In this 21st century where almost everything is getting digitalized, the traditional way of marketing has entirely converted itself into digital marketing. Therefore, one of the most organic and efficient ways of marketing is content writing. Users across the world are consuming content in every way possible whether it is written, visual or verbal. The basis of creating every content begins with content writing.

How to start content writing and make money as a content writer?

If you love writing articles, blogs, reports, or essays, this article will teach you How to convert your passion into a profession. All these forms of write-ups are known as content writing.

Let’s understand a little bit more about content writing.

It is a process of planning, writing, and editing web content for different purposes of digital marketing. It includes writing blog posts, articles, scripts for videos or podcasts, and content for specific platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, etc.

Now the major question arises-

Why is it essential to focus on content? 

Content writing is one of the easiest ways to increase social media traction and it helps in audience retention. Content writing helps to build a target audience and elevates brand image. Nowadays content writing is seen as a currency. If it is accurately invested, it will give huge returns. The key to activate this currency is to be consistent while posting engaging content. It leads to a larger influence on the audience compared to all the other techniques of marketing.

If you want to start your journey of being an impactful content creator then you need to master the art of content writing.

Hence, you need to learn –

How to develop content for content writing?

There isn’t a specific formula to write an ideal piece of content but there are several tried and tested processes that you can follow while developing content.

All of these processes are developed over several years of experience in content creation. Hence, if you follow these processes step by step you will definitely see the results.

 1. Read as much as you can.

The magic mantra to achieve efficient content is to read a lot. If you want to develop content that is on point and adequately informative, you will have to invest a great fraction of your time in reading. Illustrators take time to consume art;so that, they can deliver it with greater impact.

To create a work of art, you need to prepare yourself well. You cannot develop a vocabulary to write, unless and until you are a well-read person. Therefore, a content writer needs to add reading as one of the most important activities of his/her routine.

 2. Notepad should be your best friend.

Research a lot. This is one of the most important parts of content writing, you cannot afford to skip this section. You can’t write a powerful piece of content without researching about it. The fundamentals of a well-resourced article are exploration and examination. If you want to be a successful content writer, you constantly need to stay in a research zone. Jot down your ideas and thoughts on a notepad and make the most out of it.

Take up points from your some top searched google articles and transform that information according to your creativity. Makeup points on the notepad related to the topic you want to write and then elaborate those points while drafting the final piece.

3. Be on point!

Don’t beat around the bush while writing content. Be as precise as you can be. Don’t drift your focus on unrelated topics. Stick to one agenda and follow it throughout the entire piece. You can provide additional information but keep your focus on the main argument of the content you are writing because that is what the viewer wants to see.

4. Add value to your content.

Don’t create any sort of content which is already existing in the virtual space. Add your sense of style to it. Be unique while writing a piece of content. You should experiment with your creativity while writing. Be as clearer as you can be while describing the topic, idea, and view. Keep it simple but engaging. Don’t add unwanted heavy vocabulary.

Develop easy-to-read content because it gets difficult for readers to decode it and for search engines to optimize it. The motive of content should be to express an idea and not to unnecessarily create technical jargon.

5. Headline.

This is the most crucial step of content writing. You need to be very careful while choosing a headline because this is how the readers will judge your content. If you have managed to write a killer headline, congratulations, you have attracted the audience towards your piece of content.

Headlines should be the accurate summation of the content you are providing. It not only helps to grab the attention of the audience but also helps search engines to optimize search options. Google ranks searches higher that start with “How to” than the other titles. Don’t always choose clickbait as an option to grab attention because that is like cheating on the readers and it might result in disinterested viewers.

Many headline analysis tools can provide you an appropriate title for your content.

6. Keywords will unlock every door towards a perfect piece of content. 

Keywords can make or break the engagement of your content because it helps in SEO. You should invest your time in researching the right keywords. Most of your engagement depends upon the keywords you put up. Try to include as many as keywords you can but don’t over-do it. Try to keep it a bit natural and uncrowded. As a lot of unrequired keywords destroy the essence of the content.

There are different tools available for SEO like UberSuggest, SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool, AnswerThePublic, Keywordio, etc. Try to experiment with different sets of SEO tools and find which one works for you the best.

7. Filter your content.

it is important to edit your content brutally. Don’t get attached to your content while editing it.

When you are editing the content, constantly remind yourself to stick to the topic. if you see anything unrelated or irrelevant, strike it out. Edit your content at least thrice. The first round of editing should be meant to exclude the details that don’t align with the topic. The purpose of the second round should be to remove grammatical and conceptual errors and the third round should be kept to align and connect the text after all the rounds of editing.

8. Conclude your entire text. 

It is important to present a short and brief analysis of the entire content at the end. It helps readers to develop a better understanding of the content. For writing a conclusion you can pick out important points from the article and sum them up in a small paragraph and present it as a summary of the entire piece.

This will help readers to conclude. If even if they skim through the entire content, they should get the gist of it, in the end.

Do’s and Don’ts.

These are a few tips that you should keep in mind while writing a piece of content.

