When I entered the content writing industry in 2018, I lacked experience, relevant degrees, and guidance. Does this sound like your current scenario? No need to worry. Fast forward to the present; I am an established content writer with 8+ years of experience, 60+ clients, and 1200+ pieces of content. 

Now, it’s high time for me to equip you with all the information, tools, and steps necessary to kickstart your career as a content writer. Throughout this article, I will also dispel all the myths and doubts related to this creative and high-earning profession, i.e., rife with opportunities.

The guardian at the door to the content writing landscape won’t stop you because you don’t have a relevant degree or aren’t a content wizard. If you love reading and writing and wish to make a career that carries the badge of your passion, the guardian will let you pass. 

So, let’s enter the world of “You and Content Factory” and let me be your Willy Wonka of writing. 

Can I Become a Content Writer?

Before we delve into the details of “who is a content writer?”, “What content writer do?” or “How much content writer earn?” we must address the elephant in the room: “Can I become a content writer?”

Yes, you can become a content writer even if you have;

• Not written any article or blog post in your life 
• No idea about SEO
• No idea about the content writing career
• Slow typing speed

Begin by getting rid of all the doubts in your mind. The only thing you must have to make a great career in this field is: “Love and passion for writing or reading”. This is what I had under my belt when I jumped into the vast ocean of content creation. The necessary SEO skills, article writing style, and skyrocketing typing speed; everything can be acquired over time after you kickstart your career. 

Don’t worry about hurdles you might have to face in the future. Also, never carry a heavy bag of burdens, full of worries and doubts, as it will stop you from taking your first step. So just like me, instead of asking yourself “Can I become a content writer?”, say to yourself “Yes, I can become a content writer”

Who Is a Content Writer?

A content writer (first coined in the early 1990s) is an expert who plans, writes, edits, and publishes content for businesses and individuals. He brings in his passion and love for writing and aligns them with the company’s objective. 

The main goal of a content writer is to create, edit, and publish written content (blogs, articles, website content, and much more) for different purposes like marketing, information, entertainment, and education. He is responsible for the company’s digital presence in the form of words and sentences.  

It is necessary to understand what content writing means as it gives you an overview of what you will do once onboarded. There is no need to delve deeper, just a basic understanding is enough. 

When you join a company as an entry level content writer, you won’t be editing and publishing others’ content. So, the only thing you have to focus on is writing. You will join a team of writers, and a content head will give you 

• Article titles
• Keywords (don’t worry about it, we will discuss it later)
• Deadline 
• Reference links 

All these things will be on a Google Excel sheet with multiple access. Even if you have never used Google Sheets, no need to panic, it’s just like Microsoft Excel with the same rows and columns. 

Terrific Tip- This short video of 12 minutes is all you need to learn the basics of Google Excel

What Does a Content Writer Do?

Answering this question with just a few points will mislead the audience and their understanding. Since the role of a content writer varies with their level, it is necessary to take a new perspective toward the content writer role.  

For beginners, it is all about research, writing, and editing. Further up in the hierarchy, you have to add SEO skills and deal with email marketing, newsletters, website content, and keyword research. And at the top of the funnel, there are many things to do that you don’t have to worry about now. 

When you join a company as an entry level content writer, you just have to focus on research, writing, and editing.

Research

If content is a food recipe, then research is its ingredients. For an entry level content writer, the word “research” might sound bulky, but it’s not. When you are given a title, you can’t just start writing straight away until you are an expert at it. Let’s understand this with an example. 

If you are a bowler with 30+ years of experience and you are given the topic “The basics of swing bowling”, you won’t need much research on that topic because you know every nook and cranny about the topic. But unfortunately, that’s not the case with content writers, at least for an entry level content writer. 

In your case, you have to rely on research. Here is what you have to do;

• Search for the topic on Google and open 6-7 tabs of articles written on that topic
• Read all the articles so you get a basic idea 
• Garner graphs and charts that will accentuate your writing 
• Build a basic structure of the content you are about to write from the articles you have read 

Sounds easy? Well, this is all you have to do during your research. Many content writers choose a specific field and write on topics related to that field only, like tech, finance, or marketing. Then there are writers like me who serve all the industries. We write about many industries and our work relies heavily on research. 

Write

After you have researched (which was an alien term an hour ago) your topic, it’s time to craft everything in your own words. This is crucial because you tend to write like what you have read, but try to avoid it. Let me give an example. 

If you read a sentence like this: “Bollywood has been on a decline since the pandemic. From the rise of OTT platforms to the lack of creativity, many factors contribute to the rough patch of Bollywood.”

Now, if you wish to add this part to your article, you can write it like this: “Even when the dust has settled after the pandemic, Bollywood hasn’t recovered yet. The two main reasons for the bad phase of Bollywood are: the dissipating creativity in movies and the rising popularity of OTT platforms.”

This is like learning the uppercut from Sachin and then coming up with your snake shot. It’s the art of crunching the words you have garnered in your mind and then weaving your sentence. You can also master this skill over time. 

Edit 

This is an essential part of content writing for beginners because new content writers usually skip it. Editing is not only about checking grammatical errors, it’s about reading your piece from a reader’s point of view. Look at sentences that sound offbeat, and eliminate all the words that don’t make sense. Also, identify parts where the flow breaks. 

Terrific Tip: It is always a good idea to keep it simple, instead of making your writing fancy with lavish words. 

