5 C’s digital content creation process

The digital content creation process can be intriguing, especially for newbies.  It develops over time, and you can always build the skills.  My article will focus especially on how the 5 C’s framework supports and contributes to enhancing it.

I’ve been a blogger for 6 years (time of writing).  It started as a hobby, but I always took it seriously.  Investing time and other resources to hone my skills, I aim for ongoing improvements.  When I compare my first articles as a newbie to later on, there’s a significant difference. 

Importance of high-quality content

Blogging, vlogging, or any other form of content creation is talent.  An art, and maybe even science if you take a systematic approach.  Creativity and innovation are key to high quality, and so is originality. 

Don’t forget what EEAT stands for.  Showing your experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness is crucial.  Simultaneously, use the 5 C’s framework to write or make videos.

The 5 C’s are great

The 5 C’s stand for ‘clarity, conciseness, context, curiosity, and credibility’.  There’s no time to beat around the bush.  Attention spans online are gone at the blink of an eye.  

You get to grab attention and retain it if you do things properly.  There’s no one-size-fits-all rule.  You also get better as you practice.

1. Clarity

Clear communication is a must.  No one will waste their time, so make judicial use of it.  When you get eyes on your content, it could be determining.  

Avoid jargon if your audience doesn’t relate to it.  Simple is often the best approach.  Being conversational often sounds natural, unless you need a formal approach in your niche or industry.

Have a voice and stick to it. Show genuineness and originality to stand out. Your unique style and personality are part of your branding. I always cross-check my work and ask myself if a reader would understand easily.

2. Conciseness

Be to the point to retain attention.  Eliminate any fluff that may be seen as annoying.  On social media, especially, people scroll very fast.

Provide a good user experience through readability.  Using short paragraphs, subheadings, and bullet points helps.  My articles are easy to skim and find info.

Leave lots of white spaces on blogs.  For images, leave out unnecessary details and clutter.  It helps your audience to focus on your message.

3. Context

Know the pain points of your leads.  What do they need to solve, and why should they pay attention?  Consider their demographics, interests, and level of expertise.  I write for bloggers and digital solopreneurs, being one myself.

Keep in mind that all platforms aren’t the same.  You can repurpose your long articles into short tweets.  Make a video from another post that has performed well.

On social media, sharing what’s trending often works well.  On the other hand, blog articles can drive traffic for longer.  I have mostly evergreen articles that I update.

4. Curiosity

No one wants to feel bored.  Make your content interesting, so that it sparks curiosity.  It should also be relevant to your target audience so that they keep coming back for more.

Often the same piece of info can be presented in different ways.  Some of the ways are more effective than others.  Consider what works best for your audience.

Storytelling is a great way to make things interesting.  Use numbers to give proof of what you say.   Anecdotes are also powerful and moving.

5. Credibility

Coming back to the EEAT acronym, ‘T’ for trustworthiness is crucial.  Would you take action when you don’t trust someone?  Chances are that you won’t.

Some handy ways to develop trust are to post consistently.  Even more important, provide stats and research that support your points.  Check properly for spelling and grammar mistakes before publishing.  

When vlogging, you speak on camera.  It puts you out there, more than when writing articles.  Your facial expressions can be seen and your voice heard.  However, being genuine and natural shines out.

Examples of pieces

There are many types of published works.  I’ll list some of the most popular ones as examples.

Here they are:

• Vlog videos (versus blogging as a side hustle in my other post)
• Blog articles 
• Emails
• Photos 
• Infographics 
• Presentation slides 
• Podcasts
• Ebooks
• Webinars 
• Online courses

Platforms for publishing

There are endless platforms to publish works.  It depends on where your target audience spends time.  It also may depend on your niche and preferred content formats.

Those that I use:

• WordPress
• X (formerly Twitter)
• Instagram 
• Facebook 

More to try:

• YouTube
• LinkedIn 
• Threads

Workflow content creation process

There can be various ways to proceed.  Some methods differ slightly from others.  However, they tend to follow a similar pattern.

This example suits writing mostly:

• Research 
• Outline
• Draft
• Review
• Spell and grammar check 
• Edit and polish
• Publish
• Promote
• Review results 

In the case of making videos, the focus will be on recording and editing before publishing.  For podcasting, it’s different.  No one will see you, but listen to your episode.

Blogger productivity is crucial, and so is for any other type of creator.  Work smarter, instead of harder.  Adopt better habits and work processes.

Best practices are approaches that have already proven their value.  Follow what industry experts find helpful.  Always be open to learning better techniques.

Tools support working smarter 

What tools should you consider to help streamline your content creation process?  These support an easy content creation process.  With flow, you can work smarter and even accomplish more in less time.

Helpful tools I use:

• Google Trends 
• Gemini (at the researching stage)
• Ubersuggest 
• Answer The Public 
• Pinterest 
• Reddit
• Canva 
• Lightroom
• Buffer
• Grammarly 

Find apps and online courses that I value…

Get the resources!

Other popular tools:

• Quora
• ChatGPT 
• Adobe
• CapCut

Strategic planning is a must

Think of goal setting as an essential preliminary step for your projects.  Without devising a good plan, you may waste time and effort.  When it comes to financial resources, be mindful beforehand as well.

Analyze stats frequently, as they’re helpful.  Your insights guide you toward the behavior of your followers.  Be it social media insights or Google Analytics for your site, take better advantage.

Test to find what proves to be working.  For example, with email marketing services, you can use A/B testing for campaigns.  Replicate and reuse tactics that bring desired results.

Conclusion

The digital content creation process becomes easier with practice.  Together with the 5 C’s, they work hand in hand.  Ensure that you always include clarity, conciseness, context, curiosity, and credibility.