Transcription
Everybody always talks about how social media and the algorithm is always changing. These are the core principles for everybody who continues to win. So, if you want to win in 2026, you're going to have to start playing the game a little bit differently. Today, we're going to break this down. And this approach might actually surprise you.
After living through this as a professional for a little bit over 15 years now and having have worked with some of the biggest brands and musicians and making over 2,000 videos myself as a creator, I've been through more social media shifts than I can count. This is the Creators Desk, a show about the process, strategy, and day-to-day reality of building a career as a creator. I've lived it, and now I'm sharing everything I've learned.
Trends and the way people consume content come and go all the time. Platforms rise and sometimes they unfortunately fall. But one thing that transcends all of this is your originality. That's something that no platform can take away from you.
Number one, your story is the strategy. Your unique voice, your story, the way you see the world. That is the only thing that lasts. And especially now where we're entering an era where AI can mimic anybody's voice, face, or editing style, or even subject matter, what they can't take away from you is your unique perspective of all of your lived experiences. Because literally everything from every niche has been done before, but it hasn't been done through your perspective. Because I think we could all honestly collectively say here, we're living through an era where everything looks the same. But not everything needs to feel the same.
So the creators who are going to win in 2026 aren't the ones who are trying to fit in with everybody. They're the ones who aren't trying to fit in the mold because humans connect to humans, right? They always have. It's emotion that makes us stop scrolling. It's emotion that makes us share, save, and send it to people that we care about. We're wired to care and respond to the human emotion. It's the same reason why we cry at movies or feel inspired by music or replay videos that make us feel seen. We don't fall in love with perfect people or perfect content. We fall in love with what's real.
And this is where I think most creators get stuck. They copy what's currently working. When something goes viral, everybody, every brand tries to remake it. And yes, it works to some degree, but it's a novelty moment. And by the time you reach that novelty moment, for the most of us, that moment is gone. The internet, not the algorithm necessarily, but the internet rewards originality, not repetition or a copy or what may work for somebody else. People reward people who are them.
They mistake style for substance. Whether it's cinematic lighting or smooth transitions, editing tricks, these are all supposed to be tools that are going to help your story, but not aid originality. Storytelling gives those things visual meaning. It's your experience, your struggle, your humor, your vulnerability, your honesty. All of these things that cinematics don't affect is what's going to connect because how cinematic your footage looks means absolutely nothing without the substance that you're telling. Perfection.
The creators who are going to stand out this year are the ones who stop polishing and striving for perfection with every post and piece of content. They are going to be the ones who share and learn the most about themselves through repetition, their take, their taste, their truth. That is going to be their edge. You know, I'm a huge believer in that your limitations are actually your superpower. I'm proud of all my weaknesses and honestly, so should you. You know, this is what makes you you.
The future of who wins on any of these platforms isn't who posts the most or goes the most viral. It's going to be built around somebody who can make something only they can make. Because when you do that, that's something that no algorithm change can stop.
Number two, creativity needs infrastructure. Ideas are easy. Everybody talks about wanting to be more consistent or making more content, but a really small few of them actually think or talk about the structure that you need to support it. The creators who are going to win won't just be the most talented ones. They're going to be the most organized. They're going to be the ones that stick to the plan, completely disciplined. If your goal is to make an actual career out of this, you can't just treat it like a silly little creative hobby anymore.
Creativity, yes, lives in chaos, but it doesn't thrive in it. You can't make your best ideas if your schedule and your mind is all over the place. We all know that, right? Your creativity needs a system. This is how I've been able to post thoughtfully crafted videos every single Sunday for the past few years while also posting a bunch of ancillary value-heavy content alongside it weekly. This is the part that most creators ignore because it's honestly really hard. They think structure kills creativity, but really structure protects it.
When you know what days you're going to film, edit, and post, or write, your brain is free to focus on what actually matters: the idea, the execution. Because without structure, you're constantly chasing the inspiration and the need to make instead of channeling it efficiently. They don't time block their creativity. You can't expect to come up with your greatest ideas when you're juggling five things at once. You start writing this idea and then you remember that you need to finish this edit. So, you start that a little bit and then within your edit, you're like, "Oh, I have this cool idea that I can't fit in here." So you write it down and you leave that edit behind. Stop doing that. Honestly, if it's an idea that you truly feel passionate about, write it down in the most efficient way. Don't get stuck there doing it. Go back to the task at hand.
They don't build repeatable systems. Every new project shouldn't feel like you're starting from scratch. You should make templates for scripts, your shot list, your edit timelines. You need to figure out a way to batch this. And I know it is mundane to build these systems, but they actually will save you hours upon hours in the long run. And those hours can turn into actual creative time because the more repeatable your workflow is, the more freedom you have to experiment, to refine, and actually create. You know, not creating a system is how you burn out. The most overlooked part of creativity isn't talent, it's discipline. Because discipline gives you the time and the mental space to actually be creative. So if you're serious about wanting to win this year, stop trying to find time for creativity. You need to build a system that embraces it.
