The creator economy is the world of online business where intrepid entrepreneurs are able to earn income by delivering digital products and services to the global marketplace. But how much of the creators widely publicized work is serious online content?

Viewed through the lens of social media, online content can look like a world of shouting, hijinks, and scams.  The most popular influencers swear, dance, act silly, disparage their enemies or wallow in controversy, all on their way to multi-million dollar paydays and millions of followers.

For serious people, who want calm direction and intellectual conversation, social media is a frat party riddled with the obnoxious and narcissistic dominating every camera angle. The opening for those who want to operate as thinking people appears limited.

For aspiring entrepreneurs who are turned off by social media’s worst excesses, but still have an important message to share and value to deliver, the opportunity to be serious lies in staying true to yourself, and knowing your target audience.

What is the Creator Economy?

The creator economy is online entrepreneurs and social media influencers who produce, mostly digital, products and services under their unique brands. Creators are bloggers, podcasters, course creators, vloggers, digital marketers and affiliate marketers who create posts, articles, videos, audio recordings, and advertisements aimed at every niche in the global marketplace.

Creators earn their income from selling their products and services directly to consumers, selling other people’s products and services, endorsements and advertising on their platforms.

For the last decade, the rise of the creator economy has freed thousands of producers from the 9-to-5 grind as they place more and more content online for an audience with an insatiable appetite.

But to gain ears and eyeballs in the crowded Internet space, creators have to be original, funny, interesting or outrageous to attract attention. This can almost automatically lock out those who want to create serious online content from gaining opportunities and income from a waiting global audience.

Does Serious Online Content Sell?

But there is enormous potential for serious online content creators. A thread exists in popular media that not only continues to attract ears and eyeballs, but also dominates the real forces for change in the global marketplace. 

Traditional media have sometimes droning, but important conversations about current issues, established magazines publish lengthy articles covering minute details, and university websites offer credit-worthy online courses based on the in-classroom material.

The problem is that many serious-focused entrepreneurs are afraid to go there.

Creating serious online content has come to mean being controversial, a role few are brave enough to take on. For those who just want to make their audio or video content without making goofy faces, swearing or shouting at the camera, there is a much more difficult road to travel.

Serious people online are reluctant to be called to…boring. But the fear is not backed by facts. An audience exists for serious online content. An audience, not of the millions who watch cat videos, but an audience of interested people do exist for serious material.

Examples of Successful Serious Content

Take Joe Rogan. While many see the MMA announcer with a foul mouth and bro-code beliefs, a quick glance of the descriptions of his podcast episodes tells a different story. In a week, Rogan conducts three to four hour interviews to discuss politics, environment, food production, technology and popular culture. His millions of fans find a way to listen to what is sometimes definitely serious, insightful and lengthy audio content.

Some would argue that Rogan is only able to sustain his serious conversations because he is considered controversial. And it’s been the controversy, not the desire for thoughtful discussion, that have driven millions to his podcast. But once there, the listeners have stayed.

Rogan’s ability to make seriousness pay is a clear example that there is demand for his brand of conversation. There is a longing in the global marketplace, an often unfulfilled cry for substance over nonsense.

These are the people that made the 3-hour plus movie Oppenheimer a phenomenon, who devour the military engineering details in a Tom Clancy novel, and who know the perennially relevant teachings of Napolean Hill.

They are not held to a desire to see only cat videos, they recognize there is more to learn and understand, and are open to finding those creators who will deliver value and solutions without the flash and bang.

Serious Online Content is Important

The global marketplace includes those who are introspective and careful in their purchases. They want to hear more, see more and consider multiple variables before buying. Yet they are still driven by emotion. The feeling they have before purchasing will drive their commitment to the product.

The market for serious online content exists because serious people exist. People who go online to look for solutions to their problems use keywords to Google, enter prompts in ChatGPT, and scour Amazon for books with relevant titles they can use.

All consumers are in pursuit of products or services that deliver health, wealth or happiness. Their desire to buy is in correlation with the depth of their pain, and they are looking for relief.  In a fast-moving world, many would like to skip the rah-rah histrionics that encircle online marketers, and get to the point.

How Serious Online Content is Generated

To be serious in the online world without courting controversy is to be committed to helping your audience find you.

Creators with a serious message use all the same platforms as everyone else – blogging, podcasting, videos, courses, speeches, marketing – and remain true to the message. Consumers are watching and listening for information that sounds like it will address their problem. If the message is clear – we help X with X – the consumer will hear it and be curious. After that, standard marketing practices apply.

