Learning content creation tools is at the foundation of mastering social media and the creator economy.
Ideas and inspiration are clearly an integral part of the content creation process. However, without the technical know-how of the best ways to execute them and bring them to life, any concepts could be left on the drawing board rather than becoming viral moments.
Learning content creation tools by studying a degree such as our Content Creation and Online Marketing course can therefore provide creatives with the necessary tool kit to make this engaging content. From graphic design to audio production, studying content creation tools can help you understand the best ways to grab attention alongside how to publish and present online.
Contact our team for more on our course and read our blog on some of the essential skills needed below.
Why blending creativity with technical skills is important
Creativity is about expressing yourself – and with so many digital platforms and tools available, there are myriad ways for content producers to make their ideas come alive.
If you can come up with a fantastic story and tell this online, then this is an integral ingredient in the recipe for content success.
The amount of content created on a daily basis is huge – on Instagram, 95 million photos and videos are shared on the platform each day.
On YouTube, viewers globally watch more than 1 billion hours on average of the platform’s content every day. These are staggering statistics and with so much published, content creators have to give themselves the best chance of standing out. In this environment, learning the latest content creation tools can be key.
Essential skills for engaging Content Creation
There are a number of different elements behind content creation and learning content creation tools will include having a knowledge of some, if not all, of the below.
SEO and analytics
Understanding how to optimise content for search engines helps content creators increase their visibility and reach.
Google Analytics and social media management dashboards can be invaluable when looking to source insights on content performance, either on a website or with social channels. These findings can be used to inform future marketing strategies with a wide number of platforms available to help including Hootsuite.
Design
If anyone is scrolling on Instagram, then a post featuring some visually appealing graphics, images or a logo is most likely to make them stop and pause.
Canva or Photoshop are important tools in enabling creatives to design such visuals. Of course, the most important element is for an aesthetic to effectively encapsulate what an artist or product is all about. Charli XCX’s Brat album design (pictured above) was almost childishly simple in terms of font and colour but perfectly captured the record’s energy, attitude and sound.
Project Management
Project management skills help content creators stay organised so they can plan, coordinate, and oversee the implementation of creative campaigns.
There are different tools and resources available for this including Monday.com, Trello and Hubspot. Knowing the dates of certain events or milestones can ensure creatives come up with aligned content, from World Book Day to Earth Day.
Web design
Understanding the basics of web design is a core content skill. Again, this is made up of different elements including user experience design (UX), web design basics (HTML/CSS) and layout .
A working knowledge of content management systems is integral too – from WordPress to Drupal and more.
Copywriting
Many content creators need to be adept at creating written or spoken words that draw their audience in. Again, this can take many forms, from social media posts to long-form blog articles. Despite visually led content currently dominating the digital world, having a way with the written word can still be very useful.
Where creativity and tech meet
The relationship between creativity and tech can pivot around different aspects.
For content to be effective, creators should try to understand their audience and the kind of content they engage with. This can relate to format – whether this be videos, blogs, infographics, social media posts – alongside the story they are trying to tell about the release of a game, film or album.
Some of the best content creators are those that create a whole universe around what they want to promote or market. To execute this, they may need skills in content production, design or social media marketing.
Halsey
Halsey is a US pop star whose career started via social media. Back in 2012, she picked up on the relationship between Harry Styles and Taylor Swift by writing her own parody version of the latter’s song to criticise their relationship. It became a viral moment and Halsey’s career exploded.
Her latest social media campaign has been to promote her new record, The Great Impersonator, where she has adopted the looks of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Britney Spears.
These official live performances go further by aiming to answer the questions: “What if Halsey arrived in a different time? What if she recorded in the 1970s, 80s, 90s or early 2000s?”
Blumhouse Productions
Founded in 2012, Blumhouse is a driving force in horror films and effectively utilises social media to promote its films.
The company uses these channels to share behind-the-scenes content, engage with fans through interactive posts, and build anticipation for upcoming releases, including current film Wolf Man.
The online marketing campaign has included trailers and user-generated content where audiences have been asked for their reaction to the film immediately after watching it.
My Perfect console Podcast
Audio editing and production skills are part of our Content Creation and Online Marketing degree and a knowledge of the various audio formats, podcasting, editing and interviewing are all great to have.
One of the most popular gaming podcasts is My Perfect Console. Host Simon Parkin, an award-winning writer for the New Yorker and The Observer newspaper’s video game critic, invites well-known guests from the worlds of gaming, film and television, music, comedy and more to pick the five video games they would like to immortalise in their very own fictional games machine.
Study Content Creation and Online Marketing at SAE
Developing content that connects with audiences can be essential in today’s digital age for businesses and leading professionals.
With our expert team, leading facilities and creative community, studying our course in content creation and digital marketing can offer you a fantastic opportunity to take your career in digital marketing to the next level.
