For any aspiring freelance writer or blogger, the opportunity to get paid for their output is surely one of their ultimate goals.
Content writing is one avenue popular with writers hoping to reap financial reward. But what are the pros and cons for any budding professional scribe as they set off down this route?
#1. Content Writing Opportunities
The good news is that this is one potential revenue-earning area that is not likely to dry up anytime soon. Over 500 new websites are launched on the Internet every minute.
These will cover a diverse range of subjects, and the developers, designers and entrepreneurs behind these sites will undoubtedly have channeled much of their energies into making them look good.
There will have been a lot of emphasis on the overall design, the navigation menus – the technical side. But where many of these websites may well be lacking is in content.
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On the Internet, content is king. It doesn’t matter if a web interface is so sleekly designed that its web manager assumes its interface is destined to win awards.
If the articles within those streamlined pages are uninspiring or lacking search engine optimization, then the site will most likely fail.
This is where writers come into the equation. Web managers have enough plates to spin, so producing the actual page content is often outsourced.
There are numerous platforms where would-be writers can search for this type of work, and the biggest tip about tracking down these gigs is to use the search engine of your choice. Simply input something like ‘content writing opportunities’ and sift through the numerous hits.
#2. Some of the Key Do’s
If you aim to have a stab at making a consistent return from writing web content, you need to bear in mind that there are certain aspects that differentiate this skill from, say, journalism or writing a book.
People surfing the Internet have notoriously short attention spans, and no wonder. With the next interesting web page, a mere click away, fingers are permanently itchy, poised to move on the instant they decide they’re not captivated. So, your writing must be able to grab attention.
You’ll quickly learn how to be concise and avoid those flowery descriptions, metaphors and adverbs you were tempted to unleash when drafting that essay or short story. It’s all about maximum information in minimum space. If you’ve been tasked with producing a 300-word article, you simply won’t have time to expand on points.
You will most likely be asked to seed your writing with keywords. These enable customers to find you and stay hooked on your content. They also allow like-minded sites to connect, forming an affiliate network of related enterprises.
Summing it up
Finally, once you do start writing, it is so important to stick to timescales. Like any other freelance writing job, you must adopt strict time management.
Articles must be submitted according to deadline. The Internet is fast-moving. Your clients won’t wait for you to catch up.