Giwa Ihesha
Member
Content creation is a full-time job on its own.
I genuinely wish more people understood this. Social media and the internet have changed the dynamics of almost everything in the world, especially business.
The way people discover businesses, learn, make purchasing decisions, build communities, form opinions, find opportunities and even decide who they trust has changed.
You cannot underestimate that shift and then continue to behave as though nothing has changed. Which is why I honestly think it is a huge display of ignorance when people dismiss content creators and creatives as unserious people simply because their work happens on the internet.
Yes, there are people online who constitute nuisances. There are people whose entire content is foolishness, controversy and absolutely nothing of value.
But guess what? There is an economy for that too. They operate within what you could call the foolishness economy, and some of them are making very serious money from it.
So whether you personally like the content or not, you cannot deny the economic power of attention and content.
And this is one of the things that gets me particularly riled up when people come into my DM to tell me that have a business, but they are shy to post or talk about it. In that case you should go get a job.
You don’t have to make videos if videos aren’t your thing. Content creation is not synonymous with standing in front of a camera every morning. Some people have built enormous influence through writing. Some through carousels. Some through photography. Some through podcasts. Some through video. Some through a combination of everything.
Yours is to find your medium and use it.
I’ve been on the internet for over a decade, writing and sharing my thoughts. About two years ago, I started deliberately translating some of my long-form writing and ideas into video.
And I can tell you for a fact: Content creation is not a walk in the park. If it were, why do you struggle to remain consistent?
People see the final video. They don’t see the brainstorming. They don’t see the research. They don’t see the books I’m reading. They don’t see the articles I’m going through. They don’t see the ideas sitting in my notes. They don’t see the hours spent thinking about how to communicate one idea properly. They don’t see the recording that didn’t work. They don’t see the editing. They don’t see the uploading.
They don’t see the days when I’m running a business, handling customers, thinking about our next offer, dealing with production, making business decisions, and still having to create content because I understand that attention is part of the asset I’m building.
I have my thought-leadership content, where I talk about business, money, relationships, character, Nigeria, leadership, women, faith, society and all the other things that occupy my mind.
Then I have TADÉ. I have to constantly talk about what we are building. I have to show you our products. I have to tell you about our offers. I have to explain why we made the ₦1 Million December Edit. I have to show you the linen sets. I have to tell you why the Aso-Oke set keeps selling. I have to introduce the Women’s December Edit. I have to document our factory. I have to share the lessons from building a fashion business.
And sometimes, I simply have an idea in my head that I believe somebody needs to hear.
So I write it. Research it. Think about it Record it. Edit it. Publish it. Then I go back to running the business. And somehow, we keep going.
That is content creation. It is not “I just posted a video.” There is a whole production process behind consistently creating valuable content.
And here’s where I think many business owners are getting it wrong. You are good at your work, but nobody knows. You ave the skill. You have the product. You have the experience. You have the story. You have the knowledge. You have the results.
But you are hiding all of it because you are waiting to feel confident enough to post. My dear, confidence often comes after you start.
Start writing. Document your ideas. Share your experiences. Tell your stories. Explain what you know. Show people what you are building. Share your observations. Teach. Create. Sell.
And if you can make videos, make videos. If you can write, write. If graphics communicate your ideas better, use graphics. If you can do all three, even better.
Because the world is constantly evolving.
And if we have all agreed that social media and the internet have fundamentally changed how people communicate and do business, wouldn’t it be foolish to insist on using only the old ways of doing things while expecting the results of people who have adapted to the new environment?
Evolve.
You don’t have to become an influencer. You don’t have to dance. You don’t have to expose your entire private life. You don’t even have to become someone you’re not.
But if you are building something, learn how to communicate it. Give people a reason to know you. Give them a reason to trust you. Give them a reason to return to your page. Give them something to learn. Give them something to think about. And occasionally, yes, give them something to buy.
Because content isn’t only about followers. It can become your distribution channel. Your portfolio. Your classroom. Your storefront. Your reputation. Your community. Your marketing department. And eventually, one of the most valuable assets attached to your business.
It will not be easy. But I can tell you from experience: it is worth it.
Now, go and create something.
