Wondering how to become a content writer? Don’t know where to start? Referring to numerous websites online to understand better?
First things first, you probably might get surprised but the fact is this is a rising, demanding profession now with a good return with experience. Many people across the globe, even kids and teenagers, are making money online.
Writing content online will be in the top searches of how to make money online. Yes, some crucial skills are required to achieve a better score. No worries, we are always here to help you with all our experienced answers. Let’s start!
What is a content writer?
Before knowing everything about how to become a content writer, first, let’s understand what content writing is and understand specifically what content is. The content is basically some information regarding any subject and can be called a piece of information.
Content can be shared in many ways now like through youtube videos, podcasts, radio, and even in social media posts and messages, etc. One of the popular forms is writing. Content writing is explaining or giving information regarding anything in a well-articulated way with understandable, clean approaches and examples.
A content writer works in blogs or social media posts or writing for newspapers or writing in online sites etc. A content writer makes the readers understand something and helps them to know about something. Also, it can be for entertainment purposes too. Content can be anything but it has to be well-structured and attractive.
Fig 1 – Content writing ( Source – Search Engine Journal )
What Does a Content Writer Do?
It sounds interesting and probably easy for you to imagine being a content writer. But actually, it’s a bit of a challenging task, yet it’s interesting too. Because content writing not only does the writing work but also does many other works like researching, editing, modifying, verification and publishing, etc.
The process is straightforward, it begins with research and further knowledge. Content writers look and refer to the maximum possible resources to give their readers the best output. They try to maximize whatever experience they do have on a particular subject.
They establish a draft work and flow about how to start and what to mention and also specific examples, and references. Then they start writing with the structure they have created. After finishing writing, they re-read everything multiple times.
Luckily with the presence of many technical sites and tools to check grammar, they use good sites like Grammarly to edit the mistakes if there are any. They also remove any areas or sentences if they don’t feel good enough.
Then rewriting takes place. Along with structure and format, they also follow many guidelines and instructions, especially for online content writing like search engine optimization to reach more readers.
After finishing the writing, editing, and rewriting parts, the content writer took it for a review check from any senior or client. If there are any modifications required, they will do it or else they will publish it.
Most probably anyone can write and distribute their information, but a content writer works by adding essence and with a particular style of writing to solve the problem with clear detailed information.
They attract and engage the audience, even sometimes the content writers make the readers forget about the time in reading. Also in some cases mesmerizes the audience with their clear best solutions.
REQUIRED SKILLS TO BE A CONTENT WRITER
This is certainly an essential part to understand how to become a content writer and to stand as an expert content writer. There are specific requirements for content writing. And developing them is also a must option to develop a content writing career.
Before writing anything, anyone should possess a love for writing and an immense interest in delivering the best output. Along with that the below-listed skills will not only make you a good content writer but also help in earning money.
- Be Unique
This is an important skill to have. Don’t ever try to copy from the other resources directly and don’t rephrase( called paraphrase) it. You can take references from other sites and other writers but don’t just try to copy them because that cannot improve your writing skill either.
There are many powerful tools like copyleaks where they can easily find out if you copy from any other. Try to be unique as much as possible because you can find many competitive sites on a particular topic. So your uniqueness matters a lot.
You can try your own format, style, and way of addressing the message. Uniqueness separates you from the other writers and helps in receiving more offers. But uniqueness never means changing the content. Content should be brief and accurate, way of addressing and examples should be unique.
Fig 2 – Unique content is important ( Source – Google images)
2. Be Creative
Creativity is also another important skill required in content writing. Any person who starts reading your writing will decide to read further based on your clarity of thought expression, and creativity.
Being creative will make the reader remember you and refer back to your site multiple times. Again this is also an important factor in competing well with top sites. Creativity not suddenly but slowly highlights and develops in content writing.
3. Understanding Search Engine Optimization
This is the top skill required for any content writer. Because even if you write the most wonderful content in a clear, detailed way, whoever reads it will appreciate it, but if you are worried it’s not reaching more people, it’s definitely because of search engine optimization.
