Mastering Content Creation
Contributed by Annie Biondolillo — Speak Up for Kids Student Intern, a dual-enrollment student passionate about fitness, leadership, and video editing, who enjoys American Sign Language, songwriting, and exploring relational dynamics and personal growth strategies.
In today's fast-paced digital world, creating engaging video content is more challenging than ever. With Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, and TikTok dominating social media, short-form videos rack up a staggering 200 billion views daily—each competing for just seconds of a viewer’s attention. The sheer volume of content can feel overwhelming, making it harder to stand out. So, how do you craft a message that not only cuts through the noise but also resonates with your audience? Here’s a quick breakdown of what it takes to make an impact.
Establish Your Message & Goals
Before you begin creating content, ask yourself these 3 defining questions…
What core idea or feeling do I want my audience to take away from my channel?
Keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be skills or resources. Your content will communicate a deeper message, whether intentionally or not. What is that deeper message?
What do I hope to achieve by creating this content?
Whether it be for personal gain, spreading awareness, or onboarding, identify what it is you want to come out of your video media.
What impact do I want my content to have on my audience?
In other words, what’s going to get my audience to share my content with their friends, family etc?
Determine Your Audience
Once outlining your channel’s/video’s message, start to consider who you want that to reach.
Which people will help you achieve your goal the fastest?
Take a grand look at all you want to achieve. Who are the people that will respond or act the quickest? Keep in mind that what you have to offer won’t just target one direct group of people. Your media should have flexibility in who it reaches. Different messages will stand out to different people.
What do I know about my target audience?
In other words, what insight could be gathered from my audience that will boost engagement within my channel? This is very important. Understanding what moves your key demographic will aid your efforts in making successful content
Choose Your Content’s Delivery
Based on your message and target audience, your final step is to identify the most effective way to communicate your content.
What form is your content taking, videography speaking?
Will you produce long-form videos? Or short-form vertical ones? This alone will be determined by your target audience. For reaching older audiences, long-form is generally a more popular route to take, whereas younger audiences respond best to short-form videos.
What approach will you use to deliver your message—through education, humor, storytelling, trends, or another engaging method?
Again, this will be ultimately identified by taking a good look at your goal-reaching demographic. Generally speaking, humor, trends, and familiar content are the most successful. However, do the necessary research to pinpoint what approach is the most effective for your audience.
How will you hook your audience?
Studies show that it takes individuals as little as 2 seconds to determine whether they continue watching a video or not. That’s not a very long time to get one's attention. This ties into the previous question because your approach will need an effective starting engagement. Here are a couple suggestions…
Ask a provocative question
Share a surprising fact
Make a bold statement
Create a relatable story
Final Thoughts
Successful content creation starts with understanding your message and goals, followed by identifying your target audience and how best to engage them. By knowing what you want to communicate, who you want to reach, and the most effective way to deliver your content, you can create videos that resonate and drive impact. Whether through education, humor, or trends, your approach should align with your audience’s preferences and needs. With a strong hook and an engaging delivery, you’ll be equipped to capture attention, inspire action, and achieve your content goals. You got this!
