These days, content marketing is more than just a great addition to a more extensive traditional approach to making your audience aware of your business.
Online visibility is key to any business’s ultimate success, so an exceptional content marketing strategy could well be the X-factor that puts you on the map and keeps you there.
But you can’t achieve that kind of success with the type of bland, generic content your audience has seen (and clicked away from) a million times by now. Instead, you need dynamic, original content that really pops, and the right content producer can make sure you get plenty of it.
Here’s a closer look at what you should know about professional content producers, including how your company can benefit from hiring the right freelancers for the job.
What Is a Content Producer?
A content producer is someone who specializes in generating top-tier consumable content, particularly content meant for digital distribution.
Many people instantly think of online writers and bloggers when they picture the typical digital-age content producer. However, while those are types of content producers, they’re not the only ones.
Content producers can be (and often are) photographers, graphic designers, videographers, podcast producers, and so forth.
Many content producers also develop, edit, and ultimately publish the content they produce.
Content Producer Job Description
In addition to the obvious, a content producer – especially one who is also a freelancer – usually wears many hats.
In addition to being skilled and experienced at producing content specifically for the web, they also need to be proficient at:
- Communicating, both with their clients and with a prospective audience
- Search engine optimization, including how search engines like Google actually work
- Following, understanding, and – in some cases – predicting social trends
- Editing and proofreading, as finished content should be publish-ready
- Empathizing and connecting with a variety of different audiences
- Adapting their content production style to suit different brand voices
- Working well both independently and as a potential part of a larger team
4 Types of Content Producers
As you can imagine, the world of content production is vast, and there are many, many different types of content producers out there.
Some specialize in just one type of content, while others have multiple talents and enjoy putting two or more of them to work for their clients. Here’s a closer look at some of the most common types.
1. Content Writers
Like general content production, content writing can cover a lot of ground. A particular content writer might specialize in web content, web copy, slogans, blog articles, ebooks, advertising material, whitepapers, or even content designed for offline advertising.
However, many freelance content writers are proficient in multiple types of content, as many companies are looking for someone who can cover all their writing bases for them.
2. Video Creators
Video is nearly as popular and valuable as writing when it comes to in-demand content these days, so talented videographers who can do what they do on behalf of clients are indispensable.
Video creators include social media-focused talent like YouTubers, for sure. However, this category also includes short-form and long-form filmmakers, video producers, video editors, animated video creators, TikTok content experts, and many more.
3. Photographers
Written content is much more effective when accompanied by the right visuals, as with stock photography.
For example, a great lead image helps draw the reader in and prepare them for what they’re about to read, while additional images can further illustrate or clarify a text.
Images, videos, graphics, and other visuals help break up your posts, as well, making them easier to read and skim.
A content producer with a knack for photography may choose to specialize in producing stock photography, as well as custom-ordered resources for clients.
4. Graphic Designers
Graphic design is nearly as important as written content when it comes to the potential success of your content. Sleek, smooth designs that underscore content messages and brand values can make an incredible impression on an audience.
Meanwhile, poorly made or inappropriate graphics can have the opposite effect, so it’s essential to ensure you have the right help with your design needs. Experienced, passionate freelance graphic designers can assist with everything from social media graphics and infographics to logos and web design elements.
Of course, the above examples only represent a handful of the many content producer types out there today, so don’t be afraid to explore your options further. Many freelancers also offer web development, editing, audio, marketing, and even traditional media-related services.
How to Become a Content Producer
If you’re interested in becoming a professional freelance content creator in 2023, you’ll be in excellent company for sure.
According to recent research, over 70 million people performed freelance work in 2022 in the United States alone. Here’s a crash course on how to get started.
Master your craft
Before you think seriously about going pro with your freelance service of choice, it’s important to master it. Traditional education in pursuit of a degree or certificate is a great place to start, but it’s not necessarily the only one.
The average freelance content producer had been honing their craft for years as a labor of love before they ever thought of charging for their services, so the knowledge and experience are often already there.
But even very skilled or educated creators should seek to learn as much as possible and strengthen their skills even further.
Decide whether to niche down
As a freelance content producer, it’s ultimately up to you whether you wear many hats as far as the services you offer or focus on just one or two niches.
Both choices are valid, so the right one for you depends on how you prefer to work.
