290: 6 Things I’ve Learned in 6 Years of Creating Content

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Thrive Podcast. If you're a blogger, influencer, you found the show for you. I'm Bree Pair, your host and blogging coach, here to help you take your brand to the next level. At Thrive, our mission is to equip bloggers and influencers with practical tactics and strategies that can transform your brand to give you the lifestyle you want.

[00:00:26] We offer tutorials, workshops, and a supportive community to accompany you on your journey. I created the thrive podcast to give you simple, actionable steps that you can use to drive real results in your business. I also wanted to give you a peek behind the curtain of others in the industry that you look up to.

[00:00:44] Our guests share strategies they've used to grow, revenue streams that are working for them and insider info you won't find anywhere else. Now let's get ready to thrive.

[00:00:56] Today marks our sixth year podcast anniversary. Uh, that's wild. So to mark this momentous occasion, I am going to share with you guys six things I have learned in six years of creating content. Before I dive in, thank you so much for being a listener of this show, for interacting with this podcast, whether it's you just listening or you joining our Facebook community or following us over on Instagram and leaving us comments and messages, it is because of you guys that we are still able to be consistent and be here and show up.

[00:01:40] Because you guys are listening and we see that. So thank you for supporting this podcast by just listening and clicking play on the episodes. You are supporting this podcast and we appreciate you guys so much. If you want to do more to celebrate with us today for this podcast anniversary, Just share it with a friend.

[00:02:03] And if you have not left a rating or review yet on Apple or Spotify, we would love that as well. Or shoot me a DM over on Instagram just to tell me what your favorite thing about the show has been. Those are extra special ways that you can show some love on this six year podcast anniversary. So let's dive into six different things that I wanted to share with you that I've learned over the last six years.

[00:02:32] The very first one is that it's possible to be consistent for a long course of time, six years, for example. And the way that I have done this is Because my favorite word y'all, batching. The thing is when I don't batch, I burn out during different times of the month just because of life, of hormones, of just being a human being.

[00:03:01] I'm currently kind of in a lull right now and realized that I got behind on creating some content for social media. And so to the outside person looking in, it looks like I've ghosted a bit. And so that has been something that I have learned what keeps me consistent and what has kept us consistent with releasing a podcast episode every single week on this podcast is that we have to create content further out than then just the week of.

[00:03:35] So I have to get ahead on content to avoid not showing up for my audience. So if you've ever wondered, like, how am I going to possibly do this long term? How can I keep showing up for my audience? My tip. trick, hack, whatever it may be, is that you have to get ahead on content. And that starts with literally one post at a time.

[00:03:57] You get ahead and have two posts ready to go. Then you have three and you have four. And then the next thing you know, you're like, I am so freaking badass. I already have my content planned for the next three months. Look at me. So. And it ebbs and flows. I've been ahead on content for, um, let's see, when I went on maternity leave, that was the farthest ahead I've had ever gotten on content.

[00:04:21] And I think I was about four or five months ahead on content. And then there's times where it's like a week. So it's not always perfect, but it is what keeps me consistent and keeps me showing up. And in the times where you're like, why didn't I get an email from Brie this week? Or why didn't I see this from Brie this week?

[00:04:42] It's because I got behind. So there's my thing. I've learned. Number one. The second thing is that your business besties are crucial. And this has been the case for me for sure. It's, it's really lonely when you don't have people to lean on. It's really A lonely journey being an entrepreneur, working by yourself, working for yourself, and not having those coworkers, those people to bounce ideas off of, even if you feel currently right now, like, Oh, my God, my coworkers drive me crazy.

[00:05:15] It's a whole different ballgame when you are all on your own, working your business by yourself, 24 seven, even if you have a virtual assistant and can still feel really isolating and really lonely. And so the thing that has helped me during those times is. business friends and that have turned into in real life friends that are now best friends.

[00:05:37] So having people surrounding you is so important. If you don't feel like you have that right now, I mean, how I have met some of my friends is by going to in person events. Going to conferences, going to retreats, going to local meetups, and then even just like starting by hanging out in other Facebook groups and meeting people and having coffee dates.

[00:06:02] Like I'm thinking of like some of my closest friends right now. Like I met Haley, our podcast manager and one of my business besties and in real life, best friends through working with the different clients, we were both doing separate things for them. So we were both had our own solo businesses and we connected, we were able to meet in person and then we just kept that connection going.

