Brands nowadays create all kinds of digital assets to promote their products and services. As the online world continues to evolve with new forms of visual, audible, and written media, there’s never been a better time to dive into the world of content creation. 

So, if you’ve ever thought about dipping your toes and becoming a content creator, now is the perfect time to get started.

Content creators typically have a unique perspective or point of view, which resonates with their target audience and helps them grow a following over time.

Like the field of content creation, its applications have also grown. Thanks to social media, many content creators are now influencers earning money by creating content that includes brand promotion. 

Others work as full-time content creators internally at businesses, creating content specifically for that organization. And then some simply create content online for their own enjoyment!

Although the type of media a content creator creates can vary significantly, many of them turn to content creation software for various purposes. These include helping creators write their content, design graphics for social media, or combine their clips into a cohesive video. 

Newly developed technology, such as the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), is making content creation faster and easier. This allows creators to spend less time on admin and focus more on being creative.

Types of content creators

Just as there are numerous outlets for content to be published, so are the types of content creators. They can be categorized according to the kind of media output they create. Some specialize in one or two, while others have skills across various types.

Photographers and videographers

Both photographers and videographers focus their creation efforts on visual mediums. Particularly on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, creators specializing in this media type can quickly gain attention with unique editing styles or targeted subject matter.

Podcasters

Like traditional radio hosts, podcast creators make audio media on a range of topics for a specific audience. They’ll research the topic, write the script, record the episode, interview guests, edit the audio files, and upload them to a podcasting hosting platform for distribution.

Writers

Even with the rise of video and photo platforms, blog content is still lucrative for many content creators. Beyond this, other written content like email newsletters, eBooks, and even scripts for videos or podcasts are all avenues that strong writers can take as content creators.

Influencers and ambassadors

Not all content creators are influencers, but all influencers are content creators. These individuals are often a mix of the above but rely on their large social following to make money from their content. 

Whether it’s collaborating with brands to create content for the branded account or promoting those brands on their own channels to their audience, these content creators use their influence to help businesses reach new audiences online.

Content marketers

Although many people don’t think of this group as content creators, they are! Content marketers work for a single brand to create media that aligns with overarching business goals. Examples could be company blog content, social media posts, or videos for internal stakeholders. 

How do content creators make money?

Depending on the type of content creator you want to be, there are several ways that you can earn an income from the media you produce. This would typically be a standard salary for internal, company-employed content creators. But for freelance or self-employed content creators, income can come from:

• Brand partnerships: Influencers and other notable content creators make the majority of their money by working directly with brands to promote products or services to their audience. 
• Ad revenue: Ads that run on YouTube videos can make some money if viewers click on them during the video runtime.
• Affiliate marketing: Brands often provide creators with a unique URL for products or services tagged specifically for that creator, which they can share with their audience. The creator will earn a small commission on products bought via that link.
• Subscriptions: Services like Patreon allow creators to make exclusive content for their audience when those viewers pay a monthly fee to access these materials. Think of this like an online fan club made by the content creator for their most loyal fans!
• Public speaking and consulting: When content creators have established a reputation, companies may invite them to speak at their events or conferences about their expertise in content creation.
• Merchandise: Once a creator has a significant following, there’s the possibility that those followers may want branded merch from that creator. Making and selling t-shirts, stickers, eBooks, or even online courses are all options for popular creators.

How to become a successful content creator

There’s plenty of demand for talented content creators, but there’s also a large number of people trying to make this career their own. While there’s room for everyone in such a vast industry, a few important practices should be kept in mind as you build your portfolio of work.

Stay on top of trends

To become an expert in your chosen field, you must know what’s popular and when. Follow other content creators who talk about the topics you want to create content on and learn as much about your niche as possible. 

If a new trend comes up, make sure you can turn around content quickly to capitalize on this and give yourself the best chance of creating a viral hit.

Explore different platforms

Even if you feel comfortable creating content using one particular medium, consider different distribution channels and test out additional types of content for your audience. Building your skills in multiple mediums can make you look more appealing to brands you might want to partner with later and help you attract a wider audience.

Build a network

Making content for a living can be lonely, especially if you’re working for yourself. So make sure you’re reaching out to other creators and building a community around you. This also opens up opportunities for collaborations, both with other creators and brands. Take every opportunity to build relationships as you grow your following.

Pitch to brands

Once you’ve established yourself online and have a portfolio of work behind you, it’s time to start reaching out to brands you might be interested in working with. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Instead, offer to help them promote a new product or service and see who’s interested in partnering with you.

Top content creation software

With so many aspects of content creation, any chance to speed up your process and make creating easier should be seized. Content creation software can help you create tailored content in various formats for different audiences and platforms.

