Could Content Writing Help You Make Ends Meet as a Writer

Could Content Writing Help You Make Ends Meet as a Writer Content could be your best chance of making up the extra income you need to keep your writing ambitions on track. So what is it and how does it work? Content is the material produced Is content the same as advertising? Its more a cross between advertising and journalism. The idea is that people are tired of constant promotional messages – buy this now! – and are becoming increasingly savvy shoppers: before they buy anything, they do loads of research online, for instance, in online forums and on social media. So to reach them, businesses now need to be part of that research process. And that means offering useful information and inspiration to support their decision-making: content. So what does content look like? Its the difference between a mortgage website that just says, check out our deals, and one that also says First-time mortgages: a handy guide for new homebuyers. Since the company is an expert in mortgages, it can tell people some useful things that will help them make a choice. In exchange, the potential customer will consent to hearing a few marketing messages and hopefully feel better disposed towards this provider. Whats the opportunity for writers? The rise of internet search as the dominant way in which consumers interact with businesses has led to a content marketing boom. Video and visual content are increasingly popular, especially in social, but written copy is still needed in huge volumes. Pretty much every business of any size needs content, and that means they need writers. For example, an airline might commission a series of destination guides. A supermarket site might want to develop a library of recipes. A business bank might offer funding tips for startups. A recruitment company might offer CV and interview advice. And so on. With all these examples, theres a strong commercial reason for doing the content: the airline wants people to buy tickets to the destinations they write about, for example. But the content still has to be editorial in flavour: if the material is too salesy it will lose its credibility. How can you get started with content work? Businesses employ a multitude of individual freelancers, freelance platforms and marketing agencies to create content on their behalf. Start What skills and experience do you need?   A background in journalism or copywriting is a great help, but many writers in the content world have no special training and have simply picked up skills and experience along the way. Any specialised knowledge or experience is a plus: a degree in