How to Become a Digital Creator

Create a business plan.

The first step to becoming a digital creator is to create a business plan. A business plan is an important tool for anyone who wants to start their own company or make money online. It helps you define what your goals are, identify potential problems, and lay out strategies for addressing those problems. The process of writing your own business plan can also help you clarify what steps you need to take in order to reach those goals, which gives you clarity on the path ahead—and that feels great!

To get started on developing your own plan, start by defining the problem: What’s preventing you from doing what it is that you want/need (or both)? Then ask yourself what solutions have worked for others in similar situations—what were their challenges? How did they overcome them? And most importantly, how can this experience translate into success for yourself?

Understand your audience.

Before you get started, it’s important to understand your audience. As a creator of content, your primary goal is to make something that people want and need.

The first step is identifying the problem you’re going to solve for them. What are they struggling with? What questions do they have? How can you help them? Make sure that whatever you do, it addresses their real problems in a meaningful way—and not just for the sake of having content created on YouTube or Instagram videos made on Snapchat Stories.

Once you know where your audience stands and what challenges they’re facing, it’s time to find out what would be entertaining or useful enough for them to follow along with your channel (or website).

Learn about digital media and SEO.

Learn about digital media and SEO.

To be a successful digital creator, you’ll need to understand how to create content that will be found by search engines like Google. This is called Search Engine Optimisation or “SEO.” The goal of SEO is for your website/video to appear when people search for a particular keyword related to what you offer. For example, if I wanted my videos about cooking vegan food to show up when someone searches for “vegan recipes” my website needs good SEO so that it can be found easily by search engines too!

Develop a content strategy.

A content strategy is essentially a plan for your brand’s online presence. It should include all of the content you create, from blog posts and videos to social media posts and email newsletters—even ads. You’ll want to think through how each piece of content fits into your overall marketing strategy, what it will accomplish, who will be reading it (and how they’ll find it), and so on. Once you’ve got that figured out, take another look at what you’re publishing: Does it fit with the rest of your brand? Do the images match up? Are there any gaps in coverage or topics not covered yet?

As a digital creator, one of the most important aspects of your business is building an audience by creating content that people want to read—and then being able to communicate with them through various channels such as social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. Digital creators often have multiple outlets for their work; for example, if I was writing articles about travel destinations but also creating photo essays about my adventures abroad (using Instagram as one form), then I might need different types of strategies depending on what kind(s) of content I produce most often (i.e., whether it’s photos vs text).

Determine what kind of equipment you need.

The type of equipment you need depends on the kind of videos you want to create. For example, if you want to create gaming videos, then a camera with a wide-angle lens and tripod is essential. On the other hand, if your goal is to make tutorial videos or vlogs, then having a high-quality microphone will be more important than having a top-of-the-line camera.

The following is a list of basic equipment that can help anyone get started with their digital career:

• ▪ Camera (smartphones are good enough!)
• ▪ Tripod (for steady shots)
• ▪ Lighting kit (if needed)

Find the right video editing software for your needs.

Choosing the right video editing software is important to achieving your creative goals.

Here are some things to consider in your search:

• ▪ What type of computer do you have? If you’re on a PC, get a PC-compatible editing program. If you’re on a Mac, get a Mac-compatible program. If you use both platforms, look for one that works across both platforms (such as Sony’s Vegas).
• ▪ How much are you willing to spend? There are many free programs available at sites like Adobe Creative Cloud and Avid Free DV (Mac), but if you want more features or professional support from experts who know the software inside out, expect to pay upwards of $100 per month for premium annual plans (or more than $200 per year if paying monthly). This category includes programs such as Final Cut Pro X and Adobe After Effects CC 2018 (both for iOS).
• ▪ Do you prefer simple or complex interfaces? Some people find it easier to learn how to use advanced features when they’re presented plainly; others prefer an interface that hides these details so they can simply focus on getting the job done quickly and efficiently.

Learn how to use your video editing software.

Editing video is an art form, and the right software can make all the difference. There are plenty of editing programs out there—Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects—but they’re not all created equal. We recommend learning how to use your software by watching tutorials and practicing.

It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to know everything about video editing in order for it to be useful for your business (and fun). The basics will suffice at first: how do I add a title? How do I take out what I don’t want? How do I change the color?

You can always learn more advanced things later on!

Choose a hosting site for your videos.

As you start to make videos, you’ll want to decide where they will live. This is called hosting and there are many options out there. The ones I use most often are Vimeo, YouTube, Wistia and Vidyard. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks depending on what you’re looking for in your videos (cost, audience reach/size/behavior) so do some research before making your decision!

Establish branding in all elements of your videos.

• ▪ Establish branding in all elements of your videos.

When it comes to digital-creative projects, consistency is key. You want to establish a cohesive brand that people can recognize and associate with you. This will make them more likely to watch your content and become engaged with what you have to say.

• ▪ Use consistent visual elements throughout your videos:
• ▪ Use the same software for editing
• ▪ Use similar fonts for graphics and text (here’s one we used in an earlier video)
• ▪ Use the same stock photography and footage (here’s some we’ve used before)

Connect with others in the digital creator space on social media and beyond.

• ▪ Find a community of creators.
• ▪ Connect with others in the digital creator space on social media and beyond.
• ▪ Networking is important.

When you’re first starting out, it’s helpful to have someone who can help guide you in your journey as a digital creator. Asking for advice will also allow you to find people who are at similar stages as you are, so that everyone can benefit from each other’s knowledge and experiences.*

Becoming a digital creator can help you find your passion in life, but it takes hard work and determination.

Becoming a digital creator can help you find your passion in life, but it takes hard work and determination. It’s important to know that there are many facets of this industry, so it’s vital that you know what you want to do before trying to make money as a digital creator. If you want to be successful, you must be creative and innovative. You should also learn from your mistakes and keep working hard until you get the results that you want.