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Content Creation Basics - Ep 6
82 Plays3 months ago
Leslie takes the mic solo this week to break down the essentials every aspiring influencer needs to start creating content — and actually feel confident doing it. From finding your niche and content pillars, to mastering lighting, choosing equipment, picking the right platforms, staying consistent, and even starting to think about monetization — this episode gives you a practical roadmap for content creation. Perfect for midlife fashion creators who want to show up authentically, connect with their audience, and make content creation simpler and more doable.
This week's Sister Shoutout is @thejodismith. Be sure to check out her amazing content and give her a follow!!
Come back next week for Lauren's solo turn where she will be sharing Brand Deal Basics.
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Transcript
Introduction to Influencer Sisterhood
00:00:06
Speaker
Hey, I'm Leslie. Hi, I'm Lauren. And we're the Influencer Sisterhood. Your weekly coffee date for real, unfiltered conversations about life as a midlife influencer.
00:00:17
Speaker
No gatekeeping, no fluff. We're two women at different stages of the journey, sharing the wins, the struggles, and everything in between. This is a safe space where all influencers belong.
00:00:29
Speaker
So grab your drink, get comfy, welcome to the sisterhood. Let's dive in to this week's episode.
Solo Episode Announcement and Content Creation Basics
00:00:39
Speaker
Hey y'all, welcome back to the Influencer Sisterhood Podcast. It's Leslie taking over the podcast this week to share something I know a little bit about because of my background as a professional photographer. We're mixing things up with a few solo episodes where each of us gets to dive into topics we're especially experienced in. Next week, Lauren will be taking over to share brand deal basics, which she knows a lot about, so be sure to tune in Today we are talking about content creation basics. What you actually need to get started creating content and eventually monetizing it.
00:01:16
Speaker
This topic felt like the perfect fit for me because long before I became an influencer, I was a photographer. So I've been creating content in different forms for over 20 years. Photos, websites, blogs, marketing images, social media posts, videos, reels, and behind the scenes content.
00:01:36
Speaker
So while platforms change and trends come and go, the foundations of good content stay the
Understanding Content Pillars
00:01:44
Speaker
same. If you feel overwhelmed or like you're behind, i want to simplify this and help you focus on what actually matters when it comes to creating content, especially for midlife content creators. So let's dive in.
00:01:59
Speaker
Basic number one is mindset, niche, and your why. Before we can talk about cameras, apps, platforms, the very first thing you need is clarity. Who are you creating content for? Why do you want to create content and show up online? And what do you want to be known for?
00:02:20
Speaker
To be honest, I don't think i was super clear in the beginning, but I still think that's okay. I don't think you need a perfectly defined niche and you may not be completely clear from the start, but that's okay because clarity can come from doing, creating, and learning as you grow. The important thing is to start somewhere. And this is where content becomes much easier when you think in terms of content pillars instead of individual posts. Now I personally think gone are the days of one very specific niche. I think you can post in multiple niches as long as they fit into three main content pillars that you can rotate through. And as a midlife fashion influencer, your content will naturally fall into one of these main areas. Number one, what you know.
00:03:18
Speaker
Listen, you've lived midlife, right? You've gotten to the age you are You know some stuff. So choose things you know about to create content around. Your experience, your expertise. For midlife fashion creators, this might be styling tips that work for your body or your ah lifestyle. Maybe what you've learned about as far as fit or quality or tailoring over time.
00:03:45
Speaker
How you wear trends without chasing everyone. Fashion rules you've stopped following and why. You don't need to be an industry expert. You just need to use your lived experiences. And trust me, you probably know a lot more than you think
The Power of Lighting in Content Creation
00:04:03
Speaker
you do.
00:04:03
Speaker
Number two what you love. This is where your passion comes in. What is something you are absolutely passionate about? Maybe it's cooking, maybe it's traveling, maybe it's coloring, which is my new obsession.
00:04:18
Speaker
Anything that you are passionate about becomes a content pillar for you to make content. Your personal style, your point of view, Maybe you love color patterns and statement pieces. Maybe getting dressed is a form of creativity, which you love. Why style still matters to you in this season of life.
