There’s no denying that the digital age has made content creation a necessary skill for anyone looking to make an impression online. However, content creation is more than just a necessity for creative entrepreneurs – it’s the key to standing out from the pack.
Content is a massive part of our everyday lives. It keeps us informed, answers our questions about our most challenging problems, and even makes us laugh. As a result, content is an excellent way for creative entrepreneurs to reach target audiences.
This post will explore some of the best ways to create content that will help you stand out and be highly effective. So read on if you’re ready to up your content game.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you purchase using the links.
What is content creation?
Content creation or content marketing generates topic ideas that appeal to your buyer persona and develops written or visual content around those topics in an accessible format for your audiences, such as a video, blog, infographic, or social media post.
Examples of content creation
Blog posts
One of my favorite forms of content creation is blog posts. Everyone starts a blog for different reasons. I started a blog because I wanted to educate and inspire people looking for information about writing, productivity, and faith. While experts believe each blog post must be at least one thousand words, a blog post can be any length you want or need to get your point across.
If you want to learn more about blogging, I recommend the Blog by Number course by Suzi Whitford. The course is great, and so is Suzi. She offers valuable information on blogging, including a FREE course that offers a FREE blog plan.
Graphics
I like to post graphics in my blog and social media posts. Sometimes I use infographics, Pinterest pins, or original graphics that help me make a point within the post. To create this type of content, you can hire a graphic designer or use visual design tools like Pic Monkey or Canva.
Video
Creating videos for social media or YouTube is a great way to share your content. Whether you’re looking at short-form videos such as Instagram Stories, long-form Facebook Live streams where viewers can ask questions while they watch in real-time (ordinary people love watching interesting content), or a LinkedIn video.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to share information about a variety of topics. For example, you can share actionable tips or step-by-step instructions to help your target audience solve problems. In addition, you can interview exciting guests if you don’t want to go solo. For example, my friend, Cara McLauchlan, started a podcast where she shares chapters from her book, Nourish – Encouragement for Parents Homeschooling Through High School.
Content offers
Content offers are a great way to give your audience something valuable in exchange for their email address. Your content offers should aim to help your audience solve problems. For example, you can offer a checklist on making a virtual event, habit-tracking printables, or templates to help them achieve specific goals.
To create my content, I use my favorite graphic design tool, Canva. I offer a FREE media kit I created in Canva. If you want to make changes to the FREE media kit, you will need to have Canva.
Content creation planning
Before you start creating content, you should create a plan. To create a content strategy, you need to consider your brand and tone and the type of information that best suits your audience. You should also think about how you plan to promote your content.
But, most importantly, start small by creating a plan you can manage easily with everything else you have going on in your business. And don’t forget to have fun.
Add efficiency to your creative life
As a content creator, I always look to add efficiency to my work. Below are a few of the tools I use to stay organized.
Zapier is a platform that connects your work apps and does repetitive tasks for you automatically. With Zapier, all the information in one app can be moved seamlessly to another based on rules set by its user with just one click.
Do you ever wonder where your time goes? RescueTime is here to rescue you from wasting time. This app records the exact time you spent on each activity. Then you can identify the things that take up too much of your time. This app can also help you set achievable writing goals.
MeisterTask is an intuitive project management tool that helps you organize your work to get things done. The tool allows you to manage your projects, to-do lists, and checklists in one place. I like that it helps me create electronic and flexible Kanban boards. I also like that it allows me to share information with my students or other writers.
