Breaking into the Content Economy

We are living in a content driven world! 

Increasingly, there are more individuals attempting to break into the Content Economy hosted on the internet. Carving out a niche online, in the first instance, is absolutely time consuming as it requires a degree of consistency and in-depth and thorough research to ensure that whatever content you put online is credible and trustworthy. Doing your due diligence will not only ensure that you target the right audience, but it will also that they will return. Think about your online platform as a business: would you like for customers to return repetitively?

Before you attempt to build your online presence, it is therefore important to:

Brainstorm:    

Brainstorm and do a rough draft of the information that you would like to communicate to your audience. Think of why it is important for your audience to know this information and what are the benefits that they will garner from your content. Consider and make note of:

• the audience you would like to reach, in otherward, your target
• their demographic
• how the information will be transmitted
• the style and format of your presentation
• prepare a content creation plan, that is, how often you will post.

Design:         

The content economy is becoming progressively competitive, how you design your platform, be it, website or video, will determine how visitors interact with the content that you produce. It is therefore critical to think about the choice of colours, graphic, font (including size of text and style), page format, background, etc. Engage the services of a professional if you must; the task, however, is to get it right.

Market:          

What is it worth creating excellent content that will never be  seen? One of the most crucial aspects of building an online presence is marketing. Promoting your work/content in spaces where it will be seen. This for most online users is one of most tedious and challenging tasks; however, there are many platforms such as Coursera, EdX, OpenLearn that offer free online courses that you can leverage for online success.

Evaluate:         

Using analytics will assist you with assessing how your audience is interacting with your platform. Use the data to make decisions about your marketing strategy, whether or not  you may need to redesign your platform or add or remove features. Evaluation is key to ensuring relevance.