If you are looking to get into the content creation game, either as a professional writer/content creator or as a site owner who is looking to take advantage of all the fantastic SEO that comes with content creation, chances are good you are entering the field with something of a blank slate.
While it is always good to be a bright-eyed beginner (after all that means you are learning something new), there are definitely some things that you should be informed about when it comes to creating content online.
Luckily, you’ve got me! Over the past half-decade, I have worked with brands all over the world to create valuable and engaging content to help take their sites and their brands to the next level. During that time, I have learned some incredibly valuable lessons that I would like to pass on to you free of charge!
So, without further delay, here are some of the valuable content creation lessons I have learned during my time in the field.
Great Design is Worth Its Weight in Gold
Of course you want to craft the best-written content that you can, but it isn’t just the content that matters, it’s how it looks! Given the stat that a colorful and engaging visual article will make people 80 percent more willing to read something, you should always be aiming to make your content as visually pleasing as possible.
Include images in your post, include videos, include headers that make it easier for people to digest content and to break up the massive wall of text that you spent hours writing.
Craft a Great Title
What was the first thing you noticed about this article? Chances are good it was the title, right? Title’s are crucially important to content creation just like they are important to news articles, movie titles, song names, and more. It is generally the first impression someone is going to get and you really do never get a second opportunity at a first impression.
With that in mind, make sure that you make the most out of your title and make it short but informational, enticing but not click-baitey. It is an easy thing to say, but a much harder thing to implement. This will likely take time to master, but in the end you will realize that you are starting to craft great titles, and you will see all the benefits that come with it.
Don’t be afraid to be Flexible with Your Content Schedule
It is always a good idea to try to make some kind of content calendar and adhere to it, but don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself struggling to keep up with it all the time. Life can often get in the way of meeting your content creation goals and there is no reason to put added pressure on yourself when you simply don’t have the time to create the best content that you can.
Rather than force something out when you are feeling the heat from a self-appointed deadline, take the extra time to make sure that you are creating content that is reaching its full potential.
If you are having trouble coming up with new content ideas, look online for inspiration. Another super helpful tool is to create in-depth outlines that can help you get your new piece of content off the ground before you even really start writing it!
People want to feel Understood Online
In a lot of ways, the Internet has become a place where lonely people go to feel less lonely. The jury is definitely still out on whether or not it is actually possible to feel less lonely by logging on, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t want to feel seen and understood online,.
Create content that is related to your audience. For me, that means going way beyond just offering information and resources to people who might find it useful. It means trying to help people with issues that they are struggling with. It means helping them get that business off the ground that they have always dreamed of. It might take a little bit more work to make your content appeal to the actual person sitting behind each screen, but trust me it is worth it. Not only can it lead to increased engagement and shareability, it can also result in a sense that you really are helping people out there, even if you’re not totally sure who those people are.
There’s no Instant Success
This is the last lesson that we are going to go over today, but it also might be the most important. Instant success in anything is nearly impossible, and very few things worth having don’t require a whole lot of work.
From the start, make sure that you give yourself the ability to both succeed and fail – and learn from each experience along the way. When a post you create does well and is widely circulated, it is never a bad idea to try to break down what you did and what you think worked. That being said, you should never be afraid to also defer from that strategy and try something else out. It might not work the first time, it might not work the second time, but with everything you are writing and posting online, you are getting closer and closer to becoming a content master.
Hopefully these lessons have helped open your eyes to some of the things that you should be thinking about as you begin your journey to becoming a content creator. As I said, I’ve been in this business for over half a decade and I am still learning things with every piece of content I post.
There is always more to learn, and there are tons of great resources out there than you can take advantage of. Just remember, one of the best ways to learn is by doing. So, get out there and start writing. You never know what lessons you’ll learn along the way.
