how to become a content creator

Last Updated on January 17, 2023

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How To Become A Successful Content Creator

by Melissa Giroux | Jobs for Digital Nomads

What if you could be a content creator? Or a content writer? Is content creation a good option for you? Do you have what it takes to become the next top creative content creator? Becoming a content creator can be a fun journey. (Been there, done that!)

If you are wondering how to become a content creator, blogger, or freelance writer, you’re going to love this interview with Nathan Aguilera also known as the Foodie Flashpacker.

Nathan started his blog when he was traveling. Eventually, he became a freelance writer and a social media manager.

Before we start, let’s take a look at what a content creator is. Then, we’ll see how you can become a content creator.  We basically want to know if content creation is as sexy as it sounds.

I’ll also share some bits of my personal story – since I successfully created my own personal brand.

ContentshideHow To Become A Content CreatorInterview With Nathan, Content CreatorQ&A – All About Content CreationFinal Thoughts On Content Creation

How To Become A Content Creator

Let’s see how you can become a content creator. In this section, we’ll discuss what is a content creator and how Nathan became one. You’ll get plenty of tips and steps to help you be a content creator too!

You could also watch the video below for a quick summary.https://www.youtube.com/embed/yfZk49jqLuc

The Job Description Of A Content Creator

A content creator is basically someone who creates content. It can be anything from copy to social media content.

Content creators can also be called influencers if they can manage to have a major impact on their audience.

content creator

Interview With Nathan, Content Creator

In this section, you can read our interview with Nathan who does web content creation.

Keep reading to learn more about his story.

Why Did You Want To Become A Digital Nomad?

I had been traveling for more than two years and I was getting a bit burnt out of traveling but not so burnt out that I wanted to go home.

I had to come up with something that allowed me to continue traveling, working on my own schedule, where I could work from anywhere in the world.

So, I suppose like many people, I got a taste of travel and didn’t want to stop – becoming a digital nomad allowed me to stay on the road.

How Did You Get Started And How Long Have You Been On The Road For?

I first started a blog and from blogging came freelance writing and social media management, which is actually where I make most of my income now.

I’ve now been on the road for four and a half years.

How Long Did It Take To Make A Decent Income?

Definitely more than a year. In the first year of blogging, I’m sure I actually lost money on my blog. I paid for hosting, courses, buying my domain, attending conferences, etc.

For anyone starting, especially if you’re going to start a blog, I wouldn’t plan on making any real money for the first year.

Some people/sites do but when you hear about them, it’s because they are anomalies. It takes time to build an audience.

If you are wanting to freelance write or do some other type of online work, it’s possible to secure clients before your trip begins, which I strongly recommend.

How Did You Want Your First Client?

My first freelance writing client was actually a referral from a friend I met at a conference. It paid $40.

After I did two of these I thought to myself- if some people are paying $40, others must be paying more. So I set out looking for other freelance clients that pay better.

Did You Take Any Course?

Yes, when setting up my site I used Nomadic Matt’s Superstar Blogging Course which I found to be incredibly helpful, especially for setting up the tech side of my course. I knew nothing about plugins, installing themes, etc.

The course allowed me to set up my site completely by myself.

Also, now that my site is set up I’ve found SEO to be very helpful in writing posts that actually deliver traffic to my site.

PSST. You can also check this affordable SEO course to increase your organic traffic on your blog. Want to learn how to launch your blog for free? Join our 7-day challenge!

Where Can We Find You?

You can find Nathan on Foodie Flashpacker. He is also on Facebook and Instagram. That’s an excellent opportunity to learn more about the life of a content creator.

Q&A – All About Content Creation

In this section, we’ll answer all your questions regarding content creators and social media content creators.

Why And How To Get Into Creative Content Creation?

Content creation is getting pretty popular especially in the digital nomad industry.

If you’re an expert in your field or if you are good at expressing yourself through your writing, vlogging or photography – becoming a content creator could be an interesting solution for you.

Creating content is one of the key points to be able to succeed in the digital marketing industry, to sell products or to become a social media influencer.

Depending on what type of businesses you have in mind, you might have to create content eventually, so you might want to consider getting good at it!

