’re used to livestreaming, then in a lot of cases you’ll be fine doing video. Although not everyone, as recorded video can be somewhat intimate for some creators.

You want to find a frequency of your main content type that you can do each week, and then continue it for a long time.

Maybe adding in extra posts here and there when it feels right, maybe experimenting with other types along the way. However make sure your main thing is continuously going.

🥡 Takeaways

Regardless of which speed track you choose, things are bound to come up. Can you keep up with your planned strategy when roadblocks get in your way?

Are you able to achieve the goals you set out for yourself?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself to see if you’re going to able to execute well enough to succeed!

Related:

I’m sharing the other videos I made about this topic earlier this year, at the end of these posts.

I can’t tell you what the BEST tool is for you, well I can, but that comes from my deep knowledge of tools on the market. I even created a tools directory website at one point, simply so I could organize all the ones I came across.

However the tools I tell you would be based on whether I think you personally can use them best, OR I think they are objectively the best in that category. For example two I bring up all the time being: OpusClip in the clipping category, or Nuelink in the social media management tool category.

The reason I think they are the best is that I have literally been looking for tools like them for 6 and 12 years respectively. They are a crucial part of my automation stack, and I don’t know if I could output as much as I do without them.

Why is Automation so important?

You are only one person, and even if you’re polymathic like myself it can be very hard. Time management is one thing, but we don’t always have the ability to do everything. There are only so many hours in the day, and however much energy you have as well.

In the future I’ll have a post on “My Content Automation Tool Stack”, and on the main website I do have a series I do every quarter of “Whats in PolyInnovator’s Tool Stack”. Meaning if you are interested in what I use, then I can share with you in those posts. Although today I’ll share three:

* OpusClip

* Nuelink

* Substack

Here is why I think these three will help most people. Substack is the closest thing right now to an all in one (all three content types) platform. I don’t even see it as the best newsletter/blogging platform. That title goes to Ghost CMS, but being able to have a FREE podcast host, alongside a video post to youtube automation (even with all the problems it has). I think that is something that cannot be ignored, especially for some newer creators.

You make your video post in Substack, it automatically takes that video and sends it to YouTube. It also makes clips that you can share BEFORE posting, to market your episode, and it can send your audio to podcast platforms.

Then you just write your blog post on there.

From there you can share the autogenerated social image for the post, as well as some short form vertical clips it makes (if you like). I would rather drop the video into OpusClip, and get higher quality clips out of it. Then you can use Nuelink to auto-post announcement social posts to any social platform that you have a new substack blog post, podcast, and youtube video (preferably at different times of day).

The point of all this is to automate what you should already be doing, its just easier with the right tools.

I don’t think a creator should automate their entire process, especially if they don’t have the skills for what they are automating in the first place.

How should you go about it

As I said before it should being all automated. Then the equation is off, and you end up shilling out AI slop or your automations break, etc.

Automation should help your strategy, and it should be a bonus. Not something to replace, at least not fully.

For example many creators do not want to do short form video, and while they should experiment for sure (I strongly suggest it). There are a lot of creators that just won’t get around to it until its too late, so if using OpusClip gets you to do it. Then that’s okay. Especially if like once a week, or a few times a month you put in the effort to try that content out yourself.

That is just one example, but this goes for other platforms as well. I don’t have any particular interest in making content for Pinterest. However I know how important it is to be there.

My blogs and videos automatically post to there, but so does all of my short form videos and instagram photos too.

Think of automation like supplements for working out. They cannot replace food, but they can help fill in the gaps when you don’t have everything you need.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: n8n

One of the more popular automation tools on the market, and it quickly shot up the ranks. A lot of people would say it competes with Make well, and probably blows Zapier out of the water.

Given the topic of this post I thought this was a fitting choice!

https://n8n.io/

🥡 Takeaways

I tend to think about automation differently than a lot of people, and I spent a majority of this post warning against misuse of automation. I’ll probably make more posts on how to use automation more.

In context of the Creator Equation though, think of strategy as your exercise, and automation as your supplements. In the next episode we are going to get into Execution, which is how many reps you put into your exercise.

Related:

I’m sharing the other videos I made about this topic earlier this year, at the end of these posts.

I mentioned in the last post in the series about the 3 tracks of creators, but really that just pertains to how many reps you put out of the content you make. What sort of content are you putting out, and on what platform? Not just the frequency.

