For skilled, deadline-driven solopreneurs who want to make a fortune helping firms develop successful digital marketing material, becoming a freelance content writer is an ideal work-at-home opportunity.
Blog articles, website pages, email newsletters, product descriptions, and white papers are all examples of this. The rise in demand for high-quality material shows no signs of abating anytime soon, so now is an excellent time to get started.
Definition of Content Writing?
Let’s start from the beginning: what exactly is content writing? Material writing is the process of creating content, usually for marketing objectives, in the area of digital marketing. Although you might think of blog posts and website landing pages when you hear this term, it can refer to any type of material that takes planning, writing, and editing.
Content writers frequently produce blog entries and site pages, as well as social media postings and email marketing, press releases, and video and audio scripts. It’s a broad discipline that covers a wide range of digital marketing topics.
What You Need to Become a Content Writer
First and foremost, you need to be able to write. When faced with a blank page and limited information, take command by devising a strategy for producing outstanding, compelling content. This may be accomplished by studying the subject, putting your thoughts into an outline, producing content, and evaluating it for faults.
Because most content writing tasks pay by the hour rather than by the hour, wasting time means earning less money in the long run. In an ideal world, you’d finish as many projects as possible without sacrificing quality. If the prospect of producing a large amount of material on a tight deadline makes you shudder, becoming a freelance content writer may not be for you.
You’ll need a few things to do the process, including:
- A stable and secure internet connection on a laptop or desktop computer.
- Microsoft Word (the formatting flaws from downloaded Google Docs files are unacceptable for many clients).
- A Skype account for conference meetings and video conversations with clients.
- A calendar to keep track of invoice due dates and project completion dates.
- A free Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For tax reasons, an EIN can be substituted for your social security number on W9s.
How to Get Content Writing Jobs
You may find content writing employment in a variety of ways. It’s advisable to contact businesses directly or apply for freelance content writing jobs posted on websites like Indeed.com. Applying to advertised calls for freelance writers is a wonderful method to find out which firms are hiring. Companies that publish these advertising, on the other hand, sometimes receive hundreds, if not thousands, of candidates, making it difficult for rookie content writers to find their first clients.
For many authors, contacting marketing firms, content writing businesses, magazines, and other companies that produce a lot of material is a better method. Because the editors at these organizations are likely to be too busy to advertise for new writers, there will be fewer applications to compete with. To become a full-time freelance content writer, you don’t need many clients. With only a few regular clients, many writers have ample work.
Best Writing Niches for Beginning Content Writers
A freelance writing niche is a focus on a certain topic or style of material.
A topic is “what” you write about, and it’s most likely the first thing that comes to mind when considering a niche. Personal finance, digital marketing, and technology are just a few examples.
You also have a content type, which refers to “how” you write about it or the format in which you write it. Blog pieces, case studies, and white papers are just a few examples (there are many more to come).
Specializing, or becoming an “expert” in your chosen niche topic or business, might help you make more money. Why? Clients are prepared to pay more for authors who are familiar with their business and target demographic.
After all, as a freelance writer, you’re in the business of selling your clients’ products. And you must know how to talk directly to a client’s prospects or consumers in order to develop outstanding marketing and blog material for them.
Plus, specialization allows you to write more quickly. You’ll acquire a bank of copious research materials as a specialized writer, in addition to the information in your mind. The greater your hourly rate is, the faster you can write.
Having a freelance writing specialization also provides you a place to start when it comes to marketing. You’ll be able to identify which companies to approach and what writing services to offer them. Pitching businesses or aggressively pursuing specialty writing tasks will pay off more than just replying to content mill and job board adverts.
Here are some writing niches that most writers can write:
- Digital marketing
- E-Books
- Ghostwriting
- Cryptocurrency
- Technology
Best Free Content Writing Training
Spend time reading and watching videos on content writing training if you want to be a successful content writer. A few websites that offer professional training are listed below:
1 Skillshare
Although Skillshare Premium is paid, you may view lessons for free during a 14-day trial period that comes under the premium category. Skillshare is available through some libraries. Other classes in blogging, marketing writing, and business writing are also available at no cost.
2 Content Marketing Certification from HubSpot
HubSpot has 21 free certification courses to choose from, each of which takes several hours to complete. The content marketing certification course is the most popular among content writers. You’ll take an exam to get certified at the conclusion of each one.
