Content is king is a popular (and some would say cliched) term nowadays.
Since search engines gained prominence, creating articles and videos that rank well and convert customers has been a priority for businesses and individuals alike. Getting the content creation process right is crucial to the success of any venture.
In this article we cover all you need to know about the who, what and why of a successful creation process.
Note: Convinced your blog or business would do better with the help of a content creator? You’ll need to be sure you get one with experience in your field, for the best results.
Table of Contents
What Is a Content Creator?
What is the definition of a creator? Essentially, someone who strategizes to find communication ideas and then produces that communication material; whether writing or multimedia, to fit into a a larger brand strategy.
Generally, the term refers to any person in charge of creating content in whatever form that’s needed. In practice, it can be a bit more nuanced.
The creation process could be developing material from scratch, or it could be curating specific types of existing material. The job of a creator often includes designing and implementing a long-term strategy to get the most impact from the content.
There are so many answers to the question “what is a good definition of content?” That it is better answered using examples. Articles, ebooks, infographics, videos, photos, podcasts, etc. are all examples of materials a creator could produce. The common thread is that they are all means of sharing valuable information.
How To Become A Content Creator (Hint: You Are Creators)
It’s not difficult to be a creator. If you can write and post a blog article, do some basic graphic design or record audio, then you’re creating content. The tricky part is being a creator that actually produces valuable material which is effective for its stated goals.
The goal could be building your blog audience or generating leads for a business. It could also be to boost the brand’s reputation and industry authority. When you are the one who is the creator of any brand, getting your communication to fit into the overall strategy is as crucial.
Content Creator Jobs
As a creator, one of the first content creator job description item you’ll find is that you’ll be responsible for producing one or more types of communication materials. It could be text-based, multimedia or a combination of both. Based on the particular case in question, you might have to deal with other creators who produce complimentary work. A good example of that is if you’re a writer and you work with a graphics designer who turns the points in your articles into infographics.
So how do people become professional creators? The most important step is to build a core communication skill such as writing, graphics, video or any other. The more skills you have, the better but it’s generally best to be an expert in one area than to be average in many. Having a stellar reputation in one field will make it possible for you to charge specialist fees. Even though you might get less work than a generalist, you’ll likely be earning more with less outlays of time and effort.
Best Content Creators
If you’ve made the decision to be a creator for a living, then you’re probably looking for inspiration as you begin to develop your craft. You can find examples of great content across the web from major and minor brands. What are some examples of great brand communication and where can you find more info about creating specific material types? You can check the blogs of the more popular brands in different industries.
They tend to have effective blogging strategies. You’ll be able to get tons of great information and advice on how the article styles and the overall strategy of the blogs since they launched. For multimedia, check YouTube and see the different styles employed by the popular channels.
Creative Content Development
As a creative, creating good material is something you’ll need to be consistent with if you’re going to get results. Whether it’s for your own brand or an employer, sub-par brand communication won’t give enough ROI to justify your time, expenses and effort.
There are some proven steps you can put in place to help create the kind of successful material that you need.
The first stage in creative creation and distribution is to understand your audience. Beyond a sketch of who they are in terms of demographics, it’s important to conduct thorough research. That way, you’ll understand other factors such as location, interests, etc. that impact engagement. You’ll then be able to answer the question “what type of communication and material should I create?”
Content Development
The next thing you’ll have to do is to craft a plan on how to create the communication that will drive your audience toward your intended action. The creation process varies from creator to creator, so you’re free to adopt whatever creation strategy works best for you.
Nonetheless, there are some elements which every plan must have to be effective. The first one, as highlighted earlier, is that it must reflect an understanding of your audience. That would help you determine the kind of material to create in the first place, in terms of the medium and the specific genre.
In communication development, the next step you’ll need to take is to conduct research on the topics that your target audience would like to see answered. You can find them via social media or blogs in your niche. Check for the posts that have the most engagement, so you’ll know what your audience’s biggest priorities are.
