Today, content writing is at the heart of all the digital and physical media we consume— from podcasts and blog posts to social media posts and multimedia. If you’ve ever considered becoming a content writer, this is the guide for you.
Let’s get right into it😎
What is Content Writing?
Think of content writing as an elaborate process of planning, organizing, optimizing, and publishing written content for a specific audience and purpose—entertainment, education, or sales.
Many companies use content writing as a digital marketing tool to solve customer problems, create engaging articles, and drive sales. These written content may cover web copies, blog posts, video scripts, social media posts, press releases, and white papers.
High-quality content writing focuses on inspiring readers to take action and converts prospects into loyal, paying customers.
How Much Does a Content Writer Get Paid?
A content writer in the United States earns, on average, $62,000/year (approximately $43/hour). Senior content writers earn as much as $80,000/year (approximately $56/hour).
Generally, the salary outcomes depend on other professional and social factors like education level, professional experience, industry, and type of content writing. Moreover, some content writers can access other work benefits like 401(k), disability insurance, employee discounts, paid time off, and parental leave. This is usually the case when they work in a marketing team.
What Does a Content Writer Do?
A content writer is a professional writer responsible for creating high-quality content, handling the content management system, and publishing written content according to a schedule.
Essentially, quality content writers use their writing skills and writing style to communicate ideas, stories, and information in an engaging and informative manner. Although the distribution channel differs from company to company, you need great writing skills to become a content writer— keyword research, content strategy development, editing skills, target audience research, content management, and storytelling.
Furthermore, effective writers know when to adjust their tone of voice and writing style to suit a specific audience/channel.
Depending on the requirements and size of the company, they might collaborate with a content manager, an SEO executive, and a designer for their content projects.
Here’s the typical job description of a content writer:
- Produce content in various industries such as B2B, Ecommerce, and finance meeting quality guidelines of the brand,
- Conduct thorough research and if required, interview folks relevant to the subject of your article,
- Write about 1000 words every day, soliciting feedback from editors and content managers to ensure it meets the requirements,
- Ensure the written content meets the style and formatting of the business blog,
- Publish content on WordPress using a plugin like Elementor or another content management system like HubSpot.
Next, let’s look at the various forms of online content writing.
Types Of Content Writing
Here are the types of content writing you might end up doing for a business. Or if you’re hiring a content writer, you might want to explore experts from the following categories — depending on your business needs.
1. SEO Content Writing
Content that’s written for the purpose of ranking in search engines and driving traffic. Typically it means blog posts, though it could include other web pages targeting keywords such as your services page. The goal of this form of writing is to generate brand awareness.
2. Long-Form Writing
As the name suggests, these are long articles spanning 2000 words, 2500 words, or even more — depending on your industry. Long-form blog posts have become the norm in competitive niches such as SaaS and B2B because they tend to rank in search engines.
Such articles can help your website rank in search engines for many keywords as they naturally include many.
Also, long-form projects could also include whitepapers and Ebooks — though they are less prevalent than blog posts.
3. B2B Content Writing
It involves writing done specifically for a business audience and generally for the purpose of SEO. Generally, it consists of blog posts to educate and inform your readers, though content written for a business audience on social media could also be clubbed under B2B content.
4. Landing Page Copywriting
A page with details of software or products where your prospects “land.” The goal of such writing is to persuade a landing page visitor to become a customer. Joanna Wiebe, a copywriting thought leader, coined the term conversion copywriter to club all kinds of such writing which has to lead a visitor to “convert.”
5. Email Copywriting
It includes writing attention-grabbing subject lines to ensure your recipients open your email, and keep them hooked throughout your email — all the way to getting them to visit your product page. For bloggers, it could also include newsletters and general updates to educate their subscribers.
6. Product Copywriting
This type involves crafting sales copy and descriptions for the product pages of a website, generally an Ecommerce store. The product copywriter could also craft the words for the promotional material of a product including social media advertisements, brochures, banners, emails, and landing pages.
