Most businesses now have to focus on other forms of advertising because the traditional options aren’t enough. One way to get noticed is by using the right marketing strategy. You can attract new customers and boost the loyalty of your brand when you have a strong online presence.
You might be wondering where to start. If you’re not sure you have the skills necessary to write content for yourself, it might be wise to check out freelance job boards or hire a content writing service.
We break down the finer points of what content writing is and how it helps your business. From there, you may decide to work with us to ensure that the content is great and meets your needs.
What Is Content Writing?
Content writing refers to blog posts and other professional writing that’s created by content writers for an online audience. It typically focuses on specific marketing goals. Business owners and marketers publish their content online for various reasons. You want to know what those are before you start the writing process. That way, you can boost traffic for your site, inform people about new services and products, and all the rest.
Regardless, though, the main objective here is to reach your target audience. Content creation often takes a lot of work, which is why you pay others well to do it right. Sometimes called freelance writing, it is where someone takes your keywords and crafts content that’s excellent and serves its purpose well.
What Does the Content Writer Do?
Content writers focus on writing online content. Some of them have various writing styles and can handle different topics and write in all formats. Others might specialize in a specific niche.
You can find content writers almost everywhere. Private companies and government organizations use them extensively. However, you may also find freelancers who have their own schedules and are their own bosses. Here are some common content writer types who can craft unique content:
Blog Writer
Blog writers can create engaging content that’s conversational in nature. They understand how to write content for the intended audience and keep them on the page. Sometimes, this happens with humor, but other entertainment options are available.
Blog posts are usually entertaining for the readers, but they serve a purpose, too. Engaging blogs fuel organic web traffic. If you hire a skilled blog writer, they should understand SEO so that you get a boost in visitors to your site.
Just like journalists, blog writers must conduct research and interview experts before they craft high-quality content that people want to see. They understand how to rank higher on search engine results pages and do so effortlessly.
Brand Journalist
Brand journalists are sometimes called brand ambassadors because they focus on enhancing your brand’s image. These storytellers can craft customer testimonials, brand stories, press releases, and human interest stories that engage readers. In a sense, they dive deeper into the heart of your company to tell your story.
Typically, they approach storytelling differently. They tend to focus more on explaining how your brand creates a strong culture instead of the services and products you offer.
Copywriter
Copywriters are wordsmiths that can craft different forms of content for print or digital means. They can handle all types of topics and use various strategies to engage the specific audience.
Usually, they write cohesive web copy that flows from one type of content to another. This means they can handle product descriptions, site articles, infographics, blog posts, and sales collateral. They realize that each piece of content has a specific purpose and how to fit them all together.
With that, copywriters often have various roles because they’re versatile. Companies use them as a one-stop shop for all their content needs.
Ghost Writer
A ghostwriter is another type of content writer who takes on writing projects when companies and business owners can’t do it themselves. They’re experienced so that they can write in different voices and tones to match your existing content.
Typically, ghostwriters craft content for online newsletters and CEO leadership messages. Before they do anything else, they study your brand’s voice and can handle all types of content.
Technical Writer
Technical writers aren’t like other content writers because they’ve got expert-level knowledge of science, math, and technology-related concepts. They can turn technical topics into copy that’s easily understood by everyone. This could include information about complex components and processes.
During the content creation process, they must figure out how to perform the right functions, communicate with experts, and make sure that the information portrayed is accurate. Typically, these professionals excel at writing FAQs, manuals, guides, and technical articles.
Social Media Writer
Social media writers are there to create engaging posts for different social media platforms to encourage more comments, likes, follows, and shares. They work hard to craft content that gets more attention and creates a buzz, which results in more sales and website traffic.
Usually, they work with the marketing team, videographers, and graphic designers to create unique assets, such as quizzes and interactive content. This means they have to stay updated about the latest trends.
Email Writer
An email writer is yet another content writer type. They focus on psychology and human behavior to craft content that gets people to take an action. With that, they work for brands and companies that want customers to enter contests, take advantage of sales, sign up for newsletters, or take surveys.
