Today’s Management Monday we’re going to be talking about content burn out, what it is how to avoid it and what can be done about it as a content creator as well as a content viewer.
Like most things that have been doing well online, I’ve found out about this great online show about Dungeons and Dragons where you can watch professional voice actors behave like normal nerds and play D&D well after it had started and now I’m playing catch-up. It’s a great time, but unfortunately there is a lot of content that needs to be viewed. About 300 hours worth, maybe a little less. Due to the nature of D&D, their sessions last about two hours at the minimum and can be about three at max. Totally fine, I can set it as background entertainment and do other things like write blog posts, do writing work, look for extra work, and play mind numbing grind-centric games.
The problem arises from trying to get as much of it done as quickly as possible. I’ve probably managed to get through about a third of the content in the last three weeks. That’s watching one to two episodes a day or more. This means most of my other interests are taking a back seat and there is only D&D. While I love D&D, continuous amounts of the same content can get very, very tiresome. This results in a content burn out.
A content burn out is a problem for long term viewers and content producers alike, but for different reasons. For the viewer it can turn them off of the content creator for a time or possible drive them off never to return. While it’s unlikely that loyal followers will leave for ever it will mean they stop viewing your content. It also means that they can drop into a slump and stop doing anything all together. To combat this, you as a viewer should avoid burning out on content by keeping a steady set of different content on hand.
During my latest burn out, I couldn’t bring myself to watch the content I wanted because I was tired of it. A weird sensation of “I want to know what happens next,but I’ve watched so much of it that I need a break.” So I tried to catch up on things I had been meaning to watch but my current preferred content had been preventing me from watching. It was the breath of fresh air that I needed and I was able to get back into binging the content I wanted.
Now burn outs don’t just happen with online videos or T.V. shows, but it can also happen with games and tasks. This is where burn outs can effect content creators. Doing the same content over and over can wear on people, which is one of the reasons I try to diversify my content on here and other locations, but there is something to be said for branding. Some people are not tired at all by producing the same or similar content all the time. Game streamers are known for playing the same games over and over because certain games are what they are known for and what they’re good at. Other’s are known for the mass of games they play, and still others are known for their use of obscure games.
In regards to branding and content creating, find what you’re good at and what you don’t get tired of. Keep putting out content that matches that criteria. Someone out there will love it. It’s just they have to find it, and they can’t find it if the amount of content is too small. So produce, but do it in a manageable way so that you and your potential viewers won’t burn out.
Think about it.
Sincerely,
The Irreverent Gentleman
gentlemansuniversityofmanliness 