The sudden appearance of the pandemic has seemingly stopped the world on its tracks. Many have lost their jobs, while others struggle to find one. To meet the demands of current times, companies have begun shifting to online platforms to conduct their business. And with this came the sudden boom for content writing jobs.
With companies going online, they need someone to help with filling their website with information that will attract people to visit their website. If you’re one of the people looking to get into a content writing gig, then this article is for you.
Anyone on their computer can write, but it takes more than simple literacy, stable internet, and some words plucked from a thesaurus to truly be a good content writer. If you want to be ahead of everyone else, then remember these tips so that you can confidently make articles of your own.
Duties and Responsibilities
Before we begin, let’s talk about your duties and responsibilities. As a content writer, you are expected to publish content on various platforms and analyze traffic performance. Your other duties and responsibilities include:
- Research and analyze top search engine optimization (SEO) content topics.
- Research and write long-form content on various relevant topics.
- Plan and execute various SEO tasks.
- Come up with process improvement initiatives and implement them.
- Ensure the quality of content is free from grammatical and factual errors and follows the company’s editorial guidelines for consistency.
To go with these duties and responsibilities is an appropriate salary. The salary range for a content writing job ranges from Php 20,000 to Php 28,000. This salary range can increase to Php 50,000 for expert-level content writers.
Learn to do Research
Before you start complaining, yes, aside from writing, an online writer must also conduct research. After all, how in the world are you supposed to write something when you don’t even know what you’re talking about?
Researching allows you to get to know your topic better and even see different perspectives regarding it. Who knows, maybe looking deeper into your topic would help you appreciate it better.
Set a Pace for Yourself
Many may not believe this, but a content writing job can be extremely tiring. Yes, really. One may think that sitting for minutes or even hours on end while typing on your computer is easy, but trust me, it’s not.
Learning how to pace yourself is very important so that you don’t burn yourself out. Nobody benefits when you can’t do any more articles when you tried finishing all your assignments in one day. Know your limits so that you can continue writing in the future.
Communicate With Your Co-Workers
One of the content writing skills that I’ve learned is learning how to properly communicate with your co-workers when writing. And I don’t mean just knowing how to say hi once in a while in your group chat.
Like it or not, you’re going to depend on your co-workers on some of the articles. Being able to talk professionally with them will make things easier for everyone involved. It will also allow you to receive feedback on your work quickly as well.
Avoid Overthinking
Another problem that I have, and still experience, today is making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s easy to get frazzled and anxious when you find yourself sitting and wondering how to finish a 1300 word article within your deadline.
The first step in accomplishing this task is to take a step back and analyze the situation first. When you break the problem down into several smaller ones, it becomes easier to solve them one at a time.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
I think we’ve all experienced this at least once during work. We find ourselves unable to accomplish our task, probably due to a combination of not knowing what to do and exacerbated by our stubbornness to solve it alone and unwillingness to be seen as a load to the team.
If we truly don’t know how to solve it, then there’s no shame in admitting our limitations and asking our immediate supervisor or co-workers for assistance. Asking for help can also help you see your task in a different light and notice things you may have missed.
Don’t Forget to Reread Your Draft Before Submitting It
Yes, I know this is one of the most tedious things you need to do as a writer, but it’s also one of the most important content writing skills. I’ve seen a lot of articles before that are, quite frankly, a mess to read.
Throughout the article, there were grammatical errors and other mistakes that could’ve been solved by simply rereading your draft. By being proactive in editing your work, you save time in revisions later and improve your writing at the same time.
Avoid Procrastination
Another common mistake by new or overly-confident writers is procrastination. I have to admit I have procrastinated at times and paid for it. That deadline of two weeks could easily become tomorrow morning if you’re not careful.
Doing your deliverables hours or days before their deadline enables you to do other tasks and not get stuck on one assignment. It also allows you to do last-minute revisions to it as you still have plenty of time before submission.
Every Journey Begins With A Single Step
If you’re looking to get into a content writing job, the best time to do so is now. As the pandemic showed, working via an online job is just as good, if not better, than traditional working. As companies transition to a virtual setting, they’ll need writers to attract potential clients.
It may seem daunting at first, but a content writing job can be a new learning experience with its unique rewards. The world is changing, and who knows, maybe you’ll find that writing online at the comfort of your home to be your dream job.