If you search for an email writer on freelance job boards, focus on resumes that list A/B testing and other important factors.
Scriptwriter
A scriptwriter is another type of content writer who excels at storytelling. They often see the big picture for your brand and write content aligning with that image in podcasts and videos. Their messages tend to live in podcast scripts, radio ads, video scripts, graphics scripts, and chatbots.
These professionals ensure that their copy translates into different formats and experiment with other versions and lengths. Plus, they may write scripts for television, feature films, or musicals.
Long-form Content Writer
A long-form content writer often creates lengthy content, such as pillar blog posts, data studies, eBooks, case studies, and the like. There are often plenty of bullet points here, and they write content that’s anywhere from 2,000-4,000 words long.
In a sense, this isn’t a typical blog post. You can look at long-form content as four blog posts in one. With that, this type of content often ranks higher in the search engines because they see it as trustworthy and authoritative. On top of all that, most long-form content options are evergreen, so they appeal to readers long after they’re written.
Ad and Promo Writer
Promo and ad writers must deliver an appropriate message with shorter character counts. A content writer like this meets with the client before creating content to make sure they understand the goal. With that, they can craft landing pages, product descriptions, sales collateral, ad copy, promo blurbs, and direct mail.
What Skills Do the Content Writers Need?
Freelance writers require these writing skills to do their job well:
- Social media knowledge
- Ability to understand the audience and write to them
- Knowledge of keyword research
- SEO skills
- Editing skills
- Proficient communication
- Full focus on the task
- Creativity to fuel more engaging content
- Experience in a particular industry or field
- Knowledge of different structures and tones
- Ability to meet deadlines and write quickly
- Thorough research
- Excellent style and grammar
Where Might You See or Find Content Writing?
Content writing thrives within the digital realm. There can be various content formats for online content, and your content writer could craft any of the options listed below:
Web Content
A web content writer crafts anything that you might read online. This includes website text and information in blogs and articles. Companies that have websites require high-quality content.
Imagine all the pages on a website. There’s the about page, homepage, and everything else. As you navigate through the web pages on a website, you find out more info about the company.
Writers who craft such content must understand SEO writing and keyword strategies. That way, search engines can rank it highly on the SERPs.
When websites appear on that first page, they see more site visitors. Ultimately, when content ranks well, it gets more traffic.
Blogging
Blogs are there to enhance the website content in many ways. Ultimately, you can use it to give a fresh perspective and interesting angles about specific topics. A content writer can write different blogs for the site, such as how-to posts that explain a process in simple steps so that readers can do it themselves later.
Other blog options offer more in-depth information about services, products, features, and more. Typically, they use tons of bullet points to keep things easy to read and are shareable on social media. The goal here is to build brand awareness, and it takes time to do this. However, the effort you put in pays off as people discover you through your content.
Social Media
Your company should have social media accounts set up. Platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook help you engage with your audience. It’s often easier to convert readers into buyers when they feel like they’re part of a community or team.
As people start following you, there’s an opportunity to establish a bond that converts others to you.
Social media posts offer an opportunity to post fresh content, see engagement, and find feedback. In fact, it could be the best way for people to discuss brands in today’s world. Everyone can comment, like, and share the message, which is ultimately free advertising for you.
Sometimes, companies find they need a bigger boost than what organic traffic can offer. If that’s the case, paid or sponsored advertising is also available.
Writers like this understand how to craft unique, concise, and engaging copy. They may sprinkle bits of information and emojis into the messages to get positive reactions from the audience. Remember, each platform offers different content styles. When you hire a professional, you get the right format and message to your targeted audience.
Sales and Ad Copy
Sales and ad copy are there to persuade the audience to buy services or products. The copy is direct and designed to get a specific response. Typically, experienced writers who write sales copy keep it conversational and friendly instead of pushy. With that, most people don’t mind seeing sales messages to get a discount, but it must be well-written content to do the job effectively.
