Becoming a full-time content creator isn’t something that usually happens overnight. Not only can it take years, but it can require both time and monetary investments. Justin Choquette is an influencer with over 253,000 followers across his social media platforms.
His dream of becoming a full-time content creator started offline on a bike. Now his dreams have expanded, along with his followers. Each month he invests $1000 into his dream. Let’s explore how Choquette supports in his content.
Who Is Justine Choquette?
Growing up, Choquette was obsessed with mountain biking. When he got his hands on a GoPro, he became fascinated with how these little cameras could capture action, adventure, and life on the go. He decided that he wanted to build his career around traveling the world, climbing mountains, and creating content along the way.
He slowly built up his social media channels (Instagram and TikTok) in 2018, but in 2021, he took content creation more seriously and made it his full-time job. Before that, he had a very different career as an electrician.
One of the reasons why Choquette feels he’s grown on social media is that he’s a skilled photographer and videographer. This is something he’s spent over ten years perfecting and learning. He views social media as a free way to share the videos and photos that he captures daily.
His goal is that these videos reach brands who want to pay him to create advertisements for their company. In a sense, he hopes the time he invests in social media is a free billboard that helps him secure top brand deals.
Let’s take a look at he spends money to grow his business.
$1,000 A Month To Build A Brand: How Justine Choquette
To fully be present in his travels and create real-time content, Choquette made it clear that he views social media as a business. It’s a place for him to create content but not waste time consuming it. He only spends an hour or two daily engaging with his audience on different platforms. However, Choquette spends over 100 hours a week planning, filming, and editing content for social media.
He shared that his monthly income varies widely as an entrepreneur and content creator. Some months he might bring in $30,000, and other months $5000. His income depends on how much work he decides to do that month.
Choquette makes income from shooting photos for brands, which ranges from $1,200 to $10,00 a month, selling social media ads on TikTok, which ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 a month, and additional income from blogging and affiliate links
His content creation expenses range from iCloud Storage, which costs $14 a month, to a course hosting platform, which costs $215 a month. He spends $1,081.35 a month to keep his business up and running.
Tools and Software Add Up
When Choquette first started out, he relied on the bare minimum to get his content creation going. His top tool was his iPhone 5, which he used to take videos and photos. He then tapped into free editing apps, like CapCut, to edit the videos or LightRoom mobile to edit photos.
Once he built up skills and had the cash to invest in his content, he invested $10,000 in buying the Canon 5D MK IV camera. Additionally, he began paying for software like Adobe, for photo editing and Davinci Resolve for video editing
He currently spends around $117 a month on different editing tools and software for his content creation. He shared that it’s worthwhile to invest in tools once you’re established and making a living from social media.
If you are starting out, he recommended no splurging on these tools. Instead, use your phone camera and, if anything, invest in education on how to use social media platforms and photography.
How Much Does Choquette Spend On Tools For His Content:
- Unfold: $5.59
- VSCO: $11.19
- Motion Array: $40.98
- Artlist: $20.49
- Adobe: $38.99
Running An Online Course Has Its Own Expenses
Choquette brings in steady passive income every month by selling an online course. His course helps people escape their 9-5 to build a business using social media and photography skills.
He sells a course called The 2-week Notice for $899 and has other digital products as well. Choquette sells E-books that teach the reader how to make a living from social media and travel the world for free. On an average month, these digital products help him earn just over $5,000 a month.
Because that source of income is so consistent, he invests more money in keeping these courses afloat than anything else right now, around $468.
He promotes this online course for free, using his social media presence as a way to get new leads and potential customers.
How Much Does Choquette Spend On His Course:
- Grammarly: $15.41
- Mail Chimp: $148.60
- Teachable: $215.00
- Squarespace: $88.48
Don’t Spend Money Buying Followers, But Invest In Your Content
While some creators spend money on growing their following, Choquette does not. He’s heard and seen other creators over the years buy followers and this is one thing he highly recommends you stay away from.
That’s because, according to Choquette, buying followers could get you banned from social media accounts. He believes you’ll grow faster as a creator by posting highly engaging content daily.
If you’re just getting started, Choquette said it’s worthwhile to invest in education that will teach you how to create content. Learn about capturing the audience’s attention, staying consistent, and growing a following that will change your life.
Ultimately, it’s not about how much money you spend as a content creator. It’s about how determined you are to keep up with your content and give value to your audience. But investing in yourself certainly helps.
