Frequently Asked Questions About Content Writing
What is content writing?
It’s writing done to create digital marketing assets. It generally includes blog posts, but also encompasses content created for video scripts, notes for podcasts, and social media updates. The web content produced through content writing always keeps the target audience in mind.
Why is content writing important in digital marketing?
Marketing on any platform now relies on “content” — whether text, graphic, or video. And content writing specifically is the backbone for all digital marketing efforts which generates website visitors, engagement, and eventually leads to conversions.
Is content writing a good career?
If you enjoy writing, curious to learn new subjects, and can collaborate with teammates to deliver content as per business expectations, then you’ll like content writing as a career. Remember though that content is a marketing channel for brands which has to deliver business results. So such a career is not going to comprise the creative craft of writing alone.
Can anyone do content writing?
If you’ve a knack for writing and appreciate feedback from peers, then content writing could be a decent fit for you. You’ll just need to learn technical skills (such as SEO) and tailor your writing for a target audience. It’s not a solely creative pursuit alone though — you become a part of the marketing department at a company.
Where to learn content writing?
You can consider taking the free content marketing course at HubSpot . But getting hands-on experience is key. So look out for internships or freelance gigs that interest you. If you’re unable to get professional content writing gigs, then write on self-publishing platforms such as Medium and solicit feedback — especially from content editors — to polish your writing.
How to become a content writer?
To get content writing jobs, you need to build a robust body of work. But nobody will hire you on the job to demonstrate your content writing skills. To get some experience under your belt, start a blog targeting a specific audience. You can also help a few businesses for free and guest post at niche publications to start building your writing portfolio.
What Does a Content Writer Do?
Content writers typically create textual content for websites including their blog, product pages, Ebooks and other marketing collateral, email newsletters, social media content, and more. Depending on the requirements and size of the company, they might collaborate with a content manager, an SEO executive, and a designer for their content projects.
Here are the types of content writing you might end up doing for a business. Or if you’re hiring a content writer, you might want to explore experts from the following categories — depending on your business needs.
1. SEO Content Writing
Content written for the purpose of ranking in search engines and driving traffic. Typically it means blog posts, though it could include other webpages targeting keywords such as your services page. The goal of this form of writing is to generate brand awareness.
2. Long-Form Writing
As the name suggests, these are long articles spanning 2000 words, 2500 words, or even more — depending on your industry. Long-form blog posts have become the norm in competitive niches such as SaaS and B2B because they tend to rank in search engines.
3. B2B Content Writing
It involves writing done specifically for a business audience and generally for the purpose of SEO. Generally it consists of blog posts to educate and inform your readers, though content written for a business audience on social media could also be clubbed under B2B content.
4. Landing Page Copywriting
A page with details of software or products where your prospects “land.” The goal of such writing is persuading a landing page visitor to become a customer. Joanna Wiebe, a copywriting thought leader, coined the term conversion copywriter to club all kinds of such writing which has to lead a visitor to “convert.”
5. Email Copywriting
It includes writing attention-grabbing subject lines to ensure your recipients open your email, and keep them hooked throughout your email — all the way to getting them to visit your product page. For bloggers, it could also include newsletters and general updates to educate their subscribers.
6. Product Copywriting
This type involves crafting sales copy and descriptions for the product pages of a website, generally an Ecommerce store. The product copywriter could also craft the words for the promotional material of a product including social media advertisements, brochures, banners, emails, and its landing pages.
7. Website Copywriting
Typically this involves web content writing for a business website. A web copywriter researches a business, their customers, the products they sell, and codifies their brand’s message through compelling copy for their website.
8. Technical Writing
Such writing consists of creating step-by-step tutorials for complex and specialized subjects trying to simplify information. A few examples of technical writing include end-user documentation of a product, a how to guide, or a journal. And industries where it’s employed are financial services, manufacturing, energy, and medical.
9. Script Writing
If you fancy being a creative content writer, then scripwring could be the closest you’ll come to it. It entails crafting content for multimedia formats such as explainer videos, radio advertisements, or even podcast scripts. Express Writers offer a script writing service from their experts:
10. Ghostwriting
Writing where you cede the credits for your creative work to another author or business. Many brands use ghostwriters to produce a large amount of content for their blog and publish it under their founder’s name. Newsletters, web copy, articles, speeches, and even books could all be ghostwritten.
11. Freelance Writing
Writing done for money by a self-employed professional on a contract basis. Clients specify their needs and inform the expected style to such writers, which they then deliver on a deadline. If you can create great content for a specific industry, you can become an in-demand freelance writer.
12. Brand Journalism
It’s journalism style storytelling done by a writing professional on the behalf of a brand. The goal of such writers is earning and keeping the attention of their audience. You can consider them as better versions of press releases — where you talk about your business without coming across as self-promotional.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- 2+ years of experience in creating content and link-building in a B2B environment, digital advertising, or global technology company
- Minimum Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Marketing, Communications, Journalism or related
- Sound experience of writing for B2B, B2C and employee audiences is essential. Understanding of retail and/or eCommerce is preferred. You are able to produce a long form or short form content piece and know the relevance of each on different platforms.
- Experienced with multiple forms of B2B lead generation tactics and channels
- Have basic knowledge of HTML, and creative editing within a digital space. Knowing CSS is a plus
- Be able to produce content in different formats, and to cater to different audiences. Particularly, be able to distinguish between Business and Creative writing formats. Have the ability to switch between writing styles.
- Ability to use content to motivate audiences
- Ability to understand technical topics and translate into easily understood messages
- Competent researcher utilizing multiple sources
- Ability to manage multiple tasks or projects simultaneously within flexible timescales
- Can provide a portfolio of writing samples.
- Ability to produce a written document on short notice
- Effective communicator across various audiences and have superlative grammar and proofreading skills
- Strong and effective communicator (written, spoken and visual).
- Experience with a content management system (Hubspot or other ideal)
- Experience of working as part of a wider high performing team
- Proficient user of standard office software (MS Office Suite, Google Suite etc.).
- Proven track history of driving your own professional and personal development
- Create marketing content and copy for blog posts, landing pages, case studies, whitepapers, user stories. Email campaign content, email copy, video scripts, newsletters, infographics, award nominations, social media and web content
- Keep up to date with SEO trends, techniques and practices that engages consumers
- Use curated SEO methods to reach client visibility objectives
- Perform independent research to help craft data driven content
- Keep accurate, ordered, and dated notes or recordings of source material
- Have a keen sense of detail. Take ownership of quality and accuracy.
- Exercise a data-centric approach to gather customer insights and use data to improve engagement
- Leverage data to assess and improve SEO methods
- Maintain up to date knowledge of industry developments and competitors
- Planning, scheduling and posting engaging content across all social media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.
- Productively engage in the entire content lifestyle from content ideation, creation and reproduction of different writing formats to edits, proofreading and measurement of said content piece.
- Maintain validity of any necessary or mandated platform or partner certifications that are required of your role
- Assist with ad-hoc projects and tasks as required
- Communicate and collaborate cross-functionally within Channel Bakers and other key stakeholders
Resource:
https://elitecontentmarketer.com/content-writer/
https://contentwritingjobs.com/jobs/marketing-content-writer-at-channel-bakers