[00:06:26] I think that's kind of like one of the keys. It's like you both got to kind of work at it a little bit and that's not always easy as we're adults, but like, don't be afraid to like, just kind of keep following up with that person and be like, Hey, when's next time we're going to chat? Or just, Hey, I'm just checking in.

[00:06:38] How are you? I was thinking about you. How I met Natalie Bardot is a mutual friend. Liz Wilcox was like, Hey, you two should probably meet. So like networking is huge. Um, she introduced us. We had a zoom call and I was like, yep, you're in my circle now. Like we are now friends. And it just like, Happened from there.

[00:06:59] And so we've been friends ever since she's stayed at my house a couple of times, has met my baby. Like that's how it is. And then my friend, Nicole, I met her at a local event here in Minneapolis that I went to, and I did not want to go to it that morning. It was snowing, it was cold and I almost didn't go, but Oh my gosh.

[00:07:19] Her and I talk about this all the time. Like just how. Devastating. It would have been if she didn't want to go either, but how devastating it would have been if neither of us had gone. And it was just like kismet that we both went and are now amazing friends. So. You have to have people surrounding you.

[00:07:37] You have to have people that get it. You have to have a circle around you. So make sure that you do something maybe over the next couple of months, maybe it's like a 2025 goal of yours to like make new friends that Turn into, like, real friends just beyond business. If you're like, I need a community, where can I start?

[00:08:00] Like, Bree, just hold my hand and help me. Then jumping into one of our coaching programs, you're going to be surrounded by instant friends. So that's my tip there. The third thing I've learned is to not discredit in person connections. So I, I mean, this kind of goes in hand with the second one, but taking the time and money to go and see other content creators in person Is huge.

[00:08:27] I try to do this at least twice a year. Now that I have a kiddo, I used to do it quite a bit more before that, but look for events that are local to you, even if you don't have the ability to travel. Um, but I would look into like traveling to a conference or retreat at least once a year. Because the inspiration that you're going to get by being in a different environment, by meeting other people, by being.

[00:08:53] Face to face with others, whether you're listening to inspiring speakers or whether it's in those downtimes between sessions of you having conversations with others and just watching other people and do what they do in the similar space to you is. fuel. It's fuel for the entire year. It's what keeps you going.

[00:09:15] And it'll start to be like a high that you're going to start chasing. I went to a retreat in June. I'm going to another one this October. And I've got my 2025 calendar is already starting to fill up. So Take the time now to just look at like, what am I going to go to next year? Even if it's just like, I'm going to start local, but there's something magical that happens of with having those in person connections.

[00:09:41] Even if it's just like, Hey, do you want to meet up and have coffee at a local coffee shop, finding another creator? There's always going to be another content creator in your city, unless you're in the tiniest, tiniest of towns, like there's going to be somebody close to you, so you just have to look. All right.

[00:09:57] Thing number four is that messaging is. Key. This is something that took me a couple of years to really, really nail down. But once you have your messaging nailed down, it is a game changer. And if you don't feel like your content is reaching your intended audience, you've got to get real with yourself about your content messaging.

[00:10:24] I don't care if this is a short form video, a long form video, a long form blog post, an email. If you're not getting the engagement and the reach that you're wanting, sure, it could be an algorithm, but I have found that more often than not, it is a messaging thing and something is not landing, and this is true for our own content, and it's true for testing things continuously.

[00:10:52] But if you want to see your income go up, you have to get solid on your messaging. You don't always have to have hundreds and thousands of followers. You don't always have to have, you know, a massive amount of people following you on Tik TOK or Instagram or Huge page views to be successful and to make a full time income.

[00:11:18] Maybe this is like bonus tip, bonus thing that I've learned. We don't have the massive numbers right now. We're growing every day, but we don't have the most Massive audience out there, yet we're still making six figures every single year. So just know that just because your numbers might not be there, if you can really nail your messaging and nail down who your target audience is, you can increase your income substantially.

[00:11:48] Messaging is crucial. The fifth thing that also goes along with that is that research is so important. I knew this, but also I didn't like, if you had told me this, like at the beginning of me jumping into the content creation space and, you know, starting my own blog back in the day that I needed to like, spend more time doing research and messaging and all of that, I would have had no idea what you were talking about.

