Did you know that content writers are responsible for crafting everything you consume online?
Writers create written content that ranges from blog posts, web pages, social media posting, email newsletters, product descriptions, whitepapers, and video scripts.
To be a good content writer, you need to produce valuable content for an intended audience. The more the content relates to the needs of a particular audience, the more it becomes invaluable.
The increase in demand for high-quality content doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon, so now is the best time to get started if you have considered writing as a career.
To get you started, here are ten tips on how to become a content writer:
1. Write every day
This may be an oversimplification of becoming a writer, but writers write. If you want to become a successful content writer, you must write every day. Set a target of minimum words to write every day. Write at least 500 words daily on any writing platform and never skip it.
2. Work on improving your grammar and vocabulary
Improve your grammar and vocabulary by reading constantly. Read articles and subjects that you find interesting for at least an hour every day. Learn new words you can use to spice up your writing and learn terminology common among your niche. Read to gain valuable insights and facts that you can use as citations in your articles.
3. Learn touch typing
Touch typing helps you do more work in less time. As a writer, you want to type as fast as thoughts flow in your mind. Each time you pause to look at the keyboard, you tend to slow down the creative flow of ideas, and it breaks your momentum. This may leave you feeling unsatisfied with your work. Use an online resource for your touch-typing practice, such as typingclub.com.
4. Use writing apps to improve your copy
Use online writing tools to help you create content free from grammatical errors. There are several apps that you can use to make content creation easier. Some of the most popular content writer tools are Grammarly, Hemingway editor, and Evernote.
5. Pick a niche
Focusing on a niche allows you to deliver your messages better. You will know the appropriate tone of writing, voice, style, and words to effectively drive your message. Doing this leaves your audience feeling satisfied after reading your article.
6. Start your website
Your website is your first portfolio to showcase on your resume. You can use WordPress to create a free website for your blogs. It’s a great way to gain clients and to build your technical skills as well. Check out the Beginner’s guide to set up your blog in WordPress.
7. Enroll in a comprehensive writing course
There are many courses available online. While some are free, they can’t compensate for learning gaps compared to paid in-depth writing courses like The Ben Button content writing course. This gives you access to mentors who will guide you at each step of your content writing journey and provide additional support as necessary.
8. Join social networks where your target audience hangs out
Join social networks and put your name and work ( online ) out there. While this may be a daunting task, this is a great way to get comfortable with your writing. Join social network groups to find your niche and target audience. For example, there are groups on Facebook for Personal Trainers, Vegan groups, and content writers. Be active in posting, engage with the group regularly and be as helpful as much as you can.
9. Answer questions on Q & A sites
Research on topics and questions people ask and help them by answering their questions. Q&A sites such as Quora, answer.com, and eHow allow you to help others by providing answers and insights to users posting questions on such sites.
10. Reach out to employers
Once you have your portfolio, start connecting with clients. Begin looking for jobs and projects on LinkedIn, Fiverr, Upwork, etc. It may be difficult at first, but being consistent will help you overcome obstacles. If you find yourself struggling, you can seek an internship for small businesses and get your start there. The pay might not be as much as larger organizations but what’s important is that it will help you to gain work experience.
These are the tips I followed to help me land my first content writing job. If that sounds easy, I’ll tell you it’s not. The difficulty was in being consistent. Stay focused to succeed. If you are determined and consistent on how to be a content writer, you are already halfway to becoming a successful one.
To learn more tips on how to become a content writer, visit The Ben Button Content Writing Course.