The Unstoppable Rise of the Digital Content Creator

I’m typing this article on a pretty powerful machine — and it’s no bigger than the size of a Vogue magazine.

On this same machine, I can collaborate, record, edit, and publish a video — or even a movie.

I can record, edit, and publish a podcast.

Software has made all this — and more — a reality.

A funny twist of fate

Software has now come to a point where it shoulders most of our economic growth.

But with each wave of new tech comes a strong demand for professionals who can help the average person understand and use the power behind software: trainers and salespeople.

In a surprising twist of fate, this demand makes those once useless liberal arts majors a hot item for tech companies.

These companies are learning you simply can’t program creativity, diplomacy, or empathy.

Software and digital content creators have become a powerful pair.

Engineering a faster route to content creation

Software developers are so critical because of their ability to automate (through apps, plugins, and robust code) just about every manual task you can imagine.

We liberal arts majors love software engineers for this, because automating difficult tasks allows us to focus on what we do best.

Case in point: It took me (an English Literature major) about eight hours using the Rainmaker Platform to create a website that is optimized for SEO, mobile responsive, and beautiful. I just uploaded the theme and tweaked it to my liking.

I can have a stellar online presence without knowing how to code — all the hard work was done for me.

Now I can focus on doing what I do best — reading, researching, thinking, and writing.

This is true for a bevy of digital content creators:

• photographers
• graphic designers
• writers
• podcasters
• gamers
• video producers

Creative professionals can now create content in their own space, on their own time. And share it with (or sell it to) the world — thanks to software engineers.

The insatiable appetite for content

And don’t think the demand for this content is going to slow down.

The content marketing world alone is a $44 billion industry, making content creator jobs abundant in just about any industry under the sun.

And if working for someone else isn’t your cup of tea, rejoice.

In a 2010 report published by Intuit, 40 percent of Americans could be working for themselves as freelancers or entrepreneurs by 2020 (entering the ranks of what Brian Clark affectionately calls the “unemployable”).

That’s good news. But I predict that number could be even higher, because in this digital world there are countless ways to create a minimum viable product that starts your business.

Here’s further evidence the demand for digital content will only rise: many children who grew up on digital content will be adults by 2020.

It’s only fair to point out that this is also the generation who taught us not to be ashamed of bingeing.

Bingeing on TV, podcasts, videos, games, and social media, that is. You name it. They want it. We want it. And we want it in an endless variety of ways.

And digital content delivery makes the satisfaction of even the most peculiar taste (pun ahead) possible.

Look no further than the self-publishing industry to see what I mean. Only in a digital economy like ours could Craig Smith publish a book called How to Drink Your Own Urine — and get two five-star reviews.

Content creators, remember this

Here’s the thing to keep in mind: digital content creators and entrepreneurs who are carving out lives on their own terms have software engineers to thank for their success.

Long live the software engineer. Long live digital content.