When Hiring Content Creators
We all know by now that content marketing has become the top way to generate more leads, keep reader’s attention, improve loyalty and trust. The list goes on and on. Actually, a stat by demand metric research shows that 86% of businesses use B2C content marketing. As they should, it costs 62% less and the benefits are great (as mentioned above). This being said, there are a lot of content creators out there now so how do you know which one(s) to choose for your brand and its campaigns? There are a lot of things that you should look out for but we’ll list those that we feel are the most important.
We all know by now that content marketing has become the top way to generate more leads, keep reader’s attention, improve loyalty and trust. The list goes on and on. Actually, a stat by demand metric research shows that 86% of businesses use B2C content marketing. As they should, it costs 62% less and the benefits are great (as mentioned above). This being said, there are a lot of content creators out there now so how do you know which one(s) to choose for your brand and its campaigns? There are a lot of things that you should look out for but we’ll list those that we feel are the most important.
1. Drive. Hiring a content creator is no different than hiring anyone else on your team. You want someone with good work ethic. You want someone who’s excited about creating content. They will be good storytellers to create emotional content.
2. Expertise. Are they experts in their field? If so, they can help your brand by creating the content that is best to engage your consumers.
3. Alignment. This one is very important. You want a content creator who aligns with your brand mission. You want their personality, values, and ethics to be similar to that of your brand. This will ensure a smooth collaboration.
4. Good communication skills. This one goes without saying really. You definitely want a creator you can easily communicate with. Are they personable? Do they have a positive mindset? If they’re not friendly and easy to talk to it’s probably not going to work out. You want someone that you can easily communicate your ideas with and are comfortable speaking with.
5. Metrics. What do their metrics look like? What’s their engagement? How consistent are they posting?
6. Unique & authentic style. A unique creator style will always attract audiences. You want someone who’s going to demand attention with their uniqueness. That being said, they must be an authentic personality. People will see right through it if they’re not. You want someone who will be able to bridge that gap of trust with your consumers. Their more likely to trust the recommendations of someone who is a “regular Joe” if their an personality is genuine.
We hope that this list of traits will help you find the best content creators for your brand. We’ve worked with so many different types of creators over the years. Some were fantastic and others, well, let’s just say we probably won’t work with them anytime soon. All the amazing creators we’ve worked with have had every single one of these characteristics listed above. It’s crucial in order to have a successful and fruitful relationship that will excel your brand’s success as a team. We can find the perfect creators to help you craft your brands message. Ask us how!
Case Study
We love our business and we’d like to think that we are the absolute best in our field. But don’t take our word for it. Here is a client questionnaire review from a previous content creator that we worked with, Jennifer.
1. How did you hear of the brand?
I was contacted by someone with an opportunity to work with Locomotive.
We love our business and we’d like to think that we are the absolute best in our field. But don’t take our word for it. Here is a client questionnaire review from a previous content creator that we worked with, Jennifer.
1. How did you hear of the brand?
I was contacted by someone with an opportunity to work with Locomotive.
2. What made you decide to become a client of the Locomotive?
How quick and easy it was to come to terms and an agreement.
3. Have you ever licensed through a competing entity? If so, how did the experience compare?
No, I have not.
4. What are some challenges you faced as a content creator before deciding to license your content with Locomotive?
A major challenge was the fee charged for the content.
5. How did Locomotive help you overcome these challenges?
They were very receptive and easy with my demands.
6. What is your favorite thing about working with Locomotive?
Staff was very nice and pleasant.
7. What has made you want to remain a client with Locomotive?
The work ethics.
8. How do you plan to keep working with or use the Locomotive in the future?
We would love to continue creating content with Locomotive.
When we got this back, we can’t even express how much we appreciated it, number one and also the kind words for our work ethics and employee interactions. We always hope to repeat business with each content creator and agency that we work with so we make sure that their experience is seamless and positive overall. It’s always rewarding to see that your efforts don’t go unnoticed with clients.
