When you open a website, the first thing that you see is the content. Naturally, this content then offers the customers a reason whether they will remain there or go away. Therefore it becomes imperative for a business to pay attention to the content it posts. The job of a content creator is thus related to the impression a brand website leaves on the readers.
Whether it is just an advertisement or a full-fledged blog, the content must be to the point. Along with that, there should be a CTA that forces the customers to move to the next step. The curiosity created by great content makes the brand go places. Here we will share with you all about a content creator and what you can do to become one.
Table of Contents
What is a Content Creator?
First and most importantly, we must understand what a content creator is.
“ A content creator is a person who creates valuable and educational content for the readers.”
The content created could be educational or just a fun read. But, after reading the content, the customer should be convinced to purchase your product. That means the content creator must create content in a manner that manifests interest.
Therefore having a good content person in your team is a valuable asset. They are the brains behind projecting your brand that makes it an exciting property to the customers. If you are a person aiming at creating a career in this field, you will have loads of opportunities to do so.
You need the requisite educational qualifications to succeed. Apart from that, a knowledgeable person tends to do really well in this field. You must keep updating your skills and associate with valuable brands. The field of content creation offers a stable career to many. However, it is the fact that you can work on it freelance that makes it more attractive.
Different types of content you can create
As a content creator, you can play around with words. These days content on the internet can be in any form. You could create videos or just make blogs that grab interest. Articles, news, Instagram posts, infographics, eBooks, podcasts, etc., all qualify under the category of content.
Content for social media
Social media is used by many. What better way to reach out to them than approaching them through social media. There is a good chance that customers already follow a brand on social media. However, it is the content creator’s job to ensure that the content helps them convert into buyers.
For a platform like Facebook, you must interact on different forums. Prepare questionnaires and organize contests to get the necessary attention. Basically, you have to create content that they can share further.
If you are thinking of Instagram, your content has to be visually appealing. Add enough pictures along with the content. The content you use should relate to the images posted. For Twitter, you must have short-form content that fits into the word limit.
Content for your website
The website is the first place any customer goes to check on the brand. To turn the prospective customers into buyers, the content has to be informative, to the point, and valuable. Alongside you should appropriately insert SEO keywords. It is these keywords that would lead the customers towards your website through Google search.
The content posted on the website informs the customer about your brand. You have to ensure that the content is easy to navigate. Plus, there should be a CTA that forces them to go ahead with the purchase.
Blog content
A content creator should understand the value of great blog content for a brand. The blog gets the brand qualified leads that may convert. The purpose of the blogs is to provide information related to your products and services.
Blogs cater to a broader audience base and are hence written likewise. They help customers comprehend how to do things, the pros and cons of the product, and other related topics. Naturally, the content created has to be helpful yet friendly at the same time. A personal touch in the blog makes them feel connected to you.
How to become a successful content creator?
At the outset, it is not easy to become a content creator. Even after being good at writing, success will take time. It is better that you are prepared for any delays. Here are some tips to follow when trying to become a content creator.
Stay updated with industry trends
When you have to churn content every day, you cannot make mistakes. If you are unaware of the latest news, your folly will be caught sooner or later. The best content creators read the internet and keep themselves updated. This habit tells them how the industry has progressed to the present situation. They are informed about what to expect in the near future.
Maintain a habit of reading feed content every day in the morning. You could focus your attention on just information regarding your niche. Ask your colleagues where they derive their knowledge from. Discover where the intended customer spends time online. Read what is mentioned on these blogs to get an idea of his understanding.
There are chrome extensions that you can use for keyword suggestions. This will help you find new and exciting content created. Plus, you may also get an idea of what the readers are liking.
You can also maintain a reading journal to track how much you are reading. It could be a simple Google doc. Just add the link to the content and summarize the content. At any point, you can go back to the content and make any changes in the same. If in the future there are any modifications, you can add them to the content.
Write regularly
If you are posting content just once a week or so, it is pointless. You will not be able to progress much in your career as a content creator. Successful writers understand they have to keep writing on a daily basis. This, in combination with reading industry news, will work wonders for your credibility.
Sometimes content creators also face writer’s block. Despite this, they have to figure out something inspiring that makes them write regularly. Even if you are not able to write an extensive article, start with a small word count. You could start writing your own thoughts for a start. What is the topic you would love to contribute to? Once you can devote regular time every day, the path to becoming a content creator is smooth.
- Set a writing time- You must decide a particular time that you are most creative. In fact, when your energy levels are high, you can write more than at other times. Always remember that writing is a brain taxing activity. For most writers, the early morning is the time when they create the best content.
- Look for various mediums- There are multiple mediums where you can show your skill. You could start with regular blogs and articles. As you gain expertise, you could move on to writing case studies and Ebooks. There are different forms of content that you can dabble on the basis of your interest.
- Create a content calendar- Now that you know what you want to write, create a content calendar. For example, if you are preparing content for September, decide the days in which you can write a blog or article. Prepare your ideas in August itself. Now when the day comes, you are already sorted and in the frame of mind required.
Understand what your audience is
You cannot focus on writing any content until you know who you are talking to. Usually, when you are offered the content topic then itself, you must enquire about the customer base. By studying about them, you can modify your content to suit their taste.
Another quality of a content creator is that he must know the need gap of his customer. When you know what the customer is missing, you will make an effort to offer them the same. Study the following demographics of your audience to explore their tastes.
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Job title
- Salary
- Family size
Have your own voice
Many writers make the mistake of imitating the other competitors. Instead, try and input your own ideas in the content piece. There are many content creators who are operating in the same market as yours. Until you have anything exclusive to offer, the customer is not going to read your piece.
