How to Become a Content Writer

About Content Writer

Content writers can be defined as those who create content for the internet or someone who churns out engaging content for online use. In recent years, the demand for content writers has grown manifold with the expansion of the market. There are various types of content writers in the job market today like the ones who write articles, blogs, scripts etc. A content writer is responsible for producing content of the highest quality for the organisation he/she works for. The work produced by a content writer speaks directly with the target audience, which is the real task of a content writer as a well-weaved story has no meaning until and unless it fulfils its sole objective - to speak to the intended audience. Here are some important things you might want to know content writers like the eligibility criteria, educational qualifications, job opportunities, pay scale etc. 

Eligibility to become Content Writer

Here is a list of all the eligibility criteria required to be fulfilled by those who wish to become a successful content writer. The aspirants must - 

• Preferably have a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Journalism or Literature but degree holders in other specializations are also eligible
• Possess excellent communication skills and writing skills both
• Have basic knowledge of things like web analytics, email marketing, SEO among all other digital marketing techniques
• Be comfortable to meet the tight deadlines on a consistent basis
   

Types of Job Roles Content Writer

Here is a list of some of the most common and popular job roles for a content writer - 

• Content Development Specialist - A content development specialist is a person who researches trending topics and creates content strategies and by combining both of them prepare unique content. 
• Web Content Manager - A web content manager is a person who is solely responsible for the creation, organisation, planning and publishing of all the content. A web content manager acts as a bridge between sales teams and the leadership group and all the content that is produced by the whole team reaches the target audience via the web content manager.
• Digital Content Strategist - A digital content strategist is a person whose task is to create content for those websites which are branded. In simple terms, a person who is creating unique content for an already established brand/organization with a fan base to attract new people or those who were overlooked previously.

Employment Sectors for a Content Writer

There are several sectors which are constantly looking for good content writers but the following employment sectors are the most popular and common ones - 

• Staffing and Recruiting Companies
• Education Industry
• Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes
• Healthcare Industry
• Travel and Tourism Industry

Top Recruiting Organizations

Here is a list of top organizations which directly and indirectly employ content writers - 

• Uprite
• My Writing Master
• Thoughtful Minds
• Coffeegraphy
• Write Right

Pay Scale/Salary of Content Writer

The pay scale or salary of a content writer is driven by various factors like the experience of the content writers, the brand value of the organization, state/city in which the content writer is employed. The average salary of a content writer is between 13,900/- rupees and 50,600/- rupees at the beginning. With experience, the average salary of a content writer might or might not cross the 50,000/- barrier which depends on several factors.

Books & Study Material to Become Content Writer

Content writing is all about how you play with the words which is why a good vocabulary is must-have for content writers. Presented below is the list of some renowned books which every content writer must go through - 

• Self Discipline for Writers by Mathew Meadow
• One Hour Content Plan by Meera Kothand
• Building and Scaling an Inbound Team (E-book by Hubspot)
• Content INC. by Joe Pulizzi
• Word Work - Surviving and Thriving as a Writer
• Six-Figure Blogging Blueprint by Raza Imam
• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
• The Idea Writers
• The Scribe Method by Zach Obront and Tucker Max
• The Successful Author Mindset by Joanna Penn

Pros of becoming a Content Writer

Listed below are some of the benefits which content writers enjoy because of their job nature - 

• Exposure to a great deal of diversity in terms of industries, countries, sectors etc
• Nothing physically strenuous about writing
• Remarkable improvement in writing skills after a while
• With experience, money is multiplied with a minimum effort
• Freedom to work from anywhere in the world
• Can cater to multiple clients at the same time

Cons of becoming a Content Writer

Every coin has two facets and so does the job of content writing. Given below are some cons of being a content writer - 

• Have to switch off your creativity bulb and follow a pattern which is more business-oriented
• Some organizations require you to write a certain number of words every day thus capping your research time and your ability to connect on a personal level with the target audience
• Sometimes vacations are more like - Work from Home
• Probability of putting in extra hours due to fear of missing out on something important 
• You are glued to your seat and computer screen for the most part of your daily work routine