Where a Degree Can Take Me | Content Creator

In today’s digital world, high quality content, content creation and the role of content creators are all hugely important. 

Everyone from top global brands and leading corporate organisations to music artists and emerging bands need to have an online presence and a team in place - whether that be one web content expert or multiple professionals - to create content.

This is because the internet is an important tool in helping business ventures find an audience, build a following and sell their products and services. 

We can see the increasing power of content, in not only in the volume of content posted online, but the accompanying number of opportunities for digital content creators out there too.

Some key figures include: 

Up to 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is produced every day.

As of 2022, the digital content creator economy market size is estimated at $104.2 billion, more than double its value since 2019.

At the same time, YouTube has over 2.6 billion users worldwide.

With so many huge numbers, the career route into digital content creation has become one of the fastest growing in the UK last year, according to data from LinkedIn.

These figures show a 52 percent rise in demand for professionals to fulfill these roles. 

Our Digital Marketing Courses

ICMP has responded to the needs of this connected digital world by launching our own suite of digital marketing courses including a dedicated digital content creation degree. 

These programmes will not only help emerging professionals learn the skills required to be successful content creators and master digital content creation but stand out from other content creators too.

If this is of interest, then undertaking a degree such as the below will go along way in helping you create great content.

• BA Digital Marketing
• BA Digital Marketing and Music Management 
• BA Digital Marketing and Content Creation 

Find out more about our courses.

Content Creation

A content creator is a digital marketing professional who creates engaging material through any online medium, channel or platform.

Content creation usually refers to digital content, as this is where the majority of content is consumed and seen. 

This can take any digital form from audio and video to text and graphics.

What Do Content Creators Do? 

Content creator jobs can cover many different skill sets and opportunities.

As much of this work is online, to succeed within this world, you need to be able to produce digital content across a variety of platforms and forms - copywriting, graphic design, creating thumb-stopping video are all among them.

If you want to become a content creator, you will need to come up with novel ways of sharing information in a format that is not only easy to digest but will catch people’s attentions and imaginations." 

Where a Degree Can Take Me as a Content Creator

Here, we’ll go through some of the most popular roles, explain content creator job descriptions and learn what it takes to be successful content creators.

Social media content creators

A social media content creator is a professional who creates and shares content intended to educate or entertain an audience across social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more.

There are several avenues for content creation including blogs, newsletters, video content or website content. These can all be supported and shared through social media marketing.

Social media influencers

Social media influencers are online personalities who have the power to shape and inspire the purchasing decisions of others.

This influence is due to their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience.

If an influencer has a following in a certain sector or industry, with whom they actively engage, then this can make them very attractive to brands and companies wanting to market products or services to this demographic.

Social media manager

Social media managers are usually responsible for developing strategies on social media platforms to increase followers and engagement. This could either be for their own brand or on behalf of a company or business.

They will usually create and oversee social media marketing campaigns, produce content, review analytics, and communicate with key stakeholders in a company on the success of these strategies.

Instagram content creator

An Instagram content creator is someone who makes content specifically for Instagram with an aim to increase engagement and audience size.

As a band or emerging artist, this can take myriad different forms, from reels or images promoting events to new music releases.

Content writer 

Content writers use their research skills to write and edit written material or stories to help promote a brand or a company.

As an in-house content writer, you might write content for newsletters, website landing pages, social media platforms and more. This all comes under the umbrella of digital marketing content.

Brand manager 

Some content creators work for businesses and organisations but some might want to manage their own brand or agency.

If they are multi-skilled, which most content creators need to be to secure opportunities, then they can set up their own business. The benefits of providing services are about how a professional can have full control over their work and services. They can steer their business in any direction they want and accept new work when they need to. 

By working on their own brand, they can also build a following by utilising content ideas to cater to and grow a specific audience.

How to Get a Job in Content Marketing 

There are several ways of starting a career in content marketing and landing a first job.

It goes without saying that you will need a well put together content creator resume which details your experiences and qualifications in creating content.

Read our guide on how to write a brilliant CV.

Make sure your social media profiles are all complete, up to date and they have been used to share content recently.  

It will also help if you have a few content examples that demonstrate your abilities to create brilliant and engaging media. You need to tailor this for the opportunity - so if you’re applying for a role as a social media manager, then you will need to link to some of the successful profiles or posts you have created."

If the role you're looking for is within video creation, then this is an area you will need to showcase, whether it be the final version of a video or in the editing of video content itself.

Read our previous blog on how to get a job in the music industry.

What Skills Do You Need to be a Successful Content Creator?

Content creators always need to be open to embracing new and specific skills.

With the rate of technological advancement, there are always innovative tools and platforms appearing.

Exploring them can not only help you gain a greater understanding of how digital marketing works but also ensure you stand out from any companies or peers competing for similar work. 

It can also be invaluable in helping you connect with certain audiences. For example, TikTok is a relatively new platform yet its user-base is expanding and so are the business (and content) opportunities that come with it.  