Obviously, if you’re starting your own brand – then, you must understand the content creation basics as you will have to create a lot of content along the way.

Let’s take a look at the different options for content creators:

  • Content writer
  • Photographer
  • Videographer
  • Social media influencer
  • Social media manager

STORYTIME: I, myself, became a content creator a few years ago when I first started blogging at A Broken Backpack. I obviously write but also I create a few videos and social media content over the years. It was the best way for me to deliver a message, but also to get into the digital nomad world. I knew I had some kinds of writing skills and I was hoping to make it work – which I did. Read more about making money blogging.

How To Become A Content Creator Without Experience?

The first step is to pick a platform where you will create content. Will it be a blog, a Youtube channel, a podcast? Or will you concentrate on social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?

Then, you’re going to think about how you can potentially monetize your ideas/platforms? Having a business plan in mind is important as it can take time before being able to monetize a personal brand.

So, you might want to make sure there are ways to monetize all this time you’re going to spend on your project.

You will have to learn a lot of new things – algorithms, social media marketing, copywriting. These new skills will help you market yourself.

If you’d rather want to work as a freelancer in the content creation field, it’s also possible to become a ghostwriter or a social media manager.

Being a freelancer means you’re going to get paid to create content and you won’t have to grow and build your own brand – which can take a lot of time.

Learn To Be A Content Creator With These Free Resources

➤ Social media tools for content creators

➤ Writing tips for content creators

➤ Secrets for content creators

Invest Money In A Course To Become A Content Creator

➤ Content creation masterclass

➤ Content marketing masterclass

➤ Ultimate web content writing masterclass

Invest Money In A Book

➤ Content Rules

➤ Everybody writes

➤ How to write compelling content

What Are The Skills Required To Become A Successful Content Creator

If you are wondering how do I become a content creator – keep reading! Apart from being creative and disciplined, there are skills that should be learned to be a successful content creator.

Web content: Are you able to write content that suits the web? From copywriting to blogging, the best way to become a writer is to practice!

Video content: Are you able to make killer videos? Most people don’t have enough patience to film awesome footage and to edit them afterward. Being able to create great video content whether it’s a movie or a vlog is a great skill to have.

Facebook: Understanding the algorithms on Facebook and being able to create engaging content isn’t as easy as it sounds!

SEO: If you’re able to create content that is SEO-friendly – it’s going to be a big plus.

Social media management: If you can master all the different social media channels such as Pinterest, Twitter, on top of the popular ones like Facebook or Instagram, you should be able to drive traffic to a website.

Instagram: Nowadays, a lot of people create their brand using Instagram as the main channel. Connecting with people with visuals seems to be pretty popular.  Of course, you have to be willing to create great photos as well as engaging captions.

How Much Does A Content Creator Make?

It varies a lot! Depending on if you’re working for your own brand or for someone else, your financial status may vary.

If you work for yourself, the way you will market yourself as well as your success will surely influence your bank account.

Some social media influencers, bloggers, and vloggers can make “a lot of money” but it might take them months or even years before they can make a living out of it.  

Like Nathan said, freelancing on the side is a great way to support yourself until you can actually make it happen.

What Degree Do You Need To Become A Content Creator?

You don’t need a degree to become a content creator. You just need to improve your skills to get noticed amongst the competition.

How Do You Become A Content Creator On Instagram?

You must learn how to stand out on Instagram. To be successful, you’ll have to improve your photography skills, create a killer profile, learn how to make beautiful edits, and write captivating captions.

Then, you’ll have to engage with other accounts to build your own following.

How Do You Create Content?

Creating content is related to writing, photography, and/or videos. It’s basically taking a product, a destination, or a service, and creating content around it.

Final Thoughts On Content Creation

Becoming a content creator can be challenging at first, but it is a fun career path especially if you’re a creative person.

A content maker can create content about pretty much everything with any desired media – whether it’s photography, videography, or blogs.

What Is a Content Creator?

Content creators are responsible for coming up with new content ideas and seeing them through from concept to final product. There are usually multiple steps in the content creation process, whether you’re a digital creator or working on printed materials. 

