You need only sign up for LinkedIn job alerts to see there’s an ever-growing abundance of companies promising well-paid digital media jobs, many of which focus on content creation. It’s enough to make anyone ponder a career as a content creator.
您只需在 LinkedIn 上设置职位提醒，就能看到承诺高薪数字媒体工作的公司数量不断增长，其中许多专注于内容创作。这足以让人思考成为一名内容创作者的职业道路。

But what does it take to be a content creator, and how can you embark on a career as one?
但成为内容创作者需要什么，你如何开始这一职业之路呢？

If you’re wondering if a job as a content creator is for you, want to build a business as a full-time content creator, or are already on your way and want to up your game, read on for everything you need to know.
如果你在考虑是否适合做内容创作者的工作，想要全职建立内容创作者业务，或者已经在路上并希望提升自己的水平，请继续阅读，了解你需要知道的一切。

What is a content creator? 什么是内容创作者？

A content creator is someone who creates entertaining or educational material to be expressed through any medium or channel.
内容创作者是指通过任何媒介或渠道创作娱乐或教育材料的人。

Content creation especially pertains to digital content on social media channels, since that’s where most content is consumed — and where the money is, if you’re looking to earn revenue through your content production efforts.
内容创作尤其与社交媒体渠道上的数字内容相关，因为那里是大多数内容被消费的地方——如果你希望通过内容制作努力赚取收入，那里也是金钱所在。

For businesses, content creation can mean crafting and delivering newsletters, emails, webinars, digital marketing materials, brochures, social media, articles, annual reports, advertorial messaging, editorial materials, company communications, and more.
对企业而言，内容创作可能意味着制作和发送新闻通讯、电子邮件、网络研讨会、数字营销材料、宣传册、社交媒体、文章、年度报告、广告信息、编辑材料、公司通讯等。

For an individual, content creation can mean creating new content for social media — such as livestreams, vlogs, or other photo or video content — with the intention of interacting and resonating with their target audience, often making money as a part-time or full-time job. The buzzword “influencer marketing” might ring a bell.
对于个人来说，内容创作可能意味着为社交媒体创造新内容——如直播、视频博客或其他照片或视频内容——旨在与目标受众互动和产生共鸣，通常作为兼职或全职工作赚钱。 buzzword“网红营销”可能让你想起什么。

There is not one single unified job description for “content creator,” but to fully understand what a content creator is and does, it’s important to understand what “content” is.
没有统一的内容创作者职位描述，但要全面了解内容创作者是什么以及做什么，了解“内容”是什么很重要。

In the publishing, communication, and art industries, content can be defined as all the information and experiences, such as writing, speech, or other various arts, expressed through a medium to communicate value to an end user.
在出版、通讯和艺术产业中，内容可以定义为所有信息和体验，如写作、演讲或其他各种艺术，通过媒介表达以传达价值给最终用户。

More important for business, content is the material that users, readers, or viewers derive value from.
对于商业来说，内容是用户、读者或观众从中获得价值的东西。

At its most basic level, content includes:
在其最基本层面上，内容包含：

• The information and/or experience
  信息和/或经验
• The medium/channel in which the information is delivered
  信息传递的媒介/渠道
• Any beneficial features the medium adds to the information or experience
  任何媒介为信息或体验增添的有益特性

It’s worth noting here that while the medium for delivery is essential to content, it’s not the most important part of the trio above. Information and experience are king. Without them, the medium has essentially no value. After all, what’s a YouTube channel without videos or your favorite magazine without articles or images?
值得指出的是，虽然传输媒介对于内容至关重要，但它并不是上述三者中最重要的一部分。信息和体验才是王道。没有它们，媒介本身就没有价值。毕竟，没有视频的 YouTube 频道或没有文章和图片的您最喜欢的杂志又是什么呢？

More and more, businesses are understanding the value of working with freelance content creators. They see that high-quality content inspires users to take action and can foster community and loyalty through interaction with the brand, its community, or both.
越来越多的企业认识到与自由职业内容创作者合作的价值。他们看到高质量的内容能够激发用户采取行动，并通过与品牌、其社区或两者的互动来培养社区和忠诚度。

The what, how, and where of content creators 内容的什么、如何和在哪里

Everywhere you look, there’s content created by someone who probably got paid to create it. That copy on the back of your cereal box, the junk mail you tossed unopened, the slogan on your t-shirt, the morning newsfeed snippets, the video you watched on Instagram, the text you’re reading right now? It’s all a part of content writing and production.
无论你往哪里看，都能看到有人为赚取报酬而创作的内容。你 cereal 盒子背面的文字，你未拆封就扔掉的垃圾邮件，你 T 恤上的标语，你早晨的新闻推送片段，你在 Instagram 上观看的视频，你现在正在阅读的文字？这些都是内容写作和制作的一部分。