Therefore, it’s important to know as much as you can about your audience. That way, you see higher conversions. If you establish trust first, the customers tend to be more receptive to these messages.
Industry-specific Writing
Industry-specific writing from attorneys, medical doctors, educators, scientists, and other professionals offers you a higher level of authority. Google likes this and ranks it higher.
Some business owners prefer writing their own content, but most of them hire a content writer with a background in their industry. This type of job isn’t suitable for everyone. Typically, that’s why ghostwriters are knowledgeable in a particular niche and write these content pieces.
Public Relations and Journalistic Writing
Journalists are there to write about real events spanning different topics, such as business news. Often, companies hire public relations agencies to handle their communication needs. When you have big news to share with others, writers can create press releases and send them to the right audiences (usually through a newswire service).
There are other content formats available, but the press release is still the most popular. Writing these pieces isn’t hard, but it requires the writer to know a bit about your company.
Creative Writing
Creative writing takes a lot of talent and a full grasp of the audience and the purpose of the content. In a sense, creative writers have to know your brand and audience well so that they can craft content that’s colorful, witty, and humorous.
When used appropriately, it can leave a lasting impression. Talented writers often infuse creativity into the blog post. They can also craft social media posts, blogs, adverts, and so much more. Regardless, the goal is to evoke an emotion in the reader so that they take action. This results in a positive win for you through publicity, conversions, and customer loyalty.
Why Your Business Needs Content Writing
Companies must view content writing as an investment that yields customer loyalty and conversions when done properly. Ultimately, content writing is the foundation for your strong online presence. This is crucial in today’s digital world.
It’s important to have a content writer who knows what they’re doing. Here are the reasons why your company requires content writing by a professional:
Content Quality Is Crucial
The information you include on your site should benefit the audience. People want well-written content that’s researched thoroughly. Plus, most search engines reward websites that offer such information because they’re more trustworthy and authoritative. You may see yourself ranked higher in the search results, making it easier for people to find you.
Therefore, you should always invest in a skilled professional writer who can take your site to the next level with their high-quality writing.
Copywriters Understand Strategy
A content writer can take the pressure off you if you’ve got limited resources and time. Experienced writers fully understand the variables in the online setting. For example, most people don’t understand SEO writing and that the words published on the site factor into online visibility. They start with writing what they know and don’t think about keyword research.
Search engines don’t like it when you don’t optimize your content with quality information and appropriate keywords. That means your site gets lost because millions of other websites want the searcher’s click. Copywriters understand which strategies to use to boost the number of visitors that go to your website, and this often leads to more purchases.
Creativity Takes Time (You Don’t Have)
The writing process starts with content development. It takes many hours of planning, brainstorming, and executing different ideas. Research is crucial because the goal here is to create content the audience wants to see. Hiring content writers takes stress off your team and frees you up to do other things.
They often create calendars and develop content that’s suitable for the audience following your brand on individual platforms. Then, they craft the content that engages and entertains the audience.
Having information about the various platforms and what works is crucial for content creation. It’s not just about writing content; it’s about knowing what is suitable for a particular platform.
Content created for a blog post, email, or website requires a different strategy than for social media. The tone and length of the message could drastically differ across the platforms.
Algorithms for Search Engines Constantly Change
In the past, businesses used keyword stuffing, which means the keywords were repetitively put in the content without thinking about quality. However, now, search engine algorithms are updated constantly to ensure that the reader sees quality content they want.
SEO writers understand the changes and how they affect your content. That means they can adjust the strategy to ensure that your content ranks higher.
You Stay Competitive
Whether you’ve got many competitors with a high online presence or none, you must take steps to make sure that your brand is known. Therefore, it’s crucial to implement a content writer into your strategy to gain a larger audience quickly.
The people who are interested in your services and products have to know where to find you. Content writing is where that happens. When you hire a content writer, you can stand back while your website grows. You experience traffic you never had before and have better customer satisfaction.