If you want to become a content creator, then here are some skills that will serve you well right now… 

Social media management 

Social media management skills are what an individual uses to create effective social media strategies.

Initially, a professional working with this kind of content will need to establish a social media presence and work out the most effective social media channels and digital platforms to engage with the online world.

These skills also help them delegate tasks to a team that consists of professionals such as graphic designers, content writers and SEO marketers.

Digital storytelling

Digital storytelling is a way of using various multimedia tools to bring narratives to life.

Digital stories can be used to create posts to explain a concept, reflect on a personal experience, to retell a historical event, or to promote a product or service.

This kind of content typically comes in the form of videos that combine audio, images, and clips to tell a narrative.

Video editing 

As a film/video editor, a key role is to create videos and manage material such as camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects to produce a final film or video product.

Putting these elements together is a key role in the post-production process. If these skills are honed, then this can have a positive impact on the quality and delivery of the finished result.

Writing skills 

There are many types of writing jobs, such as creating copy for advertisements, instruction manuals, journal articles, or writing long-form website copy.

Writers may work for a company or may work as freelancers. Writing jobs are great for creative people who have a strong command of language and are able to convey ideas succinctly and in a format that is easy to understand.

Data analytics

A data analyst reviews data from the performance of content to identify key insights into a customer base and ways the data can be used to solve problems.

They also communicate this information to company leaders and other stakeholders to help inform future strategies and campaigns around content.

Photography skills

Images are an important element of content so having some photo skills can be key. This does not usually mean undertaking further study surrounding this as many smart phones have cameras powerful enough to create great photos. 

This can include creating specific imagery for social media, working on photo shoots for brands or artists and much more. 

YouTube

YouTube marketing is a strategy that involves a powerful mix of tactics for promoting products/services or brands on the YouTube platform.

As a YouTube content creator, creating content includes the editing and uploading of promotional videos on a company's YouTube channel, working with influencers and using YouTube's advertisements to drive engagement and build a following. 

Marketing strategies

A marketing strategy refers to a business or professional's overall plan for reaching prospective consumers and turning them into customers of their products or services.

A strategy like this should contain the company's value proposition, key brand messaging, data on target customer demographics, and other elements.

Industry news

If a content creator is managing a social media account for a company or professional, then they need to be aware of what is going on in that sector so they can create content and content marketing that is both relevant and timely.

Using digital technologies can help them stay on top of the latest industry news and trends to ensure that they are plugged into relevant conversations.

By engaging with this on social media and commenting or sharing relevant content, it shows that these profiles are forward-thinking and can act as thought leaders within a certain sector. 

Meet Lewis Speirs, ICMP alumnus and content marketing expert

From event promotion to digital marketing, our Music Business and Entrepreneurship alumnus Lewis Speirs has been pursuing an exciting industry career with his Shoot First digital marketing agency. 

Part of the work Lewis’ company undertakes is to help educate and empower emerging talent on how they can build their audience online. The concept aims to disrupt the world of music PR by ensuring new artists can take advantage of these services at an affordable price. 

Commenting on the venture while with ICMP, Lewis said: 

We have staged 19 campaigns, working with 15 different artists, signed four contracts with labels and management companies, hired two interns and moved into an office to accommodate the rapid growth we're only seeing more demand for."

Visit shootfirstagency.com for more. 

What Are the Benefits of Working in Digital Marketing?

Not only is digital marketing one of the most rapidly evolving sectors to work in but it also offers numerous other benefits in terms of enhanced work-life balance, flexibility and opportunities to learn some of the most innovative tech tools. As well as use your ideas to influence and shape decision making. 

Here are some of the positives you can benefit from if you become a content creator...

Brand sponsorships 

Working with a brand can be an effective way of generating revenue for a business as well as expanding audience reach into new markets. It can also be an effective way of establishing a personal brand as a content creator too.

Certain businesses such as Red Bull, Fred Perry and Dr Marten's are few examples of companies that all have long histories with music ventures, artists, events and venues. 

Digital nomads

Many freelance content creator professionals have a number of different clients they work for.

Rather than having to be onsite for these roles, they will likely be expected to work remotely, meaning they have flexibility to work from anywhere as long as they can make hours consistent with the location of the company they are working. This obviously opens up huge amounts of opportunities for freelance professionals to be digital nomads and work from anywhere.

Expert skills

Content creation is an ever-evolving industry which means there are plenty of opportunities to develop skills.

Some may well be trained as a writer of marketing copy or journalist. Or perhaps in graphic design, as a video creator or in data analytics.

But many have decided to up-skilled through working in social media management, digital content strategy, editing video content and creating graphics. Embracing new skills is part and parcel of the career of a successful content creator. 

Freelance clients

Working as a solo content creator and web content expert can see them working with an array of different businesses and clients. This variety can be very appealing for creatives and a way of ensuring they keep learning, improving and developing their business. 

If you are interested in finding out more about digital marketing and content creation, then check out our website or get in touch to help find the course and career that’s right for you.