Content Marketing: Self Expression and a Brief History
It can be hard sometimes to remember what life was like before the internet. Some of you reading this may not have even been around for those “prehistoric” days. When we think of content creation our minds go to videos and creators on social media platforms, but there was a time when content creation was something else. Content creation at is core is the ultimate form of self-expression. Before the internet self-expression was embodied through photography, written and spoken word.
It can be hard sometimes to remember what life was like before the internet. Some of you reading this may not have even been around for those “prehistoric” days. When we think of content creation our minds go to videos and creators on social media platforms, but there was a time when content creation was something else. Content creation at is core is the ultimate form of self-expression. Before the internet self-expression was embodied through photography, written and spoken word. In reality, content creation goes all the way back to the 1800’s. Some argue that it may even go back to Ben Franklin in 1732 when he created Poor Richard’s Almanac to promote his printing business. No one really knows exactly what moment content creation began, but in the 1900’s it started to take hold. Printing presses made content creation main stream. Michelin Guide was printed in 1900 and Jell-O release a recipe book in 1904. These types of content would reign until the conception of the internet.
The internet began in the 1960’s as a result of the Cold War. it was started as a means for government to share information between researchers even if under attack and was called Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET). The official birthday of the web is considered to be January 1, 1983 after much development and transition to widespread infrastructure. We cannot get into the entirety of the history of the internet because that information could fill a novel. It was in the 90’s that blogging, then called online diaries, became popular. This was the first recorded digital content creation of our time. Shortly after, in 1997, social media platforms are constructed. The first one was called Six Degrees and would be followed by the famed Myspace in 2003. We remember when Myspace first came out and you better believe we decked it out with our favorite songs, back drops and thoughts. This was the first of its kind and was the parent site of those we know today: Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. These all become mainstream in the 2000’s. Younger generations would probably find it strange that we’ve actually had our Facebook accounts since the very launch back in 2004. YouTube was founded shortly after in 2005 that created opportunities for vloggers and video editors. Thusly, the era of the digital content creation was spawn.
The first digital content creator and/or social media influencer was a person named Jeffree Star in 2003. He was known for his controversial opinions and unique fashion style on his Myspace profile. The formation of Myspace was the first time that people began to realize that they could create content as a representation of who they are. This took off like wildfire and not long after, influencers started popping up everywhere around 2009. This new era of self-expression through means of digital content was something that almost all of us would embrace. Some more than others. It was an outlet for creativity. A place for us to get thoughts out of our heads and help others in similar fields. It’s creative freedom. Content is what we do. We believe in user-generated content as a means to connect authentically. The future will be ruled by self-expression, and we’re here for it.
Friday Feature
This week our feature is an entrepreneur of Hazel Coffee Co., Hailey Polidori. Her coffee shop is an all mobile coffee bar in Austin, TX. Their mission is to bring creatives and community together. They serve locally roasted beans and offer bookings for events. You can request a quote by clicking the link on their website. Not only does she own this cutting-edge coffee shop, she is a content creator, a photographer and YouTuber. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Hailey and hope to do it again in the future.
This week our feature is an entrepreneur of Hazel Coffee Co., Hailey Polidori. Her coffee shop is an all mobile coffee bar in Austin, TX. Their mission is to bring creatives and community together. They serve locally roasted beans and offer bookings for events. You can request a quote by clicking the link on their website. Not only does she own this cutting-edge coffee shop, she is a content creator, a photographer and YouTuber. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Hailey and hope to do it again in the future.
Friday Feature
This week we turn to one of our furry friends. Our feature this week is of Max the dog from Vancouver, Canada. This fun-loving pup goes on all types of adventures and is absolutely adorable. We previously worked with his owners to license a piece of content during the COVID pandemic where his owner used him for leg presses while the gyms were closed. Captioned with “Only got to do 2 reps of my 40lb leg presses before my makeshift weight gave up.” What a fun way to get creative with your workouts! Big shout out to them for helping make one of our campaigns fun and exciting!