7. Website Copywriting
Typically this involves web content writing for a business website. A web copywriter researches a business, their customers, and the products it sells, 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 simplify information. A few examples of technical writing include 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 fancy being a creative content writer, then scriptwriting could be the closest you’ll come to it. It entails crafting content for multimedia formats such as explainer videos, radio advertisements, or even podcast scripts. Express Writers offers a script writing service from their experts:
10. Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting is where you cede the credits for your creative work to another author or business. Many brands use ghostwriters to produce a large 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
Writing that’s done for money by a self-employed professional on a contract basis. Clients specify their needs and inform the expected style to such writers, which they then deliver on a deadline. If you can create great content for a specific 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 goal of such writers is to earn and keep 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 own products is one the best brand journalism examples in the recent past.
5 Best Practices of Content Writing in 2024
Every industry is driven by one form of content writing or the other. Here’s how you can become an excellent freelance content writer who’s known for creating high-quality content in only a few words.
1. Learn How to Write for the Web
Today, it’s most likely your audience will consume your content via the web. Hence, you’ll need to write for both your audience and the search engines.
Not sure how to begin? Here’s a short checklist you can use to create a website copy that users find useful.
- Use images and whitespace to break up blocks of content.
- Perform keyword research to improve SEO.
- Write with a mix of simple and complex sentences.
- Employ the use of bulleted lists and headers.
- Write in short paragraphs to make your content scannable.
Gaetano provides a very good example of how these rules play out and what you can do to write content customers enjoy reading.
2. Learn SEO
When selling a service or product, you want to speak to the people who need your service.
Think of search engine optimization as digital marketing tactics you use to increase the quality and quantity of web traffic the company’s site generates. The better the SEO profile, the more likely your content will reach the correct audience and generate qualified leads.
The goal is to build a virtual relationship where the search engine shows your content to the ideal audience. To build reputable SEO…
- Create relevant content with high-yielding keywords.
- Build a backlog of inbound and outbound links.
- Update already existing content on landing pages.
- Remember to use elements like bold, italics, headers, and highlight content where necessary.
- Optimize your content for mobile view.
- Create engaging articles that readers can enjoy.
- Include relevant CTAs and use a creative writing style to generate interaction.
3. Make Your Content Practical And Actionable
A good content writer writes content in a manner that is easy to understand. To achieve this, here are some of my favorite ways to drive engagement:
- Use examples where possible and speak in a tone that sounds human.
- Highlight important content that needs to stand out. You can use “quotes”, highlights, italics, or provide summaries readers can easily consume.
- Address a pain point with every section in the content.
- Use practical call-to-actions where necessary and pack every paragraph/sentence with value.
Remember, your audience has a problem they want to solve quickly. By providing practical and actionable content, readers are more likely to trust and value the brand.
4. Take Inspiration From Top Performing Content
No content exists in isolation, so a great content strategy requires you to keep an eye out for what other competitors are doing. Here’s a simple guide content writers can use to make their research worthy:
- Use tools like SEMRush to find out what keywords competitors are targeting.
- Check what keywords competitors currently rank for (use tools like Accuranker to check).
- Check out their most shared and highest-ranking content (this may include blog posts, viral social media posts, or podcast episodes).
- Read their previous content to notice trends and audience inquiries.
- See what users say about the product/service by performing an advanced Google search. See a perfect example below.
5. Edit Ruthlessly
Poorly written content can cause you to lose the reader’s attention. To produce excellent pieces, consider using free and paid AI software to simplify your editing content writing process. Here’s a simple checklist you can use to make your editing process foolproof.
- Does every paragraph speak to one central idea?
- Are there grammatical errors you need to correct?
- At the end of this article, would you have solved a problem?
- How can you make this article more concise?
- Are there repetitive words and sentences you can change?
- How do you vary the length and structure of your sentences?
