What is Content?

Content is any information that educates, informs, entertains, motivates, inspires, convinces,
or persuades a particular group of people.

What is Content Writing?

Content writing is the process of creating and publishing written content for a variety of
purposes, including marketing, education, and entertainment. Content writers must be able to
research topics, write in a clear and concise style, and edit their work for grammar and
spelling errors.

Content writers can work in a variety of settings, including in-house at businesses, as

freelancers, or as part of a content marketing agency. The job outlook for content writers is
expected to grow faster than average in the coming years, as more businesses and
organizations recognize the importance of creating high-quality content to reach their target
audiences.

Who is a Content Writer?

A content writer is a professional who creates and manages written content for businesses and
organizations. They use their writing skills to communicate ideas, information, and stories in
a way that is both informative and engaging. Content writers may work on a variety of
projects, including blog posts, articles, website copy, social media posts, and marketing
materials. They may also be responsible for editing and proofreading content, as well as
developing content strategies.

To be successful as a content writer, you need to have strong writing skills, as well as the
ability to research topics, understand target audiences, and write in a clear and concise style.
You should also be able to work independently and meet deadlines.

If you're interested in a career in content writing, there are a few things you can do to get
started. First, develop your writing skills by taking writing classes or workshops. Second,
build your portfolio by writing for online publications or creating your own blog. Finally,
network with other content writers and professionals in the industry.
Content writing is a challenging but rewarding career. If you're passionate about writing and
have the skills to succeed, a career in content writing could be a great fit for you.

What Does a Content Writer Do?

In no order, some of the critical responsibilities of the content writer include:

 Diligently research information

 Create content that is crisp and to the point

 Ensure that the organization's goals are met through your words

 Edit content to make it concise

 Use their skills to write different content like blogs, marketing content,
scriptwriting, etc.

What Are the Types of Content

Writing?
Content writing is about more than focusing on packing blogs full of SEO
keywords or bland email marketing. Writing should be engaging and
informative while being unique to your brand’s voice. So what does content
writing include? While content writing can span many different genres,
there are a few broad categories and types of writing that you will most
likely encounter. When embarking on a content writing journey you could
consider: blogging, copywriting, technical writing, social media posts, and
emails.

Blogging
Creating blog posts is a staple of content writing. Blog posts help to boost
your website’s SEO rankings, since search engines reward websites that
are constantly putting out new content. You’ll want to identify different high-
ranking keywords to include in your posts so that when people search for
them, your blog pops up first. That requires some research to understand
the language your ideal customers use when searching for answers to their
questions. But it’s important not to keyword stuff. Depending on the length
of your content, you’ll want approximately one keyword per 100-150 words
(so a 750-word blog should have between 5-8 keywords). DemandJump
can help you determine the highest ranking keywords based on what
customers are searching online. This takes out painstaking research and
gives you high-value keywords quickly.

Blogging can cover a wide range of topics and have a variety of writing
styles, depending on the topic and brand goals. Typically your blog posts
will be more conversational and approachable—the key is to educate,
inform, and entertain!

Copywriting
Copywriting is the core to building website and advertisement copy.
Without copywriting, your informative content could be bland and not
persuasive. The goal of copywriting is to sell your product to current and
prospective customers. This type of content writing includes things like
writing your:

 Website copy
 Product descriptions
 Sales collateral
 Advertisements
 Press releases
 Print ads
 Infographics.

This is the nuts-and-bolts type of content writing that people don’t often
think about or spend a lot of time on. However, this is an important piece of
the content marketing puzzle! You should craft these messages
strategically while understanding that these types of written pieces are the
foundation of your brand…and often the first thing that your potential
customers will read.

Technical Writing/Long Form

Technical writing can seem intimidating, but as someone who understands
your own business and products, this can sometimes be the easiest type of
content to produce. From creating white papers to ebooks to how-tos, this
is your chance to explain how your product or service works, how your
customer can apply it, and educate your audience on the specifics. Keep in
mind that you still want this to be approachable—try not to use too much
jargon or explain it if you need to use it.
Social Media Posts
Did you know that over 58.4% of the world’s population is on social media?
Not only that, but the daily average usage is nearly two and a half hours.
There is a huge audience out there, and businesses are expected to have
a social media presence on the major platforms (Facebook, Instagram,
LinkedIn, Twitter).

Writing for social media means creating relevant, in touch, and platform-
specific posts. To write well for social media, you need to understand the
quirks of each online space—for example, a white paper about your
products probably won’t go over well on Facebook, but could be a big hit on
LinkedIn. It’s also important to understand the constraints of social media
platforms—like Twitter only allowing 280 characters per tweet, with the
opportunity to hashtag an important word or idea. Most often, social media
posts are fun and engaging, while hooking the reader by prompting them to
click on an ad or read a blog.