All of these things matter, and they culminate into what your content strategy entails.

How much you do, where you do it, what type you do, and how you repurpose it for other types and platforms, etc.

Why think of it this way?

Really there is no other way to think about it. Any one is just a slice of the whole cake. I’m giving you the whole cake. When you learn about how to build your substack, or how to build your youtube channel. These are just slices of the metaphorical cake, and I’m telling you to have the whole cake and eat it too.

What I am saying is that you can’t just do one type. Will you be successful? Sure, to a degree. Will you maximize your success? No. Don’t get me started on the whole specialist vs generalist debate!

Your strategy should entail specialization for a time, then a broader generalist approach, and then presumably a combination of the two. Eventually once you get good at all content types, you’ll take the polymathic approach. That is the strategy I am giving you. Whether you’re ready for it or not.

How do you be ready?

Well put in the reps. I can’t say it enough, and I can definitely say that none of you are doing ENOUGH. I’m not doing enough, and I actively create content regularly. In fact I’m scheduling this post out a month and half ahead. Along with the rest of the series.

Each one of these episodes you are watching/reading/listening to is that of all three content types. While the podcast might just be the video audio cut out, the blog post is completely separate from the video. Meaning both skills are being used, but I have done both for a very long time.

If you want to get good at them, then you have to do more of them. Hence why there are different creator tracks.

I don’t like just generalizing that you should make 100 posts as soon as possible, as not everyone has the ability to do so. Whether it is occupational or familial responsibilities. However for those people who do have the time, they also get left out a lot. I want to give all three types of people a pathway forward.

They’ll come together at some point too, either because of the amount of free time, or the amount of skill.

Choose whether to go for full force high frequency, or for a more sustainable approach for higher quality or less time demand. However just get to “X” number of posts as quick as you can.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: AirTable, NocoDB, Notion, or Obsidian Bases.

No links for this one, as really I just wanted to highlight the “database” as a broad example of a tool. It is more than just project management, but in essence your content production ecosystem IS a project. Just a grand one.

I managed to organize multiple content types, formats, and sub-brands all in one massive database in Notion. Eventually moved it from Airtable to Notion, then to Capacities, and now into Obsidian. Although this was prior the release of Obsidian Bases, and until then I had no consistent way to PLAN my content in OBSD. Now I do.

However regardless of which tool you use I wanted you to figure out which one is best for you, as you need to have a robust planning mechanism.

🥡 Takeaways

In the end your strategy is going to change, yes, but not that often really. In fact I would probably only change it if something huge happened to a platform (opportunity or something), or that you have a significant change happening to your brand.

In any case take your frequency we talked about, i.e. slow or fast track, then figure out what platforms you need to be on. Figure out if you can just repurpose your big content into social content, or if you have to make stuff from scratch.

One thing I like to do sometimes is simply make mini versions of my big posts in shorter form. Not just using something like Makereels.ai to convert a blog post to a short, but rather just take that idea I had for the blog post. Then record a video using that post as bullet points.

Really just figure out how and where you need make content!

Related:

I’m sharing the other videos I made about this topic earlier this year, at the end of these posts.

The Creator Equation is something I came up with for Content Creators of any kind to help them succeed and grow.

This is the major contribution that this sub-brand of mine has to offer. I give it out for free too because there is no point in gatekeeping it. It is a simple equation, and most people aren’t going to take full advantage of it anyways.

Strategy + Automation x Execution = Success

Why should you care?

Well you wouldn’t be here if you were a content creator, or trying to become one. Meaning if you want to be successful at doing said content, then you better listen up!

I don’t get too authoritative like that either, so you know its important.

When I started making content I had a pretty great strategy in mind, especially considering the time and the meta of the time. However I lacked the skills and motivation to enact the execution factor.

Additionally, I would say there was a severe lack of automation tools as well. Something I’ll get more into in the upcoming Automation post.

Mind you I started well before quarantine, and so it has been a while. I think over the course of the last decade I have personally failed because of all three portions of the equation. I have since learned how to negate that, and find ways to be successful which is what I bring to you.

How do you use it?

Well first you establish what your strategy is, and while myself or Gary Vee, etc, can give one to you. It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to do it. I make my strategy I give out pretty applicable to any creator.