00:04:39
Speaker
Passion is felt through the screen and it keeps that content you're creating fun and makes people want to tune in. And then number three, what's happening in your life? We want our audience to grow and our audience will grow when they can get to know you better. So share what's going on in your life. Invite people into your real life. This builds trust and connection. So what you're wearing for real life, to work, to run errands, to travel, maybe navigating body changes or confidence shifts,
00:05:16
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Trying new styles, sharing honest reactions, everyday moments that just make your content relatable. When you rotate between these three pillars, you'll never wonder what to post.
00:05:29
Speaker
okay basic number two gonna go ahead and warn you i'm probably going to get on my soapbox a little bit with this one and because it is light and i believe it is the most important element in good content obviously i'm a photographer so i've been chasing light and trying to find the right light for all of my photo sessions but good light can be your best friend when creating content And honestly, as a midlifer, the better the light, the better you'll look on camera. Bright light will soften certain things on your face. I don't know about you, but I have a few wrinkles and anytime I can make myself look less wrinkled,
00:06:19
Speaker
Yes, Botox works, but light will help you too. Even blemishes will soften if you have the right light. So if that doesn't convince you, let me give you a couple of more reasons why the right light is your content best friend. A quick story from my photographer days. Once i had a wedding at a venue that was located on the beach in Charleston. Of course to anyone the beach seems like the most logical beautiful spot for a photo.
00:06:49
Speaker
The problem with that is i live on the east coast. Charleston is on the east coast which means the sun does not set over the water because the sun sets in the west. Therefore, if you're standing on the beach and you want the water behind you, the sun is literally blaring in your face.
00:07:09
Speaker
Never going to be the best lighting scenario because it creates shadows, it's harsh, and it really just does not make you look the best. So I tried to explain this to the bridal party. They were having none of it.
00:07:24
Speaker
I then said, just trust me. I'll take the ones you want. Let's go to the beach. Never mind all the beach elements, the wind blowing their hair all over the place, the dresses blowing all over the place, sand getting everywhere. But they insisted and i obliged. Then I asked them to please trust me. And I took them to probably the least pretty spot in the whole venue, which was in front of A very boring glass door. But let me tell you why they ended up loving those photos more. Because the light was right. And nobody even paid attention to the boring door behind them. Because the Brado party looked beautiful. So you only looked at them. You didn't look at the background. And the reason why that spot was the best for lighting is because it was open shade which means harsh sun was filtered by an overhang that they stood underneath, giving them the best possible light. They were facing the light. They just were slightly out of the harsh shadows of the sun. Every single one of the members of that bridal party could not stop thanking me for
00:08:42
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taking the photos in the spot they deemed to the naked eye as the worst spot possible because every single one of them ended up looking so much better and they didn't even like the beach photos. So lighting truly is the best element when it comes to content creation.
00:09:01
Speaker
Natural light is going to be best, but natural light mixed with ring light or some other form of light will be even better.
00:09:12
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You want to face the light. I'm going to repeat that. You want to face the light, not turn your back to it. One of the biggest mistakes I see influencers make is propping their phone up against a building or some sort of structure and facing that building or structure while filming.
00:09:35
Speaker
If you're facing a building, you are not facing the light. The light is behind you, which means your face and the clothing that you're trying to feature is not the best it can possibly be. Turn around. It is the easiest fix ever. You simply need to get a tripod and turn around.
00:09:58
Speaker
Having a tripod is literally the best thing you can have. And we'll get into some equipment basics next. But by having a tripod, you can control the light. You are not at the mercy of where you could prop your phone up. You literally can put it on the tripod and put the tripod anywhere. Therefore, you will always be in the best light. When you're inside, you want to face a window or a door and But 99% of the time, i have never even seen your house, but 99% of the time, i would almost guarantee you that your foyer with your door open is going to be the best light in your house. even better than a window there's just something about that for your light that is going to be the best i remember before i ever even started my photography journey i hired a professional photographer to take photos of my kids my kids were two and a couple of months old
00:11:01
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and she took photos in her home and yes she had a studio set up within the home with actual professional lights and all the things but she took their photos sitting in on the floor in her foyer and those truly were the best photos because the light was just beautiful so i would venture to guess try your foyer it's probably going to be the best option for you Now, depending on which way your house faces, you definitely want window or door light that is not super harsh. A really good way to test this is to look at the shadows on the floor right by that window. If you can literally see lines of shadow and bright, you want to stand right behind the line of the shadow, not in the
00:11:55
Speaker
bright spot. I hope that makes sense. It would be easier if this were on video. But you really just want even natural light. Now when you're outside, major tip, the worst time of day to film anything is noon because the sun is overhead which will cast a terrible shadow on your face. So i would suggest filming some other time rather than noon. Now, you can always find open shade no matter what time of day. And what does that mean? That means you're just slightly in the shade as opposed to indirect sun. So, an overhang or some sort of
00:12:39
Speaker
maybe a tree even, to filter the light a little bit better. Trees are kind of hard just because they can be a little dappily because they're not solid. And overhang is going to give you that nice, even light, which is always going
Essential Equipment for Content Creators
00:12:55
Speaker
to make you look the best. okay okay i know i've talked about light enough but if anybody ever needs more help with lighting please let me know i actually literally just helped a fellow influencer the other day not even seeing her house but guessing where the light probably was best and she did a little test of this new spot and it is definitely her new spot for filming so i'm happy to help anybody with that Now we're moving on to basic number three, which is equipment basics.