7 Tips For Standing Out in the Sea of AI Content
With the steady rise of AI writing and editing tools, search engines are forever filtering for AI-generated content. Although some may argue that it’s impossible to write better than AI, experienced content writers will disagree.
In my experience, here are some simple tricks you can use to help you set your work apart when you write content.
1. Bake Content Distribution in Your Writing
With the saturation of content on social media, content writers use content distribution as a digital marketing tactic to reach a specific audience on different channels. When creating content, use a reverse-engineer process to develop an effective content funnel.
Here’s a brief example of what that looks like.
- Pick a topic and keyword that matters to your industry.
- Determine which distribution channels the content needs to go out on.
- Create different content on the same topic with best practices for each channel in mind. For example, convert a blog post to tweet threads, a short reel on Instagram, a funny TikTok script, and a Facebook community engagement post.
- Edit each CTA to reflect the distribution channel. For example, encourage readers to retweet on X, comment on Facebook, like on Instagram, and save on TikTok.
Furthermore, you can think of creative ways to share new and existing content with your audience. Explore additional channels like newsletters and other community forums.
2. Practice The MECE Framework
MECE refers to the mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive problem-solving framework most management consultants use to write better. This research method requires that the writer think about the reader’s problems in two folds:
- What are the mutually exclusive factors that affect the audience?
- What are the collectively exhaustive factors that accommodate for information gaps?
For example, say you do creative writing for a fashion brand, and your goal is to educate the audience on the best ways to do laundry. If you omit the use of cleaning agents— detergents and fabric softeners— your blog post isn’t collectively exhaustive.
Furthermore, each process should talk about a unique idea to make the blog post mutually exclusive. To improve this method, you can use issue trees to map out the reader’s problems in smaller, solvable blocks.
3. Find Lesser Explored Angles
Today, readers want to read content that solves problems they didn’t even know they had. With over 70 million new posts going up monthly, you need creative ways to remain relevant.
To achieve this, consider trying the following:
- Make market research about frequently asked questions people search for. You can use free tools like answerthepublic.com to find out the top questions.
- Check out the “Google question section” on a topic within your niche. This gives you insight into other key phrases you could be ranking for.
- Check out popular social media posts for what users and community members discuss.
- Run polls and engaging content, asking readers what they’d like to know more.
Furthermore, you can explore new perspectives by using AI writing software.
4. Dig Deeper and Back Up Your Arguments With Credible Sources
When writing content for consumption, excellent research matters. The goal of every written content is to provide accurate, relevant information that readers can apply to achieve a result. By citing credible sources, you can build a trustworthy brand reputation, find the hidden gems that have been glossed over, and build a reliable relationship with readers.
Also, it is just standard practice to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the work of other content writers.
5. Make it Personal
Consumers are more likely to take action when they believe your advice/content comes from a place of genuine concern. As a freelance content writer with over a decade of experience, here are some clever tricks I use to make my content sound more personal.
- Talk about personal experiences and actions you’ve taken to resolve an issue. For example, at the beginning of my content writing career, I took many online courses to improve my writing style and techniques.
- Use a storytelling format that shows the idea and resolution. You want readers to follow you on a journey.
- Employ the use of emotions to get your point across. This may involve recounting similar experiences and using emotional adjectives/emojis.
- Use a simple, friendly tone with contractions where necessary. You can also employ the use of personal pronouns to make your content more personal.
By consistently putting yourself in your readers’ shoes, you’re more likely to adopt their tone and address their experiences as well.
6. Incorporate Videos and Multimedia in Your Content
When writing content— particularly long-form content like press releases and whitepapers— use multimedia to break up texts and give the piece some life. Videos, infographics, and photos are great ways for readers to absorb information quickly.
For example, in this article, 39 Simple Ways to Get Freelance Writing Jobs: Beginner to Pro, I strategically used different images to give the text some breathing space. This made it easier for the reader to visualize the content they were currently consuming.