In this series too I’ll mention the slow-track, fast-track, and super-fast-track pathways of a creator. For reference:

* Slow: 1x post a week = 52 in a year

* Fast: 3x post a week = 156 in a year

* Super-Fast: 1x post a day = 365~ posts in a year

Each have their place, and you may end up doing any one of them at some point. Depending on your output needs, growth goal, or free time availability.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Obsidian

This is my tool of choice for knowledge management. I think it has the most freedom out of any tool, even more so than Notion. Simply because of the vast array of things you can do it with it.

In fact I would consider it to be close to the only All in One productivity app you can get. Depending on which plugins you use at least. I.e. task management, project management, note taking, etc. I plan out all of my content in it!

https://obsidian.md/

🥡 Takeaways

This post is simply to introduce you to the premise of the series, and overall what the Creator Equation is. I think I might have gotten a bit ahead of myself in certain spots, so don’t worry if it doesn’t all make sense just yet. If it does then great, leave a comment telling me, so I know where my audience is at!

I think you’ll like where this is going regardless!!

Related:

https://polyinnovator.space/strategy-automation-x-execution-success/

I was frustrated by the lack of creator type diversity when it came to creator interview shows. Not to mention I loved talking to creators when I had them on the PolyCast, my other show, and I wanted to talk shop more.

The various shows on the market, even those like Colin and Samir’s interviews, they solely focus on their own type. C&S being Youtubers, so they focus on YouTubers, and sometimes Streamers.

Other shows that are podcast focused, they only have on other podcasters. However there is something to be said about cross-discipline examination. I saw many times habits that GAMING creators would do, then bled into the Podcast world. I.e. Dream the minecraft video creator would start doing these highlight reels at the start of his videos. To entice the viewer to stick around, and soon after he did that for a while. The Podcasters started doing it too at the beginning of their interviews.

I want to take those lessons from each of the creator types, and share them with my audience. I’m only one guy though, and so YOU coming onto the show. Sharing YOUR story, that can be the way we reach so many new people!

Why should you come on?

For one the interviews are fun, and I try to make sure you are comfortable coming on. Thus it is really great for those with experience, but even so for those who may not have been interviewed ever before too.

I make no judgement based on subscriber count, only ask for a good telling of your story, and perhaps nerding out on what tools you use!

This is your opportunity to nerd out, talk shop with a peer, and share your anecdotes that you may not have been able to before.

Also I run every episode through OpusClip, and I share that link with you. So you get clips of the episode as well to have more content for your socials!

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Descript Rooms

This being one of the major video podcast recording tools on the market. I’ve been testing slowly but surely, and when they told me about it last year I was pretty excited to see what comes of it.

It is replacing the older “Squadcast” tool, that Descript acquired, and incorporating it into the main Descript workflow.

Given how many times Riverside has broken on me, I’ll be checking out Rooms more and more. You should too!

https://www.descript.com/rooms

How do you come on?

All I ask is that you reach out to me. I figured if I left my email or even calendly link, out here on this post. That I would open myself up to spammers, as I already get a ton of spam emails already.

However if you shoot me an DM, and I’m pretty much on every platform. Then we can chat about if you’re a good fit. I’ll shoot you the booking link, and we’ll go from there!

@ PolyInnovator on every platform!

Firstly, I am checking out these tools, either for the first time or again after a long while. They seem to be better than I anticipated, and I am excited to try and start using them more!

* Firecut

* Beacons Ai

* FourthWall

* ManyChat

The reason being is that I am expanding my content/creator ecosystem, as I need to create another source of income. That is if I am going to survive on my creator business, and I figured many of you would be in the same boat. Thus I thought I’d sort of document this part of the journey.

Here are the videos I mentioned that I am learning from:

Not really in any particular order

There’s a lot today I know, just save them for later, and try to go for 3 videos today.

Let me know if you like these kinds of posts! I’m still experimenting with my extras on this Substack, and I feel like for some people this could be really cool. Others might find them not interesting, so I am not going to email it out atm. Meaning you’ll have to see it on my Substack or socials feeds to know when these types of posts come out.

Although down the line I’ll probably share in email, and I make a full post every week anyways. You should definitely subscribe if you aren’t already!

Sequel post to https://polyinnovator.space/you-need-to-be-putting-out-100-pieces-of-content-a-day/ I figured it would be wise to check that post out, although it is a paid post. If you message me mentioning this post you’re reading I’ll give you free access to check it out.