You need not be a pro from the beginning in this skill but your basics should be clear. Your aim is not to reach only tens or some more, your aim has to be to reach thousands of readers.
To achieve that, you need to learn search engine optimization. Learning that closely introduces you to digital marketing also where you can earn a decent amount of money through writing.
By mastering this skill, you can actually become an SEO content writer, which is one of the top paying as well as trending jobs in the section of freelancing content writers. Yom can start with some basic tips and apply them while writing.
You can begin with some common practices like repeating the primary keyword and secondary multiple times in your writing. You shouldn’t force it but should naturally include it at possible times. This natural approach comes from practicing and learning the concept of it.
You can also refer to the courses that many sites and even Google are offering to understand search engine optimization. Finishing a course on it can add more value to your resume while applying for content writing jobs.
Fig 3 – Search Engine Optimisation ( Source – Google images)
4. Knowing your audience first
Before starting anything, you need to know who your target audience is. Because if you are writing an article for example on a story for kids, if you use technical terminology and rigid flow and normal style won’t make sense.
Also if you are writing for a science project help, writing in a humorous, plain, smooth way can’t help them. So if you know your audience perfectly, that can help you in setting out your flow and style of writing.
It gives you insights into how to attract the audience with your writing. Knowing your audience also helps in predicting more related solutions and including them to help better.
5. Developing writing skills
As we have discussed earlier, probably anyone can represent any information because we all are so habituated to writing examinations for years. So what makes a content writer specializing in writing?
The obvious answer is their style, flow, approaches, and understanding audience. They have that magic to create even a dry topic into an interesting one. So you need to develop your writing skills.
That comes with practice and in fact by developing your creativity too. You should also write with proper grammar and structure too. You can’t place your conclusion sentences in between like the final part and introductory sentences like questions at the end.
It confuses the readers and makes them lose interest. You probably would get very few seconds to impress the reader. So with your creativity and developed writing skills, you should drag your audience.
6. Researching skill
This is important as it only enhances your knowledge but also gives perfection. Even if you know something so well, like if the topic is about your favorite book or place or anything. You can write paragraphs by paras unconsciously too.
Still, you need to refer back to all the resources because before diving into becoming a freelance writer, you should tell yourself that you provide the best, accurate content to the readers.
So once look at the content of the top site, to get more ideas and understand how to write much better. Then accumulate all the researched content in your brain and then start writing. This helps you write with confidence and helps you to go more deeply into the subject.
Expert content Writers believe that 50% of a writing task should be researching a topic, 20% is writing properly, 10% is editing, 10% is presentation of writing, and other task consist 10%.
These are actually 6 different practices that cover most of the problems and are sufficient in making you a good content writer. Also along with them, you can also keep an eye on applying for writing jobs consistently.
Learning new techniques and practices will help you further. Understanding the topics where you are good at and the style in which you are most comfortable and writing conveniently will help you a lot.
Fig 4 – Developing Writing Skills ( Source – Google images)
Required Habits to Become a Good Content Writer
Well, this is necessary if you read some good points today, and practicing at night will not make you good content. So you need to maintain some good habits to become a good content writer.
1. Reading
There is a definite direct linkage between reading and writing. Most wonderful writers possess the habit of reading. You need to maintain a good habit of reading every day. That helps you in improving your vocabulary, sentences, and writing skills.
Critical observation of the writing of other writers through reading helps you in rectifying your mistakes too. And you can understand how they are introducing something, explaining something, and giving a good conclusion to it.
In the process of searching for how to become a content writer, you also need to practice reading skills.
2. Writing Consistently
You need to maintain the habit of writing consistently. That enables your mind to write with a flow just like that without bothering much. You can try once to stop writing for a few days and start writing one day, you will feel everything fresh and need to learn again.
You can also try writing on some days and leaving on some days and observing it. Now try writing it every day possible, even if you miss one or two in between that’s fine, but try practicing every day. You can view the changes in yourself gradually.
