I started working from home full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was writing and editing for an education company and loved the flexibility of my schedule. Now, 2 years later, I am continuing to freelance by offering design and copywriting services. I started Southerly Design in 2018 after learning graphic design through self-taught methods by avidly consuming online YouTube tutorials and Skillshare classes. I’ve built a portfolio and website to highlight my services and design work. I updated my website and rebranded during the pandemic to offer more digital content creation to meet the design and copy needs of businesses.

I’ve honed my skills since I started in 2018 to include patterns, illustrations, and branding. While I absolutely love design work, I came across more of a need for copywriting during the pandemic. As I mentioned I was working mostly full-time with one agency writing about psychology topics, which fit well with my niche and experience given that I have a BA in psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill. I loved incorporating more writing into my work, and when I left that agency I realized I could add copywriting services to Southerly Design as every new business needs copy for their online presence.

Pandemic and Remote Work

The pandemic caused our workforce to re-examine the traditional work environment in order to reduce the transmission of disease. We had to quickly reassess our work schedules and pivot our skill sets to prioritize what is important to us, e.g. taking remote work to reduce disease transmission. I quit my part-time job in town early on in 2020 and took the copywriting position so I could stay safe during the pandemic at home. A lot of jobs embraced the work-from-home life, and I genuinely cannot imagine going back to work in a full-time traditional job. I personally love it! It works perfectly for a graphic designer and freelancer! I realized I loved the work I was doing and wanted to incorporate copywriting into the services I already offered with Southerly Design. So I rebranded and made the decision to spend more time freelancing.

What is a Digital Content Creator?

While this does not sound like a real job, it is very high in demand! I am often on social media. I love Instagram and Facebook stories to quickly update close friends and family on what I’m up to, from what I am designing, cooking, or crafting to my travel-related posts. This is all digital content creation. But it is also so much more! As I am writing this blog post, this is a big chunk of digital content creation as bloggers need content for their blogs and they need readers to consume that content!

A digital content creator makes content for the web, whether it be for social media purposes, blogs, email newsletters, landing pages for websites, digital media ads, and blasts. I may be hired to sketch a logo from scratch, design a promotional poster for social media use, or write a blog with SEO-driven copy (search engine optimization) and keywords to rank higher in a Google search. I’ve been hired to do all of these things since I create digital content.

Digital Content Takes the form of:

Website Design (landing pages, titles of web pages, FAQs sections, about us sections)
Graphic Design
Branding and Brand Identity
Illustration
Blog Posts
Marketing and Promotional Copy
Email Newsletters
Social Media Graphics (Blog Graphics, Pinterest pins, Favicons, Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook banners, and cover images)
Social Media Posts, Reels, and Stories
Videos and Video Editing

Short-Form and Long-Form Copy

Short-form content is copy that is brief, e.g. an Instagram post about a book I am currently reading. A copywriter may work on a tagline or slogan. For example, I put the services I offer under my logo on all socials (pattern, illustration, branding, and copywriting). Long-form content is copy that has more depth and length. For example, this blog post!

Marketing uses copywriting to persuade a person to make a purchase or use a product using psychology. The Nike slogan Just do it is a form of copy and a call to action to just lace up your (Nike) shoes and exercise.

Content writers provide education. They are informative in the sense that they provide the reader with helpful information, e.g. a recipe or a how-to tutorial. Writers use theories of psychology to connect with an audience through powers of persuasion, the appeals to pathos (emotion), ethos (credibility), and logos (reason).

Demand for Digital Content Creation

While I still do design work, I’m now shifting to creating more digital content to meet the endless demand for digital media. Our world is quickly becoming fully reliant upon digital content as we engage with digital content if not by the minute, at least by the hour. We constantly have digital content in our view, from a friend’s Instagram posts about how to style an outfit, to a news article on the latest current events. If you’re not sure what to cook for dinner, you may pull up a recipe from a food blogger. This is digital content.

Every business needs an online presence. I write short-form and long-form copy for businesses. I write on topics of psychology, education, mental health, art, literature, and home and garden. I write blog posts for online publications and have done editorial illustrations., logos, and graphics for businesses. By being a digital content creator, I can combine my creative energy used in design with writing to create digital content for businesses.

Reasons to Hire a Freelancer

Copywriters are contract workers, meaning it is a low-risk, and short-term commitment.
Work can be done remotely.
Reduces workload and stress.
Frees up more time for enjoyable tasks at work.

Let me know how I can help! It is hard to get everything done at work, respond to emails, publish blog posts, manage social media accounts, write emails, and update websites. It can help to outsource some of your tasks to be more productive and less stressed! I would love to help you!

If you’re a photographer, you could free up more time for photo shoots if you hire a copywriter to write blog posts highlighting your skill, expertise, and creative business. If you are a food blogger and love the cooking component, but hate writing your posts, a copywriter comes in handy! When we have more time for our optimal work, we thrive. We’re less stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out about our work. We have more time for the job we love when we can delegate. Click here to email me to see how I can help your business. I would love to work with you!

Digital Content Creation