When you write, you pen down whatever comes to your mind, it is just like an imprint of your thought process. You don’t think much about the structure of writing, the flow, or even the grammar. But all these things must be checked after finishing the article. Editing a piece of content is like tasting your food before you serve it. 

I will write a blog post on editing as I consider it the most underrated and misunderstood part of content writing for beginners. 

How to Become a Content Writer?

You don’t have any experience as a content writer? Your degree doesn’t justify your decision to pursue a career in content writing. Have you been scouring the web with the keywords “How to become a content writer” or “How to start content writing”? Well, you have come to the right place. 

Follow these steps to march forward in your content writing journey;

Opt for a Content Writing Course

The first thing you should opt for before applying for a content writer position is: “choose a content writing course.” The internet is inundated with courses and certifications related to content writing, and you can’t choose one without research.

There is nothing like the best content writing course, as every online course will sharpen a specific part of your skillset, and a bundle of these courses is necessary to become a writer with a complete package.  

But here, I have listed the best content writing courses, the ones I have completed and benefited from;

1. Writing With Flair: How To Become An Exceptional Writer(Wait for discount price, below ₹600)

2. Complete SEO Training With Top SEO Expert Peter Kent! (Wait for a discount price, below ₹600)

3. Hubspot Content Marketing Certification Course (Free)

If you have time, I would highly recommend going through this free gem available on YouTube

Start Writing 

After learning the basics of content writing and SEO, it is time to start writing because you need a product (writing samples) to sell (get selected). You can’t apply for a content writing job and expect the interviewer to pick you just because you love writing. 

But don’t get overwhelmed. There are many ways to have something to show to the companies or individuals. You just need the right list of content writing sites. Here are some platforms you can use to commence your writing journey. 

1. Medium 
2. Quora 
3. Wix
4. Blogger

Choose the topic of your interest and start writing articles, answering questions on Quora, and writing blogs.

 Terrific Tip- The interviewer will analyze your content writing samples on these platforms to understand your writing style and skills. So take your time and write crips, to the point, and engaging article on different content writing platforms. 

Also, prepare a resume. There are many articles and videos on the internet on how to prepare a resume. Make sure to include links to your writing samples in the resume. You can also build a portfolio using wix. Nowadays, most companies ask for a portfolio. My portfolio looks something like this;

Freelance Content Writer or Content Writer

Now that you have writing samples and a resume ready, you have two options to choose from;

• Freelance Content writer– I am a freelance content writer. I began my career as an on-site content writer, but after 3 years, I changed my course. A freelance content writer works for different companies or clients on a project basis. In many cases, if the organization or client falls in love with your writing, they can keep giving you opportunities for a lifetime. Also, you get to work from home and choose your working hours. 

• On-site content writer-  An on-site content writer applies for a job, gets interviewed, and works for the specific company. The working hours are fixed, but the growth and opportunities are enormous. And the best thing is you don’t have to worry about finding work. 

Both opportunities have their pros and cons, and it all boils down to your personal preference. Just because I love freelancing doesn’t mean you have to do the same. 

After choosing between a freelance content writer and an on-site content writer, you can further pick a niche like;

• Technical content writer– Writes everything related to tech
• Ghostwriter– Creates writing pieces credited to someone else
• Copywriter– Writes enticing and persuasive text for advertising and marketing
• Social media writer– Creates content for social media pages and accounts
• Brand Journalist– Creates content for journalistic publication 

Content Writing for Beginners: Essential Terms 

Now that you have understood the role of a content writer, it’s time to get familiar with a couple of terminologies. This will make you shine as a beginner whenever someone uses them. But instead of just understanding their meaning, try to dig deeper into them.

• Proofreading: Editing your piece for grammatical mistakes and readability issues. 
• Keywords: Phrases and words put in the search box by a user to find something. Learn a bit more about it and how it is used in content. Simply search for “Keyword for content writers” and read some blogs. 
• Meta Description: The summary of an article or blog that appears below the URL in search results. It should be less than 160 characters, and the primary keyword should be in it. 
• Intro– The intro of an article or blog is vital to the success of your writing. It should be catchy, engaging, and not more than 200 words. 
• H1, H2, H3– These are heading tags. For this piece, “How to become a content writer: My Personal Experience” is H1, “What does a content writer do?” is H2, and “Research” is H3.
• Summary– Also known as conclusion, it should simply summarize the entire article, and should be opinionated. 
• Difference– Research the difference between articles, blogs, web stories, infographics, and learn about their formats. 

Terrific Tip- Watch a couple of YouTube videos on keyword stuffing. 

Content Writing for Beginners: Essential Tools

• Grammarly– A must-have for content writers. It checks your writing pieces for grammatical errors and offers suggestions. 
• Hemingway editor– Submit your piece here, and it will suggest ways to improve your written content. 
• Canva– Images included in the article speak for your words, and Canva can be used to create enticing images. 
• Google Docs– An obvious inclusion, as gone are those days when Microsoft Excel was ubiquitous for writers. 

You can’t become a content writer overnight. Content writing demands time, patience, and most importantly, the zeal to transform your passion into a career. Despite all this, there is a silver lining to this aspect: you can become an excellent content writer without any degree or experience. 

Believe in yourself and have faith in the words you scribe. The first article you write isn’t going to be a Wall Street Journal article, but over time, you learn from your errors, fine-tune your style, and soon you notice your content writing samples improving. 

Content writing is a bright career with a future filled with opportunities. So add the skills mentioned in this article under your belt, learn about SEO, and use the specific tools to become the next wizard of words.