This content is usually either educational or entertaining, designed to interest the target audience of the business. For example, a social media content creator will spend the majority of their time working on hashtag and audience research, creating photo or video content to post, and reviewing reports of previous campaigns to analyze their success. You may also hear these types of creators called “influencers”, as they usually have large social media audiences of their own and will work with brands on sponsored content, promoting businesses to their following. Social media creators work on a handful of platforms and content is specifically created for each one to resonate with that particular audience. 

Celebrities usually work as social media influencers but there are also plenty of individuals who have made a name for themselves online and grown significant followings. Kayla Itsines, Zoe Sugg, Huda Kattan, and Eleonora Pons are all great examples of digital creators who have built audiences into the millions and are highly sought after by brands, charging five-figures for a single brand post on their channels.

Known for her fitness content, Kayla Itsines has more than 12.7 followers around the globe.
Known for her fitness content, Kayla Itsines has more than 12.7 followers around the globe.

But it’s not only influencers who are social media content creators. Some people will work as social media managers, where they create the content on behalf of a brand and post it on the brand’s channel for them, along with monitoring and responding to comments. Freelance videographers, photographers, and copywriters are also hired by businesses as content creators, as these are not always positions that they have in-house. 

Thinking about how to become a content creator on YouTube? Developing both your videography and social media skills as you create your channel and work portfolio will help to build your own audience and make it easier for businesses to find you. YouTubers like Shay Carl, Kassem G, and Lisa Donovan have all worked as videographers for brands on both their own channels and through production companies. 

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What Does a Content Creator Do?

What’s in a content creator job description? Well, it depends.

There are numerous digital platforms that creators work on, from YouTube and Instagram, to company blogs, Medium, and more, so what each individual does will vary based on the needs of the business they’re working for and the type of media they use. 

Bloggers and writers will spend a large part of their day researching before writing their content. This could include looking at similar content online, gathering statistics or products to reference within the post, or interviewing experts for quotes. Depending on how involved the brand wants a creator to be, the work may only involve writing the initial piece; for others, editing and posting on the company’s blog or Medium account may also be part of the contract. 

Written content creation isn’t only about long-form, blog-style pieces though. Even social media creators work on written content in the form of captions for their posts, digital ads, and videos to support any visuals that are being shared.

Tools like InVideo and Canva are perfect for creating social media content if you don’t have extensive graphic design experience.
Tools like InVideo and Canva are perfect for creating social media content if you don’t have extensive graphic design experience.

Video content is also an incredibly popular medium. If content creation is a career you’re looking to explore, learning how to become a YouTube content creator specifically is an excellent choice for building a lucrative career. Videographers spend much of their time planning for video shoots, from researching actors and locations to creating storyboards and scripts. In fact, most of their work happens before and after the shoot itself, as editing can be just as time-consuming as the planning process. 

Storyboarding and scripting are critical elements to work on before you start filming any video content.
Storyboarding and scripting are critical elements to work on before you start filming any video content.

What does a normal day look like for a digital creator? Depending on the platform, the type of content created will be different. For most, a typical work day will involve:

  • Brand and competitor analysis: Understanding what a brand is about, who their target audience is, and what their competitors are doing is where all successful content begins. This helps to narrow down ideas later on, as well as gives you more credibility when getting approval from brand representatives ahead of the actual content creation.
  • Idea brainstorming: This is where you can get creative! Coming up with several ideas gives you a good starting point when working with a brand as you decide what will be most relevant and engaging for your or their audience.
  • Content creation: The content creation process will likely involve multiple stages as you work with the brand to write or shoot content that brings the campaign idea to life. This can take anywhere from a few hours to weeks or months, depending on how extensive the final result will be.
  • Editing and approvals: Editing photos and videos to fit with the brand aesthetic and tone can take some time but this is where the final product starts to really take shape. What gets left on the cutting room floor may surprise you, but you’ll feel so proud of your work once you hand it over to the brand for final approvals before it goes live.
  • Promotion: The brand may do this themselves but, in the case of influencers, this is where the money-making happens. Content will be shared across various digital channels and tracking will be added to keep tabs on how well the posts are performing.

