It’s no surprise that a lot of people seek employment as content writers. Aside from it being a well-paid and stable job, it’s also a highly sought-after position by various companies around the world. The main reason is that companies always need good quality content, and they need it for their target audience.
After all, content provides consumers with value through education, entertainment and information. Someone has to create such content, which is why content creators are in high demand these days. However, becoming a content creator isn’t as easy as people may think.
You have to be comfortable with words so that you can use various topics to create awesome articles or blog posts. Furthermore, creating web content requires a different approach, which is why a lot of practice is required. With that in mind, here are a few steps to help you kickstart your content creator career.
1. Try out different writing jobs
As mentioned before, becoming a content creator requires a lot of practice. That said, you may want to try out different writing jobs before you commit to becoming a content creator. Starting out as a copywriter is a good way to gain some experience.
Unlike content creators, copywriters write prose for the purpose of advertising and promoting various products and services. These sales pitches must have unique catch phrases that will interest online consumers and encourage them to make a purchase.
Moreover, you might also consider a bit of journalism because this line of work can help you develop storytelling skills. Creating content is a bit different from any other writing position, but having at least some experience is more than useful when it comes to shaping words into meaningful and engaging sentences. Â
2. Get tech-savvy
Becoming a content creator is not just about creating content. As a matter of fact, you’re also optimizing content through your writing so that it can fit into various marketing strategies, such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), for example.
That’s why content creators need to be tech-savvy and have at least a basic understanding of how digital marketing works. For instance, you may have to work directly in WordPress or some other content management system.
Don’t wait for companies you work for to provide you with adequate training. Instead, learn what you think may be useful beforehand and add those skills to your resume. Not only will this help you find employment more seamlessly, but it will also help you create awesome content more easily.
Furthermore, knowing how to optimize content for SEO means building content around specific keywords and knowing how and where to insert backlinks. These are all technical factors you should familiarize yourself with to help you advance in your content creator career.
3. Develop your unique style
Style is of vital importance for every content creator or writer, in general. Therefore, developing your own unique style is the most important step in your career. Writing an article doesn’t mean you’re writing a thesis or covering the latest news.
It’s about telling an engaging story that will encourage people to consume content and then ask for more afterward. This requires a delicate touch, especially if you want to inform, educate or entertain the audience.
You have enough creative freedom to decide how you want to do this, as long as you manage to do it efficiently. In addition, having a unique style means knowing how and when to break some rules. Grammar is very important in creating content, but some rules are purposely broken to make the content more appealing and engaging.
After all, the last thing you want to do is to aggravate or alienate the audience with your content. That’s why developing a unique style is difficult. However, in time and with a good amount of practice, you’ll start to get a hang of it.
4. Learn how to conduct research
Research is also another important factor in content creation. You have to know how to analyze the topic and search for relevant sources that will provide you with more information. The accuracy and relevance of information are crucial for content quality.
You simply can’t just make up facts and statistics that will go with the flow. You’ll have to learn how to dig out information that will help you create awesome content. In most cases, your editors and managers might provide you with relevant sources where you can find relevant information.
However, it’s always better to know how to find such sources yourself than rely on others to do it for you. This is especially true when you’re creating specialized content, such as covering tech, legal or medical topics, for example.
Consumers and search engines can also check the accuracy of the information within your content, so don’t try to fool them. Instead, learn how to research topics and find relevant, as well as useful information for your content.
5. Get certified
This step is actually not mandatory, but it can be very helpful in finding employment. Getting certified as a professional content creator, writer, or marketer, among others, of course, can help you with your career.
Most companies in need of able content creators don’t care about certification, as long as you have what it takes to produce awesome content, but that may differentiate you from other candidates for the job.
That’s why getting a certificate may not be such a bad idea, after all. You can find various courses online that award you with a certificate upon completion. You can always go through a few of these courses to ensure you’re qualified for the job.
Again, this is not necessary, but it can be a unique advantage you need to score a good job with a high enough salary and suitable job flexibility. It’s always better to be certified beforehand than go through it later on when you have a chance to advance in your career.
Content marketing is a growing industry that keeps on evolving as time goes by. Seeking a career in content creation is one of the surest ways to get suitable employment with a good salary and job security. The only thing you need to do is find your unique way of working your magic with words so that you’re able to produce truly amazing content.
Author
Harold Ader is a digital marketing specialist and freelance blogger from Manchester. New trends in digital marketing and digital commerce are his main focus. In his spare time, he writes a lot for Digital Strategy One.