LIVE AMA with Katie Steckly

[Katie Steckly]

What advice would you give to aspiring content creators who are just starting out or looking to take their content to the next level?

And while it's certainly worth while to create for creating's sake - no matter the potential viewership - if you want to be commercially successful as a creator, and build a sustainable business, it's important to understand what audiences are looking for so you can market to them.

[Katie Steckly]

What advice would you give to aspiring content creators who are just starting out or looking to take their content to the next level?

So try to determine where the overlap is between what you want to make, and what your target audience would want to watch. This takes a lot of experimentation, and trial and error, but once you hone in on it it can be a total superpower for content creators.

[sowil]

How do you maintain audience interest and loyalty over time?

[Katie Steckly]

What advice would you give to aspiring content creators who are just starting out or looking to take their content to the next level?

And if you happen to be in the goldilocks zone where what you're passionate about creatively is also a highly viral format - then congrats! for most creators though, it will always be a balance between creative goals, and view counts / financial goals.

[bmcdonough]

What's your go-to gear?

[Katie Steckly]

How do you maintain audience interest and loyalty over time?

I was watching a Tom Scott (iconic YouTuber) video the other day and he mentioned something that I think speaks to this perfectly - the idea that audiences/consumers love the balance of familiarity and novelty. And I think that is so true for creators - viewers want to know what to expect, but also...

[jajo]

What advice would you give to aspiring content creators who are just starting out or looking to take their content to the next level?

This is so helpful, thanks Katie!

[Katie Steckly]

How do you maintain audience interest and loyalty over time?

be a bit surprised by your content. For a lot of creators, this looks like coming up with a signature format (I think of creators like Michelle Khare with Challenge Accepted) but addressing a different theme, or topic, or story, using that format.

[Katie Steckly]

How do you maintain audience interest and loyalty over time?

Creating expectations with your audience (them knowing that you'll talk about certain themes, your video quality will be the same, you'll always be entertaining, etc) helps to build trust. But to keep them truly interested, you need to bring in fresh ideas and perspectives as well

[etgar]

When you’re traveling, how do you balance creating content with enjoying where you are and taking time for yourself?

[Katie Steckly]

Quote

What's your go-to gear?

I'm currently loving vlogging with my Sony ZV-E10 and 11mm f1.8 lens - and the ECM-G1 - such a perfect combo and it's so small and light weight. I also film my "sit down" YouTube videos with this set up as well. That being said I also love vlogging with the ZV1 when I want something I can just grab and go with!

[Katie Steckly]

When you’re traveling, how do you balance creating content with enjoying where you are and taking time for yourself?

This is a great question - because it can be a hard balance. For me, I try to think about creating travel content as discrete, individual projects - and therefore not pressure myself to be constantly filming or taking photos. For example, when I went to Europe a while back - I planned out what I...

[Katie Steckly]

When you’re traveling, how do you balance creating content with enjoying where you are and taking time for yourself?

wanted to capture in advance, based on my itinerary. And then, I followed though on that plan, and stopped filming when I didn't need to. That way I captured what I wanted to, but also had some time to myself. I think it's all about setting expectations with yourself!

[bmcdonough]

I have to head out but this was lovely! Thank you Katie for sharing so much great info!

[Katie Steckly]

When you’re traveling, how do you balance creating content with enjoying where you are and taking time for yourself?

That being said, I really feel like capturing and documenting my travels is a part of how I appreciate being in a new location. Seeing it through my camera, thinking about creative ways to represent the place visually - that's really fun for me, so it doesn't feel like it takes away from my experience :)

[aidm]

How do you stand out in such a crowded landscape? There are so many content creators nowadays!

[Katie Steckly]

How do you stand out in such a crowded landscape? There are so many content creators nowadays!

As crowded as it is, I really believe that everyone has a place as a creator! You have your own unique personality and perspective that can shine through in your content. That being said, it is important to be strategic. Content creation is a business, and so you need to consider what there is demand for

[libro]

Do you have anyone assisting you in maintaining your social media presence?

[Katie Steckly]

How do you stand out in such a crowded landscape? There are so many content creators nowadays!

Sometimes, it can feel like a niche is "saturated" because there are many creators talking about it, and that can discourage new creators interested in that niche. But often, if there are a lot of creators talking about a topic - that's probably because there is a lot of interest in that!

[Katie Steckly]

How do you stand out in such a crowded landscape? There are so many content creators nowadays!

The most important thing is that whatever you're creating about - it's something that you're passionate about, and that you've considered how you can bring your own fresh perspective or unique spin to the topic :)

[Katie Steckly]

Do you have anyone assisting you in maintaining your social media presence?

So, I have a team that works for my creative agency (Creatorly Media - we edit podcasts and Youtube videos for our clients!) and I do have the team at Creatorly edit my podcast. Otherwise though, I edit my own YouTube videos, and create my own Instagram content.

[Katie Steckly]

Do you have anyone assisting you in maintaining your social media presence?

Editing video content is pretty much my favourite part of my job - which is why I haven't handed it over yet. It's what I look forward to in my week :)

[alpha-jessica-a]

Another question from email: What strategies do you use to engage and grow your audience?

[Katie Steckly]

Another question from email: What strategies do you use to engage and grow your audience?

My biggest strategy is actually pretty simple: it's listening to and getting to know my audience really well. It helps because I know the struggles my viewers have been through are the same I went through as a small & growing creator! But an effective content strategy always starts with empathy

[etgar]

When you’re traveling, how do you balance creating content with enjoying where you are and taking time for yourself?

Love this!