How To Start Content Writing From Home

What is Content?

Content is the basic content or knowledge related to any object or subject. Content can be in any form including text, audio, video, or image.

The content must be relevant, reliable, entertaining, interesting, and informative. Content contains the information to convey the message in the most relevant manner to the reader, client, or user.

The information in the content must be packaged in a way to bring out the best outcomes. A well-written content bridges the gap between the provider and the consumer.

This leads to smooth communication and thus serves the issue or problem appropriately. Content must add some value to the life of the reader, including laughter, or making them smarter.

Content must be efficiently engaging to build the trust between the service provider and the consumer. If the content has been created only for marketing purposes, then it must lead the customers to the potential products and nurture the leads.

It is the responsibility of the writer to exhibit the content in the most effective way, only after that, the purpose of the content can be fulfilled.

The consumers or the audience can discover, consume or act about the product or information according to the content provided by the businesses, companies, or individuals. Quality content increases engagement and awareness of the brands. 

Types of Content Writing

There are various job opportunities available to the content writers like:

• Content development
  
  
• SEO content writing
  
  
• Video content creating
  
  
• Academic writing
  
  
• Subject Matter Experts
  
  
• Technical writing
  
  
• Copywriting - It includes product descriptions, sales collateral, press releases, infographics
  
  
• Content strategists
  
  
• Proofreading
  
  
• Brand journalists
  
  
• Blogging
  
  
• Social media posts
  
  
• Email campaign
  
  
• Scriptwriting
  
  
• Ghostwriting
  
  
• Editing
  
  
• Curriculum Designing
  
  
• Social Media Specialists
  
  
• Instructional Designing

Is content writing a good career choice?

Yes, content writing is a good career choice if you enjoy giving words to your thoughts in the most simple, yet creative way.

As per the reports of Upwork, in 2019, freelancing had a $1 trillion impact in the U.S., i.e. nearly 5% of the entire GDP of the country.

According to the survey of HubSpot, 70% of the marketing experts have invested in content marketing to expand the business, while 24% of them planned to increase it in the upcoming year.

The main reason is that the world is switching to digital marketing rather than traditional marketing to increase website traffic and reach the target audience. Anyone can develop writing skills and apply them regardless of their age, location, and gender.

This job not only provides you with exposure but along with this, money and stability. The talent to write can be applied in many industries at the same time, providing you with multiple amazing career opportunities in any part of the world.

It is a world of adaptability and the companies find it easier to work with the freelancers working from their homes as compared to the full-time employees. For example, PixelTrack works with only 15 freelance content writers.

This major shift has been a result of transparency and cost-effective ways to work with external vendors (freelancers).

The pandemic has resulted in many remote job opportunities and since the companies are moving their work digitally, the demand for content writers is very high.

Writers with technical skills and related knowledge are preferred by the organizations, thus they get paid a deserving amount

How to become a content writer?

1. Set niche

The content becomes more interesting and appealing when the writer collaborates with a particular niche. This will also increase your value as a writer in the industry. Thus, you can become the subject matter expert of that specific niche.

This will provide you with an upper hand over the niche and thus attract more businesses towards it. This will make you an expert in the industry. After this, you can also charge the appropriate amount for the services.
riters. This can help you showcase your talent and work. Under such requirements, you can get good money for your work.

2. Build portfolio

This step is very necessary to showcase your work to potential employers. This doesn't have monetary feedback but it is necessary to maintain a portfolio. Being a new writer, it is not easy for companies to trust you easily.

This portfolio is a way to represent your work, talent, and capabilities. You can inculcate all of your ideas in the form of a blog post, website content, case study, or e-book and add them to the portfolio. This will provide you with a platform to grow.

3. Create a social proof

It's not easy for a company to spend money on someone without any background on social media. You also look after the legit companies or reviews on the websites before buying a product.

Similarly, some websites like Quora will flex your writing skills, thus providing social proof of your work. This will inform the companies about the engagement and reach of your content amongst the masses. It also acts as the authentication of your work.

4. Blogging

You must exhibit a sense of authority and expertise in your work to attract more readers and potential clients. You can increase your brand value and pitch for a good price for your work.

 You can do this efficiently with the help of blogs. This tool will not only enhance your skills but also showcase your niche, skills, writing template, and views to the readers. There are various online resources available to learn to blog.

5. Create a pitch

A pitch must be clean and customized to a specific subject line. It must address the recipient with a name. It includes the references for the content as well as the importance of the content for the particular business or company.

Pitch must have links to your published works or portfolio. If you have written blogs on other platforms like Quora or UpWork, add those links in the pitch. A good email signature along with the information about your social media handles will make your pitch more appealing.

6. Start on UpWork or Fiverr

These digital platforms are providing ample opportunities to service providers and businesses. Content writers can set their accounts on UpWork or Fiverr and start writing content.

They can add it to their portfolio and get good reviews from their employers. These platforms attract quality clients to enhance your knowledge and reach. While delivering the content, you must do it within the deadline and build long-term relations with the client.

7. Join Facebook groups

Various facebook groups and communities connect freelance writers and clients throughout the world.

