How to Start Content Writing and Set Yourself Up For Success (Part 1) — Nia Gyant Content Writing
Content writing-the art and science of planning, creating, and editing written content-can be a rewarding career in more ways than one. Especially if you go freelance.
But, if it’s a whole new world for you, it can also be tricky to get your foot in the door and get to a place where freelance writing is sustainable for you. That’s where this guide comes in.
Not only does it explain exactly how to start content writing but it also shares some of my favorite content writing tools and resources. (Plus, I set the record straight on a few common myths and misconceptions such as the ol’ “you must pick a niche ASAP or you will fail” speech.)
How to Start Content Writing: 5 Steps to Success
You could dive right into pro content writing without a plan like I did. I knew how to write well and act professionally. But…
- Did I understand how my work contributed to my clients actually getting results from content marketing? Not really.
- Did I have any portfolio pieces to my name? Nada.
- Did I have even the slightest idea of how to market my services and get work that paid more than a few dollars? Noooope!
I knew literally nothing else that was necessary to make freelance content writing work for me. And it was a steep 4+ year learning curve.
If you start off like I did, you also run the risk of struggling endlessly like I did. Why learn the hard way when you don’t have to. Just use the following 5-step process to get you properly prepared.
Step 1: Learn Content Writing
Although this is listed as step 1, learning about content writing is something you should continue doing even once you’ve got some professional experience under your belt. What in particular should you be well-informed about, though?
Learn the Skills of a Content Writer
Are you cut out to be a content writer? You can and should answer this question before getting started by getting an idea of the skills you’ll need. There are many but some of the most important are:
- Communication (duh!): Not only is content writing a form of communication but you’ll also have to communicate clearly with clients and others in the course of your work. You have to be able to do both effectively.
- Research: You’ll need to research topics, stats, the target audiences and industries you’re writing for, and more. You have to know how and where to find reliable information.
- Self-Editing: Whether you end up working with editors or not, you’ll be doing a ton of self-editing. So, in addition to being in the trenches attending to the finer details, you’ll need to be able to look at your work from an unbiased bird’s eye view and see how to improve it.
- Organization: From each piece of content to your project management system to your schedule and beyond, everything must be organized. Clutter and chaos never = clarity.
- Adaptability: Industries change. Audiences change. Clients change. Can you keep up?
If you have these skills, you have the potential to be a successful content writer. Now, you’ve just got to add to that foundation. How?
Study Content Writing Examples and Practice Often
One of the best ways to learn to write great content is to read great content. Whose email newsletters can you not wait to read? Whose blog posts do you savor every word of? If there’s a certain industry you’re interested in, who’s known for their authoritative, in-depth, helpful or entertaining content?
Once you’ve identified the who, think about what makes their content so effective, why it’s attractive, etc. Then, apply the lessons you learn from your favorite content writing examples to your work.
A few sources of good content that I enjoy and learn from are:
- Everybody Hates Marketers for boldly going against the grain of typical marketing advice
- The CXL Newsletter also for sharing fresh, thoughtful perspectives
- Growth.Design ‘s UX case studies (not specific to written content but they still teach a lot of valuable lessons for content writers)
- Backlinko for in-depth, step-by-step explanations
The Bigger Picture: Content and Digital Marketing Strategy
Why does content writing matter? If you’re not quite sure how to answer that, research content marketing strategy (and digital marketing strategy overall).
Each piece of content you create will be part of a larger marketing strategy and, therefore, tied to one or more business goals. But how can you get results for your clients if you don’t understand the strategy or end goals?
Even if you don’t plan to sell content strategy services or tackle other aspects of digital marketing, knowledge will make you a more valuable asset to clients and, ultimately, make your freelance content writing business more successful.
Who Offers the Best Free Content Writing Training?
Despite what their creators will tell you, you don’t need expensive content writing courses to get started. Much of what you need to know about content writing, freelance writing, content marketing strategy, and digital marketing is available for free.
Some of the best places to start are the HubSpot Marketing Blog and HubSpot Academy.
Step 2: Make a Plan (But Don’t Overthink)
Once you have a working knowledge of what content writing involves and are set on giving it a try, you can start plotting your path. Many new content writers feel overwhelmed at this stage and unsure of which direction to take their new freelance writing businesses. Totally normal.
