Do less but better - the REAL secret to my success as a content creator

And how I've stayed sane

Hello, I’m Molly and I write about my slow and simple life in the Scottish Highlands. Please subscribe to support my work and if you want to read more of my stories. You can also find me on YouTube and shop my Slow Scottish Store and sustainable Teemill Clothing.

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If I could give one piece of advice to all aspiring content creators, it would be this.

Stop trying to do it all.

Like many creators, I rather fell into this career path. I started my blog, Hippy Highland Living, as a lockdown project in 2020. I’d been looking for a creative outlet for a while, and, as I’d always loved writing, this seemed to be the right fit.

At first, I didn’t share this blog with anyone. Then, I took the courageous leap of sharing it on my personal Facebook. This was the first time I got the endorphin hit of people actually enjoying my content. Little did I know how addictive this was going to become…

Fast forward 9 months and my content had exploded. I now had an Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, all created with the hope of growing my blog.

Before long, my life became consumed by producing content for social media. I was an internet maximalist. My website was drowning in tabs. I was posting and cross-posting daily. Obsessively watching YouTube videos, trying to ‘crack’ the algorithm so I could grow faster. My screen time went through the roof.

I never stopped to ask myself why this growth was important to me.

After a long slog, my efforts began to pay off. I finally started to see some growth on my Instagram, helped by a few viral reels. Desperate to maintain this, I started to produce more and more content for this platform.

The result? I did grow on Instagram. But, in order to do this, I had to sacrifice my blog. I stopped writing entirely. I was exhausted, overwhelmed and had completely lost sight of why I started this venture in the first place.

The reality of burnout

Burnout is a very real reality for many successful content creators.

The pressure to constantly be ‘on’. To keep up with all the platforms. Staying ahead of the curve and beating out the competition can be extremely debilitating.

After a while, many creators stop enjoying this process and even decide to leave social media entirely.

It was time to change

When I decided to leave Instagram, everyone around me was gobsmacked.

They couldn’t wrap their head’s around why I would ‘give up’ on something I’ve worked so hard for. Why would I walk away from those impressive numbers?

Rather than giving up on content creation entirely, I made a radical decision. I closed all my social media accounts and decided to just have two content outlets - YouTube and Substack.

These were the platforms that I felt I could produce the highest value content. And I was right.

When a left Instagram in August 2022, I had 20k followers and was making next to no money. Now, I have over 30k subscribers on YouTube, over 2k subscribers on Substack and I am making enough money that, from the 9th of August, I will be leaving my other part time role and making content creation my full time career.

Lessons for all content creators

Getting to this point has been far from smooth. Yet, it has taught be some fundamental lessons that might be of value if you are also trying to make this your career.

Remember why you started

The best content out there is that that comes straight from the heart. Your audience will see through everything else.

So its important to stay true to why you wanted create content in the first place. Keeping this in mind will stop you getting unnecessarily swayed and enticed by shiny new platforms.

You will also be so much happier for it.

Quality over quantity

Stop feeling like you have to be on every single platform. As I’ve demonstrated, this is unlikely to be sustainable and could actually stop you growing.

Instead, be selective about the platforms you use. Choose those where your content can really shine.

Its also important to realise that you don’t have to use every tool these platforms offer.

I’m on YouTube, but I never produce shorts and rarely post on the community page. Substack is constantly coming out with new features, but I’m in no hurry to try them all straight away. For now, my weekly posts and the occasional dabble on Notes is more than enough.

My time is precious and I have chosen to focus on creating the best content possible, rather than being distracted with every new tool these online platforms have to offer.

Consistency is essential

How many times have you heard about the importance of consistency? I’m guessing a lot.

Yet, it is something you can’t get away from. Both the algorithm and your audience will reward you for posting on a consistent basis.

Its very easy to be over-ambitious when you start creating content. Instead, I advice creating a posting schedule that is actually realistic over the long term. You can always increase this, but don’t set yourself up for a fail.

Hone your craft

When I stopped googling ‘how to grow quickly on x, y and z’ and instead put this time into actually improving my skills as a creator, I noticed a significant increase in both numbers and my own enjoyment.

If you have an overwhelming posting schedule, you will struggle to have time to really nurture your skills.

I try and set aside time every week to learn something new. My favourite platform for this is Skillshare. This has been fundamental in improving both my writing and filmmaking skills, in addition to teaching me the important basics of running my own business.

If you’re interested, I’ve linked a couple of my favourite Skillshare classes that I’ve taken recently below (note - links are affiliate) -

Writing Fiction: 4 Exercises to Discover and Write Your Story, Gayle Forman

YouTube Video Editing: Develop Your Signature Style, Becki Peckham

Be strategic

You can spend all the time you want creating the best content in the world but, if no one is able to find it, you’ll never grow.

I stand by my previous points about the importance of producing high quality content and letting this be your focus.

However, if you want to make money from this content, or even just connect with more people, you should also have a strategy in mind.

This means planning ahead of time. Making sure you understand how each platform works. Getting a good grasp of the fundamentals of search engine optimisation. Ensuring that you are not missing any opportunities with your content, from promoting paid products to including affiliate links or tagging brands you may want to work with.

If you get this balance right between producing excellent content and being strategic, there is nothing stopping you….

Final thoughts

I’m now in the privileged position that I can truly say I love my job. It still has its struggles, and I’m sure it always will, but I’ve found something that not only pays the bills but fills me with complete joy.

I’m always looking to learn from fellow creators, so please do share your thoughts below.

Until next week,

Molly xx