How to Balance Content Creation as a Multifaceted Entrepreneur (According to an Expert)
Welcome back to Creators Unlocked, a series where we interview creators about their best practices. Today, we’re spotlighting Lloyd George, a multifaceted creator, and entrepreneur. Lloyd’s dipped his fingers in all content pies, from podcasting to TikTok, consistently producing engaging content for his audience.
Lloyd’s content primarily focuses on advice for newcomers to the podcasting industry, so beyond being one himself, he gets creators. In this article, he shares invaluable insights and advice for aspiring creators who want to balance other projects with content.
Treat each pursuit as a separate entity
Content creation isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor; Lloyd George’s career shows that. He’s built a career that blends a more “traditional” job as a freelance project manager with the creative freedom that comes with content creation. A classic example of “doing it all (and then some),” Lloyd has several entrepreneurial and creative pursuits.
His project management work operates under ‘George Solutions,’ while his creative endeavors fall under ‘The Cre8tor Hub.’ He also offers podcast administration services through PodMan. “Even though it’s all me at the end of the day,” he states, “it just simplifies things in my mind to divide them that way,” he explains.
When it comes to content, Lloyd’s approach is very focused on taking complex concepts from the podcasting industry and breaking them down for a newbie audience. Through this approach, Lloyd ensures that although his content is simple, it’s still valuable for many podcasters.
Lloyd’s work as a creator combines creativity with entrepreneurship, building an audience, creating and publishing content, and engaging with his community. By dividing his work into separate brands, Lloyd has found a way to manage his time and energy and maintain a clear vision and focus for each of his roles. It’s a unique method tailored to his multifaceted career and interests.
Have a clear vision and strategy for your work
With such a versatile roster of creative efforts and businesses, Lloyd has to wear many hats. His workday involves content creation, podcast hosting, newsletter writing, and running three businesses. If it sounds like a lot, that’s because it is – and he knows that.
“Just focusing on the creator aspect,” he reflects, “it takes a lot of time to create content, plan it out, respond to comments, evaluate its performance, and fine-tune it.” Being a creator, while rewarding, is undeniably time-consuming. As Lloyd points out, creators also “need to run businesses to earn a living,” adding to their daily workload.
So how does anything get done?
“I schedule work around my needs instead of adjusting my life to my work schedule.” – @LloydNotGeorge for @buffer
Well, first, he has a clear vision. “I contemplate, what do I want my day to look like?” he asks himself, carving out a space for flexibility and personal time. He aims to schedule his work around his needs rather than adjust his life to his work schedule. This approach ensures that he can achieve his personal goals and helps him maintain a healthy work-life balance.
However, despite being mindful of his time, Lloyd knows he couldn’t manage all aspects of his businesses single-handedly. So, the second secret is simple and transformative: outsourcing. “I had to resort to outsourcing and hiring contractors,” he explains. This decision has led him to delegate about “97 percent of the tasks across all my businesses.”
This approach has yielded Lloyd the “luxury of time to think, conduct interviews, and even travel if required.” Delegating allows him to stay on top of all his responsibilities without being overwhelmed.
His advice to fellow creators and entrepreneurs is to “spend time considering how they want their day to look like and what tasks they genuinely have time for.” This will help them gauge whether they need to outsource or even eliminate some tasks for the sake of balance and productivity.
Operate within a niche for ease of doing business
While niching down isn’t for every creator, it’s worked immensely well for Lloyd. “I’ve found that [a niche] has significantly expedited my growth. Plus, I can say with certainty that having a niche enhances the value of your audience,” he shares.
His approach to operating within a niche also provides an interesting perspective on which metrics are really valuable for creators – especially those that want to monetize. He compares a niche-focused TikTok creator, like himself, with another having a similar follower count but lacking a niche.
“Take, for instance, another TikTok creator with the same follower count as mine [12,000]. But if their followers aren’t focused on a specific niche, I believe I can command a higher cost per follower or CPM,” he explains. Knowing that most of his 12,000 followers are primarily aspiring podcasters, he can target brands within the podcast industry who wish to connect with his audience. Easy targeting = easy pitching = great partnerships.
Lloyd credits the clarity provided by his niche for launching his content creation journey. After identifying other content creators within the podcast space, understanding their unique propositions, and discovering why people watched them, he could carve out his distinctive approach.