Next, you’ll need to actually create the material. Quality is paramount at this stage. Whether you’re writing articles or focusing on visual media development, producing low-quality material can be dangerous to your brand. Apart from failing in the goal of engaging your audience, it might even turn off existing and intending customers.
If you’re strapped for time or lack knowledge, you should consider getting development services from people and companies who do. Probe your network for referrals to competent freelancers and companies and make your decision based on their portfolio and how well you relate.
Content Maker
The term Maker and Creator are refer to pretty much the same role. Their role encompasses ideation and execution to create different types of communication material in pursuit of increased brand visibility and audience engagement.
Content Editor
The role of an editor is as the name implies – to edit the brand material before publication. The purpose of editing is to remove errors and ensure adherence to the brand’s standards.
Generally it’s their role to ensure the material being created fits into the brand strategy and communication plan.
Content Producer
A producer is very like a creator in that both roles involve conducting all the preliminary research and actual creation of the materials to further a brand’s marketing strategy. In both roles, keeping up with developments in the industry will be essential to staying relevant and employable.
A producer may be more of an oversight position, setting the goals for the material being produced.
Content Developer
A developer is a term that often refers to the person in charge of the more technical aspects of the communication production. A developer may be in charge of the website or technical platform itself or be asked to code custom digital brand material.
Branded Content: What Is It?
What is branded content? – Its meaning varies based on who you ask, and many people are confused about it. It sits in the middle of the advertising – content marketing spectrum.
It’s not outright “buy this” advertising, but it usually has a much stronger pitch than you’d find with content marketing.
Making money from branded content is done by finding opportunities where a product or service placement can fit naturally into the brand communication.
Audiences are savvy nowadays, so sloppy branded communication or overt product placement will put them off the product or service.
Content Is King
The need for valuable content marketing has made it imperative for successful brands to set up systems to produce high quality communication material regularly. Content still rules on the internet and having a system that produces high-quality materials on demand is no longer negotiable.
Here are some of the roles you’ll need for this system to work:
Viral Content Creator
Going viral is the dream of every brand – in a positive way, that is. Viral content can vary in form and tone, from videos and pictures on Instagram to blog articles or even a single tweet.
If you’re aiming to go viral, you’ll need to study the media that has gone viral in your niche.
There’s no silver bullet to going viral. It’s usually a better strategy to post great, engagement-optimized material consistently. Sometimes though, it might be possible to get into a trend early and engineer a viral piece.
Custom and Original Content
It’s of great value for brands to produce original materials. Some portion of an effective communication strategy can be curating valuable materials that are already out there, but without some originality, there’ll be no need for an audience to stick with your brand channels.
Too much republishing of other’s work can lead to SEO penalties which can be disastrous, especially for fledgling businesses.
Digital Content Creator
A digital creator job description is basically that of a traditional creator but with a focus on digital work and platforms. Online and social material are generally the realm of a digital creator.
To make the most of your digital marketing, you’ll need to be proficient at producing digital materials of the type that are optimal for your audience.
Before applying for any job as a digital creator, check out their digital content marketing channels. That way, you’ll see their style and understand their needs and peculiarities.
If it’s a brand that makes use of user-generated content regularly, then you’ll need to have skills relating to the curation of such content.
You can apply different tools to boost your efficiency. As a visual creator, you’ll need to monitor the engagement on the various platforms where your brand is active. There are a variety of apps for this on iOS and android.
Collaboration is also crucial where you have to work with web developers or any other contractors. You can use digital platforms such as Slack, Trello and Google Docs to streamline the creation process.
Web Content Creator
As a website writer, the duties are very like that of a visual creator. The difference is that the kind of online materials you’ll be creating will be text-based. It can also encompass infographics and other digital marketing assets such as ebooks and posts to for social media. Other than that, the primary imperative of a web creator is still to produce valuable communication that’s creative and which proffers actionable advice to boost audience size and engagement.
There are myriad tools for a web writer to use for effective website creation, such as those for researching, writing and editing written work.
