No one talks about how much marketers can learn from being a digital creator.
Sure, as marketers, we work with digital creators and influencers to help our brands engage more effectively with our audience. But, there is a tremendous benefit for marketers experimenting with creating content online on their own time.
Before I go any further, let me give you some background.
I have always been fascinated with how digital creators develop content, engage and build an audience. Successful creators such as Pat Flynn, Justin Welsh, and Ali Abdaal have built a solid online presence and a sustainable business through digital platforms. We can learn much from successful digital creators that could help refine our marketing skills.
To gain their knowledge, I started investing in cohort-based courses led by the earlier mentioned digital creators, such as Part-Time YouTuber Academy, Build in Public Mastery, Content OS, and Ship 30 for 30. The core of these courses is teaching students to create content, engage, and build an audience.
Here are seven things I've personally benefitted from experimenting with digital creation through these courses:
#1 Strengthen an underrated skill.
When I first embarked on the journey of creating content online, I decided to go with Twitter (or X, whatever you fancy calling it these days) because my preferred method of communicating online is writing,
Writing is an underrated skill that we use daily. In our marketing role, we either write or review written work, from ads to press releases to speeches. When I first started writing on Twitter, it had a 140-character limit. You have to know exactly what to say and say it in as few words as possible.
Writing on Twitter taught me to be concise and exercise an extensive vocabulary to communicate my message.
David Perell says that "writing online is a superpower," and I agree.
Writing online has helped improve my writing. Marketer or not, as professionals we write every day, and writing is a superpower that can help us communicate effectively.
#2 Create data-driven content that engages the audience.
As marketers, we rely on data to maximize our marketing performance.
We analyze analytics, review engagements, impressions, and views, and course-correct our marketing campaigns where necessary.
Similarly, I learned how to gather data points beyond traditional analytics for my writing on Twitter and then used the learnings from the data collected to write topics that would continue to interest and engage the targeted audience.
#3 Connect and learn from others from around the world.
Social is where the conversation is.
It's where our customers, peers, and industry experts feel free to share knowledge and opinions. I've had the opportunity to connect with people from different backgrounds all over the world. Generally, the people I've connected with are open to sharing knowledge, and we learn a lot from each other.
Connecting online allows me to be a part of the conversation, and in the process, I gain valuable insights and stay on top of emerging trends and technologies.
#4 Understand how a social media platform works.
One of the first things taught by digital creators is that you need to choose, focus and master one platform first.
As marketers, we work and communicate on multiple social media platforms, and it can be challenging to have a deeper understanding of each platform. My favourite platform is Twitter. After writing on Twitter for over ten years, I understand how Twitter works better than other social media networks.
#5 Opportunity to learn using tech tools.
I've noticed that digital creators are quick to adopt the latest tech tools.
When ChatGPT was a hot topic, digital writers Nicolas Cole and Dickie Bush were quick to pick it up, and within less than a month, they created a ChatGPT module in their existing Ship 30 for 30-course agenda. Exploring digital creation will push you to explore the latest tech tools to help create content more effectively and efficiently.
#6 Better understanding of how digital creators and influencers work.
Partnering with digital creators and influencers can be challenging.
It helps when we understand how they work and what their expectations are. While experimenting with writing online, I connected and spoke to several creators who expressed frustration working with marketers. Some marketers treat creators like agencies dictating and controlling their creative output. Some outline unrealistic KPIs they expect creators to achieve for their brand.
Connecting with creators online has allowed me to understand how best to work with them and, at the same time, educate them on a marketer's role to ensure understanding and mutual progress.
#7 Explore the option for establishing your brand online.
The evolving social media landscape, which helped shape the creator economy, has also given CMOs opportunities to become influencers and advocates of the brands they work for.
Amanda Natividad, VP of SparkToro, consistently writes on Twitter and LinkedIn to build her brand by voicing her unique point of view while advocating for SparkToro. Other marketers who use social media to maximize their personal and company brand reach and engagements are Aline Santos from Unilever and Bozoma Saint John, previously from Netflix.
Exploring digital creation allows marketers to establish their presence online, share their thoughts and opinions and become strong advocates for the brands they work for.
I'm neither a consistent nor a popular writer on Twitter. I write online more as a hobby, to experiment, and as part of my learning goals. From my experience, though, whether you commit to writing consistently or experiment with digital creation during your free time, you will find value in the effort.
