Content creators, whether freelance or in-house, are in high demand. And there’s no sign of that demand slowing down. Content creation covers a multitude of positions, titles and formats. In this article, we’ll go over the various types of content creation and how to go about finding those opportunities.
Types of content creator jobs
Influencers and ambassadors are usually content creators who want to monetize their personal brand. They may be life coaches, speakers or other creatives. You’ll likely be taking your own photos or videos, writing your own captions, and developing your own social media strategy. You’ll be a jack of all trades when it comes to content
Some content creators choose to be social media managers. These roles often handle everything from content creation and campaign planning to social listening and reporting. Freelance social media managers often niche down to the skills they’re most interested in. But those just starting out can expect to touch on every aspect of content creation.
Next, there are content writers and copywriters, which cover a huge spectrum of content creation. As a writer, you can monetize articles, blog posts, brochures, web copy, email marketing copy, news pieces, voice-over scripts, social copy, e-books, or white papers, to name a few. The opportunities here are vast.
Thinking about monetizing your daily life? Vlogging or streaming might be for you. The difference between the two is slight. A vlogger is someone who creates and publishes video blogs. A streamer, however, is someone who broadcasts themselves on a live stream or posts a video after the fact. Streamers may play video games, put on tutorials or conduct interviews. Take Clancy Burke, for example. She is a former news reporter turned YouTube content creator who publishes vlogs that basically just show her living.
The paths to working in content creation may differ, but there’s a general process you can follow to become a social media creator.
Finding opportunities
Here are four tips for starting your career as a content creator:
Develop your skills
Try practicing creating user-generated content for brands you know and love. Say you want to be a copywriter, for example. Try executing a mock creative brief to show off your skills. You can write a product description, a social media post, and a headline to promote a new shoe launch. Or, if you want to be a graphic designer, you could create a mock advertisement to promote said shoe launch.
You can also continue to develop your skills through courses. There are plenty of online courses that will walk you through different types of content creation. Or, reach out to other content creators whose work you admire. Ask them for advice on how they developed their skills or (if they’re open to it) to look at your work and provide feedback.
Create a portfolio
Once you’ve started building those skills, it’s time to show off your work. Start an online portfolio to share some of your best samples with prospective clients or employers. Your portfolio doesn’t have to be fancy. You can even host them for free on Squarespace or Wix.
Even if you’re building your personal brand as an influencer and not, say, a videographer, a portfolio is a useful tool. Do you want to attract brands who want to partner with you? Show them how you’ve partnered with other brands in the past. Be sure to link your social media accounts and make your contact information easy to find. And, you’ll want to have a solid brand pitch deck in your back pocket.
Network
You can find prospective clients almost anywhere. Start by networking or reaching out to job postings or freelancer-needed ads. You could even try pursuing opportunities you see in your daily life. Perhaps there’s a website you’ve noticed that needs new banner ads. As a burgeoning graphic designer, you could cold email them and pitch your services.
There are so many ways to go about finding work. Join as many freelance Facebook Groups as you can. Sign up for The Creator Marketplace l and create listings for your creator services. Clients may post work needed and you can submit your pitch.
Post your portfolio or your elevator pitch in relevant online spaces. If you specialize in travel photography, look for travel groups online. Content marketing Slack groups are a great place to network. Look for relevant sub Reddits like r/copywriting. Be active on LinkedIn and create posts with keywords relevant to your industry and title.
Set your price
Pricing yourself when you’re just starting out can be tough. Take a look at your market average to get an idea of what others in your experience range are charging. Try not to undersell yourself at first.
If you’re looking to get hired in-house at a corporation as a content creator, research the industry average for your position. That way, you can weed out job positions with salaries that are too high with expectations beyond your skill set and too low that you won’t get paid what you’re worth. If you’re looking to freelance, be sure to have signed written contracts with your clients. Include your payment terms and penalties for late payments.