He admits that his ability to understand how long to make his videos, what information to provide, and even what hashtags to use would have been challenging without a defined niche. “It’s easy to track what my competitors are doing, understand what my industry requires, and how I can perform better,” he asserts.
This offers a compelling case for choosing a niche as a content creator, highlighting its potential to provide a competitive edge and accelerate growth.
Diversify your revenue for stability
Lloyd has adopted various monetization strategies in his content creator journey – but he highlights two as the main sources of revenue. The first is brand deals and sponsorships, a fluctuating source of income that, on average, brings in $4,500 per month. “Sometimes, it reaches a peak of $5,000, while at other times, it dips to about $300. It simply varies from month to month,” Lloyd explains.
His second revenue stream comes from his podcast administration service business, PodMan, which he says “also generates roughly $4,500 each month.” Lloyd is comfortable sharing these numbers, as he acknowledges the importance of transparency among creators. He shares openly about his goals and progress towards generating revenue on his platforms.
@lloydnotgeorge May 2023 Report card
However, when asked about his favorite strategy, he readily picks brand collaborations. “If I had to choose and the pay was the same across the board, I’d most likely opt for more collaborations with brands. That’s the kind of work I truly enjoy,” he admits.
Beyond the exhilarating experiences, Lloyd acknowledges the business advantage of these partnerships. He explains, “From a creator’s perspective, working with brands is not only fun but also, from a business standpoint, it’s my preferred choice since most of the earnings from such projects are profit.”
He does account for operational costs, such as payment for his video editors, copywriters, and other professionals. Nevertheless, he maintains that collaborating with brands is more profitable, especially compared to his other business, PodMan, where only about 40 to 50 percent of the income is profit.
Despite generating substantial revenue from his content creation and podcast administration services, Lloyd admits that he cannot rely solely on his content-related earnings. However, this doesn’t deter him, as he emphasizes the potential of small-scale creators to make a significant impact. “Considering I make nearly $8,000 a month from my content alone – while having only a thousand followers on Instagram – reinforces my belief that you don’t necessarily need a large following to monetize your content effectively,” he states.
Lloyd initially believed he needed to amass a large follower count to monetize his platform effectively. However, his perspective has since evolved. “Even as a smaller creator, it’s entirely possible to earn a sustainable income through social media,” he notes.
This perspective provides a refreshing and encouraging outlook for creators starting their journey: a high follower count is not the only measure of success in the creator economy. His story emphasizes the importance of providing value and building meaningful connections, underscoring that a smaller, engaged audience can be profitable.
Reflecting on the evolution of social media, Lloyd offers a pragmatic perspective, highlighting the risks for creators who root their careers solely on these platforms. He notes, “No matter what social media platform you opt for or how they choose to remunerate or interact with you, you don’t own that platform.”
Lloyd’s perspective aligns with other Creators Unlocked alum like Jay Acunzo and Josh Ho: while social media platforms provide opportunities for creator growth, they also introduce instability. Without warning, they can change their algorithms or policies, potentially disrupting creators’ visibility or income.
The solution? Diversify.
Lloyd admits that his initial definition of success was to amass 100,000 followers across all platforms. However, his viewpoint has since evolved. He shares, “My new outlook is that even with 5,000 solid followers or a similar number of dedicated subscribers to my email newsletter, I can still achieve my goals.”
By building a solid follower base and an email newsletter list, which he deems as “genuine followers,” Lloyd is cultivating an audience he can directly reach out to, regardless of shifts in social media trends.
Regardless of the challenges tied to them, Lloyd advocates for a balanced approach to social media. He explains, “I’ve made a conscious effort to generate income not only from social media but also through starting my own business.” This multi-pronged strategy is not a rejection of social media but a reframing of its role for creators.
“Social media should be viewed as a tool for building your own business rather than the platform that defines your business.” – @lloydnotgeorge for @buffer
In a world where social media sites can change at any moment, Lloyd’s approach encourages creators to use social media to grow while investing in standalone ventures that can provide stability and continuity. Lloyd’s approach demonstrates how creators can augment their digital presence with tangible services, diversifying their income streams and increasing their independence.
Take a sustainable approach to content creation
Lloyd has many thoughts about building a sustainable approach to content creation, which he shares:
- Breaking free from perfection paralysis: He consistently encourages his audience to take that first crucial step: hitting Post. “If someone mentioned wanting to start a podcast but didn’t know where to begin, my immediate response would be, ‘Let’s pull out your phone and record the first episode right now.'” His method shines a light on a vital element of content creation – the need to shed the burden of having everything in place before starting.
