Creating Engaging Content – Lessons from My Early Days as a Content Developer

Welcome back to Digital Marketing Times! In this edition, I’m taking you on a journey to my early days as a content developer, where I learned the foundational skills that shaped my content marketing approach today. These lessons are still relevant as I assist clients with their content marketing strategies, helping them create engaging content that attracts, informs, and converts.

The Early Days: How It All Began

My digital marketing journey began back in 2017 when I did my attachment at 3FM Media General Ghana , where I honed my writing skills by?crafting news features for radio. Ewurama Smith who was the editor helped me a lot. ????

After I graduated University of Cape Coast in 2018, I signed up on the Upwork platform as a freelance content writer.

In?2021, I was employed as a content manager at Ngusra Group , I focused on content strategies, social media management, and even developed their email marketing campaigns. Looking back, this was my first step toward mastering content marketing, an essential aspect of digital marketing today.

?

?Starting Out as a Content Developer – Finding My Way with Canva and Newsletters

When I first started in digital marketing, I dove headfirst into content creation. My toolkit was basic, but it allowed me to make an impact with eye-catching graphics and simple, compelling emails. Back then, Canva was my go-to tool for creating still graphics, infographics, and the occasional banner. I was self-taught, learning as I went along. Designing infographics, social media posts, and newsletter banners gave me the hands-on experience to understand what it takes to capture attention and convey a message visually.

?

But more than just the tools, I realized that creating engaging content required understanding your target audience and speaking directly to their needs and preferences. This is a fundamental lesson that, even years after, remains at the core of effective content creation.

?

Understanding Your Target Audience – The Foundation of Engaging Content

One of the first lessons I learned was that content only becomes engaging if it resonates with its intended audience. Early on, I spent a lot of time developing newsletters, primarily for email, where I would highlight industry trends, tips, and updates. At the time, my audience was primarily corporate professionals looking for marketing insights.

?

I had to ask myself:

?What is my audience looking to learn?

What solutions can I provide to make their marketing easier?

What style and tone would make them open my emails each week?

Understanding these questions allowed me to customize my newsletters, even without the data tools we now use. I quickly learned that personalizing content to address specific interests led to higher engagement, more shares, and sometimes even personal responses from my readers. Today, personalization is a fundamental strategy in content marketing, and it’s backed up by data—according to HubSpot, 54% of consumers expect personalized content, and 72% engage only with personalized messaging.

?Question of the day:

What’s one lesson you've learned about creating content that truly engages your audience? Share your experience or tips in the comment section ??

?Crafting Visual Content – How Canva Became My Best Friend

In those early days, I relied heavily on Canva for creating visual content. The platform’s simplicity and range of templates made it possible to produce professional-looking graphics without needing extensive design skills. My strategy involved creating visually engaging infographics, carousels, and still graphics that conveyed complex information in a simple, visual format.

?Now, Canva has become even more versatile with features like motion graphics, video templates, and collaboration tools, making it a must-have for content marketers. Here are a few types of content I’d create back then, and that I still use today with clients:

?

Infographics: To break down complex ideas and show statistics visually. Infographics continue to be popular because they’re easy to share and understand.

Carousel Posts: Perfect for telling a story across multiple slides on social media. Carousels help retain viewer interest by guiding them through a sequence, much like a story.

Video Content: Even with basic tools, video content can dramatically increase engagement. Short clips introducing a topic or summarizing content drive interest and help audiences retain information.

Pro Tip: According to a study by Venngage, 40% of marketers say that infographics get the most engagement out of any visual content, showing just how impactful this format can be in content marketing today.

??

Content Strategy – Evolving from a Solo Creator to a Content Marketing Consultant

As I grew in my career, I transitioned from creating content to designing content marketing strategies for clients. This shift taught me the importance of having a cohesive plan—one that aligns with business goals and reaches audiences at different stages of the marketing funnel. Today, I guide clients through steps like:

?

Identifying Audience Segments: Knowing who your audience is and what type of content they prefer.

Setting Goals: Whether it’s driving engagement, educating the audience, or boosting conversions, clear objectives make a big difference.

Planning Content Types: Based on goals, I recommend specific types of content—blog posts for SEO, infographics for shareability, and videos for storytelling.

Now, with tools like HubSpot and SEMrush, I can measure how content performs in real-time. The insights I gain allow me to continuously optimize content for maximum engagement and value.

?

Statistics Corner: Did you know that 47% of buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep? Creating diverse, helpful content across various formats can dramatically improve conversions and brand trust.

?

Optimizing for SEO – Getting Content Seen

One of the most important skills I developed over the years is SEO optimization. Back in my early days, SEO was largely about including keywords, but today, SEO has evolved to focus on user intent, quality, and relevance. Now, when I craft content or design a strategy, I ensure that every piece of content is optimized not just to rank but also to provide real value to the reader.

?

SEO Best Practices for Content Creation

Here are a few SEO best practices I’ve adopted over the years that help boost content visibility:

?

Keyword Research: Understanding what terms my audience is searching for allows me to target relevant keywords.

Quality Content: Creating informative, well-researched, and original content has a higher chance of ranking.

Multimedia Integration: Incorporating visuals, videos, and infographics helps retain readers and reduce bounce rates.

Dynamic Social Media Content – Bringing Stories to Life

With the rise of social media, static content is no longer enough. To keep my audience engaged across platforms, I started using a mix of dynamic content formats like video, carousel posts, and motion graphics. Each format offers something unique and helps to convey stories or complex information in digestible ways.

?

I still use Canva for much of this work, as well as platforms like Invideo and Adobe Spark for video editing. Video content, especially, has proven to be highly engaging—statistics show that video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year. Whether it’s a quick explainer video or an animated infographic, video content can drive engagement like nothing else.

?

Key Takeaways – Lessons to Remember

Creating engaging content is an art and a science. Here are the key lessons from my early days that still guide my approach to content marketing today:

?

Know Your Audience: The best content speaks directly to your audience’s interests and pain points.

Utilize Visuals: Platforms like Canva make it easy to create visually appealing content that grabs attention.

Personalize: Tailor your messaging based on the audience’s needs to make them feel valued.

Stay Consistent: Quality and consistency are key. Provide value regularly to build trust.

Measure and Optimize: Use data and insights to refine your approach continually.

Wrapping Up

From designing simple newsletters to consulting on complex content marketing strategies, my journey in content creation has taught me that engaging content isn’t just about looking good—it’s about being authentic, valuable, and adaptable. In the end, successful content marketing is all about connecting with your audience on a personal level, meeting them where they are, and offering solutions to their problems.

?Thanks for reading this edition of Digital Marketing Times! Next week, we’ll dive into another exciting digital marketing trends

What’s one lesson you've learned about creating content that truly engages your audience? Share your experience or tips below! ??