Content Writing Career: Everything You Need to Know

This chapter summarizes my book, “Content Writing Simplified: From Beginner to Professional,” which guides professionals to build a thriving career as a content writer.

I’ve consolidated the key lessons that cover the three key aspects of becoming a successful content writer: the fundamental skills, entering the workforce, and developing your career further.

At the end, there’s the epilogue, which encloses my thought process behind this book.

But first, let’s recap why you should become a content writer in the first place.

Why a career in content writing

As a senior content writer, I’ve never worked from the office for the entirety of my professional career, and I don’t ever plan on doing that. That’s, arguably, the biggest advantage you can expect in this field.

Of course, not all organizations support that, but most do. And it’s one of those rare paths where you actually can build a rewarding career while working from the comfort of your home in your pajamas.

The second reason is that your skills won’t go unrecognized. As your work will be published for the public or an intended audience, goodness will be noticed immediately. If an article or a social media post performs well, it will instantly boost your reputation within your company and the industry.

This will actually incentivize you to level up and keep pushing, a quality that often seeps into other aspects of life.

Finally, the barrier of entry is relatively low. Yes, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to write on a professional level where you can mint money, but compared to other lucrative fields, such as software development, consulting, and management, it’s much easier.

Even if you are an absolute beginner, you can get your foot in the door by grinding for six months on your laptop.

The basics of content writing

The most important element of a content piece is purpose. What does it do? Does it entertain or educate? How does it help you achieve a certain objective, such as gaining followers or making a sale?

Broadly, there are two purposes: entertainment and education. Entertaining content is consumed for its emotional value, where your goal is to make your audience feel better.

Educational content is to help your readers make decisions.

Note that no article is entirely emotional or educational. There’s always a little bit of both. When writing for a professional audience, such as enterprises and businesses, it’s better to keep the emotions out.

Similarly, when creating content for individual consumers, you can lean more into emotionality.

However, there’s no hard and fast rule of how much emotion you should add to maximize the impact of your written content. It depends on a variety of things, such as the preferences of your audience, the medium, and, of course, the format of the content.

These variables, the purpose, format, etc., are crucial to give shape to your articles, guides, or LinkedIn posts. Once you determine them, your objective should be to practice as much as possible to drill the concepts in.

It’s recommended to start with basic business blog posts. These content pieces are often the easiest to create and monetize. You’ll find plenty of content writing gigs that look for blog writers over social media content creators.

Entering the content writing industry

After developing the basic skills for this job, it’s essential to build a portfolio. In this day and age, resumes are practically useless unless you’ve done an MBA from a popular university.

Hence, you must demonstrate your skills in the wild. Additionally, it also helps you practice your craft and elevate the quality of your content to a professional level, where you can start charging others for it.

The most effective approach is to reach out to various online publications and request to contribute a guest post. There are plenty of respectable websites that accept engaging articles without charging authors.

Other approaches include creating a Medium profile or a website where you can showcase your content to a broader audience. However, it can be less effective because you own the platform and there’s no quality control. Whereas in the case of third-party publications, you’ve earned that on merit.

Then, apply for jobs. Most of your potential employers will ask for a portfolio to verify your skill set. So, take time to build your portfolio. It can take a few months in some cases.

Try to look for a full-time role in an agency because it will give you an opportunity to work on multiple projects. It is pivotal for expanding your range and increasing your value as a content writer.

How to improve your writing skills

The same way you improve any other skill: practice every day.

For a while now, I’ve been writing about 2000-3000 words per day. It’s been years, and I still feel there’s more improvement to come. 

Apart from a “grind every day” mentality, you also need the right tools that support a higher level of performance. The tools refer to your computer and workspace. Do everything in your power to incrementally inch toward a perfect setup that enables you to do your best work.

For me, it’s a custom-built PC that features a 27-inch 4k monitor with a mechanical keyboard. You may be more comfortable in a different setup, but in my opinion, nothing beats a good old-fashioned desktop.

The final piece of the puzzle is reading. Check out books about psychology, manipulation, propaganda, and religion. These will help you understand the core principles of persuading through text.

Moreover, exploring different styles of writing can help you increase your range. I’ve read novels, technical essays, and memoirs. All of it has enhanced my writing skills to a greater level.

Again, none of these steps will amount to anything if you don’t practice every day. Aim to produce at least 1500 words daily to build the career you want in this field.

Wrapping up: Why I wrote this book (Epilogue)

Even though I always liked creating content, I never thought I would enter this industry. It happened during COVID when my initial career plans to become an automobile engineer went out the window. 

What initially started as a backup career plan eventually became my bread and butter, and I don’t just mean that in terms of salary. Being a content writer has also encouraged me to pursue other endeavors, such as bodybuilding, personal blogging, and video production.

Furthermore, the industry has been kind to me. Perhaps it’s the people I work with. Or maybe because this field of work rewards professionals who put in the work. Regardless, it’s a great feeling to know that your efforts are bringing in the desired results.

From a sustainability standpoint, there will always be a demand for content writers as long as there are websites and social media platforms. Businesses and busy professionals need someone to give shape to their thoughts.

Looking into the future, there are plenty more opportunities to grow. I’ve been in this game for about five years now, and there is a lot more I want to do. Presently, my goal is to create more content for this website and grow my digital presence.

Due to all of the aforementioned reasons, I felt it was criminal not to tell others about what they’ve been missing out on. Hence, the book covers everything from why someone should become a content writer and the steps to do it.

I hope you have found some practical advice in this book to help you in this journey.

Until next time,

Tara

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Index (Prologue): What is Content Writing