Content Creator

The Rising Panjab Bureau

Content marketing is one of the most popularly used forms of marketing by marketers because content involves storytelling and there is no better way to engage with the audience than using stories. A content creator is someone who creates entertaining or educational material which can be expressed through any medium or channel. In research it has been shown that 91% of business-to-business professionals use content marketing as a part of their strategy to promote their businesses. 

A content creator produces educational or entertaining material that provides the needs of a targeted audience. The content written can be in several forms such as blog posts, videos, e-books, emails, social media updates, photos and info graphics. A content creator makes content for digital channels such as websites and social media that are targeted toward a special audience. On an average a person is spending about 5-7 hours on social media per day and hence the importance of getting content right has never been better or greater. We however tend to use the word ‘content’ very vaguely. In today’s time content could be a video on Tik Tok, an Instagram/Twitter post or a blog for a website. Regardless of the type of the content, it usually has an end goal in mind.  

There are two types of content creators - individual creators and those who work for an organisation. Be it an individual or a professional working in a company, both conceptualize and develop engaging content according to the marketing strategy. Their goal is to produce good-looking content that will get them followers and more leads. To be able to do this, content creators work to understand what content works best for their audiences, platforms and strategy. They will also need to understand how digital marketing strategy works and what kind of end goal their content will have. Much like the marketers, content creators work with data and experience to develop attractive content.

As a content creator, you can work in-house for a brand or business, as a part of an agency or freelancer. You don’t need a degree but you will need experience and a portfolio. You can get experience through internships, developing personal projects or with freelancing. As a freelancer you have the opportunity to create multiple types of content for a range of clients. Businesses also employ content creators to write blogs, articles, advertisements and other materials as part of their wider digital marketing strategy. The content creators working for a company focus on creating content that improves their companies’ digital presence and boosts visitor number to pages so that their product or services can be sold and bought. These content creators will either focus on B2B or B2C content marketing operations which entirely depend on the company’s targeted market. 

However before starting to create digital content, there are few things that should be kept in mind. The fact is to realize that content creation is not for everyone because it involves a lot of research and analysis. Half of the work behind good content production is getting appropriate data which works in line with the company’s strategy. All of this can take up a lot of time and understanding of the market and the brand to be promoted. 

To be a successful content creator, being creative is very important. It is worth reading widely and deeply so that new connections between the content and audience can be formed. Read news about your industry every day and write regularly on it. By reading regularly you will get to know about your targeted audience and what they require from you. Getting in the habit of writing regularly or daily doesn’t require you to write a polished essay of a thousand words every time. Just set aside 10-15 minutes to jot down some ideas and thoughts which can guide you through your creation. 

It is equally important to study your industry’s audience and establish your own voice. One of the hardest things to digest is that you are always on the radar of your audience and for that you need to be highly creative because at the end of the day your audience pays your bills. If you study your audience deep enough, you will find interests and creative ideas which you wouldn’t have otherwise. The foremost important thing here is to know your audience in and out. Examine your readers and viewers and what they want from you. Don’t forget to keep a reality check in place that you are not the only content creator in the market or in your industry. That means you are not the only one offering advice, observations and thoughts to your leaders in the industry. To stand out from the others, diversify into a new content medium by promoting your content on different channels. This will help you gain experience and trust over time. 

Nowadays it is very easy to retweet someone else’s content but successful content creators know it is not enough to build trust with your clients. Simply sharing content is not enough. Engaging with the content that you are sharing is what makes it unique. Be confident to give your readers some additional and useful information, be it just a thought or opinion when you are sharing or curating someone else’s content. If you want to attract your readers or want them to remember your content, don’t just recite what you know, rather explain to them why they are important and what they can take away from it. People want to consume your content and not just hear you talk. They have come to you to satisfy their specific needs and not just listen to your talks. 

A polished content writer is curious by nature and it is this inherent curiosity that makes great content. Understand the world around you in order to create exceptional content. Get in the habit of questioning the piece that you are critically analysing and take a contrary view of that piece of content. In the end keep your content simple. The real role of the content creator is to find information that is helpful for their targeted audience and then communicate those ideas in the right way. As easy as it may sound, content creations just like any other profession requires your time and patience.