Content Writing Is As Much Of An Art As A Skill
Content is (don’t worry, not going to say the k-word) anything you come across in written form. Be it a billboard beside the highway or the fashion trends that the magazines present you with, where there are words, it’s content. Some people pen down or “type down” content on a given subject. So, like Gusteau from Ratatouille said, “Anybody can cook” with content writers too? Anybody can write? Well, yes and no. Yes, anybody can write, and no, not until they have a few qualities.
So, What Makes A Writer A "Good" Content Writer?
Let’s play a bit safe here. We will list the qualities in alphabetical order not to feel the numerical order signifies importance.
Adaptability
This points at two things actually- tone and style. Someday you have to write about the highs and lows of a particular career, while some other day, your client will ask you to write erotic content. You have to be ready to take on whatever comes your way. This adaptability towards the topic will also call for different tones and styles for different topics, or else, the whole thing will fall flat.
Communication skill
Active and effective communication– hold onto this phrase as a mantra if you are trying to be a good content writer. Wondering communication with whom? Not only the audience you are writing for but also your client or employer. Have doubts about the assignment? Talk with your agency or client or whoever you are working for. Now, the audience. Communicate what you want to convey without beating around the bush. That’s how marketing succeeds.
Creativity
Yes, it may sound cliché, but creativity is the basic thing without which it is tough for anyone to survive in this field. You may ask, “Why do I need creativity? I have to write and not make things from scratch”. But you have to write in your own words. How to change already available info in another interesting and catchy way? How to write down a page full of words while you can come across only a handful of resources about the topic? One answer- creativity. It is this very skill that will make you sustain the competitive market of content writing.
Editing
Louis Brandeis is famously quoted, “There is no great writing, only great rewriting.” That is so true for content writing. So, what do you need editing for? Well, for a start, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A word of advice here. Before starting a project, be very clear about the client’s country of origin or the audience because certain spellings and sentence constructions are different in different countries. Should you write ‘color’ or ‘color’? Clarify that at the very beginning.
Another point of editing is checking whether you are overusing words or there are redundant words. Remember, content is all about readability, reducing your readability, and making your client unhappy. Trust us; you wouldn’t want that! Have patience and a good eye for detail and send the write-up across. Done!
Language skill
Yeah yeah, we know. Another cliché. But very often, aspiring content writers feel the more florid language they use, the greater the content’s quality. If it has been your idea also, we are happy to bust that myth! It would help if you had a rich vocabulary, no doubt about that. But the simpler, the better. Don’t be a Shashi Tharoor when you create content for a website. It will not take you anywhere except your client asking for you time and again to edit it, change wordings, make it more readable, easily understandable, and so on.
The elevation on the ground appears to be optimistic or dynamic as the melody reverberates- got it? No? Oh, come on silly, it’s “the hills are alive with the sound of music”! You didn’t get it at first. Our point exactly.
Organisational skill
It is not only about keeping your workspace clean, stacking your files one after another neatly, etc. but also about organising the whole work set up. Maintain a schedule with deadlines marked; this is important. Missing a deadline will cost you dearly as the customers will have a bad impression of you. Another thing, the job does not end with you finishing the write-up. Then there are proofreaders, editors, people who will upload the content on the website, etc. So, if you delay, the work afterward will also be delayed. Thus, be organised.
Originality
Let’s see if you can hum to the following tunes-
Mehbooba Mehbooba from Sholay
Tera mujhse hay pehle ka naata koi from Aa Gale Lag Ja
Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko from Yaadon ki Barat
Dil mera churaya kuyn from Akele Hum Akele Tum
Guess what’s common in these? The music of all of them is copied from songs across the globe. Awestruck? Well, it’s true. While we are still head over heels for these ‘creations,’ do not get inspired from here.
If there is one, just one thing that you should absolutely (and we mean A-B-S-O-L-U-T-EL-Y) avoid while being a content writer, it should be plagiarism (even before procrastinating). Be original in your work. Whatever be the topic, write it up on your own. Research thoroughly, understand the message, convert it in your language, and put it on paper (the MS Word file we mean). Copied content will negatively impact the readers, lower the website reach, and, worse, people won’t find the site reliable or respectable. Oh, and there is software to identify plagiarism, so your client will know it’s you who copied, and you can’t escape the fury! Where’s the joy in copying? Create and feel the magic!
Reading skill
What do you have to do to be a good speaker? Be a listener first. To be a good writer, you should be a good reader first. The more you read, the more you know what marketing gurus are talking about, what is going on around you, the current trends in various areas, etc. Thus, you will hone your writing skill and enable you to get a better grasp on the use of language, stock of words, technical details, etc. But wait, that doesn’t end there. With more in-depth reading, you get to sharpen your cognitive skills also as it broadens your mind. Acquire knowledge and use them wisely- that’ how reading will help you.
Research skill
To be a good content writer, you have to be inquisitive. And also, why should a reader believe whatever you say? You need to put forward data and facts to convey them, and this is not a plausible idea without research. In addition, as you place data in your content, the brand you are writing for gets better positioned in the market. When it comes to SERP, i.e., search engine result pages, your content makes the website perform better. Punchline? A good content writer is great at research. So, it would be best if you were too.
SEO knowledge
We are not saying you need to know the whole concept of SEO inside out. The basic thing is how and what you write determines how easily readers find the content from an internet search. Know the SEO trends and techniques so that your content is one of the top searched results. What does that ensure? A better website reaches increased visibility to the potential readers or consumers etc. How do you do that? Use keywords, catchy titles, SEO-friendly descriptions, etc. Conquer the Google algorithm- simple!
Technical skills
No, you don’t have to be a tech wizard. The basic technical skills of using word processing tools properly, knowing the formatting processes, knowledge about content management systems- that’ll be enough. Are you a pro in handling digital collaboration and analytics tools? Even better!
Time management
Sometimes you will have one assignment and two days, while some other days, your client will do justice to the word ‘deadline. Add to that your daily chores and other personal commitments. So, how to manage these? If you have your hands full with more than one project, prioritise them according to urgency and deadline. Now divide the time you have into three categories- research, write and edit. Make a routine and stick to it for the working days. Most importantly, know how many projects you can accept at a time. Count your eggs before they hatch!
Understanding the audience
When you are a content writer, your job is to serve the readers. Before writing, ask yourself what the demands of the readers can be. After you complete it, give it a read and ask again, is it enough to satisfy the demands? Does it sound compelling enough? But even before all these, know who your audience should be. Is it the parents of little kids looking for apparel recommendations, or are students searching for job openings that pay well? That way, you know what to write and how.
Understanding objective
If you are writing for a website’s landing page, you need to be precise instead of lengthy. When you are writing promotional content, your main objective should be to increase sales. But when you are writing a scientific research report or an academic blog, your objective is completely different. As you understand the objective (call-to-action or not), you write accordingly and become a good content writer.
Updated
Let’s say you have all the above qualities but lack knowledge of the latest trends. This will shrink your job opportunities. So, be on social media, join communities of content writers, devote time to improve the online profile, study the posts by others, and so on. This way, you know where to find the outlines of the story you need to form.
Brush up these skills, and then there is no looking back on your career as a content writer. Think of all these skills as pieces of a puzzle. As you put all of them in place, you get your reward. Then? Just lean back and bask in the glory you earned!