Another thing you could do is to experiment with various mediums. This grants a sort of more online presence to you as a content creator. Alongside add a personal touch to your writeups. Customers love to read content from a user’s point of view. If you write keeping their point of view in mind, they are going to believe in you.
For example, if you are writing on online hacking, don’t just offer existing data figures. Instead, write about any such experience you have had. This should be followed by how you coped up with the situation. The customer is likely to read your thoughts and relate them to his own position.
Understand the performance indicators
The internet is vast, and that is why it holds immense potential for a content creator. However, it is also difficult for your audience to discover your content. Just by publishing content, there is no guarantee it will get traction. To do that, you must analyze the key performance indicator or KPI of your post. A KPI is a specific metric that you choose to figure how well the content is performing.
Here are some common KPIs:
- Social media traffic- This is the number of readers who come to your website through a social media post.
- Direct traffic- These are visitors who came directly on your content. They entered your website link in the browser and landed on the page.
- Organic traffic- Number of visitors who reach the content through a search result
- Submissions- They are the people who came to the website, offered their details, and left. These are your potential customers.
Once you decide which KPI to focus on, you can modify the content accordingly. For example, for organic traffic, you must check Google’s algorithm to find which content is ranking high. Now adjust your content, making it SEO optimized. The greater knowledge you garner about the KPIs, the higher your content is succeeding at convincing customers.
Networking at every chance
A digital content creator must understand that their passion for writing holds importance. This passion will make them think of unique ideas to proceed ahead with content creation. However, they do not restrict themselves just to their own ideas. As a content creator, you always need inspiration.
This inspiration can come from the most unlikely of sources. Use every chance of networking with your industry peers. Read their content to know the style they are pursuing. Social media is the first place you head to do so. There are countless groups on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn where you can connect with like-minded individuals.
But if you are not an extrovert person, you might have problems with individual networking. In that case, stick to taking part in forum discussions. Or else start conversations on a smaller level with your immediate colleagues. Always derive maximum benefit from such talks as they can exemplify your knowledge.
There are conferences for content creators to brainstorm. Find out the ones near you and try to participate. Apart from that, you can find webinars where people like you participate. By joining them, you fulfill a dual purpose. One, you get to meet content creators like you. Secondly, you get insightful knowledge from the organizer of the webinar.
You will primarily garner the contact information of the people you meet here. Maintain a document or spreadsheet with all this information. In the future, you can get all the valuable guidance needed from these people.
Modify other people’s content
You will find a lot of content available on the internet. Some of it is shareable, and anyone can use the same on their personal page. But you are a content creator and not a content copier. So you cannot just pick up someone’s work and claim it as your own.
Your followers want you to present them with unique information. Plus, you must engage with them whenever you are posting anything new. You already have a broader base of knowledge as you stay updated. Use your instincts to add more to that existing content.
Even if you are using someone else’s content, make sure you have your opinion to offer. By doing that, you not only win the appreciation of your followers but the author’s as well. Since social media is always buzzing with action, your content will be shared further. A viral piece of content gets you the kind of attraction that is hard to beat.
Provide solutions
Obviously, you would not want your readers to forget your content as soon as they have read it. You may have the expertise, but if you are unable to offer anything creative, the reader will move on pretty quickly. Tell your readers what is different in your content. Understand that the reader just does not want to listen to your rant.
They have come to you to find answers. If you are unable to provide them solutions, they will look for an alternative. They have landed on your website. Now it is your job to find how to make them stay there. Use listicles, infographics, and figures to convince them to make a purchase.
Keep questioning
A content creator has lots of curiosity to fend. Only a curious person can hope to succeed as a writer. You will be forced to figure out answers and offer them to the readers. It is this attitude of questioning that will not let you settle down for less than the best.
If you start taking the contrary point of view, you will find it challenging to maintain. But if you continue inquiring why the writer has penned his thoughts, you will get the correct answers. As a content writer, you will have to fulfill many expectations. Unless you can satisfy all of them, you cannot prove your worth in the industry.
Use surveys and questionnaires to find what problems customers face. When you have a fair idea of their woes, it is easy for you to curate content for them. Amazon product reviews are another source of information. This is one place where customers share their problems with the product. Read them to figure out any need gaps. Next, you just have to find ways to solve queries and see what they want.
Payments for a content creator
As a content creator, you will not want to work for free. There are various ways in which you can move ahead with the career progression. You could start with freelancing in the beginning. It provides you the flexibility of working at any time you want. However, the freelancing does not have a steady income. If you have regular clients, then the payment comes regularly. Often times the clients come and go, and the pay-out changes accordingly.
You could also be a content creator permanently. Join a content creation firm or the content department of any company.
The content creator’s salary range is around $35,000 to $73,000 per year. It depends on your skills and years of experience. Do not undersell yourself even if you are just entering the industry.
Once your skills expand, your salary would show a hike too. At a certain point, you will get a feeling of stability in your job. However, do not restrict yourself to thinking that your learning is over. Keep updating your knowledge and let the accolades come.
Conclusion
Your journey as a content creator will be turbulent in the beginning. Initially, you might not get the suitable projects you deserve. There is no point in feeling disappointed. Wait for the tides to turn in your favor. Until then, keep writing for yourself so that you can improve on your writing. Apart from that, these blogs can be used as a portfolio.
When you contact future employers, they will ask for proof of your writing. A Google drive link is easily shareable and gives a professional look to your application. Plus, keep your CV updated and mention any kind of experience you had.
A content creator has to be knowledgeable. Sometimes your present expertise is enough to get you the required paycheck. Word of mouth is pretty crucial at this point. If your clients praise your work, you will get new and better options coming up.