Imagine that you have a similar product to other companies. You have amazing content from a writer with pure writing ability, great reviews, and an excellent user experience. This means your site ranks higher and is more appealing to viewers. Websites that have mediocre content that’s not updated regularly get passed up quickly.
Readers Want Quality Content
Because there’s so much information online, people are picky about what they read. Remember, they are busier, too, and time is highly valuable. Therefore, the content has to be great so that people stop scrolling and read what you have to say.
When you hire professional writers from a content service, they bring others onto the team with valuable insights about digital trends and strategies. They can always write appealingly so that readers can scan the information and get the important parts while still providing deeper details for those who want to read more.
Great Content Equals Revenue
If you have compelling content, you often see a higher ROI because you have more visitors to your website. They are great leads who bring in more revenue.
However, it takes time to see results from your content marketing, so you want to hire content marketers who have updated knowledge of the best practices. That way, you have a better chance of keeping the reader’s attention when there’s fierce competition.
Writing content is all about getting more attention for your website. The important thing here is to choose a content writer who can build momentum with the best and most unique content, regardless of where you’re starting at.
Excellent Content Raises the Bar
You may have a content marketing team that requires more inspiration. When you hire a talented content writer, you get those creative juices going. Excellent content focuses on all marketing aspects, so it’s easier for videographers, graphic designers, and others to collaborate and have a unified vision.
Enthusiasm tends to be contagious, so it fosters a more harmonious work environment. That way, quality and new ideas come together and thrive. If the marketing department struggles, bring in the professional writers to give them a jump start.
You Hit Your Limit
It’s okay if you don’t have the energy to create a content marketing strategy and craft the content yourself. There is no shame in calling content writers to boost your efforts.
These professionals enjoy their work immensely and accept writing challenges all the time. When you request the help of a content marketing expert, you can deal with other issues and grow your business in other ways. The best part here is you’re in control of the content. If you don’t like the way it reads, you can request changes until you’re satisfied.
You Show More Authority
You want to lend credibility for your brand and must establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Within the specialized content, you can give your audience tutorials, tips, and advice they crave.
Ultimately, you have the insight to address those interests and concerns. Now, you need a content writer to help you craft copy that works. For example, if a fan requests something specific, you can show them that you can put together relevant content or pay to have it completed.
When you hire professional content writers to handle your content writing needs, you just tell them what you want, and they do the rest.
You Educate Your Customers
There are plenty of reasons to educate the audience about your brand and give the competition access to the information, such as:
- Distinction – When you choose to educate your target audience about the brand, you show them how you’re different from others.
- Value – When you explain the products and services, you can show them how you solve their problems, even if they never knew they had one. Once they get the results, they feel good about using your services.
- Credibility and Confidence – A key component of building trust and authority comes from content writing. Through the content, potential customers understand that you know what you’re talking about and don’t hesitate to use your products/services.
How to Grow Your Brand’s Online Presence Efficiently
Brands can build their online presence in many ways. Content writing establishes your brand as an authority figure through stimulating video content, engaging photos, and blog posts. When you create more content, you get a stronger business presence. It shows the audience that you want to teach them and help them without expecting something in return. Loyal brand followers tend to buy from you later.
Does Content Marketing Work?
Yes, data shows that content marketing can drive growth and reach customers. These content marketers see positive results from the unique content, and most people believe this is the best way to reach people who are always online.
When you curate the content to appeal to the audience, you have a better chance of being successful. With that, though, writing becomes more important, and you have to think about where your customers spend their time online.
Conclusion
If content writing isn’t a strong suit of yours, that’s okay. It’s easy to hop on a freelance job board and ask someone else to create content for you. However, you must choose the right person for the job.
Usually, it’s better to use content writing services because they have large teams with writers of different backgrounds. Whether you want technical writing or SEO-focused content, someone can craft the copy in a unique way.
We can help you with your content creation needs. Let us know what you want, and we can deliver on your timeline!
