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Wazzup Pilipinas!?
When you think about it, most industries wouldn’t exist online without digital content. Think of news companies, eCommerce, video streaming networks, blogs and everything else in between.
Content is the engine that powers online industries. Content writing, in particular, helps search engines like Google match millions of Internet users with the information they’re looking for.
That means there’s a lot of work for content writers. Every industry that uses content to market its products requires content writers. And sure enough, there’s a huge demand for great writers. But is content writing a good career path?
Understand Content Writing
Content writing is the practice of writing, editing and publishing information for the web. As a content writer, your job is to create blog posts, product descriptions, technical white papers, sales copies and social media posts.
When it comes to skills, you need the ability to write original, informative, and engaging content. If you choose to become a copywriter, you need to be persuasive.
Copy writers aim to convince readers to buy a product as soon as possible. On the other hand, SEO writers produce content aimed at helping a website rank high on Google.
How Do You Find Paid Gigs as a Content Writer?
The vast majority of content writers work independently as freelancers. They may sign up for accounts on content writing sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Or, they may work alongside web designers, SEO agencies and marketers.
Where you choose to find content writing work influences your work flow and income. Content mills like Upwork and Freelancer have the lowest pay rates. Agencies have much higher pay rates. But they demand quality work. Agencies also specialize in other areas like SEO, PR and influencer marketing.
Many of them specialize in specific industries, though. If you get contracted to work for an online gambling SEO agency, you will mostly help create iGaming SEO content. If you partner with a company that does web design for eCommerce sites, you will specialize in creating online shopping related content.
Benefits of Working as a Content Writer
If you’re wondering if you should become a content writer, perhaps the following benefits may persuade you:
Work from Home
Most content writers work from home. Some prefer to work at coffee shops. Or, they travel around the world while working inside hotel rooms. Bottom line: content writing provides freedom.
No need to deal with work colleagues. No need to drive an hour to work every morning. And you don’t have to work during the normal 9-5 schedule. If you love to work at night, all you need is to find writing jobs with flexible deadlines.
This job flexibility makes content writing a perfect hustle for a lot of people. From stay-at-home parents to college students, anyone with some free time can sign up for content writing jobs.
Great Source of Income
Content writing is a source of income to millions of people around the world. Some of them do it part-time while others depend on content writing as their primary source of income.
Can you live comfortably on income made from content writing alone? Yes, you can. But don’t quit your day job just yet. If you’re a new writer, focus on learning how to become a proficient writer.
After some time, start looking for writing jobs on the part-time. Spare a few hours after work to write one or two SEO articles. Once you have great skills, you can decide on turning writing into a career.
In case you’re wondering, there’s no specific pay for content writers. It all depends on your skills and who you work for. As mentioned, content mills pay peanuts.
As such, look for work on job boards like ProBlogger and Smart Blogger. Better yet, work with SEO, web design and digital marketing agencies—most of them have content writing departments.
Lots of Writing Options
Content writing gives you the freedom to write about your favorite topics. Think about it. You can write for blogs if you enjoy reading blogs. You can create e-Books, write technical papers, questions and answers, How-to-Guides, white papers and sales copies.
Specialization helps you become an expert at a topic you love. It can also help you command better rates. Let’s say you specialize in writing email copies. You will get paid better compared to someone whose main specialization is writing manuals.
That said, it’s in your best interest to target multiple niches. The explanation is that you’re more likely to get steady workflow when you work different industries compared to specialize in one area.
You Become Knowledgeable in Many Topics
Content writers do a lot of research on a wide range of topics. Today, you may have a job centered on World War II. Tomorrow, you might have to write about the best TV shows of all time.
If you specialize in one niche, say crypto, you can easily become a crypto thought leader in a few months. And there are plenty of benefits in being knowledgeable on one or more topics.
For example, you could become a social media influencer. Or, you could create a blog. Then you could share your expert opinions and inform people who are less knowledgeable on the topic.
You Develop Vital, Persuasion and Marketing Skills
Writing content for the web turns you into more than a writer. You become a marketer—a master of persuasion. And these are highly valuable skills in lots of industries.
If you can persuade people to buy products, you can become a successful entrepreneur. In fact, many skilled writers own online businesses. They market products through affiliate websites. Or they start eCommerce businesses.
With that in mind, it takes time to become a truly proficient content writer. But that’s alright. Once you become an excellent content creator, the big bucks will follow you.
Conclusion
If you’re passionate about writing, content writing is a good career path. All you need is a computer, stable Internet connection and the will to become skilled. There are plenty of niches in the industry. And there’s the freedom to work for others or create content for your own blogs.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