As a far-reaching field, content creator responsibilities can vary greatly, but they’re likely to include some or all of the following:
作为一个广泛的领域，内容创作者的责任可能有很大的差异，但它们很可能包括以下一些或全部内容：

• Writing, editing, blogging, and updating content for everything from brochures and marketing and promotional materials to emails, websites, blogs, and more.
  撰写、编辑、博客撰写以及更新从宣传册、营销和推广材料到电子邮件、网站、博客等内容。
• Ensuring search engine opitimization (SEO) best practices are followed for digital content so search engines like Google can find your work.
  确保遵循搜索引擎优化（SEO）最佳实践，以便搜索引擎如谷歌能找到您的作品。
• Creating social media posts and managing social accounts, including interacting with users and responding to their comments and questions.
  创建社交媒体帖子和管理社交媒体账户，包括与用户互动和回复他们的评论和问题。
• Working with various company departments and sharing ideas to aid with their content needs.
  与各个公司部门合作，分享想法以协助满足他们的内容需求。
• Monitoring website and social media metrics.
  监控网站和社交媒体指标。

Want to dig a little deeper into what content creators create? Here’s a list of some of the most ubiquitous content types:
想深入了解内容创作者创作的内容？以下是一些最常见的类型列表：

• Articles  文章
• Artwork  艺术品
• Audio  音频
• Blog posts  博客文章
• Brochures  宣传册
• E-books  电子书
• Email  邮件
• Charts  图表
• Films  电影
• Graphs  图
• Graphics  图形
• Images/photos  图片/照片
• Infographics  信息图表
• News  新闻
• Product copy  产品文案
• Social media content  社交媒体内容
• Video  视频
• White papers  白皮书

Yes, that’s a lot of types of content. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a pro or have experience in all of them to build up a reputation as a professional in the creator economy. You need to find your niche based on your expertise and what type of content creator you’d like to be.
是的，内容类型有很多。幸运的是，你不必是专家或对所有这些都有经验，才能在创作者经济中建立起专业声誉。你需要根据你的专长和你想成为哪种类型的内容创作者来找到你的细分市场。

The most popular platforms that host content creation 最受欢迎的内容创作平台

Where does content appear? Here are some of the major media platforms that feature content:
内容出现在哪里？以下是展示内容的几个主要媒体平台：

• Social media platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
  社交媒体平台（YouTube、TikTok、Instagram、Facebook 等）
• Internet (blogs, podcasts, websites, e-books, etc.)
  互联网（博客、播客、网站、电子书等）
• Live events (conferences, performances, conventions, etc.)
  现场活动（会议、表演、展会等）
• Printed materials (books, brochures, magazines, packaging, pamphlets, etc.)
  印刷材料（书籍、手册、杂志、包装、小册子等）
• Radio, cinema, and television
  广播、电影、电视

Only you know whether you’re more of a blogger, social media maven, copywriter, or broadcaster. So think about your interest and skillset as you consider on which platforms you imagine your content being showcased, then think of the types of companies that hire content creators:
只有你知道自己更倾向于博客作者、社交媒体达人、文案创作者还是播客。所以，在考虑你希望内容展示的平台时，想想你的兴趣和技能组合，然后想想雇佣内容创作者的公司类型：

• Media (news, entertainment)
  媒体（新闻，娱乐）
• Retail and e-commerce companies
  零售和电子商务公司
• Hospitality (restaurants, hotels, clubs, venues)
  招待业（餐厅、酒店、俱乐部、场所）
• Brands (pretty much everyone from food to fashion to pharmaceuticals to cities to hospitals)
  品牌（几乎从食品到时尚、制药、城市到医院的所有行业）
• Bloggers/influencers (some professional influencers have social media managers and marketing teams)
  博主/网红（一些专业网红有社交媒体经理和营销团队）
• Celebrities (did you think they do all the dirty work themselves?)
  名人（你以为他们自己都做所有脏活吗？）

Seem broad? It is — because every company needs to communicate to their consumers, and they need a talented content creator to help them do so.
看似广泛？是的——因为每个公司都需要与消费者沟通，他们需要一位有才华的内容创作者来帮助他们这样做。

That’s one of the beauties of content creation. Whatever you’re an expert in [aerodynamics, sewing, foreign policy, productivity — you name it], there’s likely a need for someone to champion that knowledge through content creation. And if there isn’t an external need for that expertise, then you can build your own personal brand and work for yourself as a social media content creator.
这是内容创作之美之一。无论你擅长什么[空气动力学、缝纫、外交政策、生产力——随便什么]，都可能有人需要通过内容创作来推广这种知识。如果没有外部需求这种专业知识，那么你可以打造自己的个人品牌，作为社交媒体内容创作者为自己工作。

