Content writing has become a highly paid skill in the last few years. Looking back a decade ago, only a few people knew about content writing. Content writing is writing with a purpose and plan. It is essential for everyone to write well, whether it's a writer or a student. A reader must be able to understand the purpose of your content. Today we will discuss tips to help you become a better content writer. Whether you want to be a part-time or full-time content writer, it all starts with taking that first step.
What are the qualities of good content?
Good content is something people love to read, interact and share with friends and family. It takes effort for a writer to jot down somethingpeople love and interact with. Some general qualities of good content are:
- Quality content must be well-written and free of errors.
- There is never any plagiarism in quality content. Quality content is always plagiarism free.
- It should be engaging and interesting to the audience.
- Good or quality content is always relevant to the main topic.
- It should be useful and easy to understand for its intended audience.
These are some of the common attributes associated with a content's quality. Before finding out how to become a good writer, let's find out the major types of writing.
Common types of Writing
Writing has no boundaries or limits. Generally, we segment writing into 5 main types. The main writing types are:
1. Article writing
It is the most common type of content writing. It includes blog writing, creative writing, guest posts, reviews, interviews, and articles about certain topics.
Article writing revolves around a topic and we write to solve a problem. An excellent article may have 600 to 1500 words depending on the topic.
2. Web content writing
The content we see on different web pages is called web content. For example, on the homepage, About us, service page, FAQs, privacy policy, etc.
We write web content to tell people more about our product, service or agency. If we are a tech company, we'll tell people about us and the things we do.
Similarly, if we write for an e-commerce website, we will write information about ourselves. Things like where we are making shipment of our products, our active hours, and related things.
3. Business writing
It includes business proposals, brochures, investment proposals, and case studies. We can say that content written for business purposes is called business content. But it does not include articles or blogs written about the business niches.
The writing type is mainly associated with marketing. We do business writing to promote our product or services or general perception regarding a company or brand.
4. Copywriting
It is the sales or captions content we often see on google or other web pages. Captions written on different social media posts are also part of copywriting. Examples are adding copies, flyers, infographics, website copies, etc.
The main purpose of copywriting is to sell a product or service. Your search for "best Nike shoes for women" results show higher buying intent.
So, Google's ranking will be based on more convincing and insightful results. The content that is providing the information is a "Copy". Thus, it is called copywriting.
5. Technical writing
It converts a piece of technical information into a user-friendly form. For example, the technical content of the software is only understandable for its developers or professionals. A technical writer writes this content user-friendly so that a simple reader can understand the text. It includes user guides, manuals, instructions, etc.
Writing is all about learning and practising. You write your views or imagination in your content and prove it with arguments. You can become a good content writer in 2023, which is only possible if you get your basics right and try harder.
13 Tips to be a Creative Content Writer
Everyone can write, but not everyone is a writer. It would help if you were passionate and consistent about becoming a good writer because nothing can be achieved overnight. It takes time and energy to be praised by the world.
It is never too late to start writing and the perfect time of the year to set a goal of becoming a good writer in 2023. I have summarized some important tips to help you start your content writing career. These tips are:
1. Pick Up a Niche
Niche is the industry or domain in which you want to write your content. For example, Web3 and Artificial Intelligence are the inclining industries these days.
You can choose the niche according to your interest and knowledge but also keep in mind the market trends while choosing a niche. A recommended way to pick up a niche is to look at your interests and align them with your education.
2. Learn how to write plagiarism-free content
Before starting your content writing career, you must know what plagiarism is and how you can write plagiarism-free content.
Firstly, you must never commit plagiarism intentionally because it is considered unethical and unprofessional.
Secondly, unintentional plagiarism happens frequently when you are a beginner, so there is no need to panic; use an accurate plagiarism checker and remove any found plagiarism.
3. Seek internships
You need experience the most when you are just a beginner in content writing. So look for content writing internships (preferentially paid ones) to gain some experience in teamwork. You learn many new things when you work under the guidance of a senior writer. It also helps you learn the value of teamwork and professionalism.
4. Improve Vocabulary
Words have so much impact on humans, and the right words put more. Creative writers usually have a strong vocabulary.
The interesting thing here is that you can improve your vocabulary just by focusing. We all watch movies and seasons, they help a lot in strengthening vocabulary.
Songs, Live Commentary, Talk shows and reading books are also potential ways that allow you to improve your vocabulary.
