“The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions and all else, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses” – Juvenal, Satire 10.
In Ancient Rome controlling the mob with entertainment stopped the citizens of the city from chaos and this is still true today, however it’s not the colosseum that demands people’s attention, its smartphones, it’s the digital age with internet that provides limitless topics and it is through this wide global arena that content creation rules. From professionals to amateurs, content is a thriving way of life. From meaningful pursuits to pointless brain rot there is space and a target audience for everything. Attention is the new currency, and the job of a content creator/specialist is to capture that attention. This is why I believe profession is one of the largest, most powerful and future proof skills that anyone can develop, and it is why I have chosen to pursue it through my own education and experiences.
Personal Impacts
A commercial I have always remembered was the Marine Corps old recruiting ad, in which a man climbs the side of a cliff. Originally aired in 2001, even now, 25 years later, I still remember it, I also believed it shaped my choice when I decided to pursue military service. It is outstanding to think that a less than one min ad has had such an impact on my life. Now there are better ads but the Marine Corps’ have always been special to me. I reference these because looking at them now, as a marketer and content creator/specialist, they are what I think ads should be, a short but effective message that delivers emotional impact that is long lasting. In general, people have had their own experiences with a piece of content that has had emotional impacts on them. Imagine that, making something so emotionally impactful that someone remembers it for their entire life.
Not So Easy
My first experience creating anything that went out into the real world, was in New Orleans, LA. I was working as a canvassing recruiter in the Marine Corps; I had just been newly trained in communication skills. The piece of information I was trying to convey was how the armed services pay for schooling and all the ways it does that. The piece of content I made was not good, it came off too preachy, too informative, not enough emotional impact or relatability. Since then, I have been working to improve that, I’ve made different piece of content for my own personal business, I’ve helped on movie sets as a camera man to capture emotional essence, and most recently at my current job I handle their marketing by communicating the impact the company has on its clients. Though I am far from being an expert I have made it a personal mission to become better.
Understanding the Audience
Working as a marketer now, I can say the ability to develop content and put it out for an intended audience and for an intended purpose cannot be overstated. I didn’t really know where to start so I read books and started at San Juan College in their marketing program. It taught me basics but I’m still working on how to get better. It requires work and understanding to do, as well as a level of storytelling that satisfies the attentional needs of the audience. The research to have a full comprehensive understanding of a target audience’s needs and wants allows any marketer to craft a piece of content that matches the desired information that audience requires, but its not enough. People are not satisfied with enough information, they desire an almost personal touch, as if the content is speaking to them individually. It is mass communication through a piece of media that hits singularly. The good news is that emotional impact works hand in hand with attention. The better a piece of content connects with an audience emotionally the more attention it will get, so working to develop that extra step of storytelling works out.
It Doesn’t Stop
The beauty of creating content isn’t about a single post, video or blog, it is in the ongoing process to refine, improve and expand one’s own abilities. Just like the internet the possibilities are endless which gives anyone working alone or in a team a fair chance. This path, in my opinion, isn’t really a job or a career, it’s more of a lifestyle. Jobs may put numbers on the specific kind of content you need to make, but regardless the content is going to be made, by myself or someone else. It shouldn’t be viewed as work because it doesn’t stop, there no magical number that one it gets hit the content is always perfect, it’s just something you do in your daily life, like breathing or going to the gym, paying your bills, its all just the same thing, sure it may require a bit if thinking on your part but so does everything else. A shift in my mindset has changed the way I consider things and ultimately proven to be extremely beneficial.
In Conclusion
For a content creation specialist or anyone with an interest in marketing, developing skills in content creation is paramount in your strategy and will deliver in the long-term results. In my own journey from a career that I have since left behind to the current demands of my current job, developing content has proved an invaluable asset and skill, my story is continuing on and I am looking forward to making an impact on someone’s life so significantly that they remember it 25 years later.
If my journey sounds like something you might be interested in, then head over to San Juan College to begin your content creation journey.
Visit www.sanjuancollege.edu and explore our marketing program.