It is the largest digital platform. In the groups, the businesses, companies, or clients post the content requirements, so the writers can pitch it or add links to their portfolio to grab the opportunities.

You must follow up on the specified requirements and show your interest. If the client agrees or asks for the work samples, you must be responsive and ready with your portfolio.

8. Optimize LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is one of the biggest digital platforms for varying fields around the globe. It is the need of the hour to optimize your LinkedIn profile and update it regularly.

It showcases your work history, experience, and knowledge and provides you with amazing freelance writing opportunities. Your profile must represent you, your work, and your skills in the most professional way.

 You must describe yourself. Even the employers look out for specific skills in the writers. You must post relevant content to increase your reach.

9. Apply for companies with openings

You must pitch regularly to the requirements of the companies. You must look out for digital marketing companies that need freelance writers regularly for various projects.

 When they try to expand their work or attract new customers, they will need creative writers. This can help you showcase your talent and work. Under such requirements, you can get good money for your work.

 You must always search for the companies looking for full-time or freelance writers. They give good money to the writers as per the word count or their budget. You can also quote a price if the company has an urgent requirement.
 
10. Join content platforms

There are many content platforms created by companies that deal with clients. You can work as a content writer for such companies without choosing a client of your own choice.

This provides you with chances to work on and explore various niches. In the starting, you might get less payout but with experience, you can pitch for more. Pepper content is a really good content writing platform, offering content services to numerous clients with quality content on time.

Working under such platforms helps you to grow as a writer without the worries of organizing your content and finances with the help of a dashboard. 

Tips for Aspiring Content Writers

• Write an attractive headline - The headline is the first content read by the readers. It gives an insight into the article so it must be interesting, appealing, and stir emotion. You must use specific keywords to make it more readable.
  
  
• Create a hook - If the reader is still wondering about the following content in the starting 10 seconds of the article, this means it created a hook. It will bind the reader to the end because it has captured the reader's attention.
  
  
• Research - When you are working on B2B articles, thorough research about the topic is mandatory including the statistical data and metrics. This validates the credibility, this supports your claims.
  
  
• One key message - The content must focus on the main topic and just withhold the inference of the same. It must not be confusing and unclear to the reader.
  
  
• Voice of the company - Your content is the voice of the company, hence it must be expressed appropriately and effectively. The tone must alight to the requirements of the target audience.
  
  
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - The digital content must have short sentences and paragraphs with bulleted lists. It must be optimized for SEO practices and strategies.
  
  
• Editing the work - You can never submit your first draft to the client. You must edit the work multiple times to set the tone of the work. 

Three tips for making more money as a freelance writer

1. Develop skills

• Research - The writers must research their article from sufficient resources like educational websites and news articles.
  
  
• The originality of the content - Being a content writer, you must aim at writing the original content with enough research to get the credibility of the work.
  
  
• Adaptability - Writers must adapt their writing style and note according to the goal of the article.
  
  
• Time management - It helps the writers to finish their tasks before the deadline with good quality.
  
  
• Communication - The content must be written in such a way to convey an apt message to the readers.
  
  
• Editing - Good editing skills not only increase the quality of the content but also its value amongst the readers.
  
  
• Technical skills - Such skills help the writers to manage their content systematically.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This helps to find the most searched articles on the search values. It strengthens the values of the content and helps to increase the reach to the target audience.

3. Content writing courses

• Ultimate Web Content Writing Masterclass + Power words eBook by Udemy
  
  
• The strategy of content marketing: Coursera
  
  
• Advanced Content Writing Course from ECT
  
  
• Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery by Udemy
  
  
• IIM Skills Content writing master course
  
  
• Content Marketing by HubSpot Academy
  
  
• Blogging for a living - Perfect Small Budget Project: Udemy
  
  
• Good with words: Writing and Editing: Coursera

How to become a freelance writer?

Just like there is a difference between an ongoing sculpture and a completed sculpture, there is a big difference between a normal content writer and a great content writer.

You must focus on the quality of the content first because money will easily follow the talent. To become a truly great freelance writer, you must:

1. Research thoroughly - Writing is a skill that becomes better with practice. It is not compulsory that every time you will write content related to your niche or you might be well-versed with the content.

It is mandatory for a freelance writer to thoroughly look after the subject. You must also research the best ways to write articles or blogs, and the kind of job opportunities available according to your skills and knowledge.

You must learn about search engine optimization. You can read about the content of fellow writers to have a better insight into their career paths.

2. Familiarise with the required skills and tools - A content writer must know the services valued by the client. The client might need SEO work, social media promotion, editing services, or image sourcing.

By improving these skills you can not only serve the clients better but also earn good money. Various necessary tools are

• Grammarly and Hemingway - for editing
  
  
• Unsplash and Pixabay - Copyright-free imaging source
  
  
• Pixlr X - image editing tool
  
  
• Moz - to learn SEO

3. Master of the organization - Being a freelance writer, you are the writer, editor, organizer, accountant, and HR representative. So you must organize your work to get the effective outcomes in different ways:

• Use Slack or WhatsApp - for communication
  
  
• Asana or Trello - Task management program
  
  
• Wise Borderless account - to manage finances

4. Develop your writing skills - You must continue educating yourself to learn new skills, and enhance learned skills, leading to professional development. Read the work related to your niches by signing up for the related blogs.