[00:12:19] I was just creating things that were fun and doing things on a whim. And that's what I have just over the last six years, I've learned that research is so important to make sure you've done your research and know your content is going to reach your target. audience. Otherwise, why are you even making it right?

[00:12:39] It's like, you know, then this is just a hobby for you and that's great. Have fun. Love that for you. But you know, I think most of you that are listening to this podcast don't just want a hobby. You want something that is going to make you an income, allow you to quit your job, allow you to make more money, allow you to whatever it may be.

[00:13:00] Reaching those goals requires strategy and it requires research and The hard brain work that sometimes we don't want to do because you're just on that constant creation and go, go, go mode. But if you were to slow down and really take the time to like plan things out more, I'm telling you, it is going to make a difference in your bottom line.

[00:13:26] Number six, to wrap it up, is that it's okay to pivot and you will over the years. So This is something I, I don't know, whenever I was first getting started, a lot of people, I feel like we're kind of talking about it of like, Oh, okay, well, if I start in this niche, like, am I going to like it longterm? Like, what's it going to look like?

[00:13:49] Blah, blah, blah. And you know, when I look back at what I was doing six years ago and the transitions I've gone through since then, they've been very subtle changes. But changes nonetheless, so just know that you're going to have small pivots along the way, so don't be afraid of, oh, I might outgrow my content or I might get bored or my audience could get tired.

[00:14:16] You're going to adjust over the years and you may not even realize it until years later. I was talking with Hannah Bruncher, which is a podcast that came out last week. And we were talking about this, how like those subtle changes just kind of happen. And then you look back and you're like, wow, I've pivoted and like changed a lot.

[00:14:38] But in the moment, it's, Me listening to my audience. It's me honing in on that messaging and even more. It's me doing more research Talking to you guys and making sure I'm providing content that you guys want that has kind of guided those subtle changes I've seen people start, you know in this content creation space with A blog when they were single and living the life and out and about and doing all these different things, and now have continued to have their brand, have gotten married, have had babies, have moved across the country, all kinds of different things.

[00:15:16] And yet. They, all of it all happened at once. You don't go from, let's say, you know, the extreme of like, in your young 20s, freshly out of college, single, having fun with a blog, to all of a sudden, five years married with a baby. In a different state, right? Like it doesn't usually just happen overnight. It's a subtle change that happens over time.

[00:15:43] And because of that, your audience is going to grow and adapt with you. So just something, I don't know, it was like a fear of mine, I guess, Like an underlying like strangeness there. And I wonder if it's still kind of a thing for some people is like, Oh, if we, if we change too much, it's going to like not work.

[00:16:04] And I think that's just us getting in our own head and getting in our own way. And it's like, just put your head down, get the work done and stay true to your audience. Pay attention to what they need. Always be asking how you can help them. Always be talking to your audience. The times I have felt like things aren't working or I feel disconnected is when I'm not talking with you guys very often.

[00:16:24] And it happens. It goes in ebbs and flows. But every time I get reconnected with you guys, I immediately see a boost in my income every single time. It is wild. So just make sure that you're staying connected to your audience and everything is going to be just fine. So hopefully one of these tips is something that can give you a little bit of reassurance or maybe a little kick in the rear end to go and make some friends or something or to get some research done.

[00:16:53] But what a wild ride. Six years. That, that doesn't even sound real for me to say it out loud. So yeah, thanks for listening. Thanks for binging the content. Thanks for going back and listening to old episodes. So many of you have messaged me that you're doing that and listening to something every single day because you're going through the archives and your support means the world to us.

[00:17:17] Never be afraid to reach out and DM us on Instagram. I read every single message and it is. a highlight of my day, week, year, whenever I get a message from you guys, because of the podcast. So, all right, that's all for today, you guys, I'll see you back here in a few days with a new episode.

[00:17:41] Thank you for listening to the Thrive Podcast. For resources mentioned in today's episode, head to thrivetogether. blog. And if you're a blogger or influencer looking for a community that is ready to cheer you on and be a resource to help you grow, be sure to join the thrive blogging community on Facebook.

[00:17:59] If you love this episode, I would be so honored if you subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast app and give our guests some love over on social media until next time, keep thriving.