To be included in the Content Creation category, platforms must:

• Provide tools to develop content, including but not limited to graphics, videos, presentations, copywriting, blogs, etc. 
• Provide features to create, publish, and easily distribute or incorporate said content into its intended medium

* Below are the top five leading content creation software solutions from G2’s Spring 2024 Grid Report. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.

1. Semrush

Semrush is a SaaS platform that allows businesses to complete research and track search engine optimization, content, and paid advertising campaigns. With tools to manage keywords, find new content opportunities and research competitors, Semrush is essential for content creators across all mediums.

What users like best:

“I like SEMrush because of how comprehensive and detailed their SEO tool is. The domain overview, keyword gap, keyword magic tool, and backlink analytics are some of the best features out there.”

– Semrush Review, Opeyemi O.

What users dislike:

“The interface can also be overwhelming due to the vast array of tools and data, making it difficult for beginners to navigate. Moreover, there can be a learning curve to effectively utilize all of its features, requiring time and training. Lastly, while Semrush offers a wealth of data, the accuracy of its traffic analytics and keyword difficulty scores may sometimes be questioned, as they are estimates and can sometimes vary from actual figures.”

– Semrush Review, Ivan M.

2. Synthesia

Synthesia is an AI video generation tool that allows businesses and individuals to create engaging video content. The platform can transform PDFs and images into exciting interactive content while also providing options for creating animated video material and converting text into speech for video voiceovers.

What users like best:

“The editing features make it really intuitive to author engaging videos. Synthesia tools make it easy to animate the layout of scenes with pinpoint accuracy as to script timing and specific behaviors. The avatars are hyper realistic and keep getting better. The new layers feature makes it even easier to edit complex scenes with multiple images and text features, in ways that were difficult before.”

– Synthesia Review, Jay W.

What users dislike:

“I would like to see more native speaker languages to make the videos more authentic.”

– Synthesia Review, Klaus H.

3. Vyond

As an AI video creation platform, Vyond helps content creators make studio-level productions quickly and easily. Whether you need script-writing support, video editing presets, or templates to drop clips into, Vyond makes content creation simple.

What users like best:

“Vyond has been a game changer for our organization! We have the ability to easily create videos utilizing the content library with different characters, scenes, props and music. I love the new AI feature with Vyond Go which makes creating video content even faster! It’s super easy to integrate your videos and characters into other e-learning software programs or training materials.”

– Vyond Review, Carolyn F.

What users dislike:

“It would be great if there were more editing options when creating a character e.g. be able to draw a feature or edit its points when creating a character, create your own clothes and their colors etc. without having to go to tools to create something by adding different shapes and stuff.”

– Vyond Review, Sazise M.

4. Relayto

Relayto is an interactive experience platform that turns static content like PDFs or images into engaging, interactive elements for users to choose their own outcomes. Presentations, whitepapers, proposals, and pitches can all be imported into the software and transformed to give a more interactive, engaging output.

What users like best:

“You can take your content from being boring and static to a dynamic and engaging one. It’s not just limited to marketing materials, but it’s also perfect for creating professional documents and business presentations. I believe this is an excellent tool for anyone looking to create stunning and innovative web experiences without technical difficulties, design background, or coding.”

– Relayto Review, Patricia G.

What users dislike:

“Setup and initial configuration is more complex than it needs to be. A simplified onboarding flow could help new users. Mobile apps are limited in capabilities compared to the desktop experience. Expanding the toolset on mobile would allow for more seamless usage across devices. The amount of customization options can be overwhelming. Providing some templated workflows or presets for common use cases could help users get more value faster.”

– Relayto Review, Raj J.

5. #paid

As a creator marketplace, #paid allows content creators to connect with some of the world’s biggest brands. Creators and brands can collaborate on marketing campaigns directly within the platform, centralizing and integrating the experience for both parties. 

What users like best:

“The process to apply for my first campaign was very seamless and smooth! The brand made my experience so fun to create content for. I had a decent amount of creative freedom and was able to also provide UGC for the brand. I was paid well for my work and would definitely partner with them again in the future if the opportunity arises! And I definitely would recommend #paid to my fellow content creators.”

– #paid Review, Natasha H.

What users dislike:

“Sometimes the opt-in stays active for a very long time without any feedback from brands. In an ideal app there would be the ability to negotiate rates and deliverables, see if the brand has a large or small budget, and the brand/creator would have a set amount of time to accept, counter offer or decline.”

– #paid Review, Allison R.

Create content your audience will love

Making any type of content takes time, skill, and endless creativity. But the process can be incredibly rewarding, particularly when you’re making content with brands you love and are generating work you feel good about. And with the right tools to help you, you can quickly transform your content creation hobby into a lucrative new career.

Attract interested followers for your content and reach a wider group of people with content distribution software that puts your hard work in front of new online audiences.