Knowledge is free, but exposure isn’t.
Let’s go a little further before you arch an eyebrow and ask, “What do you mean?”
You can learn how to edit videos on CapCut on YouTube.
You can learn how to create content that converts from free Twitter threads.
You can take free courses on Canva, marketing, storytelling, and even social media strategy.
But the moment you try to put that knowledge to use—when you try to let people see what you’ve been learning, practicing, building, you’ll realize that exposure is a different game entirely.
It’s not about how good you are. It’s about how visible you are.
Now, let me tell you about Precious.
Precious is that girl who scrolls. Maybe like you, maybe like me.
She was in the university, juggling classes and assignments, and like many of us, reels were her escape.
She’d scroll for hours, laughing at trending sounds, saving tutorial videos she’d never watch again, admiring creators who looked like they had it all figured out.
Then one day, she created her first Reel.
It wasn’t perfect. In fact, it barely got views. She didn’t have the best lighting, the background was slightly noisy, and the transitions weren’t giving what they were supposed to give.
But she showed up anyway.
The next week, she posted another one.
Then another.
And then another.
Some days she felt shy. What if they think I’m doing too much?
Other days she felt invisible. Only 76 views? Ah.
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But she stayed. She kept creating.
She didn’t have a professional camera. It was just her infinix smart phone.
She didn’t have a ring light, just sunlight that she sometimes had to chase around the house.
She didn’t even have a “niche” yet—just a willingness to try.
Over time, people started noticing.
Someone commented, “I love your contents”
Another messaged, “Can you help me create something like this?”
Then came the DM that changed everything:
“Hey Precious, we love your content. Would you be interested in creating something for our brand?”
That was her first paid gig. It wasn’t millions, but it was something. Something that proved that consistency can attract attention. That starting small is not the same as staying small.
And no, it wasn’t magic.
It was exposure.
That quiet, slow-building reward of showing up over and over again, until the right people see you.
Here’s what Precious’s story teaches us (and trust me, I’m learning too):
You don’t have to wait to be perfect to start.
You don’t need a fancy setup to create impact.
You just need the courage to keep showing up.
Because while knowledge is free, you can get it from almost anywhere today. Exposure takes boldness, strategy, and most importantly, consistency.
So to every student reading this:
Yes, your course work is valid.
Yes, your dreams are valid.
And yes, your creativity is worth something too.
But if you never post it, no one will know.
If you never speak up, no one will hear you.
If you never show your work, no one will buy into it.
The world doesn’t owe you attention.
But you owe yourself the chance to be seen.
So go ahead. Start with that one Reel.
It might just open doors you never saw coming.
The only way to get better is to START.
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