The modern business world is nothing without content writing. Yet, it seems that most business owners don’t have much knowledge about content writers, what their job is, and how they do it. That’s a shame, as these specialists carry a crucial role in the site’s growth and popularity. After all, it’s not only about putting words on paper, editing, and publishing. It’s a much more nuanced and delicate process that requires numerous skills and great experiences. Truth be told, your writer choice can often be a sink or swim situation. Hence, businesses should know all about their creative specialists and how they work in advance. That is, of course, if you want to choose the best one for your needs. Fortunately, we can help. Here are five facts you should know about content writing.
Reading is a big part of writing
Many many wrongly believe that writing starts with typing right away. Well, in reality, such work always starts with reading. Professionals have to learn everything about the topic, and collect the evidence and common arguments. Often, they have to conduct proper research to sift through false facts and beliefs.
In addition, a writer will have to spend some time on their employer’s blog. They’ll read posts to get familiar with their style, branding voice, etc. This first stage of the job can be, indeed, the most time-consuming and demanding, yet, necessary.
Writing requires specific structure and techniques
We don’t write the way we speak. If we did, that would have been such a disaster. Such texts would have been full of mumbling, uncertainties, unlogical connection, little structure, and so on and so forth. Overall, such texts would be impossible to follow. Hence writers have to learn the rules of the text. Those include correct structuring, paragraph building, flow, consistency, styles, etc.
Sure, writing is usually perceived as a highly creative job, which it is. Yet, as a profession, it relies more on skills and experience than talent and inspiration. Writers should also know how to adapt to various requirements and follow specific instructions. In addition, they should deliver the purpose of the text, whatever that might be. Hence, they should know the techniques and strategies to nail the task.
Originality is everything
It’s not only about the absence of plagiarism; it’s also about a unique voice, style, and thoughts. It’s like when you choose to pay for essays online, you expect full services, including a plagiarism check. Well, content writing is not that different from an academic one. These texts should also be original, well structured, and carry unique ideas. Not to mention that this work should also include SEO writing, which can be tricky for beginners. Putting the right words in the right places, so they don’t trigger a plagiarism checker is a skill of its own.
General knowledge matters
Content writers have to be well-educated about the things they are hired to write about. However, often their jobs can vary across various industries and niches. It’s rare that a professional writer works in only one sphere for the duration of their career. More likely, they will change several companies, work in a few different industries, and write on a wide variety of topics. It’s especially true for freelance writers who often take geeks based on their availability, skills, and interests. As a result, this group of writers can stand out with the most diverse and interesting portfolios of all.
So, whenever hiring a writer, you should look at their portfolio and previous experience. It’s always best to choose writers who have already done some work in your niche. Hence, they are familiar with your business’s terms, jargon, target audience, and specifics. However, don’t worry much if you like the writer, but their experience doesn’t match your needs. These specialists are quick to learn and adjust. After all, that’s also a part of their job.
It’s not easy!
Many people fall under the impression that writing is very easy. Anyone can do it! Well, not exactly. Sure, one can run their business blog by themselves. However, will it be the same quality? Will it achieve the desired outcomes and goals? Those are the questions. Overall, content writing is a rather demanding job that requires very specific technical and even personal skills.
Thus, one should be good at self-discipline. Keeping the focus on the task when writing can be the biggest challenge for many beginners. Everything can draw your attention away. Yet, specialists know how to stay ‘in the zone.’ Next, writers need strong time-management and organization skills. They have to know how much time they need per task to build their work hours accordingly. Finally, this very job always evolves and changes. So professionalists must keep up, grow with the demand, and perfect their skills.
Bottom line
Writing, in general, for fun, can be an easy and light process. Yet, content writing is completely different. It is challenging, very nuanced, and packed with special techniques and purposes. Moreover, it requires a diverse set of personal skills and the desire to grow as a person and specialist. Thus, such a job takes years to master. However, the good thing is that you grow as you work. So no time wasted.
