Content writing can be a dream job for many, as being a content writer comes with some big perks. It depend upon your position; you can have the flexibility of work from home or your favorite coffee shop. You can choose your niche or what topics you want to write about and see your work published and produce real value.
But these content writing jobs are not as simple as they sound, and of course, there are some sections where you need to work to become a prosperous content writer. So here are ten sets of skills that any renowned content writer must have their hands on to overcome some of the biggest difficulties in the industry.
But before we discuss the effective skills of content writing, let’s find out first its types.
Types Of Content Writing
Here are the kinds of content writing you might end up doing for a profession. Or, if you are hiring a content writer, you might want to search experts from the different categories — depending on your business requirements.
1. SEO Content Writing
When content writing is done to rank in search engines and drive traffic is known as SEO content writing. Typically it involves blog posts, though it could include other web pages targeting keywords like your services page. The purpose of this sort of writing is to create brand awareness.
2. Long-Form Writing
As the name hints, these are long articles crossing 2000 words, 2500 words, or even more, depending on your industry. Long-form blog posts have become the standard in competitive niches such as SaaS and B2B because they rank in search engines.
Such content can improve your website rank in search engines for many keywords as they naturally include many. Also, long-form projects could include whitepapers and Ebooks — though they are less common than blog posts.
3. B2B Content Writing
It involves writing explicitly done for a business audience and generally for the purpose of SEO. Commonly, it consists of blog posts to teach and inform your readers, though content written for a business audience on social media could also be grouped under B2B content.
4. Landing Page Copywriting
A page with features of software or products where your prospects “land.” Such writing aims to persuade a landing page visitor to become a customer. Joanna Wiebe, a copywriting thought leader, invented the term conversion copywriter to clique all kinds of such writing, leading a visitor to “convert.”
5. Email Copywriting
It covers writing attention-grabbing subject lines to ensure your recipients open your email and keep them engaged throughout your email — all the way to making them visit your product page. For bloggers, it could also add newsletters and general updates to educate their subscribers.
6. Product Copywriting
This sort requires crafting sales copy and descriptions for a website’s product pages, generally an Ecommerce store. The product copywriter could also craft the words for a product’s promotional material, including social media advertisements, brochures, banners, emails, and landing pages.
7. Website Copywriting
Typically this includes web content writing for a business website. A web copywriter researches a business, their customers, the products they sell and codifies their brand’s message through compelling copy for their website.
8. Technical Writing
Such writing consists of creating step-by-step tutorials for complex and specialized subjects trying to clarify information. A few examples of technical writing involve end-user documentation of a product, a how-to guide, or a journal. And industries, where it’s employed are financial services, manufacturing, energy, and medical.
9. Script Writing
If you like being a creative content writer, then scriptwriting could be the most like you will come to it. It involves crafting content for multimedia formats such as explainer videos, radio advertisements, or even podcast scripts. Express Writers give a script writing service from their experts.
10. Ghostwriting
You are writing where you give the credits for your creative work to another writer or business. Many businesses use ghostwriters to produce a huge amount of content for their blog and publish it under their founder’s name. Newsletters, web copy, articles, speeches, and even books could all be ghostwritten.
11. Freelance Writing
If the writing is done for money by a self-employed professional on a contract basis is called freelance writing. Clients define their requirements and inform the expected style to such writers, which they then deliver on a deadline. If you can produce great content for a particular industry, you can become an in-demand freelance writer.
12. Brand Journalism
It’s journalism style storytelling done by a writing professional on behalf of a brand. The purpose of such writers is to earn and gather the attention of their audience. You can consider them as better versions of press releases — where you talk about your business without coming across as self-promotional.
The 88 Acres story created by the folks at Microsoft using their products is one the best brand journalism examples in the recent past.
Effective Content Writing Skills
Effective content writing is the quality to write clear, constant and related content that gives a charming experience for your company’s target audience. The use of effective content writing leads them to visit your company’s website for more knowledge.
Although there is no hidden formula for writing high-quality content, these are some tips that can help enhance the quality and quantity of your written material:
1. Brainstorming Skills
Substantial research is the key to getting the most minute and essential information about the topic you are about to write down. It attaches credibility to your work, and most importantly, it also provides excellent value to the piece itself.
Hence, it becomes obligatory to find exciting yet reliable information from reliable online resources. Generally, experts can become great resources if you acquire the right knowledge with good interviewing skills. Other than that, you can look up some help on your best friend Google but at the same time need to check its authenticity too.
2. Adaptability
This might seem simple, but a lot of content falls flat because the tone and style don’t match the purpose of the piece or the culture of the brand. For instance, a landing page should probably contain short and designed copy to persuade the reader to take action. In contrast, a white paper will likely work best with more details to explain a more complicated issue.