@lloydnotgeorge My LinkedIn course is still free!!! Check it out
- Be open to experiments (and failures): Lloyd points out that there’s often too much emphasis on needing a well-crafted strategy before trying anything. “When it comes to content creation, the algorithm’s inner workings can be a mystery. The only viable solution is to attempt different styles of content, formats, lengths, hashtags, topics—you name it.” However, Lloyd is candid about the reality that not all ideas and experiments will lead to viral content. He encourages seeing these missteps as part of the journey rather than a setback. He asserts, “Naturally, when you’re testing so many variables, a significant number of them won’t yield the desired outcome. But we must embrace these missteps as part of the journey.”
- Talent is one part – but it’s not everything: Although there are unicorns, many creators have to take a slow and steady approach to growth – even the talented ones. “Your raw talent as a creator doesn’t significantly matter when you’re just starting out. What truly counts is your consistency,” offers Lloyd. This advice especially encourages beginners: continuous effort and commitment can lead to substantial improvement.
@lloydnotgeorge Consistency over everything
In addition to emphasizing the importance of just starting, Lloyd acknowledges the value of consistency in the creative process. He advises apprehensive individuals to begin recording and practicing, saying, “This approach is about practice, about putting content out there, about getting accustomed to seeing yourself on screen, hearing your own voice, and becoming comfortable with the process.”
The main takeaway from Lloyd’s creative philosophy is that the content creation journey begins with a single step, followed by a consistent effort to refine and improve.
Maintain your values while pursuing growth
Monetizing content is a challenge many creators face, often finding themselves caught between the need to earn a living and the desire to stay true to their vision.
Recounting a pivotal experience, Lloyd describes his collaboration with a prominent brand and the subsequent friction it created. “There was a recent instance where I was collaborating with a big brand that I’d always aspired to work with. They asked me to make changes to what I was supposed to say on social media, changes that I didn’t necessarily agree with,” he shares.
This encounter was a defining moment for Lloyd, who, after careful consideration, decided to stand his ground. It was an affirmation of the type of creator he aspires to be, one who values authenticity above financial gain. He states firmly, “I wouldn’t want to be a successful creator who doesn’t speak up or lacks a voice. I’d rather be an authentic creator who might not be earning much than compromise my authenticity.”
“I wouldn’t want to be a successful creator who doesn’t speak up or lacks a voice. I’d rather be an authentic creator who might not be earning much than compromise my authenticity.” – @lloydnotgeorge for @buffer
However, Lloyd also highlights the practicalities of working in his chosen field, especially in collaborations with multiple brands. Balancing relationships and upholding personal values becomes an essential aspect of his approach.
Using the podcast space as an example, he explains, “If I’m working with Spotify, I have to be careful with what I say about Apple or other podcast hosts so as not to upset the balance.” Yet, he remains unwavering in his commitment to not compromising his personal values.
Five key takeaways for creators
Here are five key takeaways highlighting how Lloyd balances multiple responsibilities as an entrepreneur and content creator:
- Separate your work: Lloyd can efficiently manage his time and energy by dividing his endeavors into businesses and maintaining a clear vision for each operation. This is an excellent strategy for one, beating burnout, and two, thinking of content beyond a creative process and more as a business.
- Create a clear vision for your life and apply it to your business: Lloyd ensures he has a clear picture of what he wants his day to look like, carving out space for flexibility and personal time. He maintains a healthy work-life balance by scheduling his work around personal needs.
- Delegate, delegate, delegate: Echoing other Creators Unlocked interviewees, it’s impossible to “do it all” without help. Lloyd outsources about 97% of his tasks to manage the multiple responsibilities of his businesses. This approach allows him to focus on creative work without feeling overwhelmed.
- Focus on a niche for the right people to focus on you: Niching down has allowed Lloyd to build a hyper-specific audience valued among a set of brands. By focusing on this audience, Lloyd has been able to monetize his platform, even though his audience of about 12,000 people classifies him as a micro-creator. That’s one of the benefits of picking a niche.
- Diversify your platforms: Social media is ever-changing, and there’s nothing creators can do about it – except bring their audience to a platform they own. Lloyd has diversified how he reaches his audience through a newsletter, podcast, and even doing a course with LinkedIn. This strategy ensures he’ll always be stable, no matter what happens in social media.
https://buffer.com/resources/how-to-balance-creativity-and-business/