Whether you are looking for a remote-friendly online profession that offers flexibility or are simply interested in the field of marketing, content creation is an excellent path to choose. The digital revolution has been escalating for years now, but since the pandemic hit, it seems like suddenly everyone has transitioned entirely to digital, which makes a career in digital marketing and content creation a smart move.
However, with the internet already overflowing with content creators, you’ll need to truly master the art of content creation if you want to stand out and climb the proverbial ladder to success.
So, what do you need to know about content creation today to have a successful career in marketing? Let’s take a look.
Content Creation and Marketing Go Hand in Hand
To start, if you are interested in marketing, it’s important to understand that content creation will likely be a crucial part of your career. Even if you are not necessarily interested in the content side of things, content reigns today in the field of marketing. In other words, content is king, and you need to understand the ins and outs of this area of marketing if you want to succeed.
Most companies today who are looking to hire will likely prioritize applicants who have a deep understanding of content creation, no matter what specific position they are looking to fill. That’s because most marketing efforts today are centered around digital content creation. Some might even say that content creation is now the sole foundation upon which all modern marketing stands.
Marketing is about attracting consumers, and content is the thing that allows marketers to accomplish this task. So if gaining new customers and retaining their interest is the goal, content is the tool that enables you to do so.
But it doesn’t just help to know what content is and how to create it in the general sense if you want to appeal to consumers. Again, the market today is already oversaturated with content creators, so if you want to make an impact, you must master the art of creating truly engaging and high-quality content.
Successful Content Creation Starts With Social Media
Of course, the term “content” itself is somewhat broad. There are many different types of content and many ways to create content, such as web pages, videos, blogs, and social media. And if you intend to succeed in the field of marketing, you will need to understand all of these different areas of content creation.
That being said, if you were to focus your efforts on one area of content creation to start, social media content would be the way to go. A career in social media content, or at least specializing in that area of marketing, can take you far, as most consumers today get the majority of their information from social media.
Today’s primary generation of consumers practically eat, sleep, and breathe social media content. It is the thing that gives them life — and as ridiculous as that sounds, it’s very true. As such, most companies today spend the majority of their marketing budgets on social media marketing.
As of 2022, the U.S. social media ad spend is around $230 billion, and that number is expected to surpass $300 billion by 2024. And that’s just in the United States. There are an estimated 4.6 billion social media users worldwide, which means social media marketing is huge in every market. In other words, the trajectory of social media marketing is only going to continue to rise, which makes social media content creation an ideal area of marketing to master.
Tips for Mastering Content Creation for a Career in Marketing
So, if you are interested in a career in marketing, what can you do to up your content creation game and make your portfolio or application stand out once you start applying for jobs? Whether you are specifically interested in social media marketing or just looking to gain some general insight into mastering the art of content creation, we’ve got you covered.
Refine Your Hard Skills
First, the key to landing any job is to understand what hard skills will be expected of you and hone and sharpen them as much as you can. Your hard skills are going to be the more technical abilities that are specific to the field or position you are looking to work in, whereas soft skills are more like your personality traits, such as being good at communication or having good organizational skills.
For example, if you are applying to a position as a social media content creator for a company, soft skills they might look for could include having a witty sense of humor and being engaging, while hard skills might be something very specific like having experience with Instagram Ads Manager or knowing how to live-stream.
For marketing in general, the hard skills that most companies tend to look for are things like quality writing skills, SEO skills, a thorough understanding of all social media platforms, data analytic skills, and various other technical skills related to marketing tools like CMS or CRM software.
Be Able to Create Fast Without Losing Quality
In the digital world, things move fast. News and information are posted, absorbed, and then forgotten about within seconds. Trends come and go with each passing day. And if you aren’t on top of these things, you can easily fall behind. Thus, companies want content creators that are able to capitalize on things quickly but without losing quality.
This means you need to be able to create speedy content that delivers and hits the mark without losing the quality that might otherwise occur with a rushed job. You need to be able to think fast and think clever, and then turn that into content that makes an impact before someone else does or before the content is no longer relevant. And in many cases, this means not only having a solid content strategy but knowing how to use the right tools to make it happen.
Practice Working With ALL Content Formats
While social media content is king, it’s crucial that you have a thorough understanding of all types of content. The more range you have, the more likely you are to stand out as an applicant. Even if you have no real-world experience with certain types of content, like press releases or video content, you can still create mock content as if you were working on a project for an actual client.
The many different types of content that you could have to create for a career in marketing could include:
- Blogs and articles;
- Website content and copy;
- Landing pages;
- Infographics;
- Email content;
- E-newsletters;
- Podcasts;
- Video content;
- Social media ads, posts, and videos;
- Webinars;
- White papers;
- Press Releases;
- Case studies.
Create Social Media Accounts Dedicated to Content Creation
An excellent way to hone your content creation skills and to have something to add to your portfolio to wow potential employers is to create a social media account that is dedicated to showing off your content creation chops. This can be a Twitter account, an Instagram account, a TikTok account, or all of the above. The idea is to show your ability to create content that is engaging and garners a following, as well as content that shows off your knowledge of marketing or selling a brand.
You can certainly do this with your existing personal social media accounts, or you can create accounts solely for the purpose of showing off your marketing and content creation skills for use when applying to jobs. Post videos, create graphics, comment on things that are trending, engage with your favorite brands, post clever and witty one-liners, and engage with commenters the way brands do — just have fun with it. The idea is to sell yourself as a way of showing potential employers that you are capable of selling their brand as well.
Wrapping Up
In a world that is already full of content creators, it might seem challenging to stand out, but if you put in the time and effort to truly understand what makes for good content creation, then there is no reason why you can’t come out on top and have a successful career in marketing. Just remember that the world of marketing and content is ever-changing. You must always be creating and learning to keep up with new trends and changes if you want to remain relevant and gain an edge over the competition.