Regarding tone, blog posts for a scientific equipment company targeting medical researchers will likely be much different from posts for an organic food shop targeting a more comprehensive range of health-conscious consumers. The more styles you can learn and the more quickly you can adapt, the more valuable you’ll be as a content writer.
3. Good SEO Knowledge
Great content writers know all the in’s and out’s of the world of SEO, and they are always on the top of SEO trends – after all, even if you draft a piece that you think is best won’t be useful if it doesn’t reach your audience. It becomes essential that you keep up with the latest algorithmic updates from Google and know how to use keywords effectively and create SEO-friendly titles and descriptions.
4. Strong Research Skills
Good research is vital for good content writing – it attaches credibility and, most importantly, value. Therefore, it’s vital to find trustworthy and interesting information from reliable sources online. Experts are especially great resources if you can effectively get the correct information with good interviewing skills.
5. Organizational Skills
Organizing is not just about having a clean workspace; it’s about keeping on top of the writing jobs you’ve taken on.
Keep a calendar and know your deadlines. Most smartphones even have programs that will help you organize your time. Turning an assignment in late sends a wrong message to your customers and often won’t give the editors enough time to proof your article. Prioritize your jobs so you get them all done promptly.
6. Staying in Demand
You may be an exceptional writer, but your job opportunities will be restricted if you don’t stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Join writing and freelance communities, improve your online portfolios, be content with cold emailing, support different social platforms and market examples of your work.
Having an active presence on a few social platforms will not only make you more inclined to get specific writing jobs, but you will also make useful contacts. Clients are always looking to expand their reach so if you can offer to share content with your network; they will have an added incentive to hire you.
7. Communication Skills:
Communicate with the customer to avoid any confusion. If you have any suspicions regarding the project, let your customer know about it and ask them. Writing involves a lot of communication processes, especially when it comes to your clients.
Make sure you leave no scope of error and get in touch with your client if any problem persists. While writing to your client, consider it as an official communication and proofread your message beforehand. The customer will never forget your courtesy.
8. Using Social Media
Social sites are more of a medium than a hub for meeting people. Most business owners view social media as a whole market. Most of them spend a significant sum of money promoting their products using social media marketing mainly because it is a great way to create word-of-mouth.
Social media is also a helpful tool for creating viral marketing. Try getting recognized first and make sure that you are a known name in the industry, and use social media sites in the most practical ways possible. It would be best if you were great at making up relationships with people both on and offline.
9. Editing and re-editing
The very first draft doesn’t always require to be perfect. Editing skills need a lot of tolerance, a good eye for detail, and discipline. Look out for overused words and irrelevant points and check grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In content writing, more time is required for editing the content rather than writing one.
Once you have finished your content, read it once without being biased, just like any reader would. You are making your content free from a grammatical standpoint by doing this.
10. Ability to meet deadlines
You require to understand that your client has given you enough time to work on the assignment, and submitting your work on time will show your professionalism and reliability. This means managing time is essential to determine how many jobs you can work and deliver on time without being rejected.
Content Writing Platforms
You can decide to apply for assignments on various content writing platforms to receive work. This isn’t the most effective way to become a freelance content writer, but it can be less stressful and give you more time to focus on writing rather than sales.
When you find your own companies to write content, you will be responsible for finding the client, organizing the contract and payment terms, and doing all the customer service tasks, including delivering the assignment and follow up. Content writing platforms take care of this for you and give you a portion of their clients’ charge to write the work.
1. CopyPress
CopyPress pays out writing assignments per word, depending on specific campaigns. As a content writer, you will be assigned projects that you can accept or decline. An editor will review your work. Projects are typically blog posts in the 300- to 500-word range. While some reviews on Glassdoor suggest a net-90 payment window and low payment rates, other reviews note high work volume.
2. Scripted
Scripted has writers bidding on client writing projects, either by pitching themselves as writers or pitching ideas based on a client request. You prefer the flat rate for the project, and Scripted adds on a nominal fee. There are no editors to review your writing. Instead, it goes directly to the client for feedback. For this reason, you must be able to proofread your own assignments well.
3. ContentWriters
ContentWriters charges flat-rate writing assignments based on your areas of expertise. You could be asked to develop proposed blog ideas or be offered regular writing assignments for a specific client or campaign. An editor reviews the work, and an administrator is typically accountable for taking care of the customer service aspects of the project. Depending on your niche, this could translate into a fair amount of assignments paid out twice a month through PayPal.
Final Words
Certainly, there’s a complete lot of scope in a content writing career. Besides, the content writing salary package is also quite attractive.
Ensure that you are rich with the skill discussed earlier. Go spread the word and hit the market with your strong content writing skills. No other than yourself can stop you from being a good content writer as long as you are certain about yourself.