This week we turn to one of our furry friends. Our feature this week is of Max the dog from Vancouver, Canada. This fun-loving pup goes on all types of adventures and is absolutely adorable. We previously worked with his owners to license a piece of content during the COVID pandemic where his owner used him for leg presses while the gyms were closed. Captioned with “Only got to do 2 reps of my 40lb leg presses before my makeshift weight gave up.” What a fun way to get creative with your workouts! Big shout out to them for helping make one of our campaigns fun and exciting!
Friday Feature 10/7/22
We’re taking you to the sunny beaches of your living room. Wait what? That’s right! You heard us. This surf video went viral back in March of 2020 of Sailah Nicol and her brother surfing on the rug in their living room. Their father is pro surfer, Yadin Nicol who is also featured in this video pulling the rug up into a wave. This video is probably up there with one our favorites that we’ve licensed over our years here at Locomotive. Head over to Instagram and show her page some love and support with a follow.
We’re taking you to the sunny beaches of your living room. Wait what? That’s right! You heard us. This surf video went viral back in March of 2020 of Sailah Nicol and her brother surfing on the rug in their living room. Their father is pro surfer, Yadin Nicol who is also featured in this video pulling the rug up into a wave. This video is probably up there with one our favorites that we’ve licensed over our years here at Locomotive. Head over to Instagram and show the families page some love and support with a follow.
Friday Feature
This week we turn to a producer and director, Christin Baker. She is co-founder of tellofilms.com and proud creator of lesbian content. We worked with her on a Rapinoe spot many moons ago now. It’s our pleasure to showcase her talent. She was great to work with. To read more on the amazing work she produces, visit her IMDb page.
This week we turn to a producer and director, Christin Baker. She is co-founder of tellofilms.com and proud creator of lesbian content. We worked with her on a Rapinoe spot many moons ago now. It’s our pleasure to showcase her talent. She was great to work with. To read more on the amazing work she produces, visit her IMDb page.
Friday Feature
This week’s content feature goes out to talented movie character, Nick Darnell. We loved working with him to license his dancing video of the #sugechallenge. Not only can he act, he can definitely dance too! As we are watching this video shot in front of a Circle K gas station with the caption, “They kept tryna gas us up all weekend,” you see the gas prices on the sign behind them. WOW! This may give you an idea of how long ago we sourced this video. Give him a follow for fun content.
This week’s content feature goes out to talented movie character, Nick Darnell. We loved working with him to license his dancing video of the #sugechallenge. Not only can he act, he can definitely dance too! As we are watching this video shot in front of a Circle K gas station with the caption, “They kept tryna gas us up all weekend,” you see the gas prices on the sign behind them. WOW! This may give you an idea of how long ago we sourced this video. Give him a follow for fun content.
Friday Feature
This week our spotlight goes out to a fitness trainer, Kari who specializes in women’s weight lifting. Also known as @thedonuttrainer, this Canadian woman is a certified personal trainer and gym owner in Sarnia, ON. It was a pleasure working with this creator on one of our previous campaigns. Her social media account focuses on fitness, nutrition and weight lifting. She posts often about nutrition information, workouts and fitness tips. Give her a follow for healthy lifestyle info and proper workout techniques.
This week our spotlight goes out to a fitness trainer, Kari who specializes in women’s weight lifting. Also known as @thedonuttrainer, this Canadian woman is a certified personal trainer and gym owner in Sarnia, ON. It was a pleasure working with this creator on one of our previous campaigns. Her social media account focuses on fitness, nutrition and weight lifting. She posts often about nutrition information, workouts and fitness tips. Give her a follow for healthy lifestyle info and proper workout techniques.
Friday Feature
This is our first Friday content creator feature. We thought it about time to switch it up a bit from our Friday fun favorite campaigns. If you loved it, don’t worry. It’s not gone. Just taking a break for a while. This week’s creator shout out goes to Vibe Salon in Atlanta. We recently worked with them on one of our campaigns helping source content for an Oreo spot. If you live in the Atlanta area you should check them out! It was a pleasure working with them and it seems they do amazing things with hair! Have a great weekend all!