As the saying goes: content is king. Traditional forms of advertising simply aren’t enough to keep businesses competitive in today’s digital landscape. In fact, according to Forbes, quality content is the rule for businesses, not the exception. This is where content writing comes in. Businesses need a digital marketing strategy that includes content to attract, convert, and keep clients and customers. Because of that, the role of a content writer is more important than ever. If you’re wondering what exactly content writing is and how you can become a content writer, this helpful guide will tell you everything you need to know to get started.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing is a type of professional writing that is crafted for online audiences and is usually intended for marketing purposes. Some content writing may be more informative in nature, but the ultimate goal is to increase traffic, reach potential customers, drive sales, and increase customer loyalty. As noted in Harvard Business Review, buyers are increasingly spending more time doing research before making a purchase. It is essential to present potential customers with a well-crafted message written with the target audience in mind.
Unique and high-quality content marketing drives business growth by reaching people who are spending increasing amounts of time online and looking for information to guide their purchasing decisions. Quality and uniqueness are essential to helping businesses stand out and send a message that appeals to their target audience, and it’s a content writer’s job to provide both.
Types of Content Writing
Content writing is divided into a few main types. Though they serve different purposes, all types of content writing have a few important elements in common, like the incorporation of keywords that help with search engine optimization, a message that addresses the reader’s concerns, and a call to action that encourages the reader to take further steps like make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter. A content writer may specialize in one type of content but will generally be proficient in all of them.
Web Content
Web content is a catchall term for all of the text you read online, including all of the pages of a website. Different pages may provide an introduction to the company, an overview of their products and services, answers to frequently asked questions, and contact information. Businesses need to focus on making sure that each page of their website is informative, easy-to-read, and search engine optimized with the right keywords.
Blog Posts
Blog posts are a great way to provide readers and potential customers with information about a business’s products and services. They help keep a website’s content fresh, increasing its rankings in search engine results. Blog posts should also be shareable across different social media platforms, making them important for increasing brand awareness and engagement.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube can really help boost a business’s online presence, but only with the right type of social media content. Writing crafted specifically for social media should be concise and engaging and have a clear message that prompts audience engagement and action.
Sales Copy
Simply put, sales copy is intended to persuade a purchase. It should be direct but also friendly and conversational in order to provoke the desired response. Clear and well-composed sales messages are usually well-received, especially by an audience who has already shown interest in a product or service by looking it up and ending up on a sales page.
Long-Form Content
Ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 words, long-form content includes content like eBooks and pillar blog posts (posts that delve extensively into a topic). Long-form content ranks higher in search engine results because it is seen as trustworthy and authoritative, especially if it is well-written and evergreen.
How to Become a Content Writer
Several pathways exist to becoming a content writer. Many people who write content professionally started with a love of reading and writing. They developed important content writing skills and saw an opportunity to pursue a career in something they were passionate about and good at. Though every content writer has a unique story, three steps are important to take along the way.
1. Education
Generally, most content writers have some type of formal writing education. Writing education may include a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, or communications. Degrees in the humanities are also not uncommon, as they generally require a good deal of essay writing. Many content writers have taken additional writing courses or participated in writing workshops where they have developed their skills through feedback and guidance from other writers. Others, still, are self-taught through books and blogs. Whichever way you approach it, education is key.
2. Experience
Writing, like any skill, is greatly improved with practice. The same is true for content writing as a whole and the different types of content writing specifically. Blogging is a great way to practice online content writing when you are just starting out. Later, as you have experience with more clients and writing various kinds of content, you will feel more confident in writing web content, sales copy, social media posts, and long-form content.
3. Research
Any type of professional who wants to keep clients and attract new ones needs to stay on top of industry developments. For content writers, this means staying up-to-date with content trends and SEO techniques that will help you bring more traffic and customers to your clients. Good research produces noticeable results, which in turn help secure client loyalty.
Where to Work as a Content Writer
One of the best places to work as a content writer is right here at Constant Content. After a simple sign-up, you can start writing and submitting work to the Constant Content catalog, where clients can browse and purchase your pieces. The Constant Content catalog provides a fantastic opportunity to practice the different types of content writing described above, allowing you to develop skills in different areas while making sales on work you already submitted.
By consistently submitting articles to the catalog, you can increase your sales and your profile on the platform. You may also attract the attention of clients who are interested in the topics you are writing about and request private work. Submitting regularly to the catalog will help you develop a routine and improve your productivity as well. Over time, successful writers are added to teams for big clients that request large volumes of work, ensuring that more content writing work is always coming your way.
Constant Content is a great platform for writers of all backgrounds and experience levels. It offers the chance to practice and improve while you submit work and develop skills in more content writing areas. Sign up today and start writing content that interests you.
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Author Details: Kerry Kubilus is Constant Content’s enthusiastic head editor. Curious and inquisitive, she loves that her job involves helping writers’ work shine while simultaneously learning about a wide variety of topics. In her time off, she enjoys first-hand research about travel, culture, and food, preferably all at once.