Focus on the job of content creator

Any digital marketing strategy, no matter how well thought out, cannot give good results without qualitative and relevant content. And for that, you have to call upon content creators or become a content creator yourself to set up your own activity. But do you really know what this job is and what it involves? Between the terms influencer, content creator, blogger or web writer, one can indeed tend to get lost. Here is everything you need to know about this profession, which requires much more versatility and commitment than you might think at first glance!

Content creator: what kind of content are we talking about?

When we talk about content creation, we mainly think about digital content. And that covers a wide range of different content! Blog posts, videos, photos, streams, drawings, advertising texts, etc. This includes editorial, visual and audio content for all types of content found on the Internet.

Of course, most content creators are specialized in one or more of these areas, but they still need to master all existing means of online communication. And this also means that a content creator must be able to exploit various digital tools and platforms, such as social networks, website CMS, advertising networks, emailing platforms, podcasting platforms, etc.

Is being a Content Creator just about publishing content?

The idea of creating content is a dream come true: what could be more interesting than producing articles and publications on subjects that you like and that you master? This is the very concept of the passion economy, which motivates many people to turn their passion into a source of income.

However, it is important to know that to succeed as a content creator, it is not enough to be creative and original and to master a whole bunch of technical tools. For content to be viewed, appreciated, shared and monetized, it must also reach the right target at the right time. And this requires a number of prerequisites:

  • study the audience and define its target, and therefore have marketing skills, in order to propose relevant content;
  • mastering the rules of writing for the web and optimizing publications, so that the algorithms can best reference the content and that it appears in the audience’s search results;
  • publish on a regular basis, in order to create engagement (and to seduce these same algorithms);
  • Analyze the results obtained with previous content (number of views, likes, comments, conversion rate, etc.), to adjust the strategy as needed and offer the best possible user experience.

So the job of a content creator can’t just be about posting beautiful photos on Instagram or making funny videos on YouTube. This is especially true in today’s highly competitive environment, where influencers, passionate freelancers and salaried designers are becoming more and more numerous on social networks and blogs.

What are the qualities required to create online content?

Beyond web marketing and technical skills (video editing, photo editing, web development, etc.), an effective content creator must have certain qualities, innate or to be developed:

  • creativity: having good and innovative ideas is essential to stand out;
  • curiosity: keeping an open mind and looking at what is being done elsewhere allows you to develop your own creativity and find sources of inspiration;
  • patience : to develop a coherent and attractive set of digital contents and to create and grow a community, it takes time and experience, and unless there is a huge buzz, it can’t be done in a snap of the fingers;
  • rigor : each content must be refined for a professional result, without losing authenticity, and you must impose a rhythm of regular publications to build a loyal audience;
  • passion: to speak with sincerity and enthusiasm about a subject, and to arouse the interest of the audience, there is nothing better than to create content on themes that you love and that you master. The development of the passion economy is a concrete proof of this.

If content creation seems to be a hobby to the general public, we quickly understand that being a content creator is actually a real job, which requires time and work.

How to become a digital content creator?

Some content creators are self-taught and have gradually grown their community through their experience. For others, this profession has even imposed itself on them, while they were initially content to publish cooking recipes on a blog, to make DIY tutorials on YouTube or to post drawings on Instagram. By taking the time to learn about online platforms and learning on their own, or by surrounding themselves with communication experts, they have thus made content creation their main activity. 

However, it is also possible to take training courses to develop skills in the field of content creation. This can be a great way to get started, and when you want to work for a company, it is often a prerequisite. 

Today, there is no real post-baccalaureate diploma specifically dedicated to content creation, but you can have a solid foundation by following a course to become a community manager, web marketing manager, video editor, SEO consultant, digital project manager, etc. It all depends on the type of content you want to create. But very often, you will have to complete your initial training with other modules, so that you are versatile enough to manage all the ins and outs of digital content creation and the creative economy. You can then take the time to do trainings of a few weeks or a few months on important subjects such as web referencing, the use of graphic creation tools, the management of advertising campaigns on social networks, etc.

Are you now ready to start creating content online? Create your account on the MYM platform! You will be able to create a strong link with your community, propose content in various formats and sell the fruit of your work, while benefiting from advice to optimize your visibility and your income.

How much do you earn from digital content creation?

The income of a digital content creator can vary widely depending on the status, the employer, the level of experience, the sector of activity, the region, etc.

A junior designer can expect to earn from 1500 to 2000 euros per month, and see his salary evolve with experience. But this remains an indicative salary, which can reach several tens of thousands of euros per year for some creators.

Content creators who work as freelancers and who work for clients can also have very variable incomes. A web editor, a community manager or a photographer specialized in digital is indeed free to set his rates when he is freelance. But in all cases, the principle remains the same: the professional is paid according to the content he produces and the possible related services he offers.

The last category of content creators, that we could call influencers, generates income in a slightly different way. They can come from subscriptions to their channel or to their account on the platform, from affiliation with brands, from the publication of ads inserted in a video or a post, from the sale of products on a store integrated to their social page, etc. Depending on the notoriety and the engagement rate, the income can be simply complementary to another activity and sometimes reach up to several tens of thousands of euros per month.