5. Use freelancing platforms for learning
It is best to sign up on different freelancing platforms if you are a work-from-home person. One can earn a handsome amount via these platforms by working as a full-time writer. You can also use these platforms to gain work experience before applying for an office job. These platforms help you learn initial client-handling techniques for a professional content writer.
Learning and practicing is crucial, but real improvement comes with professional work. You can use freelancing platforms for your learning and gaining experience!
6. Do the research and make arguments
For a beginner writer, it is important to work on your research skills. It is important to do complete research on your topic and know every important detail. A good writer first prepares a draft of arguments, like which certain points he is going to cover in this piece of content.
Try to make unique arguments to stand out. Experienced writers do this exceptionally well, making them stand out from others.
7. Write with clarity
Never doubt your thoughts. It is crucial to do compact research but once you start writing, write with clarity. The purpose of the content must be clear in the introduction paragraph.
If the purpose is not clear, then it would confuse the reader. Clarity is an essential key to writing good content. So you must describe each point separately, do not discuss more than one point at a time. This will make you write quality content without facing problems or difficulties.
8. Focus on grammatical accuracy
We write content to excel and educate people. Words will have a greater impact if chosen correctly. Nobody wants to read something that has a lot of mistakes. You can make as many mistakes as you want in your first draft.
But while preparing your final content, always check for grammatical errors. Grammatical mistakes make the content look unprofessional or written by an amateur. A professional writer never leaves any grammatical errors in their content. Different online tools are available that help you write error-free content.
9. Create a flow in your content
Flow is very important in content. Your words, sentences and paragraphs must be aligned in a way that makes sense. You can't just write whatever comes to your mind. Every next line must link with the last line to keep the content inflow and easy to read. If you follow context, there are chances that you will remain relevant. This way, your content will have a good flow.
10. Meet the audience requirements / Communicate with the target audience
Always remember the main topic while writing. A writer must know the audience's expectations about the content and write according to that.
The best way to do this is to carry on keyword research. Keyword research is generally not associated with writers, but all good writers have a good awareness of keywords. They know the intent of a keyword and who is the targeted audience against a topic.
It helps you know what people want to know about a certain topic. That way, you can write reader-friendly content.
11. Keep Learning
This is the most crucial tip if you want to become a creative writer. Learning never stops and even the most experienced writers improve themselves with time.
Your ability to keep learning makes you go beyond others. You can achieve what others can only think of.
So, these are the top 11 tips to become a creative writer. I tried to mix different things so that you can learn them quickly. A person who is writing already has traits and can become an extremely efficient writer by focusing on these tips.
12. Proof Read
Most people suck here! This is the most common thing where all new comers find it difficult. Proof reading helps you to eliminate jargon from content. By proofreading, you ensure the context and relevancy of the content.
But, it is necessary for you to take some time off before you proofread your content.
13. Seek Feedback
When you are writing at initial stages of your career, you don’t know whether you are doing it right or not. Feedback is extremely important for improving overall quality of the content. Never feel shy to reach out to industry experts and seek feedback.
Take positives from feedback and try to implement these things one by one. This is how you can further improve your writing in less amount of time.
Apart from these tips, here are a few common tips for beginners.
1. Build a portfolio
A portfolio is like your online resume or CV that you would share with your client while applying for a job. A portfolio contains your personal information and your work experience.
If you are a beginner and have no experience yet, don't worry; you may attach some of your best writing samples. Online blog profiles, e.g., medium, WordPress, etc., are also used as portfolios, where the client can read your published content to check your writing skills.
Your portfolio will allow you to stand out from other content marketers. Content writing is growing and will keep on growing in future.
2. Always look for new learning opportunities
Don't just settle with a single client for a long time. Because your pay rate must increase with time and experience, always look for new opportunities where you can learn more and earn more. But if a certain work experience or client is helping you improve your skills, then it is best to stick with that job/client.
Now let's talk about some tips to improve your content. Of course, practice makes a man perfect, but there are some points that a writer always needs to keep in mind while writing the content. Follow these tips to generate better content.
Conclusion
This was all I wanted you to know before starting your content writing career. A good content writer always enjoys writing and keeps looking for new opportunities. There are many types of content writing from which you can choose to become a part-time or full-time writer. It only takes energy and passion to become a good writer and, of course, some important tips to always keep in mind. I hope the above content was helpful for you in improving your writing skills. My best wishes for your content writing career. Just take the first step, and opportunities will keep arising.