This all started cause of Gary Vee, and I know that for a lot of people he can be a bit much. Although when watch his stuff for a while and/or read his books, then you can see that he really is genuine. He cares about his audience, and tries to give out quality advice. This idea though that he put out, it did scare a lot of people. They thought to themselves how could I ever do that, or I can only post a couple times a week - how can I do that?

For me my brain just went “how do I do that successfully?”, and in particular without burning out. Getting to those 100 posts isn’t as simple as just making 100 tweets, or doing a 100 videos. However it is actually a lot easier than that!

Why is it important to do this?

I find that I particularly enjoy making content, and the premise of trying to reach an even greater level of output really excites me. That is my own personal motivation.

However people like Alex Hormozi puts out 450 pieces of content a week. At least at the time he was on a podcast telling the host that. Which is an insane amount. We’ll get into what “Pieces” really means in the next section below, but the point is that you need to put out 100x more than what you are doing now.

Most people may put out a reel a day, or 3 reels a week. MAYBE, just maybe, you cross post those to tiktok and shorts. Although that isn’t always a given!

Perhaps you put out a linkedin post a week, or a twitch stream, or maybe a youtube video. Regardless count those out.

In total even if you did ALL of what I just said, it comes out to only 12 posts in that week. TWELVE!

You might have read this section thinking oh wow they are doing all of that? I’m only do “X” platform at the moment, and I get it. Its hard sometimes, but it doesn’t need to be as hard as you think it does.

Most of the time the pieces aren’t coming from scratch, and usually they are syndicated as well.

How do I do it?

Okay let me be clear I don’t necessarily do 100 posts a day, but I also don’t count regularly either. It is more of a goal rather than a checkbox to check off. Here are some examples.

Every time I make an interview that video goes out, 1 post on YT, then it also goes to Spotify and Itunes 1-2 posts (depending on how you count it), then I drop it into OpusClip. I get around 15-30 clips depending on the context of the video. I send those out about 8-10 clips a day. Let’s go with the 10 for ease. However when I send out those clips, they go out to YT, Insta, FB, Linkedin, Tiktok, and Pinterest. 10 posts x 6 platforms. That alone is now 60 posts plus the 3 of the actual full length as well.

Mind you that is just from the interview, and not counting my plethora of solo content as well.

Thanks to Nuelink any time I make a post, whether it is a YouTube video, podcast episode, or blog post/newsletter; They always go out across my social media channels automatically. I.e. FB, Pinterest, Linkedin, Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads, etc.

So even the basic social sharing OF your posts gets put out via RSS to Social automation. That means 6 posts just from sharing your video*, which is also a post.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Nuelink (aff link)

I’ve mentioned this tool in practically every post I make, but that is for a reason. I’ve been able to achieve so much from using it. For over a decade I’ve looked for a social media management tool for two unique use cases: RSS/YT to Social automation, and Bulk Upload Tiktoks/Shorts/Reels.

Nuelink not only has both features, is always improving and updating the interface to better, it also does both features rather well. I might add that recently I decided to making clips channels for my two shows, and I used Nuelink to quickly schedule out all 2,600 clips across the two show’s channels.

If you want to try it out here is my link!

http://nuelink.com/?via=dustin

🥡 Takeaways

It really does come down to repurposing, and chopping things up, then syndicating them across many platforms.

For example most people don’t even think of Linkedin, let alone Pinterest, when it comes to sharing short form video. Did you know that Bluesky ALSO has a short form video feed?? (mobile only). These are places where you might not have even considered in one way or another, but all you’d have to do is add one more check box on Nuelink for example, and syndicate to those platforms.

That 3 more pieces every time you post. If you use a tool like OpusClip to repurpose your videos, even just adding in a few short form videos a week. That can add up to a lot of extra posts, especially when you syndicate them.

When you start thinking about the 100 or even a 1000 posts a day mindset in the sense of multiplication and repurposing. It starts to become a lot more palatable.

Let me know in the comments if you think there is a detail I need to go into deeper in a future post!

Related:

There are ways to make content even with these hurdles, even if it is tremendously slower. I want to encourage people from all over the world to create more, and establish independent media.

