Information in this blog post was obtained from Semrush, The Content Marketing Institute and Hubspot.
Digital content creation is one of the fastest-growing businesses and doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon. Now is a great time to get started for yourself! I know as a college student just starting to create content myself, it can be intimidating at times to put yourself out there and make the content you are proud to promote on your own social media pages. But, with some trial and error and a few good ideas, you will create digital content you will be proud to post on your personal platform and call your own! Who knows, maybe you can be the next big influencer.
But wait! What is digital content creation exactly?
Digital content creation as defined by Semrush is the process of creating various types of content for digital platforms, from all different social media platforms to websites. Digital content creation gives you so many options to choose from -- you can create a blog post, graphic, podcast, video, and the list goes on and on! But, the great thing is, you are not stuck to choosing just one form of content. Remember, more valuable content will equal more business growth!
So, to get you started on your content-creating journey, we have a few steps to follow and some tips and tricks it won't hurt to have up your sleeve when you are ready to create!
Research and Planning
First things first, you are going to need to come up with a few ideas. In doing this, you will have to find out the audience you want to reach, which is your target audience, and find out the things they are interested in and what can you do to make content that benefits them and catches their attention. Semrush offers a great tool for this to help you get started in this called the Market Explorer. Using this tool will help you greatly in conducting research and make things go faster.
Now that we have our target audience figured out, you will come up with a topic that would be beneficial to that audience. You will probably come up with multiple great ideas but pick a few of them you think could be most successful, and would be a good starting point.
At this point, you will have your target audience and topic chosen. From here, you will need a few keywords to put in every post, video, or podcast. Keywords have so many great benefits, they help with SEO and get content in front of your target audience. Keywords are a major part of content creation, it is important not to overlook the research required in finding the right keywords for your target audience. Although the research process can be lengthy and sounds intimidating when looking at all the things you need to do, it doesn't have to be scary! By doing these things, you will have a head start on making good quality content your target audience will enjoy.
Content Creation
You've done your research, you have planned out your target audience, you have your topic and keywords and you're ready to create! With any form of content, we must make sure we have a goal in mind. Some examples of goals are: to answer a question, teach your audience something, or create your own series, plus so much more! Narrowing your focus on what your end goal is could help you to decide which form of content could benefit your audience the most.
After deciding your goal, you will want to pick some forms of content, here are just a few options:
Blog Posts
Blogs posts are among the most popular forms of digital content. Blogs are versatile and typically when something is searched on a search engine, the top results contain blog posts. In fact, 56% of marketers consider blogging their most effective content strategy! Blogging can be difficult, it is important to set aside time to be able to really focus and clear your mind to make this process a little easier. Remember, blogging doesn't have to be scary, just make sure your mind is cleared, and you have a goal in mind for what you'd like to accomplish with your content.
Podcasts
A podcast is an audio that is shared over the internet, comparable to a radio. Podcasts are an often overlooked form of digital content by creators, but there is a big opportunity here! 12% of Americans 12 and older say they listen to a podcast every week. This is a huge audience and one that shouldn't be missed out on! This form of content would be especially beneficial if the end goal you have chosen is to teach your audience something. Podcasts can be intimidating if you aren't used to public speaking, but it is a great way to get started. Podcasts are also a great example of digital content that can be used to create other content. When making a podcast, try having a plan to make it a video as well! It is easy to throw a few graphics in the mix and turn a podcast into a great video!
Videos
Videos are a form of digital content, that is rapidly growing year by year. You have options here! When creating content in the form of video, there is short-form and long-form videos. It is beneficial for marketers to have a strategy for both forms of content! Video is one of the more effective ways of generating leads. I know it is very effective for myself and many other college students! I find myself most interested in products that have been shown on video. Another benefit of creating videos is that you can use almost any form of your content previously created and turn it into a video! If you had a great idea and used it in a blog post, why not break it up and use it for a video next? Overall, video has proven to be one of the most effective marketing strategies and one you shouldn't miss out on!
Graphics
When creating digital content using graphics, you have options! There are infographics, photos, GIFs, and many more! Using graphics as a form of digital content does require an extra skill set. If you have graphic design skills, this could be a great option for you! In addition to using this content creation method as an option that can be used alone, such as the way you could use an infographic, you also have the option of using graphics in other forms of content you are creating. Graphs and GIFs are great ways to break up videos and blog posts. Graphics are also a great way to increase audience engagement!
Some great advice is to always have some sort of call to action in each piece of content! Keep your viewers and readers interested in learning more. We want our audiences to funnel down the AIDA funnel!
There are many more options than what is listed above! But, these few more popular ones are a great starting point. Digital content that has already been created can always be transformed into a new form of content when necessary! A way to decide if your content will perform better when created in another way will be discussed next!
Measure Your Performance
At this point, you will have created your first form of digital content! But, even after publishing, there are still a few more things to do. You'll want to check out your content's performance. One of the best free tools suggested to do this is Google Analytics. Google Analytics can be difficult at first, but it doesn't have to be! There are many free guides and tutorials out there that are packed with great information. I know analytics is a scary word; as a college student it was something I stressed over seeing in one of my classes, but this tool will make things much easier for you! It can measure all kinds of things about your created content. If you don't like your results, don't worry! There is always a way to improve!
Keep in mind, you're not a pro! And you're not expected to be. Digital content creation takes practice, research, and sometimes long hours of hard work. Your content will only get better from here!
Now you're ready to create your first digital content! From research and planning, to creating content, to measuring your performance, we hope this has simplified the process of getting started in digital content creation, and that it's not so scary anymore. Remember, digital content creation is about having fun!
Thank you for reading, and most importantly, happy creating!
For more information on how to start a marketing blog, check out my colleague Autumn's post here.
Resources
Lyons, K. (2023, February 1). Digital Content Creation: What it is and how to excel at it. Semrush Blog. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://www.semrush.com/blog/digital-content-creation/
Leibtag, A. (2019, June 21). Must-have checklist to creating valuable content. Content Marketing Institute. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/creating-valuable-content-checklist/
Perricone, C. (2022, July 1). The Ultimate Guide to Content Creation. HubSpot Blog. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-creation
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