00:13:27
Speaker
Because this is where a lot of people overcomplicate things. In fact, just the other day, another fellow content creator asked if she needed to be filming with something other than her iPhone. I'm a professional photographer. I have professional cameras everywhere. at my fingertips and I still will always film my content with my iPhone. So the answer is no, you do not need to purchase an expensive mirrorless or DSLR camera. Your iPhone is great for content creation. It's easy to use, it's easy to edit right inside your phone And chances are you already have one. So what else do you need besides a smartphone with a good camera? A simple tripod, as previously mentioned when trying to find the right light.
00:14:16
Speaker
And natural light. Again, as previously mentioned, the best thing you can do for content creation. You also need easy editing apps. I personally find that editing right inside of Instagram or TikTok or using Instagram edits is the easiest. There are other editing options like CapCut or Canva or InShot, but I personally find that editing inside the app or with edits is best. And of course, there's always that rumor that Instagram wants you to use edits so they will push out content that has been used with edits or edited with edits, I guess I should say.
00:14:55
Speaker
I have no idea if that's true, but it makes sense and why not try it out? In addition to these basics, a few other things that I like to use are a small light that attaches to the top of my phone for times when I'm out and about and need something not so cumbersome as a full-on ring light or, you know, stand type light.
00:15:19
Speaker
I also love the suction cup magnetic phone holder for filming in my car or even filming on location when I don't actually want to break out the tripod.
00:15:30
Speaker
This device, the little suction cup magnetic holder, I often use attached to my car in parking lots or when I'm out about. The best part is it flips out so it attaches to your car, but you don't actually have to face the car because guess what?
00:15:49
Speaker
If you listen to basic number two, you know that facing any sort of structure is not going to be the best light. So having it flip out so that you don't have to face the car is the best
Platform Focus and Consistency
00:16:01
Speaker
option.
00:16:01
Speaker
The truth is, if you have good light, any equipment you use will do a better job. Okay, basic number four, platforms and content types. Obviously, if you're creating content, you gotta have somewhere to post it, right? And there's so many different platforms. I mean, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, all the things. I recommend focusing on one main platform first, building consistency there.
00:16:31
Speaker
Then you can always add in additional platforms if you can, right? If you have time. For many midlife fashion influencers, Instagram is a natural starting point. Reels, stories, carousels all give you plenty of options for creating content. The goal isn't to do everything, it's to show up consistently.
00:16:53
Speaker
consistently One piece of content can be reused in multiple ways and a reel can become a story. a caption can inspire another post.
00:17:04
Speaker
Don't be afraid to reuse content. I know when I started, i struggled with this in the beginning. I thought I already posted that outfit, so I have to show something else, which meant I had to buy something else, which meant to I had more stuff and it just was an endless cycle. But the truth is people like seeing you in the same things. showing you really are wearing it in real life. You can show the same thing in multiple ways, whether that is in how you you shared it. For instance, maybe you shared a reel the first time, stories the second time, a carousel the third, or
00:17:38
Speaker
maybe it's how you wore it. So it's the same sweater styled different ways, allowing you to create multiple posts about one sweater. The rule of marketing is that someone has to see something many, many times before they actually take action. So showing something multiple times just increases your chance of having people Take action and buy it.