Blog Content Creator
What you’ll do as an article creator is the same as a general writer, but you’ll only be writing posts to grow a blog. The role may also involve drafting an article calendar that contains post topics and posting times. The calendar must reflect when your target audience will be most active. Afterward, you’ll need to conduct research on the topic ideas and do the actual writing. Next, you’ll promote the blog posts using different marketing strategies and tools.
Visual Content Creator
An effective visual strategy will need to involve people with different skills. Usually, the team will include a graphic designer as well as someone who’s also a good writer. This is because pictures, infographics, videos and other types of visual material require effective copywriting to work. The best digital communication is one that combines all the aspects to make it attractive both to search engines, social media algorithms, and most importantly the audience.
Content Design
Content design is an aspect of creation that harmonizes all the other parts into a whole. The term usually refers to web development, though it can also apply to print media. It covers how web copy, visual media, and website design are brought together to form an effective strategy. To function ideally, you’d have some skills in graphic design, web design and copywriting. That way, you’d be better able to refine the elements of your strategy wherever necessary.
Social Media Content Creator
A social media creator is usually tasked with generation of posts for social media in order to promote a brand’s channels. As with other creation roles, the goal is to draft ideas, research them and then create engaging finished material. The posts should draw people in by providing valuable information. It should also be optimized for search engines to boost the brand’s inbound marketing results.
The major difference in this role is that beyond writing or creating media, you’ll need to be familiar with the peculiarities of the different popular social media platforms. You can use a social media calendar to create and schedule your posts to go live at a specific time.
If you’re working as an Instagram creator for instance, you can find software with various automation features. Some software comes with research features, auto-posting, etc. Some also function as a social media post generator and social story generator.
It’s crucial to note that the media platforms are constantly changing their algorithms. To be a stellar social media creator, you’ll need to continually be learning how to create great material for social. The great thing is that you can easily find social media creation tips and writing for social media tips on major marketing blogs and channels on YouTube.
As a social media strategist, if your plan involves curating from external sources, you’ll also need to learn how to find great material to share.
To create the best social media material possible, having basic graphic design skills will help with visual creation. Even something as simple as being able to use post creator and edit social media post backgrounds on the fly can go a long way to boost engagement.
Youtube Creator
Video marketing is the new frontier of digital marketing nowadays. Corporate brands and individuals now use YouTube to project their products and services, grow their audiences and earn more revenues.
What is the difference between a brand video creator and a YouTuber? That line is blurred nowadays because brands often work with YouTubers to promote products or services as influencers.
Building a successful YouTube or video channel often requires professional expertise and equipment. Take this into consideration if you’re considering video production.
Note: YouTube is now officially a content creator itself, both via partnerships with popular brands on its platform and its own releases. One good example is the YouTube rewind series.
Advertisement Creator
Content marketing and advertisement have been described as two sides of the inbound marketing coin. Their similarity lies in the fact that content marketing, unlike advertising, does not generally clearly lead the prospect to a specific action. Visual content and blog post articles on websites are instead used to build a relationship with an audience over time. That then prepares them to respond well when an advertisement is eventually implemented.
So, to be an effective advertisement creator, the same skills required of a creator in any other field will also be essential. The content creation stage is crucial as usual, as is the ability to work with an influencer or more to promote the material on social media for maximum reach and conversions.
Why work with an influencer? Influencers help to reach an audience which is already interested in your niche at costs much lower than traditional ads. What is the ratio of the content creator to the content consumer on Quora versus other platforms? That’s one of the things you’ll need to evaluate when deciding which platform to focus your influencer marketing efforts on.
Feeling like all your marketing effort hasn’t paid off? What if you sold waffles with a side of content? Regardless of what your business is, integrating content marketing into your marketing efforts can boost your revenues amazingly. The key is to implement a content strategy that’s apt for your business type and target audience.
So, what do you do next? It’s simple – Craft a content strategy or hire a professional to do it for you. What is the market rate in San Francisco for content creators or content strategists? Find out and consider the payment an investment into scaling your business.
Would content creators pay people to consume your content? It depends on whether you take the time to hire those with high competence and ethical standards. Extensive screening (including confirming references) will help you work with only top-notch content creators.