• Write in short paragraphs. Don’t create long paragraphs as they become a little boring while reading the entire text.

• Use words that are used in the common vocabulary. The meaning of every word should be clear. The motive of writing content should be to convey the message in simple words.

• Always create subheadings. Readers nowadays don’t have time to go through the entire content. So, most people skim through the content while reading it. Therefore, it is important to add subheadings that conclude the content of the paragraph written under it.

• Don’t forget to mark important points. If something is very important, it should be underlined or written in a different format to grab the attention of the viewers.

• Add images. Adding images makes the text a little more interesting. Images work as reference points for texts. Hence, adding a tint of visual effect enhances the chances of content being more engaging.

• Be experimental. There is no fixed method of writing a perfect piece of content. It is a method of trial and error, be creative and unleash the artist inside you.

All these steps will take you a step closer to creating a perfect piece of content but for creating flawless content you will have to practice a lot.

Now the next question is-

How to become a content writer?

Once you have learned the art of developing content, you can start your journey as a content writer but there are a few basic things that you should figure out before entering into the world of content writers.

1. Choose a niche

Select a way in which you want to write. There are several ways of writing content such as Ad copy, blogpost, articles, website copy, guest post, newspaper copy, e-book, etc. Pick a form of content writing by exploring different types and understand what sort of content writing suits you the best.

You can write on marketing, healthcare, fashion, art, lifestyle anything which pleases you. Choose a domain and start developing your skills in it.

2. Don’t be afraid to use tools

Tools help us to enhance the content and help us to achieve the utmost level of perfection.

Here are some suggestions –

Tools for writing-

• Grammarly
• Hemingway Editor
• Quillbot
• Plagarismdetector
• SmallSeo Tools
• Titlecase

Tools for SEO

• UberSuggest
• SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool
• AnswerThePublic
• Keywordio

Tools for Graphics

• Pixels
• Unplash
• Canva
• Freepik
• Undraw

Experiment with these tools and you will see that it makes content writing easier. These tools will improve your skills and help you to gain more confidence in your style of writing.

3. Build a portfolio

Once you have identified your niche, start writing blogs or articles in that domain. Use Blogger, WordPress, Wix, etc. to create free websites. Read blogs in the same niche and follow the same pattern. Once you have written enough, use these websites as your portfolio. Some websites for portfolio creation are- Contently, Clippings, Muckrack, etc.

4. Develop a habit of writing daily. 

Content writers require the capability of writing constantly. Hence, develop a habit of writing regularly. Look for different content available in the virtual space in your niche and research their style. Read blogs from Ahrefs, Neil Patel, Moz, etc. to learn more about writing and SEO.

It is important to upgrade your writing style constantly. Keep up with the on-going trends to make your content interesting.

5. Acquired technical skills

Every content writer has some acquired set of skills of writing content from the beginning but a content writer needs to upgrade his/her technical skills. A writer might start creating content from his/her childhood as there is no requirement to pursue a course to become a content writer but to survive and thrive in the business of content writing, you need to elevate your technical skills by learning the correct usage of grammar and all the other tools available to enhance the quality of the content.

All these tips will help you become a content writer but to start earning money, you need a little more preparation.

Let’s talk about money

Once you have understood how to develop content and be a content writer, you can make a living out of your skills.

8 ways to make money as a content writer 

1. Linked in

Build a profile on linked in and start networking. Look for people who are looking for content writers and message them your portfolio, CV, or samples and quote your rates according to the own-going market prices.

2. Get into an internship

Look for internships in the field of content writing where you are allowed to showcase your work. This will help you to build a CV and learn about content writing professionally.

3. Publish your blogs

There are several magazines or websites, looking for people who can do blogging. Hunt for these opportunities on various social media platforms and find a space to publish your blogs.

4. Look for clients

Look for clients who are interested in hiring content writers on various platforms. Make a good rapport with your clients and deliver them quality content to receive regular orders.

5. Slowly get into SEO and WordPress. 

SEO and WordPress will level up your content writing game and it will help you to establish integrity in the market. WebsiteLearners, Ahrefs, IncomeSchool are great YT channels for WP, SEO, and bogs.

6. Buy a domain

Save some money and invest in buying a domain. Host and build a blog on WP. Start experimenting with WP, SEO, and content writing. All of these will improve your content writing skills.

7. Build an Online presence.

Guest post, network, work on new projects and develop an online presence. Write your blogs even if they are not generating revenue. Write just to create your virtual existence.

8. Freelancing.

Last but not the least, one of the most effective ways to earn money in content writing is by being a freelancer. There are several websites where you can register yourself as a freelancer writer and get clients in your niche. It is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to earn money in the field of content writing, as you work for yourself.

Final thoughts

While curating a piece of content always keep your target audience in the mind and create a masterpiece. Content writing is a form of art which has brought a revolution in the field of digital marketing and it is one of the most engaging ways to pull the onlookers organically.

Follow all these tips and tricks to succeed as a content writer and don’t forget to trust your capabilities.