A great content writer is a key member of any online marketing team, and a peek around the internet will demonstrate why. Unfortunately not every content writer is gifted, nor is their work of the best quality.
It is quite evident that skills like grammar and storytelling are a few elements that make someone a good content writer. However, content writers also need a basic understanding of web writing and SEO. There are also soft skills that are rooted in the team aspect of editing and re-writing pieces. Understanding how to take feedback positively will always help one improve their writing. So, what are considered essential writing skills?
Here we have listed 12 content writing skills that a content writer must hone to be the best in the industry.
12 Content Writing Skills You Must Hone
1. Research ability: An eye for detail and an understanding of authentic sources are one of the most important content writing skills a writer should possess. A writer may have great fluency, creativity, and flair, but if the information provided by them is not correctly backed by proper research, it will damage the credibility of the content. Hence, a content writer needs to research well and write informative copies that convey the message clearly and truthfully.
Research can be conducted online by going through white papers, digital journals, government websites, or other reliable sources. Offline research can be conducted via books, interviews, and more. Content that is well-researched and honest offers great value to the reader. The website on which such content is posted becomes a trustworthy and credible source, leading to more online traffic and repeated visits. When the viewership of a site increases, the site’s popularity also increases, which helps boost brand value. A well-researched, properly put-together piece is a win-win for everybody.
2. Sound Knowledge of grammar and good vocabulary: There is nothing less flattering than content that looks like your 10-year-old boy or girl wrote it. A great content writer must be well aware of the current lingo and words that are going around. As a content writer, ensure that your grammar and vocabulary are flawless.
With the advancement of technology, writers have a helping hand in the form of Grammarly to check their work and ensure their pieces are grammatically correct.
3. Creating original and creative content: A content writer might not be an expert in the topic assigned, but irrespective of that, the piece of work they provide should be original and unique. After conducting thorough research, the writer should be able to convert their learnings into informative, knowledgeable, and original content. Original and unique content attracts more readership than unoriginal, long, boring pieces. Non-plagiarised work is essential in optimising search engines.
Original content with the right keywords gets ranked higher than content that does not have relevant keywords, is plagiarised, or is not unique. Creativity is as important as originality. A catchy headline, a good punch, and thoughtful words are some of the prerequisites to creative writing. Adding audio, video, and images and optimising digital content can be an added advantage. Put it all together and make a complete piece that is creative, unique, and original.
4. Logical thought process: Logical thinking is analysing a situation and coming up with a sensible solution. Like critical thinking, logical thinking requires using reasoning skills to study a problem objectively, which will allow you to make a rational conclusion about how to proceed. When you use the facts available to you to address a problem you may be facing at work, for example, you are using logical reasoning skills.
5. Ability to think like a marketer: Remember, content writing is an essential part of marketing today. In fact, there are very few tools for educating a market that is as powerful as content. When you are writing a piece, you must understand that it is being written to inform your readers about a particular concept, place, process, service or product. Therefore, it should have the ability to influence the prospective buyer’s decision to buy or consider that particular “concept.” Hence, understanding the objectives behind writing a specific type of content, particularly when it is a saleable piece, is important. It’s only when a writer is clear about the objectives that the content becomes unique and usable for campaigning by the concerned digital marketing team.
6. Understanding consumer behaviour: A fundamental step to good web writing is knowing exactly who you are writing for and why.
It’s about understanding the demography of your audience. IT specialists probably won’t understand your Kardashian references.
Social media can be a valuable source of insights into just what your target audience is into and what kind of content will resonate with them. Using an analytics tool like Google Analytics will give you a deep dive into the demographic features of people interacting with your brand online and further hone your targeted approach.
7. Basic SEO knowledge: Content writers come from various backgrounds, such as public relations, journalism, literature, etc. But to turn that love for writing into a successful digital content writing career, you must know about SEO. Why is it important?
Knowing SEO means the following things:
- You know more about the market and the audience you are trying to reach. When you know the demographics of the audience, you can create a piece that interests them. For instance- research the right keywords, analyse the competition, and know the customer’s pain points.
- You must understand the technical aspects that go into optimising content. Knowing how to optimise content for SEO helps in creating a better strategy for your piece.
- You can publish work with a better understanding of what has to go in the headline, subheads, meta description, images, external links, etc.
- You can effectively use keywords that match the latest search engine algorithms.
- You won’t be creating content blindly. After every piece of work that is posted, you can analyse its outcome and make relevant changes to boost readership. Based on the data, you can adopt new writing techniques that can produce better results. Hence, learning the fundamental aspects of analysis tools is a must.
8. Organisation skills: This is an essential soft skill that a content writer must have. Here, the organisation involved is much more than arranging books alphabetically or placing things on your desk neatly. It is about managing your deadlines when you have multiple assignments to work on or being on top of things personally and professionally. Smartphones are a great way to keep track of deadlines; you can set up calendar alerts. Proper prioritisation of jobs ensures the timely delivery of content. It also helps update your clients on the work from time to time.
It is not only about organising your time and schedule as a writer; you need to write in an organised manner as well. A writer’s mind is full of random thoughts, more so when they start to write. Hence, if a proper pattern isn’t followed, the piece can become a mixed pie where the reader cannot taste anything special. Simply put, the piece becomes confusing, and the reader immediately loses interest.
9. Understanding of social media: Social media is a great platform for content writers to display their work. There are millions of users and diverse fan bases from all parts of the world. So posting content in relevant places can increase the readership and create a buzz around the brand. Also, social media is an excellent place if you are stuck and are looking for story ideas.
Additionally, these platforms have inbuilt tools that can help you analyse the content that users liked or disliked the most. Using this data, you can build on your work so that the content has more reach. Therefore, being proficient in social media works well for content writers.
10. Problem-solving: A good content writer knows that their job is about more than simply presenting the facts. The ideal professional should be well-versed enough in their craft to help identify any existing issues in your current content. They’ll then use their experience and expertise to present a better plan of attack.
11. Time management: We don’t have to tell you how far good time management goes in any business. A great content writer should be fully aware of her schedule and capable of sticking to it.
While many content writers are freelancers, this is no excuse for an inability to stick to deadlines. The best content writers are those that you’ll never have to worry about chasing down for the finished product.
12. Editing and proofreading: A content writer who always shoots off their first draft for approval isn’t likely to survive for long. They should understand that a considerable part of their job involves strong self-editing skills.
This includes everything from checking for overused words and spelling mistakes to tightening things up to enhance the content’s flow.
Bottom line
Research skills, SEO knowledge, adaptability, and staying updated are a few ways to ensure that you continue to find success as a content writer.
Take the time to develop these skills continually, and you’ll find yourself able to craft the kind of content that’s both easy for readers to find, compelling to read, and in demand.
At Dimensions Content Writing Services, we believe in generating unique content that reaches the heart of the readers or consumers. After all, content writing is about reaching out to potential customers and building long-lasting relationships of trust and confidence. Our writers are knowledgeable, and their content writing skills ensure that your content is in great hands. Right from educating clients through well-curated articles and keeping the clients hooked to your website to closing sales through compelling copies, we do it all. Get in touch with us today and give your brand the content boost.
