Activity 15: Content Creation Tools

Read on and follow the step by step instructions.

Step 1: Choosing Your Topic and Defining Brand Style

Welcome, VAs! Today’s challenge puts your content creation skills to the test.  Choose one of the following topics to write a 100-word blog post for:

• The Power of Upcycling: Transforming Trash into Treasure (Target Audience: Eco-conscious millennials)
• Essential Time Management Tips for Busy VAs (Target Audience: Virtual Assistants)
• 5 Must-Have Productivity Apps to Streamline Your Workflow (Target Audience: Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners)

Brand Style Guide:

• Tone: Informative, engaging, and friendly
• Approach: Provide actionable tips and insights for the target audience.
• Voice: Authoritative yet approachable
• Length: 1000 words

Step 2: Crafting Your Content with AI Assistance

Once you’ve chosen your topic, leverage the power of AI writing tools to jumpstart your content creation process.  Here’s how:

• Utilize Chat GPT or a similar AI writing tool: Briefly outline the key points you want to cover in your article. Then, use the AI tool to generate content based on your outline.
• Refine and Edit: Remember, AI-generated content might require polishing. Use Grammarly to ensure your writing is error-free and grammatically correct.

Step 3: Hemingway App – Editing for Clarity

After refining your content in Grammarly, upload it to the Hemingway Editor app.  This tool will highlight areas where your writing could be made clearer and more concise.  Aim for a readability score of 9 or 10 to ensure your content is easily understood by your target audience.

Step 4:  Creating a Captivating Featured Image

A visually appealing featured image is essential for grabbing attention and drawing readers to your blog post. Here’s what you need to do:

• Image Dimensions: The ideal size for your featured image is 1200px x 630px.
• Stock Photos: Head over to Unsplash or Pexels to find high-quality, royalty-free stock photos that complement your chosen topic.
• Canva Magic: Use Canva, a free graphic design tool, to edit your chosen stock photo and create a visually stunning featured image. Consider adding text elements or design overlays to make your image stand out.

Bonus Points:

Include internal links to relevant blog posts on your client’s website within your article. Optimize your blog post for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords.

Remember:

This is a simulated exercise.  The actual length of your content may vary depending on your chosen topic and client requirements.  The key takeaway is to showcase your ability to leverage various tools throughout the content creation workflow – from AI writing assistance to editing and visual design.

Download the worksheet provided. Fill out the spaces with your final output on the article.

Once you are done saving, upload the said file as well as your article featured image below:

Note: Please ensure that you have answered all questions and click the submit button. Once you’ve clicked submit, click the link below to proceed to the next lesson.

Please click here to proceed.