Additionally, multimedia gives you an opportunity to promote other content formats and pages— you generate more organic traffic for other channels. For example, this short YouTube video is a great way to learn how to grow your finances as a freelance writer in under a few months.
See what I did there? 😏
7. Quote Thought Leaders in Your Niche
This one is very simple.
By quoting prominent thought leaders within the industry, you’re able to provide information while building trust with readers. Although Chintan Zalani is a professional content writer, readers would rather take real estate advice from industry leaders like Nick Bailey and Jim Dangerfield.
Regardless of your industry, actively seek out first accounts from thought leaders with considerable experience within your niche.
How Can I Start Content Writing?
Many freelance writers earn six figures writing content for different industries. Here’s how you start if you want to build a successful content writing career.
1. Polish Your Writing Skills
To succeed as a content writer, you’ll need excellent writing skills that can impress clients. Here’s a brief list of skills to master.
- Advanced research
- Proofreading and editing skills
- Search engine optimization and keyword research
- Digital literacy
- Grammar and punctuation
Also, there are many short online courses you can take to polish your skills at your own pace.
2. Specialize in a Niche
When choosing a niche, make extensive research about industry requirements and best practices. Choosing a niche is super important because it provides a guideline for all your future efforts; you can create portfolios that resonate with the industry and pursue decision-makers who are more likely to become quality leads.
3. Get Feedback on Your Writing
Feedback matters because it helps you measure how much progress you’ve made. I’ll highlight some steps I took to get honest reviews of my work when I started content writing.
- Write for free in exchange for a testimonial.
- Join writing communities and submit samples to experts.
- Make posts on social media and ask readers to share their reviews.
- Write on community-centered platforms like Reddit, Quora, and Substack.
By actively seeking feedback, you’re able to build a relationship with the client, gain social proof for your portfolio, and a gauge for your writing.
4. Pitch Jobs & Freelance Opportunities
As a new freelance content writer, you’ll need to actively seek paid writing opportunities. Here’s how you can make the most of the job-hunting season.
- Send cold pitches to potential clients who operate within your niche.
- Explore freelance content mills like Upwork, and iWriter for paid gigs (Here’s Chintan’s answer to if you can rely on them!)
- Sign up for networking opportunities in freelance writing communities like Freelance Writer Den.
- Sign up for freelance newsletters that send regular job alerts.
- Make consistent social media advertisements on your personal pages.
- Let your immediate and extended network know you’re available for hire.
- Apply for content writing internships on websites like internship.com and WellFound.
- Attend freelance networking events within your area.
5. Integrate AI Content Marketing Tools in Your Workflow
Steve is a professional content writer who uses ChatGPT to edit and format his articles. By using AI content marketing tools, content writers can produce accurate, creative, and informative content. If you’re just starting your content writing journey, here are free AI tools you can incorporate into your workflow:
- Grammarly for proofreading and editing.
- SEMRush for search engine optimization and keyword research.
- AI Writer to generate content ideas.
- Article Forge to develop long-form articles and blog posts.
- Hemmingway Editor for creating user-friendly content.
6. Develop Complementary Content Marketing Skills
Because content marketing constantly evolves, clients look for writers who can wear multiple hats. One way senior content writers up their bags is by offering complimentary services that set them apart.
Rather than offering just your content writing skills, I often advise freelance writers to sell a service package that contains complementary writing skills. For example, you can offer SEO, content revamp, and staff training for a lump sum.
Freelance writer, Chintan Zalanai, does a great job of plugging his other writing services on his LinkedIn page.
Start Your Journey to Excellent Content Writing Today!
Effective content writing helps companies build authentic, rewarding relationships with their clientele. In a world where everything is almost digital, content writing plays an important role in customer success and revenue generation. Hence more and more companies are in need of content writers like you.
If you’ve ever considered freelance content writing as a viable career path, then the best time to become a content writer is now.