5. Outstanding portfolio - Your portfolio represents your work, so you must update it regularly and pitch it according to your career growth and experience.|

6. Pitch for freelancing opportunities - You must look out for good opportunities on websites like Fiverr, UpWork, etc.

What is the average salary for a content writer in India?

Salary is not a bar for talented writers in their specific niche. The writers must have a keen knowledge of their respective fields to get good job opportunities.

Becoming a content writers can earn even 1 lakh per INR if they have the talent to express their views in the easiest and most creative ways. The engaging content attracts the readers and thus the reach of the writer to a wider audience.

In India, the average starting salary for content writers is around 15,000 INR per month in the metro cities. With the increasing experience, they can earn 25,000 INR per month.

According to Ambitionbox, the salary of content writers in India ranges from 1.6 lakh to 6.2 lakh with an average of 3 lakh per annum.

Ghostwriters get a handsome salary of around $30,000 to $35,000. With varying payments, white paper freelancers get around $3,000 per article. Ebook writers charge around $2000 per book.

Personal finance writers get around $325 per 1000 words article. Landing page writers or sales page copywriters charge around $750 to $3000 per page.

While beginning your career as a writer, you can start with 1 INR per word so that you get suitable payment for the quality of work. After getting enough experience in the writing field, you can ask for an increase in payment from 2 INR to 5 INR. 

What are the qualifications necessary for becoming a content writer?

A person with a good understanding of content and its expression can become a content writer irrespective of their degree.

Although some companies prefer writers with degree courses in English or Journalism so they have in-depth knowledge of content marketing and good writing skills. 

Still, anyone with good command of the English language and an understanding of the readers can become a content writer.

Minimum qualifications to become a content writer:

• 10+2 - To become a content writer, you must complete class 12. This is the minimum requirement of any company because it also assures that the writer is not a minor.
  
  
• Graduation - Many companies prefer the writer with a minimum bachelor's degree in English or Mass communication from a recognized university.
  
  Although the technical writers must have knowledge about their specific field (medical writers - MBBS, BDS, graduation in life sciences; SaaS writer - engineering or graduation in computer science).
  
  
• Post Graduation - The writers with post-graduation in English language or Journalism or Mass communication are preferred by many companies.
  
  Although the companies require writers in the specific field, they have other requirements as well like many pharmaceutical companies need writers with postgraduate degrees in either chemistry or pharmacy.

How to be a good content writer?

Content writing requires specific skills and their utilization in the required field. You must know when, where, and how to search for the relevant topic.

It is necessary to have the skills to organize work, present it efficiently and manage the work within the given deadline. Thorganizeere are many courses available to make you a better writer. Some best content writing and marketing courses

• Ultimate Web Content Writing Masterclass + Power words eBook by Udemy - INR 700
  
  
• IIM Skills Content writing master course - INR 11,900 + 18% GST
  
  
• Advanced Content Writing Course from ECT - INR 15,000
  
  
• Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery by Udemy - INR 700
  
  
• Content Marketing by HubSpot Academy
  
  
• Content writing course: Henry Harbin Education
  
  
• Blogging for a living - Perfect Small Budget Project: Udemy
  
  
• Good with words: Writing and Editing: Coursera
  
  
• Writing proficiently: Harappa Education
  
  
• The strategy of content marketing: Coursera

Conclusion

Becoming a content writer is not a fortnight job, but requires perseverance, dedication, skills, and experience.

When you enter the field, you become a better writer with experience and content from varying fields. There is no age to start content writing, if this is what you enjoy, you can pursue it in your spare time.

The more you write, the more you understand. The more you read, the more you express through your words. You can not only learn but earn a lot of money with freelance writing. You must focus on developing and polishing your skills to have better outcomes in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How to start content writing from home?

To start content writing you must have a good command of your language. You must start writing about the topics of your interest on your own blog or as samples to be presented in front of the companies. You must create a pitch and join the relevant communities on digital platforms.
 

Q2. How to become a content writer at home?

To become a content writer at home, you must start blogging. Create your own blog according to your area of interest. You can then contact the online publications.

By adding this to your portfolio, you can look for better freelancing jobs. You must remain in constant touch with your fellow writers.
 

Q3. Is content writing hard?

No, content writing is not hard for someone with a talent to write. You grow as you learn. When you initiate writing, it might seem struggling but you must be interested in the content.

When you express your views or represent the facts in the most effective way, content writing will become fun for you.
 

Q4. How do content writers make money?

Content writers start their work on digital platforms like UpWork, Fiverr, Freelancer, Workhire, or Elance. Initially, without experience, they get nearly 8,000-10,000 INR followed by 20,000-25,000 with experience.

Many companies hire freelancers to write content for their applications, website, or clients.
 

Q5. What skills does a content writer need?

The content writer must have the following skills:

1.Research

2.Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

3.The originality of the content

4.Adaptability

5.Time management

6.Communication

7.Editing

8.Technical skills