I truly empathize with the challenges that people have to face just to survive, and being a creator is not necessarily part of a person’s hierarchy of needs. However fulfillment is a key part of happiness in life. Content creation fulfills that for a lot of people. A great example @gym_rat_in_gaza whom creates workout videos, despite literal bombs being dropped right door to him. It is a matter of establishing a bit of normalcy in his life, and he creates content to share his experiences in this time.

There are people all around the world dealing with their own challenges, but content creation is important to them. That is why I made this post!!

How can you go about making content with little to no internet?

I’m going to assume you have a device in this case, even if it is a public computer in an internet cafe. As the technology component is something I can’t wrap my head today in this post, but maybe in a sequel post.

Even a crappy android phone could work in this case, but a windows laptop (or any computer) would obviously work a lot better.

Most devices include a camera, and you can find ways of getting a microphone for cheap. That is one thing I think people need to consider is audio quality, even if it is just a microphone from a pair of gaming headphones.

From there you can record a video, or a podcast. However I think for most people the written format is going to be most accessible.

On average for me a blog post is anywhere between 4kb to 1mb depending on how long it is, and if it had images or not, etc. Very small, and that shouldn’t be difficult for anyone to upload even on dial up (hence why blogging was so popular in the late 90s/early 2000’s).

Most podcasts for me are around 25mb to 50mb, BUT please note that I export at the highest audio quality or around 320kbps. You could probably get away with 160kbps, which I think would also decrease the size quite a lot. Maybe even have a program to compress the file too.

Even 50mb isn’t that much in the grand scheme of things, but depending on your internet, the upload speed would be the largest limiting factor.

Videos on the other hand tend to be 300-500mb each, and that will be a lot harder to make for a lot of people. Even if you decrease the resolution, I record at 1080p (full HD), down to something like 720p (which in my opinion is the lowest you should go), the videos still might be 200-400mb.

Then what should you do? Really whatever your internet, and phone/computer storage will allow you to do. Keep in mind you usually only have to upload once, and then you can use tools to move things around in the cloud. However that first upload is the issue.

Meaning probably most people would be limited to podcasting, or even just blogging only. That is okay, but I wanted to paint the picture of what each one entails.

Here are some examples of tools that you can use!

Remember this isn’t the “end all, be all”, and so there may be a tool that is better for you. I just want to give you what comes to mind for me as a person who is obsessed with tools.

I write using Ghost CMS and Substack, which are tools that allow you to have a blog and email newsletter (keep in mind your blog posts themselves can be the newsletter, much like how this post is).

Email is one of the more important pieces to being a content creator, so this is a good way to get that head start.

I would stay away from more RAM heavy/demanding websites, such as Framer/Wix/Webflow, as they require more from your device even though they are in the cloud. Plus they don’t have automations, that will help you in this limited case.

Substack comes to mind for example, as I said in the video (make sure you watch that), where you can upload a video to Substack. Then on their servers they will send it to YouTube, and cut out the audio and send to Spotify/Apple. It is also one of the only three or so FREE podcast hosting platforms.

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is cost. Ghost CMS is better in a lot of ways, but doesn’t have podcast hosting and it also costs to host each month.

Otherwise you can use a paid podcast hosting tool like Transistor or Libsyn, however they may or may not be available in your region. Plus the cost is a lot higher, not even including currency exchange rate.

Now personally I use Nuelink as my social media management software, as it is best I’ve found after looking at every single tool on the market. However again I must add that tools are subject to what you can afford. While I think the automations in Nuelink are better, the ones in Repurpose can also help.

Note: I’m sharing links, but these are affiliate links as they were close on hand to copy.

I can’t tell you what is best for you because I don’t know each and everyone’s situation. However I am coming from what makes my job as a content creator EASIER, mindset, which directly does translate over to “how can I be a content creator when my environment makes it harder”.

Meaning the very topics I’ve been talking about on this Substack, for people like myself, they also directly help you who may be in a position that wants to make content. However due to external circumstances it is a lot harder for you to gain access.

Let me know if you have any questions, as I would love to help more people become their own independent media.

When you establish your content branding, it revolves around what you put out. Whether that is on a daily basis, weekly, or even monthly like Kurzgesagt. It doesn’t matter just as long as people who follow you know what to expect.

