From writing blogs and designing visuals to managing social media, content creators have their hands full when it comes to producing quality content. While its definition might make the job description seem like a no-brainer there actually is a lot of research, planning and strategizing that goes into being a successful content creator. In this week’s blog, we’re going to outline steps and tips to help you become a truly amazing content creator.
Where to Begin?
Content creation is the ultimate inbound marketing practice. When you do it strategically and effectively, it can deliver amazing results. Like all good things, your success as a content creator won’t happen overnight. It is a long-term strategy and takes time to perfect. So where should you start?
Like all projects, it starts with a plan. Without a content strategy, you can easily be derailed from your objective. A content strategy should be centered around your marketing goals. Do you want to attract more website visits or are you looking to generate more leads? As long as your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) then the sky is the limit. Each piece of content that you create should be aligned with your goals in order to contribute to your desired outcome.
The next piece of the content strategy relates more to the type of content you want to produce. You first need to know who you’re speaking to, how you want to speak to them and where you can find them – this is the buyer persona. The key to creating engaging inbound content is to make the reader feel like you’re speaking directly to them. You should understand their demographics, hobbies, obstacles, and much more. Creating a buyer persona can take a bit of research, but the end result allows you to create content for someone who will truly value it.
Creating Content
There are many types of content that can be used to generate leads and promote your brand. The key is to create content that will engage your target audience. For example, if your audience is men 45-50 then making TikTok videos is probably not the best idea. Instead, try promoting blogs written by you and others in your industry via email or Facebook campaigns. You created your buyer persona in order to craft content in a format that is easily and enjoyably consumed by your audience. Whether it’s a blog, video, or podcast, as long as it will be seen by your persona then you’re in good shape. So now that you understand the objectives behind creating content, how do you actually do it?
Establish your voice
As much as we hate to admit it, you’re not the only person in your industry that’s creating content. Chances are, there are numerous creators out there that are offering content in your industry. However, there are lots of things that you can do to stand out from the competition. While you can try to branch out to different content mediums or switching up the way you promote your content, the one thing you have that is unique to you is your voice. Readers can read your articles and watch your videos to learn something, but what will keep them coming back is your personality. Tell stories, share quotes and offer analogies that only you can offer from your experiences. Keep in mind that the brand you are writing for may limit some of that personality from shining through but you can still offer your unique perspective while remaining on-brand. Learn how to blend the company’s content guidelines with your own personality and voice and you will be become a more successful content creator over time.
Write Everyday
Writing is one of those things where if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. By writing every day, you will be able to work through ideas that may be jumbled in your head. Who knows, maybe that random thought on the way to work could turn into a fully developed concept later on? You may not be inspired to write all of the time, but something inspiring could come once you put the pen to paper. Take 10 minutes of your day to jot down some ideas while your mind is clear, after all something amazing could come from it.
Keep your content fresh and relevant by staying up with industry news and trends.
Know what’s happening
Creating great content that resonates with your buyer personas requires you to know the happenings in the industry. Your buyer personas should list common channels and where they spend most of their time online, so make sure to check out those sites too. By understanding industry news and trends, you will be able to dive into the context behind what has happened historically and you will be better able to shape your content toward your audience’s present mindset. Content that is relevant to what is happening in the world right now will also increase engagement and reach.
Curate content – when it makes sense
Whether it’s a quick retweet, share to Facebook, or pinning to your Pinterest board – curating content is a great way to connect with your followers, network and share relevant news and topics. There is no shortage of content in the digital world, but the trick is positioning yourself as an additional expert of the topic at hand. Curating content isn’t a bad thing – it allows you to give your audience information that you’re missing and lets you have a more diverse portfolio. In addition to a variety of content, you can build relationships and create company connections. Don’t just share or retweet, add your voice to the conversation as well.
Understanding the Numbers
So you’ve done the heavy lifting, now it’s time to see how well you’re actually performing. The internet is a big place and it may be too big for your content to be discovered all by itself. There is no use in wasting time on inefficient systems, which is why you created a content strategy in the first place. Promoting your content is just as important as the strategy behind the content. After all, you spent all this time and effort creating content – now you want people to see it. Your promotion plan should be guided by your buyer personas. Understand where they spend time online, their favorite platforms and how they like to consume content. You can promote your content on social media, through email marketing, and via paid promotion (think social, search engines and other websites). Depending on your audience and industry, one of these mediums may work better than the other.
But how do you know what is performing well and what is not? This is where the content audit comes into play. Content auditing makes it easy for you to keep track of your content and identify your best-performing content so that you can amplify your results. Analyzing your content through the content audit will reveal data so that you know what is working and what is not. Some common metrics that you should be aware of are page views, organic traffic, bounce rates, engagement and audience growth. These numbers will allow you to understand what channels and types of content your audience enjoys most.
Start Creating
Now that you know the ins and outs of what it takes to be a content creator, the rest is up to you. The content creation process may seem repetitive but when done right it can deliver amazing results.