00:18:02
Speaker
Okay, basic number five is consistency and branding. Consistency builds trust, not perfection. You don't need to post every day, but you do need to show up regularly. I tell other photographers that I coach all the time, it's not about the number of times. It's about how many times per week you can consistently show up.
00:18:25
Speaker
Can you show up three times a week, every week? Then that is what you should do. Now, showing up every day or multiple times a day could potentially help you grow quicker because there's more content for people to consume, decide if they want to follow you, get to know you better, all the things. But if you can't consistently do that, start small and work your way up.
00:18:50
Speaker
I personally post once a day. Multiple times a day is too overwhelming for me. i have another business I'm running. So could I have grown faster if I had posted multiple times a day? Possibly. But we have to do what's in our control, what we can actually do. So don't force yourself to do something that you truly can't do because then you're just going to burn out quicker and stop doing it altogether.
00:19:14
Speaker
As far as branding goes, it doesn't have to be complicated. It can literally be your tone, your point of view, and how you speak to your audience. Branding can also come from how you film your content. Maybe it's in the exact same spot every time so people get used to seeing that from you. Even in the fonts you use and the text hooks on screen, instead of changing up the font and using every font possible, try sticking to a few fonts that you consistently use. That will become recognizable for your viewer. When people recognize your content before they even see your name, you're doing it right.
00:19:52
Speaker
All right, basic number six, the last one, monetization basics. Now, next week's episode, Lauren will be sharing brand deal basics, which will probably have a lot more monetization ideas and tips for you. But I did want to touch on monetization basics because let's face it we started this journey probably because we love fashion, we want to share our life, we want to create content, but also we want to make a little bit of money, right? So yes, your content creation can turn into income and you don't need a massive following to do so. Monetization comes from trust and value. So beginner friendly options include affiliate link,
00:20:36
Speaker
platforms such as LTK, ShopMy, Mavely, brand partnerships, even your own products or services. Focus on helping first, growing your audience first, creating that trust
Monetization and Trust Building
00:20:50
Speaker
first. Then selling becomes much easier when people know, like, and trust you. Okay, so a quick recap. If you're just getting started, here's what you actually need to be a content creator. A clear mindset.
00:21:05
Speaker
niche and content pillars, good lighting, I'm gonna say that again, good lighting, simple equipment, one main platform to focus on first, consistency over perfection, and a long-term view of monetization.
00:21:23
Speaker
Start where you are use what you have, improve as you go. Like my favorite Nike slogan, just do it.
00:21:33
Speaker
You've got this. You can do it and you can do it with what you have. You don't need the excuses of, i don't have the best camera or I don't have the best this. Just get started. Learn as you go. Improve as you go. i mean, what do you have to lose? You'll never know how far you can go until you start.
Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser
00:21:51
Speaker
And you can start with what you have and make it work.
00:21:56
Speaker
Okay, this is one of our favorite parts of the show. It's time for our sister shout out. Each week, we each share a fellow influencer who is standing out. We'll tell you what she's doing so well, why her content stands out, and why you need to hit that follow button.
00:22:12
Speaker
Because supporting each other is what the sisterhood is all about. And when one of us shines, it lights the way for the rest of us. Now it's that time in the show where we love to shout out fellow influencers that are doing a great job. So this week, my sister shout out is the Jodi Smith.
00:22:30
Speaker
Jodi makes such great content. And since we're talking about content creation basics, she is definitely someone to look to for inspiration. her lighting is amazing her editing is awesome and her creativity is inspirational she creates content that entertains educates and informs and again her lighting is amazing and remember lighting is everything i love that she has a specific niche in that she shows fashion for a spring But she also just did a series where she shopped as a different season, which was genius. She honestly looks like someone that I would just love to hang out with.
00:23:13
Speaker
And I would absolutely love to meet her one day in person. I would highly recommend following her. I'll make sure to share her profile in the show notes. I hope this episode made content creation feel simpler and more doable. Make sure you tune in next week when Lauren takes over the podcast to share her expertise on brand deal basics. If you have any questions about content and creation basics, lighting, filming, all the things, please let me know. i am always happy to help.
00:23:44
Speaker
Please download the podcast, like it, leave a reveal, all the things. And thank you so much for listening to the Influencer Sisterhood Podcast. I'll see you next time.