What is Content Writing?

Did you know that 2.3 million blog posts go online every day? Such big is the market of content writing. Content is the king. You would have heard this phrase many a time. Although this profile has become more evident in recent times; the content writing started off in the 18^th century, when Benjamin Franklin published his research papers. Later, with the evolution of SEO, more and more companies emphasized content and hence the profile of content writers got popularized.

Good content is not only able to disseminate useful information, but it also leads to conversion. In recent years, content writing has emerged as a career option. Pandemic times have been testing ones. While it has posed many challenges, it has also paved the way for a new set of opportunities. Work from home has become a norm, and now people are exploring various other avenues of work, and content writing is one of them.

Good content plays a key role in informing the client about the brand’s goodness and the various services they provide. One of the ways is by building engaging and gripping content. While many feel content writing is just about high-end vocabulary and some sentences. Well, it’s more than just words. Good content involves some technical aspects.

You can be as creative as you want, but when it comes to structuring the content, it must be done in a certain way such that the search engine recognizes it and helps in ranking high. In this blog, we will explain in detail content writing, how you can opt for this as a career option, and make yourself self-dependent or atamnirbhar.

It is the process of planning, structuring, writing, editing, and formatting for digital marketing purposes. There are various types of content writing, like blogs, scriptwriting, articles, and podcasts.  Before heading to delve deeper into how to craft compelling content, let’s have a recapitulation of the types of content writing profiles:

Page descriptions
Media newsletters
Keynote Video copy
Landing titles
White papers
Web scripts
Email pages
YouTube video posts
Podcast speeches
Social media posts

These are the various profiles on which a content writer needs to work. While education and degree in this field give you an upper edge, I think a writer who can pour the words in the mold as desired by the reader is the best. Having said that, there are a specific set of tools that you can stick to ensure that your content is a masterpiece and flawless.

Some best practices of content writing:

Every good content writer must follow certain best practices that will make them a good and effective content writer. When we talk about content writing, it’s not just penning down words; rather, it creates a story that conveys the right information, and hence, structuring the work is paramount. The following best practices are a must for any content writer:

1. Understand the topic – Before you hit your keyboard and start shooting the words out, it’s important that you must have a fair understanding of the topic. Knowledge about what you need to write forms the base of the content. You can start to search about it and reading about it. Spend some time to pen down certain key pointers that you want your article to linger around. Facts and figures are the essences of the content, and they are going to keep the reader engaged. Hence you must emphasize collecting certain facts about a particular topic.
2. Make your content easy– I know that you would have come across various content that is filled with complex words and sentences. It may look alluring as a writer for you to frame such sentences, but the fact is that your content should be comprehendible by a general reader. Hence, you must focus on keeping the sentence structure simple, word easier. Adopting a conversational style is the best. It makes the audience feel connected to the content. However, when you are writing about technical niches or formal content, then the language changes. Hence you must thoroughly assess the topic.
3. Infographics are a must– Pictures are more powerful than words. In times like today, when the internet is flooded with so much to read, how can you make your content stand out? Well, adding some pictures and videos is the best. You can also add some infographics. Sprinkle some screenshots, facts, and figures to make the content rich with information. These will hold the audience to your content, and thus make it more engaging.
4. Proofread- No matter how good a writer you are, mistakes are natural. These can be as small as missing a comma, or as big as a blunder in grammar. What I mean to say here is that proofreading the content is paramount. There are various online tools, but again they work on the algorithm, and hence, there can be flaws. Therefore, it’s always good to run through the content at least once. You can also rely on online tools for adding more proficiency to it

Now, let’s focus on some technical aspects of content writing:

• Keep the headlines short, simple, and catchy. Try to keep it between 14-17 words. Remember, this is the first thing your reader will see, and hence it must be engaging.
• Don’t make the introductory paragraph lengthy. Keep it between 4-8 lines.
• Add facts and figures in the first paragraph. It is going to create a magnetic effect on the reader.
• Read, read and read, that’s the only way your content is going to get stronger

Wrapping it up- This was some of the necessary information about content writing. It is a great career option. With more and more companies eyeing at making a strong digital presence, adding good content and updating it from time to time is the best way to create brand awareness. Make sure that you improvise the writing style as per the demand of the reader. While you can be creative with your writing style, the technical aspect must not wither. These will be the defining parameters of compelling content.

It can be a lucrative and great career option if pursued in the right direction. With this piece of information, you can surely start as a good content writer.