Your pen will run like a storm and if you are typing, you will type with a feeling like an expert. So practice writing every day. Also don’t stick to a particular topic, try writing on multiple things to enhance your brain.
3. Focusing on the editing part
If you keep on writing, writing, and writing and forgetting your mistakes, you can’t make yourself a good writer. So you need to focus on errors and mistakes that you are committing frequently.
Analyze them as the best writing comes from analyzing these mistakes. Try re-writing again and again to get the best quality.
These are the three main things that you need to work on consistently. Along with that, you can also try listening to something to maintain a good standard of your language.
HOW MUCH MONEY DO CONTENT WRITERS MAKE?
If you know the accurate answer to this, you will be surprised. Before going into this you can try searching for yourself once in Google how much money content writers make from the websites like Fiverr and Upwork etc.
You would probably see hundreds of dollars. It’s true hundred percent. But the fact here is everything comes with an experience. The better you improve in this field, the more you can earn through this.
The range of how much content writers earn isn’t accurate but it can start from around 20 dollars and goes high depending on writing, experience, feedback, and reviews of the customers.
To develop your confidence and to develop your enthusiasm in content writing you can refer to the popular content writers in Upwork, Fever etc. You can find our content writer expert AI Jovayer Khandakar who has a 100 percent job success rate and successful projects with good earnings.
Link: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01ac12a98e81acae53
HOW TO BECOME A CONTENT WRITER WITH NO EXPERIENCE?
This is a trending question that most people search for often. There are certain steps that you need to follow to become a content writer with no experience and can reach a good height in writing.
- Start your blog. Maintain and write in that blog consistently. Try starting with WordPress or Wix sites if you can afford it.
- Try to get more readers. So try to share as much as possible.
- Make use of all the social media sites and also get them reviewed.
- After attaining a certain stage in writing and after developing the required skills, write some samples of articles.
- Try to finish any course in writing or in search engine optimization for good results.
- Now you can start applying by mailing a contact email to the site’s owner which you can get easily in the details section of the site. While you are applying don’t forget to add your sample work and also reference links to your site.
- You can create an account on some sites in Fiverr, and Upwork portals and start applying to the clients.
- Do everything consistently, you may face rejections in the beginning, but slowly everything will get sorted.
- After you finish any project, never ever forget to ask the client about the feedback on your writing without fail. Make sure it should be a positive one.
- Start applying for more and more projects while upgrading your skills and staying active on social media by promoting your work.
These are the steps you can try consistently for better results.
Fig 5 – Top freelancing sites for content writing ( Source – Google images)
HOW TO BECOME A FREELANCE CONTENT WRITER?
Well, now we can assume you have gathered some experience in writing. The experience proof will act as the most prominent thing that can help you in getting more and more projects.
The people whom you will approach for projects are not familiar to you before so it’s essential to show your experience.
The process is also the same as how to become a freelance writer. Gather your experiences and start highlighting them. Apply to more and more projects and start working on them.
Once your work is done, do not forget to take your review, that’s crucial.
Writing is a big sector. There are lots of sectors such as copywriting, content writing, creating writing, technical writing, press writing, speechwriting, scriptwriting, and so on. First, you need to focus on some specific types of writing. Learn perfectly, create some portfolios, apply on jobs, and ensure quality.
Blog post writing and techinal writing are very popular in the freelancing sectors. I hope following two resources may help you to advance your freelancing career.
What is Technical Writing – The Beginners Guide
Conclusion
Hope we have provided you with all the necessary information on how to become a content writer. We tried to list out all the better options and solutions from our own experiences and from seniors.
Yes, it’s true that it’s a bit of a struggle in the initial days to get projects and to succeed at them, but always remember consistency is the key to content writing. You need to be patient in the journey. Once you are on the track, you will feel everything is so easy.
Hope you have liked our article. We tried to mention everything, but if you still have any doubts, feel free to ask.
