Be Careful What You Feed Your Audience: A Message to Content Creators

Kellen Coleman M.A.
Nov 22, 2024By Kellen Coleman M.A.

Be Careful What You Feed Your Audience: A Message to Content Creators

As content creators, we often underestimate the weight of our influence. Whether you have a small, loyal following or millions of subscribers, the content you share is more than entertainment—it’s nourishment for the mind and soul. But here’s the hard truth: what you feed your audience is a direct reflection of your own insecurities, priorities, and worldview.

If your feed is packed with the likes of Charleston White rants, Kendra G gossip, Kevin Samuels controversies, or constant narratives of racism, hate, and crime, you’re essentially serving your audience the mental equivalent of McDonald's. It’s quick, it’s addicting, but it’s not nourishing. There’s no “salad,” no vitamins to help them grow, no “superfood” knowledge to show them how to break generational cycles, invest in themselves, or retire comfortably—like a teacher-turned-millionaire who mastered the art of savings and compound interest.

Charleston White Confederate Flag

Leaders Serve the Right Food
When you have an audience that listens and follows, you’re a leader. And leaders have a responsibility to serve a balanced “diet.” If you’re always feeding dirty water, as Elijah Muhammad warned Malcolm X, you’re poisoning your community, your culture, and even yourself.

This issue isn’t exclusive to one side of the political spectrum. Both Democrips and “Rebloodlicans” (a nod to Governor Jesse Ventura’s apt critique of the two-party system) and the book often serve up divisive rhetoric, sensationalism, and empty promises. We see it daily in the content that dominates headlines, TikToks, and YouTube recommendations.

Feed Your Audience Better
As a creator, you can change the game. Here are a few ways to start offering your audience healthier options:

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Promote Personal Growth:
Share stories of people who turned their lives around. Teach your audience how to build wealth, improve their health, or learn a new skill. Show them how a teacher can retire a millionaire—it’s possible, and your platform can inspire that shift.

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Encourage Physical Health:
Talk about the importance of going to the gym, eating healthy, and finding balance. People need to know how to nourish their bodies as much as their minds.

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Highlight Solutions, Not Just Problems:
If you’re addressing social issues like racism or crime, balance it by offering solutions. Celebrate those who are creating change and show your audience how they can get involved.

Inspire Action:
Challenge your followers to do something better for themselves and their communities. Whether it’s volunteering, starting a side hustle, or simply reading a book that broadens their perspective, give them actionable takeaways.

Reflect on Your Own Diet:
What are you consuming as a creator? Your insecurities, fears, and habits seep into your content. Take time to feed yourself knowledge, positivity, and growth so you can pour that into your work.
Your Legacy is in the Hands You Feed
Remember, the audience you cultivate is a reflection of the content you create. If all you offer is “junk food” for the mind, don’t be surprised when your audience mirrors that back to you. But if you provide healthy, enriching, and empowering content, you’ll build a community that thrives—and that’s a legacy worth leaving.

So, creators, ask yourself: What are you feeding your audience today? Make sure it’s something that lifts them up and leaves them better than they were before.