Are you wondering if content writer jobs are the right career move for you? We've got you! Whether you're new on the writing scene and still trying to decide which writing style is right for you, or perhaps you've been a freelance writer for some time, and you're curious about part-time or full-time in-house content writer jobs, this blog will have some valuable information for you. We discuss what being a content writer actually entails, the top skills you need to be a successful content writer and the benefits of content writing jobs. So, keep reading if you want to find out if content writer jobs are right for you.
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What exactly is a content writer?
A content writer is a person who writes, edits, and sometimes distributes digital content such as blogs. Most people associate the term content writing with blogs specifically, but content writer jobs can actually include relaying information through several different mediums. Including the following:
- Content for websites
- Email campaigns
- Product descriptions
- Press releases
- Speeches
- Email newsletters
- Social media posts
- Blogs
- Video scripts
Essentially, content writer jobs entail writing creative, well-researched, and engaging content to a specific audience through different platforms. This audience can be comprised of stakeholders, existing customers, or prospective customers, depending on who you are writing for.
Content writers can write about almost anything depending on who they are working with. Some content writers actually choose specific "niches" such as beauty or lifestyle to write about, meaning that they specialize in topics related to their chosen category. Others prefer to stay open, which means that they can research and write about various topics.
Content writer jobs have become prevalent in the past few years as social media and having an online presence have become a part of most organizations' marketing plans. While Copywriting is more associated with sales, content writing also has the ability to turn readers into leads even when that is not necessarily the aim of their content.
What skills do you need to be a content writer?
Content writer jobs vary greatly! Some positions may require writers with specific skill sets or knowledge about a particular subject area. For example, a food blog might need a content writer with cooking experience, whereas a medical journal would prefer a writer who has experience in the medical field.
Furthermore, the function will vary depending on the sector and the business's specific demands. For example, some corporations choose to devote a significant portion of their resources to social media strategy. In contrast, others like to focus on producing content in the form of blog articles or e-books. Some companies are able to do both and communicate with their audience through different channels. Either way, it is up to the content writers to write high-quality and engaging content, regardless of the medium.
The skills required to work with these different mediums and in these industries can vary, but there are a few core skills that are common for all content writer jobs, so let's explore those:
Check out this infographic for a quick summary of the benefits that we're about to cover:
1. Original and creative writing ability
This may seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning. In order to be a good content writer, you need to be a good writer. This means being able to come up with original and engaging content. As a content writer, your primary role is to write in a way that will hold the reader's attention and make them want to either share your content, engage with it or learn more about what you've discussed in your piece of writing.
If you're just starting out with content writing, we recommend spending some time developing your creative writing abilities. You can do this by reading more, playing games that help build your vocabulary, and reading other writers' content.
2. Communication skills
Content writer jobs often require you to be in constant communication with various team members or clients, so you need to have excellent verbal and written communication skills in order to maintain your professional relationships. As a content writer, part of your job is to be the middleman between a company or individual and their audience. In order to do that effectively, you need to be able to understand what each of them needs from you, and the best way to do that is to communicate.
Part of having excellent communication skills is having good control of language and grammar. This is very important for content writer jobs because, as every writer knows, good grammar can have a considerable impact on your work. It makes it easier to read and follow, it makes it more engaging, and most importantly, it reduces the chances of miscommunications. For example, take a look at the two sentences below and notice the difference in meaning. As a content writer, you will be writing sentences that are much more complex than those two, so you should have even better control of the language you will be writing in.
3. Attention to detail
Have you ever heard the phrase 'to write is human, to edit is divine'? When you have a content writer job, this sentence makes a lot more sense to you because you will spend a lot of time editing. It is important to make sure that you are delivering content that is not only highly informative or entertaining (depending on what your aim is) but that is also SEO-friendly and free of spelling or grammar mistakes. Errors and typos can make your readers doubt your professionalism and credibility. Or, even worse, they can change the meaning of your sentence as we saw in the example above.
Furthermore, depending on the content writer jobs you have, you may be responsible for selecting or creating images for your written content. This requires originality, creativity, and attention to detail. Content writer jobs need someone who can pay attention to the most minor details in order to ensure that they are delivering high-quality content that is coherent and that will communicate effectively with their audience.
4. Strong research skills
Content writer jobs require someone with strong research skills. This means someone who knows how and where to look for specific information, figure out which sources are credible and which ones should be discarded, and how to pick out the relevant information in an article and leave out the fluff or unnecessary details.
This is extremely important because research is a big part of being a content writer. Depending on your niche, or the company you are working with, you may have some information that is made available to you, but that is rarely enough to produce truly informative content. If you want to make sure your audience understands something, you need to understand it too to explain it to them clearly. That means researching, actively reading, and using your critical thinking skills to pick out the right information.
