Content Creation Process - Is it the same for everyone?

I know what you’re thinking. The obvious answer is no. The content creation process is not the same for everyone. Everyone creates and writes and edits and explores things differently. Someone in the same position as myself, who does the same exact tasks and writes about the same exact subject matter, might create their content in a different amount of time with different processes than I would. It is truly not the same for one person or the other. But, this question got me thinking about our team here at Tier Level. All of us are different; we came from different backgrounds, had different schooling and some have more experience and knowledge in our field. Although we are different, we have some similarities working in digital marketing and creating content for some similar clients…

So honestly, how different is the content creation process for all of us?

I decided to make a little survey to get into the nitty gritty of the team’s overall creation process. Starting with the basics, I found out a lot of the content we are creating at Tier Level involves social media. Whether working with or within social platforms, 87 percent of our team is creating social media content. Written content (SEO) and video content followed close behind both with 62 percent of the team creating this kind of content. Tier Level also has team members who create informational or infographic content as well as graphic design. The content spectrum seems wide, but it is still creative work and fairly similar in purpose.

Knowing the breakdown of type of content, how does that compare to how often our team actually creates content. Everyone agreed they are making content at least a few times a week. Sixty-two percent even said they are making content everyday. Depending on content marketing strategy and what kind of content clients are asking for, team members could be creating content at varying frequencies and instances throughout the week. For Tier Level, being consistent and creating new content everyday helps us improve local SEO, search results and the company’s overall digital presence.

The actual preparation for content creation is where our team starts to vary increasingly in process. Only three of our team members look at other content or information to get a better idea of what their content will look like, especially those who work with video and social content. Other first steps from the Tier Level team included establishing the purpose behind the content, specifying expectations with our clients, and making an overall plan to get the content started. The first step in content creation can affect how the rest of the process unfolds and what our creative routines look like.

Not only do our team members take varying first steps to creation, but also we often work with different schedules and routines. Half of our team said they have sparks of sporadic creativity and don’t really follow a strict schedule while creating content. Fifty percent of us, including myself, tend to work as we feel inspired or when an idea pops into our head. Four of our more structured team members prefer to use an outline or drafts to complete their content. Although our schedules might look different, everyone on the Tier Level team agreed on how long it takes to complete content.

The Tier Level Digital Marketing team said it takes at least a day or less to complete one piece of quality content. Sixty-two percent of us said it can take less than an hour sometimes. In the fast-paced, high-speed internet world, it makes sense our team is hammering out quality content quickly for our clients.

Based on how different each of our team members at Tier Level work with content, it’s safe to say the content creation process is not and never will be the same for everyone in digital marketing. From the varying first steps, how long it takes to complete content, all the way to the creation schedule, creating content will not look the same with every person or with every company. I think that’s why digital marketing can be exciting and interesting, not only to the consumer but also to the clients and even the marketing specialists. Having a team full of creatives who produce content in different ways can bring a range of marketing techniques and different bodies of work online to keep the consumer engaged and the clients happy. These differences also inspire other marketing specialists to think outside of the box and even explore someone else’s content creation process for themselves, leading to collaboration and new perspectives.

Our team uses their varying processes to complete some impressive and uniquely creative content online, whether solo or as a team, all to improve the client’s brand and presence on the web. Some of our team's favorite things about creating content include seeing our clients’ reactions when a project or piece of content is complete. Others said they love the creative process and the end result. Even our favorite things about creating content vary. And it’s a good thing too. Because if everything about the content creation process were the same for everyone, then the internet would be pretty boring, and we can’t have that.

If you work in digital marketing or create content for a living, we would love for you to take our survey* and share what your content creation process looks like! Follow the link to share your answers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N9ZV8BQ

*Survey is anonymous and answers are private.