Emails
While email campaigns could fall under the category of copywriting, it is
important to think of your emails a little bit differently. Copywriting pieces
are geared toward an audience that is unfamiliar with your brand and the
solutions you’re offering. With emails, you typically target your loyal fans
and your customers who keep coming back for more. After all, how else
would you have their email address?

Your approach to email should be different than other forms of content. It’s
important to provide content to your email base that is full of added value to
keep your customers engaged and interested in what you’re offering.
 The 5 Core Principles of Content
Writing Success
By Jen Adams

Every time I hear Brian Clark speak, I marvel at how a man who’s
built a $10-million-a-year business can be so humble about his
success.

Of course, it helps that he remembers what it was like to start out …

Jen Adams here – reporting live from the 2015 Web Copywriting
Intensive!

Yesterday Brian started his session by confessing that he hasn’t

always known what he was doing.

He’s very sympathetic to new web writers who are feeling a little
overwhelmed … not sure where to start … and maybe even not
sure what’s going on.

But he says being new (or newer) on the web-writing scene is

actually a very good thing …

As a new web writer, you have the chance to start out using the
best tactics. You don’t have “bad habits” to unlearn. And, there are
so many people out there clamoring for your services, that even if
you’re starting at zero, no one can stop you from finding success.
To help you along, Brian shared his five personal “core principles”
for success as a web writer creating content. And, while I can’t
translate all the hands-on activities we did in the session to this
quick report, I can share his five principles with you right now.

Principle #1: Do media, not marketing.

Media to Brian includes all forms of content – interesting blog posts,
shareable infographics, or fun videos. And, unlike “marketing,”
which people run away from, media is something people want.
Even seek out!

When you create good media, it helps your audience feel educated,
informed, or entertained – all things people want. And, when you
can give people what they want, they’ll come back to you again and
again for more.

Principle #2: Focus on your audience

experience.
The stereotypical marketing experience is that a company targets
you as a customer and absolutely floods you with a barrage of
advertising. Most of it is “interruption-based” marketing … the
company tries to interrupt your daily pattern, so you have to pay
attention to them.

But Brian says this isn’t the best way. Instead, think of your target
prospect as someone you’d like to have as a friend … someone
you’d like to have in your life for a long, long time. How can you
build a deeper connection with him? What can you do to give him a
warmer, happier experience interacting with you, so he’s more
willing to spend time with you?

It’s a different mindset, but by training yourself to build friendships

and quality relationships based on a positive experience, you’re
going to be able to get better results over time for your clients than
you will using invasive, interruption-based marketing.
Principle #3: Create the perception of premium
access with user registration.
Back in 1999, Brian remembers that people would sign up for just about anything. These
days, we’re much more cautious … much less trusting about handing out our email addresses.

We no longer want to deal with just anyone – we only want to be a part of communities we
can trust with our information. So, instead of trying to get people to sign up for a newsletter
or download a free report or even an app, try inviting people to become a part of your
community. When they register, they get a special level of access, and get to participate with
their fellow community members.

Brian used Facebook as an example …

We tend to think of it as a social destination, but it really functions as a premium membership

site. To use it, you have to sign up, and once you’re a part of it, you view yourself as a
community member and are, therefore, more active.

But, at the same time, you’ve handed over your email address and given permission for
Facebook to market to you – you’ve just done it in a way you’re much happier to do than
when companies simply demand you “sign up now” without offering “insider access” in
return.

How big of an impact can this kind of shift make? A huge one, actually – one your future
clients are going to want. In Copyblogger’s case, Brian was able to boost his sign-up rates by
400% and boost his revenues up over $10 million a year simply by changing how he invited
people to become a part of his email list.

Principle #4: Map the journey.

Along with changing trust levels and a bigger desire for a community experience, Brian says
that how we all use the web is changing. And, as a new web writer, you have the chance to be
at the forefront of this change by paying more attention to the whole journey a visitor takes
once he or she arrives at a website.

Sometimes this is called “the buyer’s journey” or “the customer experience.” The focus is on
how a new visitor grows in your client’s community from a casual set of eyeballs to a loyal,
repeat customer.

So, as you think about content for a new client, ask yourself what a visitor will see first,
where he’ll go next, and how that all ties back to his intentions when he sought out your
client in the first place.

Principle #5: Successful content strategy = customer

success.
Brian says many companies tend to think of their own success. That doesn’t work these
days … to get the best results over the long term, you want to encourage your clients to focus
on creating more success in the lives of their customers.

