How to start posting content without wanting to die
A practical guide to putting yourself out there
This time last year, I was completely and utterly terrified of putting myself out there online. Mostly scared of what people would think and obsessing over the idea of becoming the topic du jour in group chats and being labeled cringe.
At this point, I had recently left my consulting role after an intense 2.5 years and was figuring out my next move. I'd long been tempted by the freedom and independence of solopreneurship and had built up the experience to do so - but I had zero idea how to find my own clients.
After ending up in the biz-tok algorithm one day, I started to think that TikTok could be the answer. It felt like a safe space to try something out, away from the watchful eyes of my mates (millennials who prefer Instagram) or people from work (lurking on LinkedIn).
I reached out to some small TikTok creators in the marketing space - they confirmed that yep, they were getting clients from their content.
As promising as it sounded, the idea of filming myself and putting it on the internet felt so far beyond my comfort zone it’s not even funny.
If you follow me on TikTok, you know I eventually climbed "cringe mountain" and survived.
If that sounds like you - scared to put yourself out there but also feeling like you're missing out on opportunities - here's everything I learned about getting started when the idea of doing so makes you want to die.
Figuring Out What To Post
Something I hear a lot of people saying (myself included) is “I don’t have anything to say”.
Let me start by reassuring you that you don't need to have ground-breaking, industry-first theories to share stuff online. There are so many different ways you can approach content creation.
If you feel like you have nothing to say right now, this is a practical framework to help you find your voice.
Step 1: Summarise what's happening
Become the person who stays on top of industry news and shares the good stuff. Block out 30-minutes in your calendar daily to learn, research and really dig into things.
Your goal here is to share news or insights that not everyone will have seen because they don't all have time to stay across everything. There are so many creators who have built huge audiences by summarising industry news and making themselves a resource for anyone who wants to stay up to date!
This is your most valuable starting point - you're providing genuine value by keeping people informed.
Examples:
5 things that happened in [your industry] this week
Breaking: [Company] just announced X - here's what it means
This new study shows [interesting finding]
Step 2: Share your thoughts
The next step is to start adding your own perspective. What do you think about what's happening? What patterns are you noticing? This is where you start building your voice and showing how you think.
The more you do Step 1 and really immerse yourself in what’s going on in your industry, you’ll find you naturally start to develop more opinions as you start to connect the dots across different ideas and happenings.
Examples:
Why [company's] new strategy is brilliant
3 trends I'm seeing in [your industry] and what they mean
My take on [recent industry news/development]
Breaking down [company's] rebrand
Step 3: Teach what you know
Share your expertise and help others learn. Think about the skills and knowledge you've built up over time - there's definitely someone a few steps behind you who could benefit from what you've learned.
You can approach this in three ways:
Share your expertise - Break down skills you use every day into simple frameworks e.g. "How to [skill] in under 10 minutes" or "The framework I use to [solve problem]"
Share your insights - Patterns you've noticed, lessons learned, things that surprised you during your time in the industry. "3 mistakes everyone makes when [doing X]" or "What I wish I knew before [starting Y]"
Share as you learn - Document yourself learning something new and teach as you go, bringing total beginners along the journey with you. "Learning [new skill]: Day 1 vs Day 30" or "I tried [thing] for a week - here's what happened"
These three approaches should give you a clear direction for your first few posts. Start with whichever feels most comfortable and build from there.
Getting over your fear of posting
Ok, so now you have an idea of what to post, it’s time to actually do it.
Knowing what to say and having the courage to say it are two completely different things. You might have 10 great content ideas written down, but still feel paralyzed when it comes to actually posting them.
If that sounds familiar, this next section is for you.
Everyone says “just start posting”, but if you’re anything like me, it’s not that simple.
This is a very practical breakdown of how you can get yourself to a place where posting seems possible. Don’t expect it to feel good (that comes with time), but this will get you to Point A.
My first ever TikTok!! 🥺
Step 1: Block everyone that stresses you out
The number one reason you're terrified to post content isn't because you're worried about people judging you. You're worried your content is going to be bad and you don’t want people to see you flop.
The simple solution is just. block. them. This is easier to execute on TikTok and Instagram, but I won’t lie, I also did a bit of a spring clean on LinkedIn.
You can unblock them (or not), once you've gotten over the initial hump and you feel less embarrassed about the whole thing.
I did this for my first month of posting and thank god, because my first videos were NOT good. Yours might be, too! That’s entirely normal and expected when you’re doing something completely new.
Step 2: Get comfy on camera
Before you even think about posting anything, you need to get comfortable with the feeling of talking to a camera.
The quickest way to make this happen is to just start filming yourself talking, with no agenda.Do this for a week. Pick up your phone and film yourself talking with no plan or script.
It’s exposure therapy to get used to the feeling of hearing your own voice and watching your face play back to you without immediately wanting to throw your phone into the nearest body of water.
Step 3: Find a posting partner
The reason content feels scary is because it’s just you, putting yourself out there and hoping it goes okay. Most of us are used to working in teams, where the burden of responsibility is shared.
That’s why I highly recommend finding a “posting partner”. This should be someone you trust - a friend who’s already posting content, a colleague, your partner - anyone you feel comfortable sharing this with.
Tell them your plan. Pick a specific day to post your first video and commit to doing it "with them." Even if you’re just chatting on WhatsApp while you do your first post, it feels much less daunting if it feels like a team effort.
If there’s literally no-one you want to share this with, you can do what I did. I DM’d a creator called Helena, who runs the brilliant account @startabusinesswithme. I told her I was thinking of creating content and she gave me the encouragement I needed to get started. She was my first follower and commented on all of my first posts, cheering me on. Find your Helena!
Step 4: Batch your first two weeks of content
At the beginning, consistency is more important than quality - you need to build the habit.
Unless you make content something that you're working on every day, you'll stop. You don't need to batch forever, but you need to set a solid foundation.
I would highly recommend batching your first five pieces of content and then posting them consecutively over five days. I think if I hadn’t done this, I would have posted my first TikTok video, spent the next 24 hours spiralling over its perceived success and might not have plucked up the courage to go again.
Don’t give yourself that option! Batch five pieces of content each week, for your first two weeks (at least). I promise you that by the end, posting will already feel so much less like some big dramatic event.
1 month after I started posting, ShowStudio reached out and invited me to be part of their panel show for S/S 25 Womenswear
It’s worth it!
Building a public profile for yourself through content is exposing and does make you feel vulnerable (I’d be lying if I said I was totally at ease with it) but I can honestly say the juice is worth the squeeze.
The internet is weird and wonderful, occasionally terrible, but mostly I’ve been blown away at the number of opportunities that have worked their way into my life because of content.
A steady stream of clients who’ve reached out to me, speaking gigs, brand partnerships and meeting a bunch of other wonderfully supportive and kind creators.
No-one is “naturally good” at content - I promise you everyone is rubbish at the start. But if you put in the practice and show up consistently, you will start seeing results.
It won't feel natural at first, but it gets easier, and it’s worth it!
GOOD LUCK <3
P.S the Content Bootcamp is coming!!
I'm launching a four-week group content bootcamp on June 26th to help you learn how to create short-form video content and skip the part where you're floundering trying to figure it out on your own.
You'll have weekly sessions where I break down everything you need to know about creating high-performing content. Plus weekly video tasks as homework and personalised feedback on every piece of content you create - before you post it.
If you've been thinking about creating content but need support and accountability to make it successful, this one's for you!
the title of this alone gets a click from me
Love this – and can absolutely attest to what you've said.