First off, what is a creative? This is simply someone who conceives and rolls out original, unique, and creative ideas. In short, it is someone whose job involves creative work. These are usually ideas meant for use in marketing – though it is not necessarily just limited to that. Examples of creatives are social media influencers, bloggers, podcasters, vloggers, and so on. I must point out that there is also another definition that pertains to a different context. Creatives are ads, in the form of images, videos, audio (plus other formats), that are targeted at people on digital platforms. Digital platforms refer to platforms such as websites, mobile apps, and the like. For this article, I am looking at the former definition.
Digital Marketing Services
Being creative is mainly a business or startup venture. You are in principle producing a product and you want people to appreciate it. This means a creative would want their work to reach as many people as possible. In this digital age, the best way to do that is through the use of digital marketing. The truth is many people, including creatives, might not have a good appreciation (or none at all) of digital marketing approaches. You can come in to provide such services to them so that they can push their content far and wide.
Social Media Influencer Marketing Services
This also ties into the previous point but I deliberately decided to cover it on its own. This is because an influencer can be central in digital marketing but will not necessarily be a digital marketer. Digital marketing entails aspects such as email marketing, SEO, social media marketing, and so on. Digital marketing services typically come as a bundle of several areas, unlike influencer marketing. An influencer can simply just be someone with a notable following online who gets paid to push brands. A social media influencer can be defined as someone with the power to influence people’s mindsets, conduct, and even decision making through social media. The power can stem from their authority, knowledge, skillset, position, or how they engage with people. If you fit into this definition then you can offer your services to creatives.
Graphic Design Services
The need to operate online brings in certain dynamics regarding how you present yourself. Being on social media or having a website means you have to look professional and appealing. The visual design of such platforms in terms of the content you put out entails graphical elements. I am referring to things like e-fliers, banners, images, illustrations, infographics, and so on. As a creative, one usually needs skilled people to design these things for them. That is where graphic design service providers come in.
Web Development Services
The need to have an active online presence necessitates the need for a website. Once a website is published it creates the possibility of reaching anyone in the world. It also expands one’s reach as the website and social media platforms can work symbiotically. Plus content on a website is much more likely to be picked up in web searches. Web developers can be of immense help to creatives by offering them their services.
App And Software Development Services
Not all creatives might need this but some definitely will. The nature of work done or put out by some creatives can spread faster and wider with the aid of mobile apps or software. Some creatives might not even realize that their work can be enhanced through the use of these. So despite waiting to just be approached, as an app or software developer, you can approach creatives with recommendations of what you can offer them.
Branding Services
Branding is a huge part of any business or startup venture. It is important both online and offline. Here I am mainly talking of things like branded wear (e.g. t-shirts, caps, and the like), banners, billboards, posters, and so on. There are service providers that solely focus on such services. They can be of great help to creatives in making them stand out amongst others.
Copywriting Services
This I know because I am a copywriter myself. In this day and age creatives cannot escape the need for such services. What is copywriting you might wonder? Copywriting is the writing of text-based content that is meant for use in increasing brand awareness. Such type of content takes on many different types of forms. Creatives might need things like articles, press statements, speeches, and so on – all things that entail copywriting.
These are all business ideas that are central to the day to day operations of virtually any creative. You will notice that they are largely within the digital and online domains. This shows you the indispensable need for creatives to have a robust online presence. In Zimbabwe we have so many creatives; some of (probably most) of them do not even know they are creatives. If you closely check the definition I gave you will notice most of you are creatives. The business ideas I mentioned are generally mainstream but as for creatives you can put together packages solely intended for them. That will then constitute some form of niching.
