The "C" Word That Confuses so Many Creators
📖 Read time: 3 minutes and 7 seconds
Hey creator friend,
In this email, I want to break down a commonly held belief that prevents so many "creators" from taking action.
I talking about our infamous friend consistency.
It's a buzzword in the creator space and is often misunderstood.
So many creators let the absence of consistency cripple them.
A glance into my DM inbox shows that early-stage creators focus on the wrong things:
- Anton with 37 followers: "How do I get my first 1,000 followers?"
- Barbara with 5 published posts in 7 months asked me how to build a content strategy.
- Harry with 1,493 followers told me he needs to "branch out" on another platform to find more opportunities.
Cool, all great ideas.
But, shouldn't we stay at the basics?
Consistency on one platform.
Commit to one platform and publish on it for 30 days.
In the beginning, you suck, but no expert was born an expert.
I'd argue that every creator can commit to 30 days of trying something new.
If you can't commit to that, you simply don't want it bad enough at this point.
That's fine, too.
Just be honest with yourself :)
Creators believe they need consistency to start, while in fact..
They need to start to be consistent.
A simple reframe that can change everything:
Make the activity the goal, not the outcome.
Don't focus on getting the first 1000 followers or your first 100K post.
Focus on posting every day for 7 days.
Hit that?
Great.
Go for 30 days.
Before you know you've built the publishing muscle to a point that not publishing for a day becomes harder for you.
In this digital era, where every early-stage creator looks for a shortcut..
You can be the exemption.
Publish content long enough that it's unreasonable for you to not be good and seen as the expert you are.
How long is that?
3, 6 or 12 months.
Up to your effort.
Some creators blow up after 3 months (not many), and most take 6-12 months.
(If that sounds too much, you might consider unsubscribing from The Creator Academy, because what's the point of reading this if you won't ever put it into action?)
Now, let's focus on the upsides:
Publish daily and you:
📈 Gain strong confidence in speaking up and expressing yourself
📈 Build a portfolio of work that positions you as the expert you are.
📈 Attract an audience who resonates and engages with your audience.
📈 Form a group of like-minded creators around you on the same mission
This is what 6 months of daily publishing and engagement looked like for me on LinkedIn.
I'm aware that these metrics don't pay the bills, but they serve a purpose in the bigger strategy. I wrote about that here.
Here's your 4-step process to become consistent once you've started..
Understanding consistency is the key driver of your brand isn't enough.
It's about doing it.
To become a consistent creator yourself, you want to tackle 4 elements:
Step #1: Know your WHY
To start and keep going, you need to know why you want to create content.
Having your vision clear doesn’t mean you always have to stick to it.
Your vision may evolve, in the same way, you evolve as a human being.
Step #2: Understand the problem you solve
A key to consistency is to know which problem you want to solve with your content.
This acts as the dot on the horizon.
While your WHY is internal, the problem you solve acts as your external compass to stay on track.
I broke down this process in detail here.
Step #3: Set small goals
If you know your WHY and your WHAT, the HOW will present itself automatically.
Dedicate to reasonable goals first:
- Publish for 7 days
- Comment for 7 days.
Hit that?
Move the goalpost.
Step #4: Have a system in place
Creating content without a plan and system only gets you so far.
At some point, you run out of inspiration.
On those days, you'll need to rely on your system to help you to show up.
I've created my content system in Notion, you can get your template here for free.
The creator’s game is a marathon, not a sprint.
Consistency isn't about being perfect, it's about getting back on track as soon as possible.
Acknowledge that you’re imperfect and will fuck up along the way.
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Take the time to plan ahead.
Those who are ready will get ahead for sure.
Life happens.
That’s ok.
Get your shit together and start again.
The goal is not to be perfect.
The goal is to keep on moving forward.
That's it for this week.
I'd love to hear from you:
What's a topic you want to learn more about in the upcoming weeks?
Shoot me some content ideas, so I can best help you become a better creator.
Thanks for being here.
Much love,
Your Personal Creator Guide,
Jessie
Also: when you're ready, here are three ways I can help you...
- Get the FREE Content Management System.
​More clarity, more focus, and better performing content. Click here.​ - Unlock the LinkedIn Growth System.
​Transform your LinkedIn Profile into a Lead Generator. Click here.​ - Hire me for your copywriting and brand strategy.
​Give your brand the voice it deserves. Click here.