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Social media has become very professional and technologically advanced. To get noticed on a platform, you must have professional and polished content. The content creation process involves targeting your audience, message, style, approach, types of content (video, pictures, text, etc.), timing, etc.
What it is: Social media platforms all accept text, but most have a preferred visual element to their common posts. Some are more about pictures and graphics while others focus more on video and other content. Making content that is appealing to your target audience and will get them to share it with their friends and contacts is a primary driver of most social media campaigns.
What it does: Content creation techniques can help your message stand out, attract viewers, potentially go viral, and reach a wider audience.
How it is used: Content creation can be simple or can require sophisticated technical skills. Content creation done well can drive the impact and reach of your message.
Where: Content creation techniques and skills are required for all types of social media, blogs, and websites.
Why: If you do not stand out from the crowd and attract attention, your social media will not meet its goals.
Where it shouldn't be used: All forms of social media require content creation.
Any restrictions: When the style and visuals and are shocking, the impact of the content overshadows the message and it will not help you meet your goal.
Warnings: Trying to create a viral video to sell your product will not necessarily succeed. Going viral is very hard to predict, and even if you go viral it may not have the desired outcome. One BYU student business made a video intending to go viral. It was called Butt Valet and was for a product that was used to more effectively clean a person's rear end after a bowel movement. The video did receive more than 50,000 views, but only achieved one sale for the product. The video was supposed to target young professionals, but they did not buy the product. It used bathroom humor that was offensive to many and did not have the desired impact.
While shock value can get your content viewed, it may do more harm than good. Be careful in the use of shocking or edgy content for a business (or your own personal reputation).
Determine the key messages you want to deliver to each target market on each social media platform.
Each post needs to be a part of a larger campaign that establishes and supports your brand and delivers the message that will attract and convert the targeted market to your product or service.
Each social media platform has an inherent style that you need to conform to as you create your posts.
You want a post style that will support your message, create attention, and increase the opportunity for viewers to share, follow, click, or remember your post.
Determine the type of post you will make and what content will best help you create the post.
Will this be simply a text post? How will it capture the interest of the target market?
Will this post include pictures? How will the pictures enhance the desired message?
Will Pickto Graphics or some other standardized graphic be used in the post?
Will the post include videos? Is it short, compelling, and supportive of the message and image of the company?
Will a podcast be involved (either audio or video)?
Determine what apps, tools, and professional services will be necessary for the content you are trying to create.
Build and schedule your content in your social media platform.
See additional resources below for more tools and ideas about content creation.
Many social media platforms are set up to take images, sounds, videos, and other content directly from your phone or computer without additional editing, but many social media sources have users who use resources to make their posts look more professional and polished. There are many programs, apps, and services that provide templates for creating content. Some of the more popular ones include Photoshop, Canva, SlideShare, PowToon, Wideo, PicktoChart, BuzzFeed, Quizworks, and Podbean. Utilize these resources to create your content. See additional resources below for more tools and ideas about content creation.
You should use analytics (see the Social Media Analytics reference document in this library) to determine what makes some of your posts more effective as far as likes, clicks, shares, etc. This will allow you to make more effective recommendations for content creation in the future.
This content is provided to you freely by Ensign College.
Access it online or download it at https://ensign.edtechbooks.org/projectbased_internships/content_creation.