Why this shift? Well, the more you can help customers with good information and good
products, the happier they’ll be with your client’s company. Your audience will become more
loyal … more satisfied … and, of course, they’ll spend more money with you over time.

So, how can you put these principles to use right away to help improve content for your
clients (or future clients)?

Try it out on your favorite website …

Looking over a few pages, how well are they using Brian’s five principles?

 Are they offering useful media and content to visitors?

 Are they trying to become a part of your life or trying to disrupt your personal
patterns?

 Are they inviting you into a community?

 Have they organized their pages in a natural progression to create a smooth journey
from front page to sales page?

 Do they seem to care about your personal success and provide solutions to help?

In light of your answers, what could they change or do differently? Chances are there’s room
for improvement … which means there’s room for a writer like you to win them as a client.

I encourage you to share your thoughts and findings with me in the comments. And, if you
have any questions about content strategy, just ask! I’m surrounded by the industry’s top
experts this week, and they’re more than willing to answer your questions …

One of those experts is Nick Usborne, our 2014 Copywriter of the Year and one of the
world’s first (and best!) online copywriters. I’ll be covering Nick’s session for your tomorrow
and bringing you his top tips for effective writing online.

WINNING TRAITS OF A GOOD CONTENT WRITER

A web content writer can make a mark in the industry only when he/she
can regularly churn out meaningful content that is engaging as well as
rich in information. When working in an organizational setting where a
writer needs to deliver a certain number every day, that too without
compromising on quality, it at times becomes difficult to maintain the
 pace and the quality. However, a writer who follows the 5 basic principles
of content writing can never falter:

1. Be Original: A good writer never copies! In order to excel as a

content writer it is essential to write content that is original and well
researched. Plagiarism is the biggest sin of a writer!
2. Analyse the Target Audience: A good writer is one who can modify
his write up as per the needs of the client and the readers. You
cannot be using Shakespearean English when writing SEO articles
for a tech support company!
3. Ideate and Format before starting: Always have a mental framework
of the write up ready before you actually start penning it down.
4. Engage the Readers: A good content is one that readers can relate
to and that can happen only when you write after having researched
about all aspects of the given topic.
5. Call to Action: As a web content writer your prime responsibility is to
create content that helps your client generate revenue. Content that
encourages readers to use the services of your client or buy from
them is sure to be rated as the best.

Therefore, a good web content writer is one who can actually turn words
into profits!

5 Differences Between Writing for Online and

Print
 Published On: August 17, 2017
People do not read how they used to. Thanks to the internet, people encounter so
much more content than they once did — articles and informative pieces are
available anytime, instantly. This means writing for the web differs greatly from
writing for traditional media. Professors now teach writing students how to keep
online readers engaged, so someone earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Studies will be well-versed in internet writing. For other writers making the leap from
paper to screen, there are several things to keep in mind.
1. Length
The average amount of time an online reader spends reading anything on the
internet is two minutes. Printed pieces rarely even reach their main focus in that
amount of time. Therefore, online articles tend to be much shorter than their printed
counterparts — and that goes for paragraphs, too. Instead of long segments of
prose, like you would see in a newspaper or magazine, the paragraphs in online
articles should end after a few lines.

2. Reader Attention
Online articles have to fight for a reader’s attention, even though readers generally
go to an article or page intentionally. This is because the internet is highly
interconnected. Most articles are nested among other links, moving images, flashing
ads and other clickable content that is vying for your readers’ valuable attention. So
in order to maintain their interest as long as possible, all pertinent information needs
to appear as close to the beginning of the piece as possible. Otherwise, a reader
may lose patience and navigate away.

3. Links
Print does not have hyperlinks. It may seem silly to point out, but when it comes to
citing source materials, print traditionally features a list of works cited near the end,
while most online posts contain links throughout so readers can easily click for more
information and read the source content. However, that means links can also prevent
a reader from reaching the end of an article, a problem print rarely has unless the
article is simply poorly written.

4. Search Engine Optimization

Print does not have to deal with search engines. However, if online writers want
people to find their articles, then they must lace them with relevant terms that people
will use in search engines. When writing for the web, it remains important to craft a
well-written, informative piece, but no one will find it if it is not optimized for search
engines with key phrases and associated links.

5. Readability
People read electronic media differently than they do print. They scan and search for
things that stand out, like bullet points and boldface phrases. Therefore, writers must
arrange information so readers can absorb it quickly. Subheadings throughout an
article help, as do shorter paragraphs, lists and even links.

Newspapers, magazines and now even books are available as electronic media
online. Not every piece needs drastic change for online publication; however, most
articles need optimization for readability.

Writing for the web poses unique challenges that print does not, like competing with
moving images for reader attention and optimizing content for search engines, but
good writers can transition easily between the two media.