I Just Finished My Second Year As A Full-Time Content Creator: 4 Lessons I've Learned About Creating Educational Seafood Content Online

When I finished my thesis, I officially made the jump from "side hustle creator" to "full-time creator".

The experience has been a challenging and eye-opening one.

Here’s what I've learned during the last two years as a full-time content creator.

Lesson 1: Science Communication is a difficult, but important skill to master

Especially online.

I did a lot of science communication work in grad school, but trying to explain complex scientific topics in a 30-second TikTok video is science communication on level expert.

But mastering it comes with big rewards. Empowered consumers are powerful consumers.

We want seafood consumers to understand the science and be confident in the purchasing decisions they're making. This is how we end up with loyal seafood consumers for life.

So this is the skill that I spend the most time working on.

Lesson 2: You need to be adaptable to your audiences needs

When I started talking about seafood online, I was strictly talking about science and sustainability.

But as my audience consumed my content, they became more comfortable with how to buy sustainable seafood.

Now, they needed to understand what to do with it when they got it home.

So, I started creating content on seafood handling and coming up with seafood recipes.

I needed to adjust to meet their needs then and I've continued to adjust as my audience has grown.

Lesson 3: No one is paying as much attention as you think

So, if you mess up, it's okay.

I used to agonize over details for hours and be scared to post certain things in case I made a mistake.

I was worried someone would be sitting by, waiting for me to slip up, and use it to ruin my credibility.

Now, my motto is "done is better than perfect".

No one is paying that much attention. No one is sitting by waiting to catch an error.

When mistakes are made, they can usually be corrected before anyone even notices.

Lesson 4: This type of online presence for seafood is long overdue

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is an appetite for this type of content.

My business success is proof.

Consumers have been yearning for a way to engage with seafood online.

They want to understand seafood better. They're curious about the oceans and where their fish is coming from. They want to make purchasing decisions they can feel good about.

Brands that find ways to connect with consumers through social media and give them the information they're looking for will end up way ahead of the pack.