Still, there are some things all skilled content creators have in common.
仍然，所有有才华的内容创作者有一些共同之处。

5 things top-quality content creators do 5 个顶级内容创作者做的事情

Successful content creators know there’s more to being in demand than writing the best content (though that’s a great start and works for some people, such as copywriters).
成功的內容製作者知道，要想受到追捧，並不仅仅是寫出最好的內容（儘管這是一個很好的開始，對於一些像文案寫手這樣的人來說也很有效）。

Follow the best practices below to make sure you’re armed and ready to rule the world of content creation.
遵循以下最佳实践，确保你武装并准备好统治内容创作世界。

1. Get and stay current 1. 保持最新状态

Whatever your area of expertise is, you need to be on top of it, know the latest news, and follow the trends. Make sure to follow content creators or brands that work within your niche. Join forums or follow reputable blogs that discuss content strategy. If there is a new trend or a piece of news that is relevant to your brand, make sure to jump on it and produce high-quality content quickly.
无论你的专业领域是什么，你都需要保持领先，了解最新动态，并跟踪趋势。确保关注你领域内的内容创作者或品牌。加入论坛或关注讨论内容策略的知名博客。如果有与你的品牌相关的最新趋势或新闻，确保抓住机会并迅速制作高质量的内容。

2. Know your audience 2. 了解你的受众

The better you know your or your client’s audience, the better you can communicate with them. Understand the niche you are serving and who your target audience is. How old are they? Where are they located? What type of lifestyle do they live? Use analytics tools built into social media sites such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube to understand more about the types of people who are interacting with your content so you can tailor your content to their wants and needs.
你越了解你的或你的客户的受众，你就越能与他们有效沟通。了解你服务的细分市场和你的目标受众是谁。他们多大年纪？他们位于哪里？他们过着什么样的生活方式？利用社交媒体网站如抖音、Instagram、Facebook 或 YouTube 内置的分析工具，了解与你的内容互动的人的类型，以便你可以根据他们的需求和愿望调整你的内容。

3. Use shortcut tools that help you create awesome content 3. 使用帮助您创建出色内容的快捷工具

Content creation isn’t just about crafting words. As mentioned above, it can be everything from managing social media to designing brochures to creating videos. If you’re up to date on the latest tools, you’ll know that there’s no reason to start from scratch when there are free online templates that do the heavy graphic design lifting for you. Many successful content creators who make content in-house save time, post more frequently, and create more interesting graphics by utilizing templates.
内容创作不仅仅是撰写文字。如上所述，它可能包括从管理社交媒体到设计宣传册再到制作视频的一切。如果你了解最新的工具，你就会知道没有必要从头开始，因为有许多免费的在线模板可以为你完成繁重的图形设计工作。许多内部制作内容的成功内容创作者通过利用模板节省时间，更频繁地发布内容，并创建更有趣的图形。

4. Post often 4. 经常发帖

Writing and creative thinking are at the core of being a content writer and creator. They’re also muscles that need to be flexed regularly to stay agile. Additionally, successful content creators create marketing strategies that revolve around staying up-to-date and relevant, meaning they are posting on a consistent schedule.
写作和创意思维是内容创作者的核心。它们也是需要定期锻炼以保持灵活性的肌肉。此外，成功的创作者会制定围绕保持时效性和相关性的营销策略，这意味着他们会保持定期发布。

However, creating high-volume content means you have to stay on top of your posting schedule. Consider using a content scheduler or calendar to plan out your posts every month and keep yourself accountable.
然而，创建大量内容意味着你必须跟上你的发布日程。考虑使用内容调度器或日历来每月规划你的帖子，并对自己负责。

5. Optimize for SEO 5. 优化 SEO

A part of being a successful content creator is being a good strategist — you can write the content that would bring Shakespeare to tears and still not get any traction if you don’t include keywords that help your work bubble up to the top of search results. SEO keywords ensure your content gets seen and has measurable results.
成功的内容创作者的一部分是成为一名优秀的策略家——即使你能写出让莎士比亚流泪的内容，如果没有包含帮助你的作品浮现在搜索结果顶部的关键词，你仍然可能无法获得任何关注。SEO 关键词确保你的内容被看到，并产生可衡量的效果。

Use high-volume keywords or hashtags to drive traffic to your content. Be deliberate about your headers and descriptions. Consider using free tools such as Google Trends to look at what people are currently searching for and optimize your posts from there.
使用高频率关键词或标签来吸引流量到您的内容。在标题和描述上要有意为之。考虑使用免费工具如谷歌趋势查看人们当前正在搜索的内容，并据此优化您的帖子。

By Erika Lenkert  由艾瑞卡·伦克特

Originally published on the Adobe Express blog
最初发布在 Adobe Express 博客上