Everyday Habits That Make You A Better Content Creator

Content is a slice of what rules the internet world today; in the form of blog posts, eBooks, videos, podcasts and more. It fuels endless activities like social media marketing, increasing website traffic, and building a personal brand and for content creators, it’s an invisible job description to be remarkably good at what they do and show up with new ideas on their sleeves. 

We need to roll out the best of ourselves that then reflects in the content, and if you’re working for someone other than yourself, then that reflection clubs with the brand’s values especially when we know that 91% of B2B professionals include content marketing in their strategy. Therefore, to let the stream of ideas flow and create impeccable content day over day, we need some habits in place – that makes us the master of this art called content creation.

But yes, art cannot be mastered in one day hence I will quote Lorenzo Snow here who explains it perfectly: “Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.” So let’s explore the 3 habits that’ll make you a better content creator.

Observe more often. This simply means being aware of your surroundings and absorbing inspiration in all forms and shapes. We are all aware of how inspiration can strike from the most unusual of places, but did you know our mind is one mysterious thing! It works best when it is relaxed; in fact, it is scientifically proven that our minds work creatively when it is at rest. No wonder I get ideas flooding at night as soon as I decide to retire to bed. So let the inspiration come to you instead of you running behind it. Simply be aware of your environment – be curious naturally and the magic will begin. Just look around you – magazines, books covers, banners, ads, product descriptions, flyers, app notifications – all of them are in one way or the other ideas fiddled with to become content. Let it all sink and when you would least expect, the ideas will come pouring into your mind.

Active listening. You would wonder how did this point make it in the list of daily habits? Let me elucidate. One of the biggest traits of any successful content creator is to take criticism and appreciation alike. Let nothing get to you personally, instead, use them as weapons to improve your content. One of the best ways to listen to what your audience is speaking is – comments section on social media and blog posts. They are treasure troves. People gather there like it’s a watercooler, and chat. Listen to them as they discuss something new, express their beliefs and their concerns. You never know what sparks the inspiration for your new content. Moreover, you would know what they stress about and what is something that they cannot find an answer to. I read this book by Gary Vaynerchuck called Crushing It! Where he explains the importance of just putting out content and let the market decide if it is good. Therefore, do not fret over your first draft or sweat over the published content. Be active in listening and see how your audience is responding.

Communication. As a creator, you are conveying a message through your content- it could be to educate, inspire, entertain and/or inform – depending on your goals. If I had to replace the term content creator with something else, I would say communicator. Think about it: how an idea forms in your head first, and then you ponder on it to make it a mature idea. Moving onto throwing that rough, hard-edged idea onto a piece of paper or screen. It then goes on to take several shapes – written, graphics, audio, and more. What are you doing? You are ensuring the end product is a shadow of your initial thought. Meaning the end product is the message you wanted to convey when the idea first hit you. The clearer you are in your communication, the better you can deliver the message.

So these were some daily habits, that if you take some time to incorporate, have the potential to transform you into a better content creator – observe keenly, listen actively and communicate clearly.