Just remember this: While you should go through each of the following steps to set yourself up for success and achieve it sooner, your plan can, should, and will evolve. So, yes, think it through now. But don’t over think it.
Consider Picking a Starter Niche
Notice that I said, “ Consider picking a starter niche” and not simply “pick a niche.” There are benefits to being known for a single thing like travel writing or writing only about cryptocurrency. For example, it can be the key to earning more if your ideal clients are looking for specialized expertise. However…
It’s also easy to get stuck at this stage because you:
- Don’t know enough about any one niche to feel comfortable picking one
- Don’t want to feel locked into something that you might not like
- Prefer to be able to switch things up so that you don’t get bored
If you fall into any of the above categories, hear this:
- You can still be “successful” without picking a singular niche (despite what people say)
- You can switch your niche if you pick one and it doesn’t work out
- You don’t need to pick a niche right now if you’re not ready
It’s perfectly fine to explore your options and see what unfolds naturally. To give yourself a starting point, though, and help you iron out how you’ll brand and market your business, start at the intersection of interest and opportunity.
Make a list of the topics and industries you’re interested in and then look around the web to see if there are paying opportunities out there. If so, you just may have found your starter niche!
Choose From a Million Types of Content Writing
Besides thinking about niching down, give some thought to what types of content writing you’d be best at. These might include:
Feel free to explore and switch between types. The more you do, you’ll inevitably find your sweet spot. But picking 1 or 2 types to start will give you at least a couple of advantages:
- You can focus fully and get good at whatever content type you choose
- Potential clients will have more confidence in your skill as a result of that focus and practice
Additionally, having an idea of what you’ll be writing can help when it comes to setting your rates.
Set Income Goals and Pricing
You could write a book on the topic of pricing for freelance writers. (In fact, I actually wrote a short pricing guide that’ll help if you have no clue where to start with setting rates.) But here are some basic things to keep in mind.
While it can be helpful to research what other freelance writers are charging, everyone’s life situation is different based on the local cost of living, lifestyle, and many other factors. So you need a rock bottom number that will work for you and an ideal number that you can work toward as you gain experience.
- Earns them a fixed amount (unlike hourly, which can go bad if you work too fast or too slow)
- Allows them and their clients to focus on quality over word count
Lastly, while you may need to ease into making your living mainly or only off of content writing, know that it is possible.
Create Brand and Marketing Strategies
To be clear, you don’t need to spend $1K on a logo or create a 10-page marketing strategy to start with. But you should have:
- A clear starting idea of your purpose, which is part of brand strategy
- Ideas of 2 to 3 ways you can get your writing services on the radars of potential clients, which is part of marketing strategy
Both of these strategies will change and get more robust as you gain experience. But it’s important to have at least a basic starting point. Why? Without even a basic brand strategy, it will be far harder to convey to potential clients why they should choose you. And without a reliable marketing plan, you’ll struggle to get enough work.
Super Simple Brand and Marketing Strategy Resources
Not sure where to start with these strategies? Here are some of the simplest resources.
Step 3: Pick Content Writing Tools
Shiny object syndrome is real. But don’t be lured into thinking that you need a tool for everything.
Be subjective about what you need vs. what you want, what other people are using, etc. A few good questions to ask yourself include:
- Will this speed up my content writing process and get my clients the same or better results?
- Will this save me time in other areas of my business and allow me to focus more on my top priorities?
- Will this help me do something essential that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do?
If you can honestly answer “yes” to any of those questions, then you’ve found a tool worth having. Speaking of…what are some content writing tools worth considering.
3 Helpful Content Writing Tools
The free plan offers limited features, which are still useful, but a paid plan (starting at $19 per month) will get you deeper insights.
Grammarly has a free version that catches most glaring errors but, if you want to upgrade to Premium, you’ll be paying $12 per month.
While you can use this tool for free online, I highly recommend purchasing the desktop app, which is only $19.99 (one-time) and can be used offline.
With the right tools in your toolbox, it’s time to start working on your portfolio.
Enjoying what you’ve read so far? Check out the original post for:
- Common mindset traps related to building a portfolio (and how to avoid them)
- How to land your first writing project (and every one after that)
- 4 ridiculously easy ways to keep your schedule full of work (and your wallet full of money)
Originally published at https://niagyant.com.
