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How to quit with social media

Digital content creation: a practical guide
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CREATIVE CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

Introduction. Digital content creation and DIGCOMP 2.2

DigComp is a framework created by the European Commission to assess and understand digital competencies. 

The latest version, DigComp 2.2, has seven main areas of focus, including communication and collaboration, digital content creation, and safety. 

This framework helps individuals, organizations, and policymakers improve their understanding of digital skills.

Competence 3, which involves developing digital content, falls under the Digital Content Creation area of DigComp. This competence can be applied in the field of entertainment and culture. Developing this competence enhances digital literacy and enables full participation in the cultural and entertainment opportunities offered by the digital age.

 

Quality content

If your vocation is to create quality content (cultural, informative or leisure) to attract and engage visitors, you have to stay away from unverified sources of information and avoid plagiarism. 
Your aim should be to create online content that provides your users with incentives through three main media:

     
Text   Image   Audio  

 

Text content

Before you start writing, you must have in mind who you are writing to and what message you want to convey.

  • Post original content: Try to make your content unique and don’t be afraid to use your imagination. 
     
  • Interact with your readers
  • Directly: always reply to comments, especially in cases of negative feedback
  • Indirectly: try to address your audience directly when writing
  • Use keywords: This way it will be easier fro users to find your content. Remember to use keywords especially in the first paragraph
     
Creating digital textual content is slightly different from writing text that will be printed. The reader's attention is divided differently on the screen and it is also important to consider the dynamics of the internet.
  • Use Proper Formatting for Readability: Your content must be easily read and the way you format and design it plays a major role in the outcome. Use small blocks of text, headings and subheadings, lists. People and search engines prefer that to long text paragraphs.

 

Graphic content

Graphic design is the activity and art of using visual content to communicate ideas. The visual content (images, videos, infographics), has a greater impact on the user.

On websites such as Freepik, Pexels and Pixabay you can find free photos and images that you can use as they are or you can customize them.
  It is possible to filter by color, orientation, dimension, type of image (photo, vector, icon…), etc.
Apps like Canva and Powtoon allow you to create more original and personalised contents. They are very easy to use and provide some guides and tutorials.
  With these apps, images and videos can be created and customised from scratch or from predefined templates.

 

Audio content

The same rules of offline communication apply when creating audio content online. The interlocutor wants to be entertained, not instructed. To achieve this, you could for example try speaking with emotion, varying the pace of speech and your vocal tone.

Consider recording together with other people on a more or less constant basis. They can be 'occasional guests', interviewees or co-hosts.
  Don't let distance stop you. You can use platforms like Zoom or Google Meet to record with someone remotely.
     
One thing to pay close attention to when recording is background noise. To create quality content, you have to minimise any interference and create a controlled environmental environment that softens sounds and eliminates echoes.
 
  Before you start recording, test and hear if there is any interference or if the sound is clean enough. If you can, soundproof the room with adhesive acoustic rolls or panels and equip your microphone with an anti-pop filter.

 

 

There are several applications, software and websites that allow you to edit your audio easily and intuitively. Among them, Audacity is a completely free audio software.

Audacity allows you to record your audio live or import it, edit it and add effects. All this while guaranteeing a fairly high level of sound quality.

 

ONLINE PLATFORMS

Website

Online platforms are the best way to bring your information, cultural, service or leisure projects to the user. Your website, for example, can become a reference of truthful and verified information.

Wix is the World's largest website builder, with more than 100 million users.
It has several functionalities and offers the possibility of designing a website in 3 different ways.
Thanks to its editor, it is possible to design the site in complete freedom, but always in an easy and intuitive way thanks to drag and drop technology.
Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) allows you to create your website by exploiting the potential of AI. 
 

 

Wix offers a large number of design templates to choose from. 
Select a template adapted to what will be the subject of your website
 

 

Choose the design you like and edit the website. This is an example of an online book club website.

 
   
  • All texts and menus can be modified by simply clicking on them.
  • You can intuitively upload your logo and photos.
  • The template includes all the standard sections of the chosen activity.
  • You can add new sections easily.
  • You have a save option so that you do not lose track of where you are.
  • At any time you can check how your design is progressing with the Preview option. 
  • When everything is ready you just have to click the publish button to publish your site.
 

 

Blog

A blog is a key tool for cultural or leisure content. Through our blog we can publish theatre or film reviews, inform about future exhibitions or events, and suggest attractive leisure activities.

 

Blogger is one of the best options to create your blog without any coding or programming skills. 
You only need a bit of creativity and imagination.
Remember: creativity can and must be cultivated to reach its full potential. If you practise it constantly, creativity can be learned. 
 

 

There are different templates to choose from, but you can also design it totally by yourself.
It is very simple and a quick process.

 

  • You can easily customise the images, texts, add a logo, etc.
  • You will be posting blogs in a few minutes.
This is an example of blog with its first post.
It was created in just 15 minutes by modifying and customising a template on Blogger.

 

Podcast

Podcasts are digital audio files published and distributed on internet as a series of episodes. The podcast format is excellent for generating discussions on current topics, interviews with personalities, readings, etc.
These episodes can be published on one's own site or on podcast hosting platforms. These types of platforms generally allow greater visibility and offer additional services.
 

  One of the most famous is Spotify, a digital music service that also allows the publication of podcasts free of charge.
 
  Buzzsprout, on the other hand, is a real podcast hosting platform that also offers a free service package.

 

Publishing a podcast on Buzzsprout is very easy. Once you have selected your payment plan (there is a free basic package), you enter your podcast information: title, description, profile picture, category, language and time zone.

 

  • You can immediately start uploading episodes. The free package allows a maximum of 2 hours of podcasts per month. 
  • You can customize the player and the page layout and colors as well as the domain name of the URL page.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND TIPS

General tips

Research
  Research what other content creators in your specific area are doing and talking about, how much content they post and with what frequency.
Try to understand your audience
  Interact with them and try to understand what they like to post more specific content.
Be careful with what you share
  Double-check the information you share with your audience and trust only reliable sources and search engines (like Google Scholar)
Find your voice
  Put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to put your own spin to your content. Even when you follow trends, you can do it with your own style.

 

Do’s and Don’ts

DO…

 

DON’T…

Look for visual clarity Center everything  
Cut unnecessary information Copy content  
Use obvious keywords Overwhelm with too much content  
Keyword research Use jargon or acronyms  
Find a niche Ramble  
Keep practicing Get discouraged  
SUMMING UP

Summing up

Quality content Website and blog
You must have in mind who is your audience and what message you want to convey.
 
With Wix and Blogger you can easly create yourself a website and blog.
 
Visual content Podcast
It has a greater impact on users and it can easily enhance other types of content. Starting a podcast is very easy. Once you recorded episodes you only have to publish them on specific podcast hosting sites.

 



Keywords

Digital content, audio content, website, blog, podcast

Objectives/goals

⮚  Promote culture, correct information and critical thinking through content creation

⮚  Explain the different types of digital content and the tools that can help with their development

⮚  Discuss the main platforms where to publish content and the existing free tools to develop them

⮚   Discuss the potentiality of audio content and podcasts, and how to develop them


Description

⮚  Learn how to develop quality digital content (text, graphic and audio)
⮚  Learn to develop and manage online platforms like websites and blogs
⮚  Learn to set up a podcast

Bibliography