While driving down a crowded Johnston Street in Lafayette, Louisiana, my mind races with its usual overthinking. It’s funny how we often drive on autopilot – changing lanes, stopping, and heading to our next destination without much thought. While focusing on the road, my peripheral vision picks up the endless row of billboards, lining the street like a tunnel of advertisements. Words shout at me, urging me to pull into a drive-thru for a shiny new drink, call the best insurance lawyer in town, or try a top-notch local restaurant. It’s wild how words can trigger physical reactions – my stomach rumbles, and before I know it, my blinker is on. The words have won.

The Magic of Content

This got me thinking: isn’t it funny how our world practically revolves around content? One minute, someone’s craving a solution, and poof – a perfectly timed post pops up ready to save the day. The magic of content generation is coming up with clever ideas, writing and storyboarding them out and sending them into the world through social media, podcasts or blogs. It’s like the ultimate game of content pitch and catch – pitch and post it and they read and follow it.

For me, writing is the ultimate form of content. Since I was a kid with a million things to say, my thoughts would somehow get lost in translation when I spoke. But writing? That’s where the magic happens. I’ve always admired its art – how it can be sharp and straight to the point or sweep you off your feet and take you on an adventure. With writing, the endless possibilities are what makes it so irresistible.

Writing for content has its own kind of magic. Sometimes the words flow effortlessly, as if they’re writing themselves. Other times, it’s more laborious, requiring careful thought and revision. It’s a mix of effortless flow and deliberate purpose. But what comes out can be transformed into website copy, brought to life as a graphic or uploaded as the perfect social media caption. Writing is the Swiss Army Knife of marketing – it can be stretched, squeezed and shaped into just about anything you need.

Planting the Seed

Here I am, interning at Foster Marketing, applying everything I’ve picked up from school and experiences. Being an intern feels a bit like being a rookie driver – mindful of every little mistake and learning as I go. I’m typing with cautious optimism, pondering the question: What does content generation mean to me? For me, it’s like planting seeds that I can watch grow. It’s all about crafting messages that convert – breaking down how to write with purpose and weaving in a call to action that makes people sit up and think, “Yep, I need this!”

Which brings me back to those billboards on Johnston Street. What made me flick on my blinker? Why do some ads grab attention while others fade away like yesterday’s news? The real question is: how do I get an audience to flick that blinker up or down? For me, it all boils down to authenticity. When a brand is honest, human and natural, it earns trust and trust is the secret sauce of content creation. It’s what makes people stop scrolling and start connecting. Great content doesn’t end with its creation; it’s meant to be reshaped, reused and reimagined, keeping the conversation going long after its first shared.