GUIDE TO

BECOMING

A CONTENT
CREATOR
 There are many ways to become a digital creator,
including generating content around your specialty
(e.g., creating online classes or video courses, writing a
newsletter, or starting a blog). Use your entrepreneurial
mindset to produce engaging digital content.

This guide will show you how to turn your expertise

and passions into a rewarding professional career as a
content creator.

INTRO
-DUCTION 2
STEP 1:
FINDING
YOUR EXPERTISE
AND NICHE

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The unique skills and talents that comprise your niche—or area of expertise—
set you apart from other content creators and give you a competitive edge.
Figuring out what expertise you have to offer is the first step toward finding
success as a content creator.

Identify your strengths to determine the content niche that’s

right for you.

Content creation includes writing, videos, graphic design,

and photography. You might choose:
Writing blog posts about a certain topic
Writing social media copy for yourself or on behalf of clients
Launching an email newsletter
Creating a video course
Taking photographs (e.g., weddings, family photos)
Collaborating with clients to create written content (e.g., website
content, brochures, video scripts)
Filming videos
Creating graphics for social media

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Ask yourself some questions about your passions, interests,
and areas of knowledge:
What are your strengths? For example, if you’re comfortable in front of
a camera, you may excel at filming videos.
What are your passions? Focus on a topic, hobby, or interest that
you’re excited to talk about.
Do you have any special skills? Perhaps you enjoy interviewing subject
matter experts or explaining complicated topics in a simple way.
These skills are easily transferable to creating engaging content.
Do you have any specialized knowledge? Share your unique
knowledge (e.g., a specialized area of study, a specific industry).
Is there something within your niche not being covered? Maybe you
enjoy a specific topic that’s not written about very often or see a gap in
existing content that you’re qualified to fill.

Do some niche research and competitive analyses to see where

you might fill a content gap. This might include looking at
competitors in your area of expertise and tracking:
What kind of content is being created
What existing content looks like (e.g., average video length or word
count for blogs)
Posting frequency
Platforms used by content creators

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Use this research and analyses to help inform your content
strategy (e.g., focusing on one kind of content or taking a
hybrid approach).

Remember: You may need to test out a few options to

determine what kind of content makes sense for you and
your audience.

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STEP 2:
CREATING A
CONTENT
CALENDAR

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Content calendars can make the process of content planning easier and more streamlined.
This schedule, which is often driven by your content strategy (including posting type and
frequency, tone, and approach), provides a day-by-day overview of your content.

Include granular details (e.g., type Use a simple spreadsheet or choose a

of content, topic, platform, new or
repurposed) about the type of content
you’re scheduling.
Use your calendar to stay organized,
stay on top of your content creation, and
prioritize tasks.
Pair with a social media calendar to
support your content strategy and
promotional efforts (e.g., post a teaser
video on social media to preview a longer
video on your website).
more sophisticated platform, such as
project management software, to create
your content calendar.
Consider color-coding your content by
subject matter or format for easier sorting.
Use Unfold templates to create social
media posts based on existing video,
photos, and text.

Get customized marketing assets in the

Squarespace app to supplement your
content or fill your social media calendar
with gifs, still images, and short videos.

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Amassing content in advance allows you to post high-quality content
on a regular basis. This requires planning and a commitment to ongoing
content creation.

Schedule social media posts in advance to streamline your

marketing and promotional efforts.

Use Squarespace to schedule content such as blogs in

advance, which can also help you save time.

The template feature of Unfold allows you to produce on-

brand content more quickly.

Squarespace Video Studio and the Squarespace app can save

you time on creating custom content assets.

Take existing content and transform it for use in another

format or on an additional platform (e.g., take text used in
a newsletter and post it as a blog). Once you start posting on a
regular basis, identify patterns
Use the content calendar to keep track of repurposed content, in content performance and
so similar items aren’t posted too close together.
adjust your calendar and
Reuse photos or text as social media teaser copy. strategy in response.

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STEP 3:
BUILDING A
COMMUNITY

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Having a community of supporters is a vital part of building influence and
increasing your reach. Creators with a loyal supporter base can also use
this following to generate income.