The idea of creating episodic content is nothing new, and Chopcast (Tribetactics) even talked about this in their series back in the day. I find that making your own “TV show” is an interesting premise. It allows you to create this sense of that you’ll show up every week. People can learn to expect that, and then consistently show up for you.

Why is it important to consistently show up?

I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not always consistent, so I know that it is hard. However not only do the platforms you post on reward you for showing up regularly, but the people following you can learn to expect to see your works at that time/day.

Meaning you can become somewhat of a habit for them much like how people read the morning newspaper back in the day.

When I started my “episodic” journey I actually took a polymathic approach, which meant each episode came out at the same time and in all three forms: written/audio/video. HOWEVER each episode was a different topic, and so I think that really hindered my growth. Not to mention I didn’t keep it going for a long time.

Conversely now, if you look at this Substack, then you can see the content showing up every week. It is always a video/podcast/blog post, and they’re all about content creation or creator tools. You know what to expect from this publication.

How to stay on top of it

The best thing to do is get practice, and then it becomes a lot easier to make the works. I did this post in two parts, where I recorded the video first, and now I’m writing the post actually a few days later. However this is because I was batching too!

Batching your content is a great way to get yourself to stay ahead. I made about 3-4 posts ahead. You know you can change shirts or hats in between recordings, and make it seem like more time had passed. Although I know my audience will see through that, so I don’t worry about it as much. I just want to make the content come out at an interval that is best for your consumption.

While I would like to post every day, as it would allow me to accelerate the level of what I am talking about to you. The sheer volume would overwhelm even the most super of fans. Meaning that in order for you to take in as much as you can, as fast as you can. The best ratio is once a week, so that you have time for the ideas to settle.

It comes from my coaching background that idea, but I think it helps. Thus batching allows me to fulfill my desire to make a lot of content, but also stay ahead on the posting schedule for you!

The Content Polymath is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

🥡 Takeaways

What should you leave with from this post. Well for one I want you to think about what sort of series you could do. It could be an interview series, daily vlog, weekly news episode, and more.

What matters is how well you can consistently do the work at each interval. Hence why I chose a weekly cadence, as I have literally a dozen or more series that I do for my content ecosystem. I want to try and be consistent with at least half a dozen of them. As some only need to post when a new idea or news comes out. Although the others have so many ideas in the backlog, they have to be consistent.

Feel free to comment below if you have any ideas to share on making an episodic series!

What do you mean “modern”? I just think it is a differentiator, that other creators aren’t thinking about. Really all it entails is that you are looking at what content is in the current moment, or maybe even looking ahead a bit in some cases.

Rather than trying to do what DID work, now, which may or may not still work.

I’ve tried so many things over the course of my content creation journey, and stuck to old strategies that I once wanted to do. Yet in my previous skill levels couldn’t do. Yet by the time I was good enough, those strategies were no more.

I figured I could help upskill you to get to the level you need to be, and also share with you what I see to be the current meta of modern content creation.

Think of this like a short course if you will, with each episode being it's own module. Please watch the Substack exclusive video first, as it brings everything together in a more concise way, and was made specifically for you here.

How to Be a Modern Content Creator Part 1: Creating Content & Entrepreneurship

Many of this generation's aspirations have to do with content creation and becoming a Modern Content Creator. I am here to tell you how you can do that!

* Build a Personal Brand: Your content is an extension of your identity. Create a consistent voice, style, and message that resonates with your audience and reflects your unique value proposition.

* Monetize Your Passion: Think like an entrepreneur. Every piece of content should have the potential to generate income—whether through ads, sponsorships, courses, or products. Diversify your revenue streams early on.

* Leverage Automation & Tools: Stay efficient with the right tools for scheduling, editing, and distribution. Automating repetitive tasks allows you to focus on creativity and strategic growth.

While not every entrepreneur is a content creator; pretty much every content creator is an entrepreneur. I think that if you’re not, then you’re not meant to be on this substack. As this is meant for the creators who want the advanced strategies and mindsets. Mind you it is okay if you don’t, I just want to stop you here. If you are that person, then let’s continue onward.

How to Be a Modern Content Creator Part 2: Content Formats

The point is to get to your first 100 posts, regardless of which format you choose. If you do decide to switch after making maybe say 33 posts in Audio, but realize you'd rather be on camera. That is okay, but just know that your 100 reps starts over when you switch formats or types!

