These days, one of my biggest freelance writing projects is content writing. It started out with rewriting, actually, then I realized that a lot more money could be made if I actually wrote and sold my original articles. With rewriting, the writer can easily be persuaded to accept a lot less, particularly when the client sells you the “it’s just rearranging words” shtick.

Note to readers: don’t fall for it.

Who needs content writers? First of all, not everyone has the skill and energy to keep up a website filled with information. Usually, it requires a pool of writers just to keep a steady stream of fresh articles in a blog. It’s not easy (obviously, though I do try to write as consistently as possible here), but it can be done.

Outsourcing is the new black.

Usually, these content writing projects outline the website’s requirements: no plagiarism; minimum number of words; decent grammar and spelling; a little bit of research, and; prompt submission. Never be late — I can tell you this because I learned this the really, really hard way.

Content writing isn’t quite as difficult as academic writing; for starters it requires a really small number of words (usuall 300-500) and needs no citations. If you think you can do it, try writing a few samples while keeping these tips in mind:

1. Open with a bang. No that’s not a euphemism for something dirty. Since you’re given limited space, you’ll have to hook in the readers immediately, lest you lose them to something else. The introduction should be both creative and informative, at once providing an interesting glimpse of what the article is about to tell them. As I noted here, it’s best to “sign-post” and inform your readers of what you’re about to tackle. In these fast-food times, no one really has a minute to spare to wade through your mishmash of sob stories, anecdotes, cheesy quotes and general crap. Be interesting and informative.
2. Keep the client’s requirements front and center. Usually, a client will ask you to highlight particular keywords (not literally) throughout the article. Don’t drown the article with unnecessary and unwieldy mentions of these keywords. Just include them whenever possible and in a manner that doesn’t scream “I’m selling ____”. You’re paid for content, not for less-than-subliminal messaging.
3. Be coherent. If possible, write in lists. I know its overrated, and a lot of people no longer want to read “Top Ten” lists, but writing in lists really is a good way to convey information. It’s organized, it’s fast and it gives details in a snap. It allows the reader to categorize and follow the tips without getting overloaded with data. Even this article has a list, see?
4. Keep it sweet and short. Most clients, as mentioned earlier, require 300-500 words for each article. Most readers don’t have a lot of time to spare, and really loooong and booooring articles can drive them away. It’s an article, not a dissertation.

As to how you can find content writing jobs, that’s a topic for another day.

XOXO,