And now before we get to number three, here is a word from our sponsor. Gotcha. The sponsor is me. I make all these videos for free. So, if you're enjoying this so far and you want to go even deeper and build the foundational systems that make all of this possible, I built an online academy called Content College. Inside, you'll learn how to plan, write, film, edit, and post with a creative system designed to help you grow without burning out. And it's more than just courses. You'll also be getting my color grading preset, my sound effects pack, my templates, worksheets, and how I film and edit my videos from start to finish. And it just starts there because there is so much more inside. And I'm not just showing you how I make my videos. We'll be working on your videos together. Every step of the process, the skills you need that won't be affected by an algorithm. So, if you're serious about taking your content to the next level, check out Content College. The link is below in the description.
Now, let's get back to number three. Community over virality. Virality fades, but community lasts. In 2026, getting views will be easier than ever. But keeping attention, it's going to be harder than it's ever been because there's so much good content out there. So why should people be attached to yours? The creators who are going to win aren't just the ones who are going to have the biggest reach. They're the ones who are going to have the most depth. They're the ones who are going to make people feel seen with comfort.
Community is built through small, consistent acts of care, by creating moments of dialogue and making people feel like they're part of something. So, here's how to build it. Focus on relationships, not reach. Think less about how many people watch and think more about how deeply they connect to your content. Because a thousand people who genuinely care about you and what you're speaking about in your content will grow your world faster than a million passive views. You got to reply to comments, start conversations, and share your process, share who you are. You need to let people in because when you make your audience feel like they're a part of not just your journey, but this journey together, they grow with you and not just around you as viewers.
Turn your content into a conversation. Every post can be an invitation to reflect or to respond or relate. Every post should have your viewer either reflect, respond, or relate to what you're making. So, next time try asking your audience questions. Share the lessons in real time. You know, when you make space for them to contribute, they're not just going to passively watch, but they'll engage with you. And not just with you, engaging with everybody else in the comments as well. And this is where a following now turns into a community.
Create with purpose. As you make every video, you need to see it as an opportunity to help somebody. Whether that's teaching, entertaining them, inspiring them, or simply making them feel understood. When your intention is rooted in giving value, no matter what the niche is, the growth becomes natural. Because people don't just follow creators for the content they make. They follow for how those contents made them feel. Whether it's being entertained, inspired, or to laugh. Because this community is what gives your work meaning. It's what keeps people coming back even when the algorithm changes. They're actively clicking to watch what they may have missed because they feel like they miss something from that community they feel part of. They're following or they're subscribing not just for you, but because they feel a sense of belonging. Because when you focus on community first, virality ends up becoming the byproduct. The algorithm doesn't build movement or community. People do.
All right. Now, that is everything on today's topic. So, now it's your turn. Every episode, I answer a handful of questions submitted by you all in a rapidfire Q&A. And all of these have been sorted and picked by my team. So, it is the first time I am seeing these questions right now.
How long did it take you to get comfortable filming content in public? You want to know the honest truth? I'm still not 100% comfortable, but I am more comfortable now than when I first started. You just have to do it. And it may never become second nature to you. It's something that's not natural. You have to set up a camera and then you talk to a device. That's just it feels ridiculous. But something that I can promise you is that nobody cares more than you may care. Like what's going on in here and how self-conscious I feel. More than likely, everybody around me hasn't even noticed me.
If you were restarting from scratch, what would that look like? Would anything change? I probably wouldn't have posted every single day for a year. I definitely would have posted multiple times a week, but getting through that 365 days was, oh man, it was treacherous. But I don't regret it. I learned so much about my process and what I actually like making. So, would I do anything differently? Slightly, but I would follow the same path that I I took, which is the path that I'm sharing with you all right here.
Would be cool to see your in-house lighting setup. I have one light over there and a window and these lamps. But if you guys would like a little gear tour, which isn't one of these, or like a tour of how I film, something more casual, let me know. It probably won't be cinematic. It'll probably be, you know, just on my phone or on the Osmo, something casual. And if that's something you want to see, let me know. I might make one.
Well, that's about it for the questions. And if you've made it this far, let's think of an inside joke here. Leave the comment orange so I know you've made it this far and y'all are the real ones. So we can confuse people when they come to this video and they're like, "Why is everybody commenting orange?" Well, it's because of this.
Anyways, lastly, make sure you subscribe to the free APCC newsletter for digestible content creating tips sent to you weekly, as well as highlighting some of our community's creators. And be sure to like, subscribe, and come back here in 2 weeks. Same place, same time. Anyways, until next time, y'all. I will see you back here at the Creators Desk. Peace.