Content, content, and more content. Trust me if you think you are doing enough, you're wrong, but here is how to do it sustainably.

* Pick Your Primary Format: Whether it's video, audio, or written content, commit to your first 100 posts. It’s about building momentum and mastery, not perfection. If you switch formats, your learning curve resets, so be prepared for the grind.

* Master Repurposing: One piece of content can be transformed into multiple formats—videos can become blog posts, podcasts, or infographics. This maximizes your reach without doubling your workload.

* Consistency Over Perfection: Don’t aim for viral content from day one. Focus on building a sustainable content routine. The more you create, the better you'll get, and eventually, the audience will come.

Each format or type really comes down to what you want to make. While in most cases I would tell people to start with video or written content, and in some rare cases I’ll say start with a podcast. However video is easy to repurpose, and written is more common for a lot of people/ you can always do a newsletter. Which garnering emails is very important in the long run.

In either case you are achieving one of two of the more important angles. Either gaining emails on your own turf, or you are leveraging SEO on the video platform. Plus you can then repurpose the videos later.

How to Be a Modern Content Creator Part 3: WRITTEN Content & Blogging

Blogging has been around for a couple decades, and as someone who has done it for half of that time I can officially say I don't think it is going away.

* Longevity of Blogging: Despite the rise of video and social media, blogging remains a cornerstone of content creation. It offers depth, SEO benefits, and a space to build long-term, evergreen content.

* Written Content is Versatile: Blogs can be turned into social media posts, newsletters, or even video scripts. A strong blog post can fuel multiple pieces of content across platforms.

* Establish Authority: Blogging allows you to dive deep into topics and showcase expertise. A well-maintained blog can position you as an industry leader and create a loyal reader base.

Writing is not for everyone, but anyone can learn it. Specifically the type you need for content creation. It might be hard to start learning to blog, and in turn making a newsletter. However like with any of these skills practice makes perfect.

Substack also makes it easier to grow given the network effect, so you get a bit more of a positive feedback loop. Please note that Ghost CMS also now has a social network built on it as well.

How to Be a Modern Content Creator Part 4: AUDIO Content & Podcasting

Depending on how you like to present yourself this may be a great way to start. Even though I started writing, it was the audio format that got me to come out of my shell.

* Find Your Voice: Podcasting is a great format for those who feel more comfortable speaking than writing or being on camera. It's a powerful medium to connect authentically with your audience through conversation.

* Ease of Production: Compared to video, audio content can be easier and faster to produce. With minimal equipment and post-production, you can focus on delivering high-value content consistently.

* Build Deeper Connections: Podcasts create an intimate experience for listeners, fostering a loyal audience. The long-form nature allows you to explore ideas in-depth, helping you develop authority and trust.

Now the reason I said audio is not one of the two I would suggest starting out with is that it lacks most of the growth opportunities. While yes certain niches or topics might be very successful. Most podcasts won’t get that, and they end up dying out. You lack that feedback loop, and the podcast platforms lack true discoverability.

For some people though, who like to talk, it might be a great way for you to make content. As you can crank out many reps much more quickly, with a much lower editing necessity than video. To be honest you can just throw the episode into Adobe Podcast and call it a day even.

How to Be a Modern Content Creator Part 5: VIDEO Content & YouTubing

Video is the medium of this time of the internet. Maybe next generation it will be VR, but for now make the most you can with video content.

* The Power of Visual Storytelling: Video is the most engaging content format right now. It allows you to communicate complex ideas visually and emotionally, making it easier to capture and hold your audience's attention.

* YouTube as a Search Engine: YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. Creating video content on YouTube not only grows your audience but also improves discoverability and organic reach through SEO.

* Build Personal Connection: Video content puts a face to your brand. It humanizes you, allowing viewers to connect more deeply with your message. This authenticity can lead to higher engagement and loyalty.

Probably the more powerful growth choice out of the three, but also the more saturated too. We are specifically talking about long form, and at the time of this writing I think short form video is actually a bad choice to start out with.

Long videos allow for more in depth ideas, more watch time, and more repurposing opportunities.

How to Be a Modern Content Creator Part 6: Content Types

* Short Form Content: Quick, bite-sized videos (like TikToks or Instagram Reels) are perfect for grabbing attention in a fast-paced world. They’re easy to create and highly shareable, making them ideal for building awareness and engagem…