3 Udemy
Udemy provides both free and paid writing, marketing, and SEO instruction. It is one of the most popular online learning platforms in the United States.
Best Content Writing Tools
The following tools make being a freelance content writer simple and economical. While there are likely methods to get by without paying for these writing tools, the alternatives would likely take longer and lose you clients.
Grammarly
For error-free writing, Grammarly is one of the greatest content writing tools. It proofreads your content for errors in language, spelling, and punctuation. You may use this incredible tool to check and self-edit your own work.
It also gives you information about your article’s word count, reading duration, vocabulary, and readability score.
It will examine your material for extra writing faults if you purchase the Premium edition. Your word choice, missing prepositions, and wordy sentences are all examples of these problems.
ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is an AI-powered content writing tool that can help you improve your writing skills.
ProWritingAid, like the grammar checkers we all use, helps you detect and repair embarrassing grammar and spelling errors. But it also accomplishes a great deal more.
It helps you enhance the clarity, strength, vocabulary, and style of your writing, making it more convincing and entertaining for the reader.
There are 20 reports in ProWritingAid that focus on different parts of your writing. It also includes articles, videos, and quizzes to make the editing process more enjoyable, engaging, and informative.
Word (Microsoft)
Google Docs is available for free. For some customers, this is sufficient. The industry standard, however, is Microsoft Word.docx files. You’ll need a licensed copy of Microsoft Office to open client files and format documents properly.
YoastSEO
YoastSEO is a strong SEO tool that you just cannot ignore if you use WordPress. It can aid in the creation of SEO titles and meta descriptions. That’s not all; it also allows you to evaluate the quality of your material and make modifications if necessary.
You may use the tool to find out your Flesch reading score and see if your material has enough connections. Internal links, subheading distribution, sentence length, and other factors are all checked by YoastSEO.
5 Skills You Need to Become a Successful Content Writer
While successful content writers appear to enjoy an amazing lifestyle, working from home, setting their own hours, and working as much or as little as they like, the vast majority struggle to make ends meet. They lack the requisite abilities to succeed. Because, no matter how gifted they are, writing ability alone is insufficient. As a result, if you want to be a great content writer, you’ll need a comprehensive set of marketable abilities.
1 Master different writing styles
The reason for this is that each type of writing has its own distinctive style. The news is presented in AP style, with brief, informative paragraphs at the top and the body of the piece at the bottom. Blogging is approachable, friendly, and frequently opportunistic. The ad copy is succinct and effective. White papers are lengthy documents that discuss a problem and provide a solution. Regardless, each category contains content, and each writing style that a writer master increases their value and demand.
3 Successful content writers are original
It’s your name on the line. Every post that bears your name should be unique. With tens of thousands of individuals writing on the same topics, that may seem impossible, but it’s easier than it appears. Every talented writer has the ability to give an overdone topic a fresh voice, viewpoint, or light.
Plagiarism is terrible for SEO, awful for your employers, and worst of all, it’s horrible for you. Take efforts to protect your reputation and career. Check your work for plagiarism with an internet application before submitting it. It’s easy to replicate writing due to the abundance of information available.
3 Don’t pick random subjects
“Ideation” is a marketing industry jargon that refers to the process of coming up with a topic, title, and viewpoint to write about, and it all starts with data. The majority of brainstorming takes place in groups, although independent writers are frequently on their own. That’s why understanding how professional marketing teams come up with concepts is beneficial.
4. Successful content writers know SEO, HTML, CSS and WordPress.
Don’t be concerned. Only a few essentials are required. WordPress themes have varied amounts of automated functionality, and manipulating the code to generate a title tag or solve a spacing issue is sometimes the only way to get your content to look the way you want it to. Learning the fundamentals is worthwhile.
SEO expertise that is up to date is also essential. Writers must stay up with continuously changing search engine algorithms. One thing is certain: high-quality products are constantly in demand. You’ll be in high demand if you can create in-depth material from a distinct perspective.
5 They are social media specialists
It’s crucial to remember people’s names. Everything you need is within reach thanks to social media. Develop your readership, network with publishers, and speak with professionals in the field. The excitement doesn’t stop once your work is released. Your fans are more likely to promote your material if you are engaged on social media. Active, public, and pleasant content authors are successful.
