As technology advances, the world of content creation on social media has flourished to an unimaginable level. What used to be a platform to share simple videos can now do so much with video stitches, face swaps, vlogging, and the new video podcasts. Content is a term that encompasses both written and visual media like your blogs, TikToks, podcasts, and Youtube videos.
With the growth of content creation, many social media influencers slowly found their respected niche where they thrived and earned views and money. And you can do this, too!
For your content to gain attention, you can’t just simply put it out there. You need to do some serious planning; this is where content strategy comes in. The content strategy ensures that everything you post is well-crafted and planned so you can hit the mark. It’s essential to devise an effective strategy and plan when making content or building your brand, so your resources and time aren’t wasted.
A content strategy bridges the space between you and your audience by giving them what they want and earning their support in exchange. So if you have plans to pursue content strategy and creation, here are some ways you can make great content and earn views online.
1. Study your target niche and audience
Who is the center of your content? Who will bring you the views? Yes, it’s your audience. Choosing your target audience is one of the most vital parts of creating content. You can’t form content ideas and strategies if you don’t know who you are trying to reach.
Some people try their luck by uploading different videos and basing their audience on the most viewed ones. While this may work for some, it can take a long time and become useless.
It helps to do your research. Ask yourself what you specialize in, and from there, look at the trends. What types of people or age groups usually enjoy the same thing as you? Tailor the content you want to the people you’re zeroing in on.
If you want to make Zumba videos, ask yourself what age group is your target. You can make Zumba videos using K-pop music to target younger consumers, or you can switch that if you want homemakers and middle-aged consumers as your target audiences.
If you love giving inspirational and motivational speeches, you can pair that with another hobby like cooking. Giving motivational quotes might become boring, but if you pair them with videos of delicious food, it can enhance the experience of the content consumer. That way, you can widen your target audience, but your content is still manageable.
It’s not advisable to cater to wider audiences with a wide variety of content themes all at once, especially if you’re a start-up content creator. Start small, and from there, slowly build your brand or name.
2. Choose your platform and build it
Where you post, your content matters. Your content will depend on your chosen platform. Many social media platforms can accommodate your dream of becoming a content creator.
If you’re planning to make videos, TikTok, Facebook, and Youtube are the most popular platforms to try. If you’re aiming for TikTok, your videos will be short, and you must keep up with the trend if your channel wants to gain attention. Youtube also has their “Shorts” now, but you can always post longer videos.
Facebook is another platform now evolving to present more video streaming formats to its users. Many content creators use Facebook as their primary platform for sharing their content.
If you’re confident enough, you can also start your website from scratch or through website builders.
When starting on a platform, give your account or page the basics it needs to attract viewers. Give it a good profile picture and header. Include a channel or video description, or you can introduce yourself. Link all your social media accounts to your main channel so people can easily reach out to you. Also, make an effort to create great thumbnails that are interesting but not deceptive to the audience.
3. Improve your video’s search ranking
Utilize the power of SEO to enhance the visibility of your content. Search engine optimization or SEO ensures your content or website gets traffic and natural results from search engines. SEO is crucial because it places your content at the top of the list, giving you a higher chance of getting views for your video.
Technically, what you want to happen is that when the audience searches for something, your content or site appears first. With SEO, you incorporate specific keywords into your content that will stand out in the search results.
The use of SEO can be intimidating, so it’s best to ask for help from professionals to learn more. However, it’s not impossible to study SEO. If you don’t plan to hire someone to help you, you can do this on your own. If you have the capacity, use tools like Google Keyword Planner, but if you can’t have one, it’s fine. Look at the search patterns for keywords to see what people are frequently searching for. Try to align your content with these trending searches and incorporate the keywords into your titles and video descriptions.
The online algorithm can be pretty tricky, so slowly familiarize yourself with it.
4. Be creative and approachable
After you’ve identified your target audience, plan how you will package your content. Don’t make your content repetitive and monotonous. Try to explore ideas to give your content a twist.
If you’re someone wanting to start a career as a food content creator on social media, don’t just eat in front of the camera. It would be best if you looked for ways to sustain the channel. Try making and cooking your recipes even if you mess up. People on the internet nowadays love a touch of reality in the content. If you can’t do something, it’s okay. It makes them connect more, knowing that you’re also making mistakes.
You can also try repurposing content. If you have written a blog about your past relationships and what you learned from them, you can turn that into a video or podcast. Don’t be afraid to recycle content as long as you can add a twist to it. Maybe you realized that you can still improve that old adobo recipe you posted, then stitch the video with a new one; this way, you can encourage new viewers to check out your old videos.
Use “people-first language” in your content. Be careful with the words you use and try to eliminate anything that can possibly create misunderstandings with other cultures or ethnicities. Choose the language that fits your audience best. If your audience is GenZs, you can incorporate the internet slang you often see online. Suppose you’re aiming for a broader audience scope. In that case, English can be your primary language, but if you want to build your reputation on the local scene first, get comfortable with Filipino or Tagalog.
Don’t use jargon or overly complicated words unless your content is specific only to professionals in that field. Be “approachable” with your content to build a relationship with your audience as much as possible.
5. Multiple platform promotions
Even if it’s a one-person team, there’s still a way for you to have your content get a promotion. Use other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Build your personal pages or accounts on different social media platforms to maximize the number of followers you can gain. Link your content-like videos to these social media sites where you can freely promote them. Take a part of your content on online interest spaces where people are always actively looking for something new.
If you’re a YouTube content creator, you can make a short trailer of your video, then post it on all social media platforms and embed or include the link to the original video so other people will want to see the content.
Remember that content creation is not an easy thing to do. It will always take time and a couple of failed attempts before you can finally discover the perfect one for you. Algorithms are tricky and constantly evolving, so it’s better to make something that can stand these changes. Don’t just jump on the latest trend because those views and engagements won’t last too long. Focus on what you like, how you’ll entertain, and keep your audience wanting more.
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