Most people have two very different views about being a travel influencer or content creator. While some think it to be very easy, others believe it is a big task into which they fear venturing. However, Ankit Bhatia shed some light on how to become a travel influencer or content creator for those aspiring to enter the field. Ankit Bhatia entered the field 6 years ago and he went from working in an IT company to a full-time social media content creator.
He says, “I want to share my experience and all the things which I think can help any individual grow in the field of content creation.”
His first suggestion to the youth is that before they enter the field, there are some things they should be aware of.
- The most important aspect is if one is genuinely interested in traveling and shooting videos.
- The person should have some savings so they can manage their minimum expenses. Travel and equipment like phones, GoPro, or any DSLR will cost cash.
- Then one should pre-plan which social media handle they will be targeting, whether YouTube or Instagram. With YouTube, long-form videos are to be created, and for Instagram short-form content is required which is comparatively easy.
The second step after sorting out the platform and expenses is appearance. This means creating a presence that makes it easier for people to find the creator on social media. How will they know who you are when you are someone new in the field? For this Ankit Bhatia gives a few tips that will make your appearance, “The one to remember”.
- Firstly, travel to popular places. Start by exploring India and after choosing your destination, research the famous activities or places in that location.
- Initially, experimentation is the key to finding the one genre that should be concentrated on more. If not fixed, the content will be affected negatively as it will seem scattered.
- In the case of working professionals remote work options or holidays and weekends can be used to work on content creation and exploring new places.
- Also, one should find at least an hour every day to learn a new skill or polish their existing skills. These skills can be video shooting, editing, or social media handling.
- Watching content that is similar to the desired content that one wants to create in free time is an added advantage. This helps in the ideation and formulation of new tips and tricks for working.
- If an individual is a working professional, then it is an added advantage, as they can fully invest their mind in their work and come up with creative ideas.
- For those people who aren’t employed full time and are not traveling anywhere they can try to reach to any travel company and offer their services. These can be creating videos or content for them for free in return for free travel. This is the first step of collaboration, and so learning video skills proves important.
- After you start growing as a creator then consistency in posting is the key to further growth. With this growth, brands start the creator, and they reach out for collaborations. In the initial days, barter deals are most prominent and help build up the portfolio.
- If one has a special preference for a brand, then reaching out to it is a good option followed by an offer of what service the creator can provide.
- Putting out the name of different brands is important. With the creator’s growth, more brands will reach out with paid campaigns. After reaching a certain point where the earnings from social media are more than the job, the belief in one’s skills is developed, and a community is created, then content creation can be taken up full time.
These were some tips and tricks by Ankit Bhatia for budding content creators. He firmly believes, “I’ve had my ups and down in the content industry and even if I can help someone like 1%, I’ll feel I’ve done something amazing!”