How schools for content creation, coaches are helping create stars on social media

When most teens his age are cramming for board exams or worrying about their college entry, 15-year-old Manvik Kakar is aspiring to be a digital content creator. “I recently enrolled in a short communication course to learn the art of public speaking and blogging,” Manvik, who wants to become even more proficient in content creation, said. For a rush of young people, the road to becoming a social media star can be every little thing they do. Right from entertainment to lifestyle and finance influencers, content is the king on social media. The lure of digital stardom, personal brand building, and huge earning potential is making content creation a sought-after profession among young people. In 2022, there were about 80 million content creators in India, this number is set to cross 100 million in 2023, according to Zefmo, an influencer marketing firm. “A lot of young people are opting for content creation as a profession is because the entry barrier is very low. All you need is an internet device, audio, and video capturing capabilities. But, it’s not as easy as it looks,” Manish Pandey, content coach and brand consultant said. Entry barriers may be low, but the success rate is similar to any other competitive profession, he added. It’s really tough to tell what kind of content works and what doesn’t, experts said. The key is to understand social media algorithms and use them to your benefit in content creation. “These algorithms keep changing and one must constantly keep updating themselves on what kind of videos Instagram or YouTube pushes,” a content creator said. Here, step in content coaches or influencer schools that help creators understand these trending algorithms and explain the dos and don’ts. The spurt in the number of influencers has led to a rise in personal content coaches and influencer schools. “Anyone and everyone can be an influencer. We offer a variety of courses right from how to create content, how to edit content, personal grooming, wardrobe management, and even body language. We collaborate with influencers having more than one million followers to conduct master classes too,” Soumyabrata Sengupta, executive director of Spearkraft, said. The next leap of growth in the content creation space is likely to come from micro and nano influencers. Micro influencers are those who have up to one lakh followers and nano influencers are those with up to 10,000 followers. The revenue share of micro-influencers is expected to rise from 9% this fiscal to 14% in FY24. These micro and nano influencers are the biggest clients for content coaches as they are still on their growth path and usually require assistance to boost their profiles at this stage. “All kinds of people approach me for consultation. Right from small business owners to make-up and nail artists to skincare creators. I have consulted over 600 people in six months. Through the coaching sessions, I do profile audits, suggest interesting ideas and other content ideas,” Hyderabad-based Ishika Pansari, a content coach, said. Right from barter deals to brand collaborations and ad-generated revenues, opportunities to earn in the content creation space are endless. However, coaches say that money should be the last thing that creators should think about when they start out on their journey. “The most important ingredient in making money is patience and consistency,” Pandey said. If the content is structured well and strategically posted, there are sure shot chances of success, others added. For budding influencers, barter deals are the way to go in order to establish a personal brand. Damini Chaudhary, 22, is a budding food, fashion, and lifestyle influencer. She relies on barter deals and brand collaborations as she builds a larger presence in the creator ecosystem. “I have about 7,000 followers and I just completed a course on personal styling and image management to help me enhance my personality,” she said. After completing her course, Damini has become a more confident speaker and has made some changes to her overall presentation and approach. Content coaches feel that having the spark or ability to connect with audiences can’t be taught. However, technical aspects like how to collaborate with a brand, how to negotiate with a brand, how to elevate your content, and how to use better camera angles are something that can be worked upon. If the commercial aspects are taken care of, the monetization potential can be huge. Online video platform YouTube’s ecosystem has contributed over Rs 10,000 crore to India’s GDP and supported more than 7.5 lakh full-time equivalent jobs in the country, a YouTube impact report based on analysis by Oxford Economics, said. “On YouTube, for every 1 million views, creators roughly make USD 200. Earlier, to start earning on YouTube, creators needed 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. As of last week, YouTube has reduced it (to a requirement of) 500 subscribers,” Sachin Bhatia, co-founder, and CEO of Good Creator Co., said. “For Instagram, creators need a minimum of 10,000 followers to monetize. One million views can fetch between USD 100-300,” he added. Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach in social media, influencers should identify strategies that can help build their own personal brand and create meaningful content. Audio production: Sahil Gupta