#Tadé
#iyawooga
#refinedlady
I genuinely wish more people understood this. Social media and the internet have changed the dynamics of almost everything in the world, especially business.
The way people discover businesses, learn, make purchasing decisions, build communities, form opinions, find opportunities and even decide who they trust has changed.
You cannot underestimate that shift and then continue to behave as though nothing has changed. Which is why I honestly think it is a huge display of ignorance when people dismiss content creators and creatives as unserious people simply because their work happens on the internet.
Yes, there are people online who constitute nuisances. There are people whose entire content is foolishness, controversy and absolutely nothing of value.
But guess what? There is an economy for that too. They operate within what you could call the foolishness economy, and some of them are making very serious money from it.
So whether you personally like the content or not, you cannot deny the economic power of attention and content.
And this is one of the things that gets me particularly riled up when people come into my DM to tell me that have a business, but they are shy to post or talk about it. In that case you should go get a job.
You don’t have to make videos if videos aren’t your thing. Content creation is not synonymous with standing in front of a camera every morning. Some people have built enormous influence through writing. Some through carousels. Some through photography. Some through podcasts. Some through video. Some through a combination of everything.
Yours is to find your medium and use it.
I’ve been on the internet for over a decade, writing and sharing my thoughts. About two years ago, I started deliberately translating some of my long-form writing and ideas into video.
And I can tell you for a fact: Content creation is not a walk in the park. If it were, why do you struggle to remain consistent?
People see the final video. They don’t see the brainstorming. They don’t see the research. They don’t see the books I’m reading. They don’t see the articles I’m going through. They don’t see the ideas sitting in my notes. They don’t see the hours spent thinking about how to communicate one idea properly. They don’t see the recording that didn’t work. They don’t see the editing. They don’t see the uploading.
They don’t see the days when I’m running a business, handling customers, thinking about our next offer, dealing with production, making business decisions, and still having to create content because I understand that attention is part of the asset I’m building.
I have my thought-leadership content, where I talk about business, money, relationships, character, Nigeria, leadership, women, faith, society and all the other things that occupy my mind.
Then I have TADÉ. I have to constantly talk about what we are building. I have to show you our products. I have to tell you about our offers. I have to explain why we made the ₦1 Million December Edit. I have to show you the linen sets. I have to tell you why the Aso-Oke set keeps selling. I have to introduce the Women’s December Edit. I have to document our factory. I have to share the lessons from building a fashion business.
And sometimes, I simply have an idea in my head that I believe somebody needs to hear.
So I write it. Research it. Think about it Record it. Edit it. Publish it. Then I go back to running the business. And somehow, we keep going.
That is content creation. It is not “I just posted a video.” There is a whole production process behind consistently creating valuable content.
And here’s where I think many business owners are getting it wrong. You are good at your work, but nobody knows. You ave the skill. You have the product. You have the experience. You have the story. You have the knowledge. You have the results.
But you are hiding all of it because you are waiting to feel confident enough to post. My dear, confidence often comes after you start.
Start writing. Document your ideas. Share your experiences. Tell your stories. Explain what you know. Show people what you are building. Share your observations. Teach. Create. Sell.
And if you can make videos, make videos. If you can write, write. If graphics communicate your ideas better, use graphics. If you can do all three, even better.
Because the world is constantly evolving.
And if we have all agreed that social media and the internet have fundamentally changed how people communicate and do business, wouldn’t it be foolish to insist on using only the old ways of doing things while expecting the results of people who have adapted to the new environment?
Evolve.
You don’t have to become an influencer. You don’t have to dance. You don’t have to expose your entire private life. You don’t even have to become someone you’re not.
But if you are building something, learn how to communicate it. Give people a reason to know you. Give them a reason to trust you. Give them a reason to return to your page. Give them something to learn. Give them something to think about. And occasionally, yes, give them something to buy.
Because content isn’t only about followers. It can become your distribution channel. Your portfolio. Your classroom. Your storefront. Your reputation. Your community. Your marketing department. And eventually, one of the most valuable assets attached to your business.
It will not be easy. But I can tell you from experience: it is worth it.
Now, go and create something.
#Tadé
#iyawooga
#refinedlady