Social media opens possibilities that many of us did not think could exist. Not only does it connect people worldwide in a few clicks or taps, it also gives birth to a new field of work: social media content creator.
Since it is still a relatively new career path, you may wonder, what is content creation in social media? If that sounds like you, this is the right article that will give you the answer.
This article will not only explain what is a social media content creator, but what they do as well. So, let’s jump into it!
What Is a Social Media Content Creator?
A social media content creator is someone responsible for social media content creation.
They comprise many kinds of artists, including but not limited to vloggers, podcasters, and live streamers.
They may produce different forms of content depending on their expertise and platform, including texts, audio, and graphics. For example, creators on Twitter mainly post written content, while those who post on visual-focused apps like Instagram and TikTok publish pictures and videos.
Some social media creators do their activity as a hobby. They may post content to entertain their audience or share knowledge with them.
However, there are also content creators on social media who aim to grow their own brand or others. They use social media for commercial purposes, such as gathering followers, collecting fan donations, selling goods, etc.
After understanding content creation in social media, you may wonder if social media content creators also manage their own channels. Let’s check the differences between social media creators and managers below to find out.
Differences Between Social Media Management and Content Creation
The work of social media content creators and social media managers may overlap; however, they are different roles.
While social media content creators tend to focus on producing content, social media managers go beyond that. Furthermore, social media managers mostly work for commercial needs, while creators may work for fun.
In general, social media managers’ work comprises of:
- Planning content and scheduling their release
- Engaging with their audience, such as responding to comments, messages, and mentions
- Managing their employers’ online reputation
- Observing analytics for reporting
- Managing a team of social media content creators
More importantly, not all social media managers have to do or offer content creation. In many cases, they may ask their employer(s) to supply them with one or more dedicated social media creator(s).
Pro tip: if you want to be a content creator, especially in social media, and seek to expand your career, you may take on social media manager roles for various companies. Stay tuned to this article to find out how to do so.
Top Platforms That Social Media Content Creators Use
As a rule of thumb, content creators should publish their work on the most popular platforms to get the most out of their work. But what are those platforms?
According to Statista, Facebook is the most popular social channel worldwide as of January 2023, with 2,958 million users, followed by YouTube (2,514 million) and Instagram (2,000 million).
However, it is important for social media creators to figure out what platforms their target audience resides in. If not, their social media content creation effort will go to waste.
Furthermore, it is best to use more than one channel to maximize audience reach and engagement.
For instance, as a video creator on YouTube, you may use Facebook for announcements or talking with your community. At the same time, you may live stream on Twitch or post short videos on TikTok to diversify your content type.
What Does A Social Media Content Creator Do?
Being a social media content creator means your job revolves around content production and distribution on different social media platforms. Nevertheless, you can step up your content creation game or attract more clients by taking on more responsibilities, such as:
1. Doing Market or Audience Research
As someone who just started being a content creator, it is normal to feel the need to post as many things as possible. Though, that is not the most feasible action if you want to connect with your target audience.
Rather than creating random posts, knowing what people in your market want to see in their social media feeds is better. That includes the types of content they consume and the tone of language that they use online.
With those preferences in mind, you can make content your audience can relate to. Consequently, they will be more likely to remember you (or your brand) and eventually realize your goals, such as becoming a subscriber, giving supporter tips, and more.
Apart from understanding the audience’s demands, do not forget to observe what other social media content creators in your niche do. Pay attention to what they post and how they communicate with their followers.
Monitoring the competition gives you a rough idea of what to do and avoid. However, note that what works for other content creators may work for you. That is where you need social media analytics, which we will talk about later.
2. Setting Goals
Whether you create social media content for personal or business matters, setting goals is important. Based on your goals, the type of content to create and what call to action each need will differ.
For example, a social media content creator just starting out might focus on getting followers or increasing brand awareness. Such goals require you to publish informational content that can hook the audience to your brand.
With the aim of gaining followers, you should also include a call to action that encourages the audience to explore your other content. It can be through a link to related posts, videos, or podcasts that you have.
Meanwhile, if you have already gained a large following, driving the community to buy your content or goods is a good idea. For instance, you can tease a collection of exclusive content on your main channels and direct followers to your content monetization platform, such as Gank.
3. Planning a Content Calendar
For social media content creators, it is good to have a content calendar. It ensures a consistent posting schedule and form of content for each time slot.
Consistent with your publishing schedule will leave the audience waiting for their favorite content, ensuring their loyalty towards your brand. It will also lead to more engagement within posts since your content shows up during the time people expect.
You must remember that creating a content calendar comes with trials and errors. The best way to do it is to check when your target audience is most active on certain social media platforms using analytics.
Also, having a content calendar will make your social media content creation organized. This is due to the fact that you know what content to work on and how long you should spend time on each.
So, how to create a content calendar? It can be as simple as creating it on a spreadsheet or more advanced using tools like Hootsuite.
4. Scheduling Content to Publish
After producing content accordingly to your content calendar, the next step would be posting them. You may post each of them manually during the planned time, but it can bring potential problems.
First, you need to ensure that your content is free from mistakes in a short period of time. While it may sound okay, you may miss some errors when in a rush.
Secondly, posting manually interrupts your other content creation process. Because of that, you probably need some time to regain focus on other tasks.
To avoid those issues, you need to schedule posts. Some platforms, like YouTube, have a built-in feature to do so, while some others require you to use content creation tools like Buffer.
Read : Recommended Content Creator Apps
5. Responding to Engagement
Engagement is one of the metrics that social media content creators crave and need to nurture. So, you need to ensure that non-spammy comments and direct messages get the response they deserve.
If you are a social media creator who posts art, make sure that you show appreciation for the positive feedback being given while, at the same, politely accepting criticisms.
For creators who run a personal or employer brand, address your audience’s concerns and complaints. Show them that you can provide the best customer service possible.
What if you do not know how to communicate with followers yet? Find out in our article about how to engage your audience!
6. Analyzing and Learning from Results
The last step a content creator on social media needs to do is analyze their efforts’ results. To do that, you need to use an analytics tool.
Analytics tools allow you to see metrics that determine your social media presence’s performance, including the number of followers, comments, and impressions.
By evaluating those metrics, you can learn what makes your effort successful. For instance, many comments on a specific post may show that you successfully start a conversation with followers.
So, how do you access these analytics? Thankfully, many popular social media platforms have a tool you can use to monitor the stats of your social media content. Alternatively, you may opt for a third-party analytics tool that enables you to monitor metrics across different social channels.
Apart from that, you should regularly expand your knowledge as a creator. Read our article explaining the key to good content creation for inspiration!
Read : How to Get Paid as a Content Creator
Interested in Becoming A Social Media Content Creator?
Social media content creators produce content for social channels, either for personal or commercial purposes. Depending on the social platform, they may create one type of content or combine multiple of them.
Apart from social media content creation, creators’ work may also include the following:
- Doing market or audience research
- Setting social media goals
- Building a content calendar
- Scheduling their content
- Responding to engagement on their posts
- Analyzing their result for improvement
So, are you interested in becoming a social media content creator? Stay tuned to our blog for more tips on growing as a content creator on social media!