Some freelancers start out broad in their field, as it’s a great way to figure out what kind of work they really like to do before niching down later on.
However, others genuinely love doing lots of different things and prefer taking on all sorts of different projects.
Decide how you’ll meet clients
Some new freelancers go into their new careers with connections or existing networks they can leverage to find work. However, many sign up for accounts on freelancing platforms and get their feet wet that way. Some top options include:
- WriterAccess
- Upwork
- Freelancer.com
- Contently
- Guru
- Toptal
Some freelancers meet new clients exclusively through platforms like these, even once they’ve gained some experience. However, many find work through a combination of freelance sites and other methods, such as their own custom websites, word of mouth, social media networks like LinkedIn, and more.
Embrace new experiences
A genuinely great freelance content creator doesn’t simply coast through their career, even once they’re established and have gotten into an enjoyable groove with what they do.
Digital marketing, SEO, social media, and the internet, in general, are always changing, so the standards and best practices a freelancer needs to be aware of are constantly evolving, too.
That said, never stop rising to the challenge when it comes to new experiences. Continue to educate yourself when it comes to new trends, techniques, and tech in your field.
Stay up to date when it comes to SEO, Google, and best marketing practices, as well.
Why Content Producers Are Important for Marketing Departments
Are you a business owner or marketer thinking about partnering with a freelance content creator to help you reach your ongoing professional goals?
Here are some key reasons why doing so might be the game-changer you’re looking for.
You can flexibly scale production up or down
Large corporations and enterprises may be able to afford to do everything in-house regarding content production, but small businesses and startups likely need a more flexible solution.
Freelance content producers offer that flexibility.
Since most freelancers work remotely, as well as have their own workspaces and equipment, you don’t have to worry about making room in your budget for those things.
You can also scale content production up or down according to your needs, paying only for what you actually need.
You get access to both expertise and passion
People go into freelance content production for all sorts of reasons, including having marketable talent and experience in their subfield of choice.
But passion and a desire to manage their careers independently are much bigger motivators for most.
People who are genuinely passionate about what they do for a living are much more invested in the work they do for their clients.
They often have unique experiences, expertise, and points of view that they bring to the table, as well, making them real assets to the companies that hire them.
You can take your business to entirely new levels
If you suddenly didn’t have to commit to a full-time hire for every task you potentially need to be done by another person, where could you take your business as a result?
Outsourcing content creation-based tasks to skilled freelancers gives digital-age business owners more options to choose from as far as how they run their businesses.
Here are some examples of how:
- Hiring graphic designers or digital artists allows a brand to create original visuals with personality instead of always falling back on stock resources.
- Working with content writers lets you leverage other professionals’ unique points of view for content that is fresh, original, and exciting.
- Hiring a professional photographer gives brands a chance to paint their best products in a positive new light.
- The right freelance web designer or web developer could be your ticket to the sleek, functional new site you’ve always wanted.
- Partnering with a content creator who’s also an influencer can help you tap into valuable new demographics and potential partnerships.
You can afford to build a team
You only need to stop hiring one content producer if that’s actually all you need to get the job done.
Remember, content production is about more than just copywriting and blogging, so it’s well worth asking yourself if your strategy could benefit from also hiring a go-to graphic designer, social media specialist, or other professional.
It’s also worth noting most marketing departments that outsource to freelancers as a rule see the benefit in building an entire team of reliable content producers.
This helps cover gaps in the availability of any one freelancer and gives you more perspectives to benefit from overall.
Plus, teams can work together to bring larger projects to fruition more quickly and efficiently.
Making sure you have enough hands on deck at any given time means you’re pretty much always covered whenever you need something done, as well.
Wrap Up
As you can see, having a freelance content producer or two in your back pocket is more than just a good idea these days.
The more important content production becomes to a business’s visibility and success, the more sense it makes to hire experienced, passionate people who really know what it’s all about.
But whether you’re looking to hire the right content producer or are thinking of becoming one yourself, you need the right go-to platform to turn to when you’re looking to make new, valuable connections.
WriterAccess is a top-tier platform with the high standards, AI efficiency, and talent pool you want and need.
Looking to hire someone new? Sign up for your free WriterAccess trial today, and find out what the platform is really all about before you put your money down.
