Have you ever thought about why there is a specific section for skills in every resume? Why showcasing work experience and education is not enough? Well, while working in any field of life, you’ll not be alone looking for jobs. As you will have to face a lot of competition, skills are crucial to differentiate your working abilities. The formula to achieving success in any field of life is strengthening your skills. Similar is the case for content writers; if you want to succeed as a writer, you need to possess outstanding skills for making yourself prominent in this highly-competitive field.
Becoming a content writer is not an easy task. Many people enter this field with a misconception that content creation is a piece of cake, as all you need to do is jot down articles by taking the assistance of online sources.
This blog will discuss everything you need to know about content writers and the top skills that can help you stand out from the competition. So let’s get started with the basic details without any further ado!
What is a Content Writer?
Content is an integral part of websites, and without it, no one can achieve success or even get noticed in this digital world. A content writer is responsible for generating high-quality, relevant, and engaging textual pieces of content for websites. A content writer has to produce keyword-optimized content for the websites to help them get connected with their targeted audience. Over the years, the demand for content has grown immensely; hence, content writers also have high demand. For becoming a content writer, you’ll need to possess specific skills that can make website owners interested in acquiring your services. Read on this article till the end to understand what skills can give you a competitive edge over others.
Are There Different Kinds of Content Writer Jobs?
Every website or business has different goals of creating and using content to reach the audience. Just like you need to hire a specific engineer to carry out the required job, it’s essential to look for a content writer who is an expert in generating your desired content. Let’s take you through the different kinds of content writer jobs available in the market.
Blog Writer
A blog writer is responsible for generating engaging content that performs well on SERP. As every blog is published on your website as a new page, blog writers need to possess SEO expertise to jot down SEO-friendly blogs. In some cases, blog writers also need to optimize the content after conducting keyword research.
Technical Writer
The job of technical writers is to create highly technical content more accessible for readers to understand. A technical writer doesn’t have the job to explain the specifications or features of products and services. Instead, the focus of technical writers needs to be describing the technology and other technicalities involved in the production.
Copywriter
A copywriter’s job is associated with copywriting, which is producing a textual or sales copy for several forms of marketing, such as advertising. To become a copywriter, you must know how to persuade readers to take a particular action using words that create a simultaneous connection between your brand and audience.
Social Media Writer
Social media writers are the most in-demand content writers, as numerous brands use social platforms to interact with their potential and existing customers. A social media writer has to provide content regularly to increase interactions and conversations with the audience. In general, this kind of writer works as a brand’s spokesperson.
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What Qualifications Do Content Writers Need?
The qualifications demanded from content writers vary from company to company. The best way to figure out what qualifications you need to portray while applying for a content writer job is by exploring the job descriptions posted by employers. It’s essential to look into them before creating your resume, as they play a crucial role in the resume creation process. You don’t have to follow any hassles for curating a resume, as you can easily access an online resume creator and get the job done without investing your time and effort.
Coming back to the point, some common qualifications required from a content writer include a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, English literature, or a relevant field. It is also demanded from content writers to possess proficient-level expertise with word processing software programs. All the companies explicitly mention the minimum years of experience the applicants must have; hence, you can look into it and decide whether you should apply or not.
What is the Typical Content Writer Salary?
The range of salaries for content writers differs from region to region. The variance in salaries can also be observed between different kinds of content writing jobs. As per the sources, the average salary of a content writer in the US is around $50,000 per annum. Whereas, in the UK, it’s about £25,000. However, not all companies hire content writers on a permanent contract. Usually, online writers are paid on a per-project or per-word basis. The word rate fluctuates as per the requirement of content and niche.
The 5 Skills You Need to Succeed as a Content Writer
Now, as you have known the basics of a content writer, let’s discuss the must-have skills that can give an exceptional boost to your career, help you land the desired job, or capture the attention of more clients.
1. Ability to Generate Unique Content
A content writer might have to write on a single topic repeatedly. However, it doesn’t mean that you can deliver plagiarized content. Content writers need to be creative and come up with unique content every time. Otherwise, plagiarism can haunt your career badly and never let you succeed. The online utilities can become your helping partner in regard to detecting and eliminating duplication. You can use an online plagiarism checker to check for plagiarism and spot plagiarized sentences. There’s no need to worry about removing plagiarism on your own, as you can choose the best paraphrasing tool for doing this job.
2. Immaculate Grasp of Language Structure
Content writing might not be your cup of tea if you don’t have a good grip over language structure, grammar rules, and spelling. These three elements are most important in content; hence, the content writers need to possess the skill of excellent grasp over language structure. If the content you generate is full of grammatical, syntax, and spelling errors, you won’t even be able to survive in this domain. Thankfully, the availability of free grammar check tools can help you in this regard. However, first, you need to build your own expertise.
3. Expert at Hooking the Readers
As a content writer, your job will be to generate textual files that make an impression and create visitors’ interest. Therefore, engagement is an important skill to flourish in this career. Without engaging the audience with your content, your chances of moving up in the industry will remain equal to none. Hence, you should become an expert at hooking the readers!
4. Know-How to Cater Different Writing Styles
Every content is jotted down in a distinct writing style. Instead of making yourself limited to a single writing style, you must have the ability to cater to different writing styles without observing any difficulties. For instance, blogs need to be friendly and conversational. On the contrary, you need to produce how-to guides, product descriptions, etc. The writer should have this skill to make employers interested in acquiring your services.
5. Understanding of Search Engine Optimization
Although SEO is not applied in all kinds of writing, its basic knowledge is considered essential and often demanded by companies in job descriptions. You should have a clear understanding of how to cope with SEO strategies while creating content. SEO-friendliness should be reflected in your content, as it’s one of the most important skills a content writer needs to succeed in this career.
How Do I Start as a Content Writer?
Most content writers begin their careers working as a freelancer. Even after getting experience, they continue working online. In this competitive market, you may find it challenging to get a job without experience. Therefore, the best way for content writers to get started is by using freelancing platforms like Fiverr, UpWork, etc. Over these platforms, you can follow the guidelines and reach millions of clients. For starting, you can offer your content writing services at low rates. Once you have made yourself prominent, you can gradually rise and succeed in this career.
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Final Thoughts
Coming to a conclusion, besides having required writing skills, there’s a need to be creative, research-oriented, adaptable, and familiar with digital marketing trends for succeeding as a content writer. You need to invest your time and resources in crafting your writing skills to become an up-and-coming content writer.