The message must still be surrounded by social proof that provide comforts to a reluctant potential customer. To buy from you, the consumer must trust you, and that will be based on the information they see, hear and believe. If the message clearly addresses the pain point and shows evidence that it can solve the problem, the consumer is usually ready to buy.

If you are a serious creator, worried about competing in a rah-rah online world, focus on your own words.

Whether spoken or written, consumers are looking for a connection that demonstrates you know where they are coming from and can direct them towards the product or service they want.

Who are the Serious Online Content Creators?

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, who wants to seriously present your product or service to interested customers, then stick to your goal. If you try to be a rah-rah presenter, imitating the worst excesses of online hype, you will come across as inauthentic, and so will your product. By staying true to your own nature and beliefs, you will be more comfortable presenting your product to the world.

However, you still have to find a way to attract attention online. You will need to drive eyes and ears to your pages and feeds to make them offers for the solution they want.

To start, you will need to pick serious platforms for introducing your product. Go to the places where your potential dream customers are gathered. Blogging and podcasting attract millions of readers and listeners every day.  Identify the sites where your message may be welcomed and pitch your idea to the site owner. Then use and re-use the content across multiple social media platforms. Guest podcasting will give you both an audio and video file that can be promoted to people who want more information.

Actions for Serious Online Creators

Here are some more ideas for putting your serious content in front of your waiting audience:

1. Pick a niche. There are thousands of not-served and under-served niches. Some people want to claim that a lack of discussion means a lack of interest, but that’s not always true. Often, it’s more a lack of courage from members of a community that are afraid to talk about a serious subject they are struggling to manage. But they know they want and need products or services to help them.  Step up and speak out, and you will find those who have been hoping you would appear.
2. Pick a novelty. Remember the pet rock. Perhaps the most famous fad product of all time, the pet rock was invented by Gary Dahl when he heard friends complaining about caring for their pets. He sold millions of the no maintenance ‘pets,’ to the previously un-served niche of people who wanted a pet requiring no care. To this day, few can explain the phenomenon of consumers paying for a rock, except to credit great packaging, extraordinary word-of-mouth free marketing, and the uncomfortable truth that actions speak louder than words when it comes to what people really think of pet owners.
3. Focus on your headlines or ‘hooks,’  including images to encourage potential customers to stop the scroll and listen to or read what you say.
4. Get to the point quickly. Make sure your awareness of the problem is front and center in the presentation. If a potential customer does not believe that you understand their issues, they will move on.
5. Make a great offer. If you are introducing your product or service, deliver outstanding value at a defendable price to make the offer irresistible even to someone who is superficially searching for a solution like yours. As you grow your community and receive more success testimonials, raise your prices.
6. Offer different price points. Some people may buy your core product, but others will need more persuasion. You can use webinars, giveaways or group coaching to encourage people to try the product.
7. Align with others. There are entrepreneurs and influencers who are already doing what you want to do. Consider joint webinars, cross guest podcasting and dual promotions to put your product or service on the same stage of an established creator who has a complimentary message.

Serious Creators Should Take Action Now

There is demand for serious content online. Creators who deliver seriously have to still ensure they can catch the attention of their potential dream customers.  And you can still get attention without controversy.

Aspiring entrepreneurs do not have to post nearly nude, swear or disparage others to find followers online. Success comes from delivering content that resonates with potential dream customers.  But you can only find out if they are receiving what you have to offer when you make yourself, and your ideas available in the places where potential customers are likely to congregate.

If your potential dream customers are on social media, post your serious content with hashtags that lead them organically to your message.

Use paid ads to specifically target potential customers by using their interests to identify similar beliefs.

Join the speaker tour or become an organization member to attend in-person events where you can speak directly to those who are interested.

But most importantly have the courage to be a leader in your field. If you believe in your message, then let people know. Your commitment to your own message must exceed your fear about delivering it into the global marketplace. Although that may be easier said than done now, it is the only way you will ever move forward. An idea in your head is not helping anyone. If you have a solution that works, there is an audience waiting.

Engaged people are excellent and important contributors to the world of serious online content.  If you have an online business idea in your head, a message to share with a niche community or the desire to promote a valuable product for the marketplace, you can make a difference as a serious creator delivering value and making a contribution on your own terms.