Skills Required Of A Content Creator

By: Sorab Ghaswalla

The 2020s will require content providers to have more than just the basic expertise.

The 1st newsletter of 2020 (and a new decade) is a good time as any to look into the rearview mirror. And to do a little crystal ball gazing.

The last decade saw content and content creators undergoing a metamorphosis. There’s no doubt that the role of a content creator has undergone a sea-change. In fact, the definition of content itself took on a new meaning in the decade that’s gone by. The transformation is still on.

Content creators are forced to wear many hats today because a lot is expected of them. If you are one of those who resists change, or does not believe in multi-tasking, then you need to jump ship. Now.

A content provider comes equipped with two kinds of skill sets. (A) Basic or mandatory, and, for lack of a better word, (B) Add-on. We all know what the basic requirements of a content provider are: ability to produce a well-written copy/script, more than average knowledge of grammar, research capabilities, editing skills, and so on and so forth.

Once you are past all that, come the add-ons. This is where we will do a bit of foretelling in this newsletter.

To start off, (B) without (A) will not work. So, at the risk of repetition, brush up your basic skills. If some of them are missing, learn, or jump ship. Now.

Standing on the cusp of a new decade, the add-on skills required of a content creator will largely revolve around two disciplines — technology and marketing. In previous newsletters, I’ve emphasized the fact that a well-rounded content creator must also learn the essence of marketing to pull away from the others in the race. This applies to almost any form of content — journalism, fiction, non-fiction, videos, and so on. The beating of the jungle drums is a must to be heard.

While marketing is somewhat easier to learn, it’s the other add-on skill that can prove to be trouble-some for content creators, and that is, technology. At both junctures, a content creator from yesteryears would have remarked, “Not my job”, and rightly so. Today, he/she can only ignore them at his/her peril.

Subscribers of this newsletter are aware of the kind of digital marketing required of a content creator. Starts from social media and goes on to email marketing, posting on forums, and so on.

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