For example, if you are looking for content writer jobs and you are asked to do a sample piece about the fast fashion industry. You need to know that getting information from the brands' websites alone will not give you the whole story.
5. Time management and organization
Most content writer jobs involve a certain level of multitasking, self-management, and deadlines. You also have to keep track of different sources, articles, blogs, images, videos, etc. All of this means that you need to have good time management and organization skills to be a content writer. That includes knowing how to prioritize and organize your time in order to meet deadlines consistently.
Furthermore, because content producing and digital marketing are relatively new, some content writer jobs do not really offer any support or guidance. You may be the only member on a marketing team working on content creation, or you might have only a few team members. Either way, this means that you need to be able to organize yourself and your tasks in a way that will ensure the timely delivery of content.
What are the benefits of being a content writer?
Most of the time, when people talk about the benefits of content writer jobs, they talk about the brand, the business, or the people that writers are working for. And while those benefits are undeniable, if you are considering taking on content writer jobs, you probably want to know what's in it for you as a writer. So here are our top four benefits of being a content writer:
What does being a content writer for BeMo look like?
As you've probably gathered by now, this blog- and many of our other blogs- are written by a content writer. So, to give you some more context about content writer jobs, it's only fair that I share my experience as a content writer for BeMo with you.
As a content writer for BeMo, every day at work is somewhat similar but also very different from the next. I typically spend about 60% of my time writing but what I'm writing about is always different. Today, I am writing about content writer jobs, but yesterday, I was writing about the importance of having a medical student CV, and the day before, I was writing about something else entirely. In other words, even though I am usually writing about higher education and career paths, my work is far from being monotonous.
Of the remaining 40% of my workday, 20% of it is usually spent researching and learning something new. At BeMo, we have a team of expert consultants who help our students. These experts have gone through the process of preparing medical school applications, residency applications, law school applications, and so on. They have also gone through a great deal of training to be able to advise and guide our students. I say all this to explain that they have a lot of information to share, and in order for us to share some of that expert advice with you for free in the format of a blog, as content writers, we have to go learn from them.
As mentioned earlier, content writer jobs require people with strong research skills. I often have to research using the valuable resources that our consultants provide. Other times, I have to look for different things from reputable sources like universities and professional associations to provide our students with the most up-to-date information in my blogs. This is one of my favorite parts of the job because it allows me to learn about different professions, experiences, places, and much more. As a person who enjoys learning, having a content writer job is ideal because I get to learn at least one new thing every single day.
The other 20% of my day is spent doing administrative tasks and other creative things like figuring out which informative video would help the person who is reading the article that we are about to share on our website. For this blog, I landed on the student review below because if you're reading about what it's like to be a content writer at BeMo, it might benefit you to know what kind of services we provide and how they actually affect people's lives.
As promised, here is a quick video from one of our students:
The best part of being a content writer for BeMo is that even though this is what my days involve right now, it doesn't need to be the case all the time. There are so many opportunities to explore different forms of content writing and grow within the company. Furthermore, because you get to choose your own hours, you can arrange your tasks differently to ensure that you are working when you are at your most productive without sacrificing your work-life balance.
If content writer jobs sound like a good fit for you and what I've just described appeals to you, then you should know that we are currently looking for a content writer to join our team. Take a look at our careers page to see if you meet the requirements and join the BeMo team.
FAQs
1. What exactly do content writers do?
Content writers write engaging, well-researched material in a language that speaks to a specific audience through blogs, social media platforms, whitepapers, and other mediums.
2. What does "content" actually mean?
In the context of content writer jobs, content refers to the material that has been written. For example, the words you are reading right now are considered content. It could also be referring to a video, song, image, or audio that a content creator produced in other contexts.
3. What skills do I need to be a content writer?
You need to be a creative and adaptable writer with excellent communication skills, time management skills, and an eye for detail.
4. Where can I find content writer jobs?
You can find content writer jobs online using freelancing websites, regular employment-seeking websites like LinkedIn, or by going to the pages of specific companies directly.
5. Are content writer jobs good jobs?
Content writer jobs are great jobs for the right person. If you are a creative person who enjoys writing and learning, then you will definitely enjoy content writing.
6. What qualifications do I need to be a content writer?
The specific qualifications that you need will vary depending on the content writing job. That said, you should at least have an academic or professional background that shows that you are proficient in the language you will be writing in and you have good research skills.
7. What skills do I need to get a content writer job with BeMo?
You can find out more about what we are looking for by reading the role description, but here is a good place to get started: Take a look at our latest blogs; if you can create content that is at the same level or above, then you already meet one of the most important requirements.
8. Can content writers really work from anywhere in the world?
Not every company offers fully remote work, even to content writers, so it depends on who they're working with and in what capacity.
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