Everyone has written a sentence, a paragraph, a whole page, or more. And the reasons we do are varied. Most of us write as part of school work. Others do so because it is part of their jobs. Some find meaning in writing as a creative outlet. Still, some write as a profession in pursuit of their passion. And those who become writers met teachers or mentors who gave them a helping hand in their writing journey.
You must be thinking, why do I need a mentor since I already write well.
That may be true. So while good writing is an essential ingredient in becoming a content writer, you need more than that if you want your content to be consumed by your target audience. Having a mentor will add value, substance, and structure to your content writing.
Mentors come in all shapes, sizes, forms, and personalities. They can be a person in your professional circle, a colleague, and even a client. And working with them offers you the opportunity to learn, get out of your comfort zone, and grow.
Read on If you want to know how a mentor can help you become a content writer.
Be on the look-out for a mentor to jumpstart your content writing career
For Ann Kristine Peñaredondo, a content writer, writing is her passion. Ann recalls that she found writing essays as a student exciting. A natural storyteller on and off the keyboard, she started her blog to share stories of her virtual professional journey. Initially, she wrote about her first rejection as a virtual professional, being fired from a job, an online interview where the rate was $1 an hour.
As a social media manager, Ann began producing content and getting paid for it. She enjoyed sharing valuable content. And if being a content creator was going to be it for her, Ann knew that she needed a mentor. So she asked Jomar Hilario, a digital industry expert, to be her mentor.
Jomar encouraged Ann to create her blog. He believed that it was important for Ann to have an online platform for the content that she was writing. In addition, Jomar knew that having a blog helps build authority for a content creator and writer. It also enables people to have access to and to consume the content that she creates. Therefore, Jomar’s mentorship helped Ann become a content writer.
When your client becomes your mentor
Ann landed her first client as a content writer by accident. Ann got to know Jeff J Hunter after attending a talk on copywriting where he was the resource person. They struck up a conversation about her being a content writer. After the conversation, Ann realized that she was telling stories through her content writing. Ann’s ongoing conversation with Jeff as a friend and a confidante led to an offer for her to write for Jeff, his company, and his clients.
It was a blessing for Ann to have Jeff as her first client. Jeff knew what he wanted. He had a content wheel ready and knew that he wanted to be known for that. On top of that, he also had a ready list of keywords and topics.
Ann’s first content writing assignment from Jeff was an 800-word article. However, she felt overwhelmed because of the quantity and quality required from the content that she had to produce. It took her quite some time and a good deal of energy, but Ann delivered.
Ann realized that producing content for Jeff and his company pushed her to become a better content writer, in hindsight. And in her content writing career, Ann’s mentors – Jomar and Jeff – played a big part in becoming the content writer that she is now.
Find your mentor now
In conclusion, a mentor helps you be the best content writer that you can be. Check out The Ben Button Content Writing Course if you are on the lookout for top-class mentoring and coaching.