There are many avenues you can pursue as a writing career, but with the integral, inescapable presence of the internet, being a content writer has become the most profitable, entry-level option.
Anyone can start by writing content for themselves, and once you’ve acquired a portfolio of work and the skills needed to content write become second nature, larger entities may consider having you write content for them too.
"Content writing" is a broad category that covers anything that is written to be displayed online. Content writing is typically non-fiction, its most common forms being blogs, articles, product descriptions, and ads.
Good content writing is both informative and engaging. It should capture readers’ attention as they consume the text and provide a desired outcome.
An example of an intended CTA (call to action) would be a blog post that incentivizes readers to sign up to a mailing list, and foster continued interaction with the website/company it’s written for.
What’s the difference between content writing and copywriting?
Copywriting and content writing are similar but are made with slightly different intentions. Copywriting is exclusively designed to turn people into leads and produce a sale. The writing itself is quite linear: always a straight path to a sale.
Content writing can be used for a variety of outcomes. Not every piece of content writing may push a CTA and can simply exist to develop a relationship with the reader: i.e., build brand trust. Content writing can therefore be more conversational in tone—whatever best suits the situation and fosters engagement.
If you are considering becoming a content writer, here are $ 5 key skills$ you should nurture and hone. This article will go over what you can practice to be the best content writer possible.