The foundation of your supporter network is your friends, family, and

existing followers, as well as customers and clients. Expand your reach by:

Using your existing supporters to be your champions and

soundboards

Researching the audience of content creators in or adjacent

to your niche

Sharing your passions (e.g., about a favorite book or artist,

a great movie you’ve watched, or an article you found
particularly interesting)

Following others in your field (e.g., on social media)

Listening to the online conversations happening within your

area of expertise

Creating specific strategies for the social media platforms

you choose to use

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Keeping social media content fresh

Frequently updating your online presence and ensuring

you’re always creating high-quality, well-produced, well-
written, and/or informative content
Don’t forget to include contact info, so anyone interested in your work
can connect.
A well-designed website helps you stand out from the creative
competition.
Add a Newsletter Block to your website, where people can subscribe
to your newsletter.
Be yourself and allow your personality to shine through.

Identifying advocates who always share or interact with your

posts and nurturing these engaged followers

Communicating with your followers in an authentic manner

using newsletters and/or social media

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Keep your followers engaged by making sure they have an incentive to
keep coming back.

Create unique perks or bonuses. Give unique perks to

advocates (e.g., a discount on purchasing courses).

Film personalized videos. Video is a direct way to connect

with your community. Share news about your brand, film
bonus video relevant to your content niche, or livestream
an event.
Try Squarespace’s Video Studio app to quickly create videos using your logo,
colors, and product images.

Solicit their opinion and feedback. This can help direct your
content creation strategy and provide insights on what’s
going wrong and right.

Offer exclusive or gated content. As its name implies, this

is premium content that’s only offered to certain people
for a fee or password. Common premium content includes
newsletters, blogs, and classes or videos.
Adding an exclusive tier of content into your content mix gives followers
something special and makes them feel valued.
Squarespace makes it easy to implement exclusive content by providing
integrated payment options for password-protected content.

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STEP 4:
NETWORKING
WITH OTHER
CREATORS

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Having a network of like-minded creators is important, especially if you
typically work alone. Here are some of the benefits:

Ability to give and receive guidance and troubleshooting.

When a platform is causing you issues or a post is underperforming, someone else
has likely experienced the same problem and can share a solution with you.

Can share tips and best practices.

Word of mouth advice or recommendations from trusted associates are often best.
Share your discoveries about equipment, technology, or anything under the sun
with your peer network.

Pass around work opportunities.

Content creators are often approached for freelance or full-time job opportunities.
This is a great way to hear about—or share—these positions.

Provide inspiration.
In general, being around creative people working hard to produce high-quality
content provides inspiration, especially on days when you aren’t feeling energized
or need a pick-me-up to get motivated.

Potential for collaborations.

Creators with complementary content can partner on new content or events, which
can help grow each person’s respective audience.

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There are a number of ways to increase your peer network:

Participate in online discussions.

Join online groups or attend in-person events where creators might
congregate.

Reach out and say hello.

Send an email to a creator you admire with a compliment and a greeting,
or ask to go for coffee and talk about professional matters.

Collaborate.
Team up for collaborations and cross-promotional activities (e.g., guest
posts, creating a collaborative video) to build professional relationships.

Go to offline events.
Offline events can be great ways to meet people. Influencer meetups,
art show openings, or musical events can all lead to connections.

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STEP 5:
BEING
CONSISTENT

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People follow you because they relate to your content, so maintaining and
nurturing your voice is key to long-term success. Once you’ve developed a
content creation strategy that works and built a supportive network, your next
step is to remain consistent with your content and brand.

There are many ways to communicate your brand, including:

Providing useful or interesting information

Having an appealing way of writing or delivering content

Aesthetics and design choices

Squarespace can help you design a website that reflects your brand:

Specific color schemes and photography styles (e.g., bold

fonts and colors for edgier content)

Text and image effects to highlight important content or

products

Logo and newsletter layout that aligns with your website

design

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Maintaining your unique voice is key to both consistency and growth. Here
are some tips geared toward preserving your voice:

Remember your brand. Don’t shy away from what makes you
unique. Instead, lean into it and embrace it.

Make sure you have a well-defined mission and vision.

Mission and vision statements, which serve as summaries
of what you hope to achieve with your content, can help you
stay focused as you grow.

Don’t try to scale too fast. Prioritize and nurture what’s

working with your content instead of expanding into new
areas or scaling too quickly.

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Find ways to streamline the process of creating and sharing content,
including scheduling in advance and repurposing your content.

Use Squarespace’s Video Studio app to create videos

using existing photos and text and resize them so they are
optimized for posting.

Use your content calendar and work ahead. Spending a few

hours writing social media copy can save time in the future.

Share content more efficiently by posting across multiple

platforms, so you’re only writing one batch of copy.

Leverage content automation. Sales-driven creators especially

might use newsletter automation to interact with customers
and offer regular discounts, for example.

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