So you love to create content and the internet couldn’t be a better platform for showcasing your talents as a content creator and for attracting the masses. The latter include fans, sources, potential advertisers, and so on. Just as with any other job, content creation can come with a lot of pressure and this mostly has to do with churning out one interesting and shareable piece after another.
Well, pressure notwithstanding, you still need to create good content, and aping some habits by successful content creators can help in this as well as in reducing some of the aforementioned pressure. So let us explore some of these habits,
- Read, read, read
You cannot be a good content creator if you do not read widely. In fact, scratch reading; you should actually scour books, magazines, journals, the internet, newspapers, religious books, novels, and other sources to be abreast of the current affairs. If you have elected to concentrate on a particular niche then you should read the trendy news and affairs in that industry.
Reading will not only let you into what shapes the mindset of your audience but will also help in knowing interesting historical facts that could make for very better content as well. While at it, put everything that you read in one place and you can do this by the use of an RSS feed and read away. Ask your colleagues in the industry what they are reading as well.
- Be unique
Some would call it having your own voice and it is very important as you are not the only one creating content for that niche. Being unique can mean using a new medium for content as well as using different channels for promotion. While these two are helpful, you should also realize that using your personality will make you stand out more. Regardless of the niche, you can add some stories, anecdotes, analogies, experiences, or you could also involve the experiences of people who are close to you.
Granted, it can be quite difficult doing this when you are writing for a particular brand but in such cases you may just have to insert some creativity while maintaining the image of the brand and sticking to the availed guidelines.
- Curate content from other users
This is not just limited to sharing, retweeting, and so on. You may come across a lot of news on the internet that is pertinent to your audience and you can curate while adding some missing information, adding some information, comparing numbers and places, speaking to experts, or working on an opinion piece since by now you may have some much knowledge of the subject.
In some instances, you can take an opposite side of the matter and this can spark a debate on an important issue which can lead to more learning for you, the original author, and the audience.
- Regular contributor
Keep working on your craft ….practice makes perfect. As you contribute regularly, you will realize that the range of ideas is growing by the day and you will make fewer mistakes. Regular contributions also help to grow your audience and credibility as they come to rely on you as an authority on the subject you have chosen to tackle.
- Know your audience
Your audience does not just exist as fans but they are also very important as they help you to pay your bills as well. This means that you are also at the mercy of your audience and that is a fact although some people find it quite hard to swallow as it drains their creativity. Some of the most successful content creators have studied their audiences and are always seeking for new ways to satisfy them. Some of the characteristics of audiences to help you make an informed decision include age, income, designation, age, gender as well as size of the family.
- Knowing your key performance indicators (KPI)
According to most content creators, it is often difficult for them to generate traffic and subsequent leads for their content. Enter key performance indicators and you may need to focus on these as they are instrumental in getting your content out there. Basically, a KPI presents a particular metric that you use to measure the performance of you content against what you expect. To be successful, you will need to focus on a particular KPI then work around it when creating content.
Some of the common KPIs include social media traffic, submissions, organic traffic, and direct traffic.
- Don’t forget to network.
Being talented and good at your job is one thing but you cannot grow your content business with just raw talent and passion. The power of networking has been known to catapult people from one level to the top echelon of their careers. During the course of your career, you will meet people who will teach you, inspire you, and constantly push you to get out of your comfort zone. Never miss a chance to network on social media while following thought leaders, colleagues after work, social and professional events, industry events, and so on.