Your favorite influencers may make it look easy, but there’s a lot of work behind each of those Instagram Reels and YouTube videos. If that doesn’t sound too daunting and you’re still thinking about how to become a content creator, we have a few ideas that will help to get you started.

5 Steps to Becoming a Content Creator

Becoming an Instagram content creator looks glamorous, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes.
Becoming an Instagram content creator looks glamorous, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes.

Step 1: Understand the Target Audience

Creating content that doesn’t resonate with your audience or the audience of the brand you’re working for is a waste of time and money. Before getting started on any new project, make sure you know some of the basic details about your audience:

  • How old are they?
  • What gender are they?
  • Where do they live, work, and socialize? What do they do in their spare time?
  • What does their family situation look like (are they single, married, have children)?
  • What other brands do they like and shop with?
  • What digital platforms are they on/where do they spend their time online?
  • What do they care most about?

Step 2: Find Your Voice and Style

Skillshare Original teacher, Nathaniel Drew, reminds us that reflecting on our own interests is a great way to discover our voice and stand out as a creator.
Skillshare Original teacher, Nathaniel Drew, reminds us that reflecting on our own interests is a great way to discover our voice and stand out as a creator.

There are hundreds of other content creators out there, but there’s only one you! There are so many ways that you can stand out in the crowd, so taking the time to figure out what makes you unique in your industry or interest area can help you to build an engaged audience on the channel of your choosing. It also helps brands decide whether you’re the right creator for them to work with. They need to be sure that your aesthetic, values, mission, and audience line up with theirs and the product or service they’re looking to promote.

Step 3: Be Social and Show Up

In the content creation world, who you know is everything. Being active on social media, networking with other creators and brand representatives, and showing up for your own audience are the best ways to consistently grow your own following. You don’t have to spend every minute online, but try to post on your preferred channels at least a couple of times a week. Your audience will start to become familiar with your posting schedule and expect content on certain days, which will help to increase your engagement with your followers. You’ll also gain valuable insight from connecting with others, whether that’s new ideas for content or ways that you can help people in your world.

Step 4: Learn From the Pros

There are some incredible creators out there, and there’s a reason that they’re the best in their industries. Studying from the masters will give you the opportunity to see what works well on the platforms you want to focus on and how to build an engaged audience successfully. It’s also a good idea to observe how they handle a crisis, particularly if you’re planning to work in industries that cover difficult or controversial topics. Take note of how their followers respond in comments and what the creator does to address any issues.

Step 5: Practice Every Day

There’s a reason that practice makes perfect! You might not feel inspired to create something new every day, but continually building your writing, photography, graphic design, or videography skills will put you in a great position when the time comes to apply for jobs as a content creator or build your own brand. 

Take courses online to brush up on skills you haven’t used for a while or to learn something new that can be a resume builder. This can be a great way to stand out as you’re carving out your space in the online world, especially if you can do something that very few people can do well or even at all. 

Typical Content Creator Salary

Digital creators can work for themselves as freelancers or may be employed either in-house or as part of a bigger agency. You don’t necessarily need any formal qualifications, but having a degree in marketing, business, or a specialized skill like photography or video production can help when looking for jobs as you start your career. 

Even so, plenty of YouTubers and social media influencers started with no experience, slowly building their audiences and creating a strong portfolio of work before they reached a position where their earnings enabled them to leave other jobs to pursue content creation full-time.

A typical content creator salary in the US, Canada, and the UK is between $35,000 and $40,000 for in-house and agency positions, while in Europe, these can vary from as low as $30,000. 

Freelancers and experienced creators often earn up to six-figure sums for each project. Thinking about how to become a YouTube content creator? It’s not uncommon for individuals to earn millions in revenue from videos and brand sponsorships on this platform, but it can take years to achieve this kind of return. For self-employed content creators, the sky really is the limit when it comes to your earning potential, but it all depends on the type of work you do and the size of your audience. 

If you’re still trying to decide which skills to focus on building, take a look at several different content creator job descriptions. This will give you an idea of what companies are looking for when hiring for these positions and can help you to spot any gaps in your resume or creative portfolio that you need to fill to make you a better candidate.

Whichever platform you choose, there are so many opportunities out there for you to build a sustainable and creative career as a content creator!

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