How To Get Into Content Writing

Do you love to write? Do you love to weave stories that engage and excite? If so, content writing might be the perfect career for you. 

Content writing is a great field to get into, especially if you really enjoy writing. It’s the perfect way to turn a passion into a living. It’s also a (relatively) easy field to get into, even if you don’t have a lot of experience. 

Today we’ll cover what content writing is, what you need to become a content writer, and three ways to get into content writing. Let’s go!

What Is Content Writing?

First things first: what is content writing?

It’s a process of creating text for a variety of purposes. This can include the blog you’re reading right now and typically includes digital marketing materials. That all sounds pretty drab, but that’s where the writers’ magic comes to play! 

The purpose of writing content is to solve the challenge that the audience has come upon. In the case of this blog post, you were wondering how to get into content writing, and here I am answering that question. Content writing creates value for the readers and helps them answer their burning questions.

During a career in content writing, you’ll likely also dabble with email newsletters, social media marketing, white papers, video scripts, case studies, and infographics. The variety is fun, but it’s totally okay to zero in on the types of content that you enjoy the most and provide that as a service. 

What Do I Need To Become A Content Writer?

As obvious as it seems, it bares repeating: you need strong writing skills. Clear, concise, and engaging. It all starts there. 

Beyond that, here are a few more things you’ll need to become a content writer:

• SEO knowledge: A basic understanding of SEO is critical when crafting digital content. You need to understand how to write content that will rank on search engines. This includes understanding keyword research, and how and where to use those keywords.
• Research skills: To write accurate and helpful content, content writers need to know how to conduct thorough research using a variety of sources.
• Time management skills: If meeting tight deadlines isn’t in your wheelhouse, I might suggest another career path. While it doesn’t happen too often if you plan your schedule well, there may be times when you need to turn a piece of content around ASAP.
• Attention to detail: Edit ruthlessly. Error-free is the way to be.
• Nunchuck skills: Okay, not entirely necessary. But might be a great conversation starter.

Simple enough, right? It might feel like a mountain to climb, but don’t stop here. Keep reading for a few different ways to get started in content writing. 

How To Get Into Content Writing

You’ve made it this far and haven’t run off, so that’s a good sign. The skills I listed above are nice things to have, but won’t stop you from getting started writing content. There are myriad ways of collecting and enhancing these skills over time – you don’t have to be a professional before you hit the gas.

Here are a few ways you can get started, even if you’re a complete beginner:

• Freelance: There are a ton of websites that can help you get your content writing career off the ground, such as Fiverr and Upwork. If finding work this way doesn’t suit your taste, you can always ask around for referrals – you may know someone who runs a small business and needs a hand with writing blog content! 

• Content mill or content farm: I definitely don’t suggest starting here, but it’s an option. Content mills generally pay very little for the work they need to be completed; typically blog posts and articles. 

• In-house: Starting in-house at a company is a great way to get started while you learn the ropes of content writing. It provides a little more stability than the first two options, and the pay can be great as well. 

What Do I Do Next?

Whether or not you’ve secured a content writing role, there are a handful of things that you can do to increase your chances of success in the field. 

First, never stop learning. Read as much as you can. Information is abundant online, especially here on the Freelance blog, that can help steer you in the right direction. 

Second, write as much as you can. You won’t learn anything unless you put your digits to the keyboard and type. Take a look at brands that have killer content, and model them. You’ll also want to start building your freelance writing portfolio.

Finally, network! Find content writers that you can learn from, in-person and online. Many people have established themselves as leaders in the content and copywriting world – learn from them all. There is no one authority on the subject, and by keeping an open mind, you’ll learn what works for you and your career. 

That’s it in a nutshell!

Content writing can be an exciting career path, but it’s not for everyone. If you want to learn more about content writing, check out our freelance writing blog. Better yet, head to our resource page and doom-scroll your day away (in the best way!).