Anyone can create content, but creating content that is meaningful, valuable and makes a difference distinguishes an expert from a beginner writer.
Thankfully, advancing your content writing skills is easy. With some knowledge, you can create engaging articles, converting copies, and great emails.
How you can become better at creating content
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Learn and Practice
Skills are built with time. While acquiring the skills needed for content creation is easy, you can’t do that without research. Take at least one hour of your day to write something. You can craft a story and proofread it. The more you write, the more you gain expertise in this field.
If you need help figuring out where to begin, consider enrolling in a free course. Various platforms offer these courses, like Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning. You will familiarize yourself with writing content and even receive a certificate at the end of it.
Also, you can use several tools to get the right words, minimize or avoid errors and become more productive. For instance, Grammarly can help you correct writing mistakes, while Thesaurus offers synonyms of words to use.
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Choose a Niche
Every person has something that excites them. Some people love technology. Others are into health, and others love finances. You should write content on what you love, especially when starting it. It is why you should pick a niche to specialize in. That way, your content becomes focused and precise.
Picking one area of focus may seem limiting. But remember that people follow you because they want to get educated in that area. Content creation is about putting your audience first. If you want to write for yourself, do a journal and publish it without expecting anyone to read it.
Once you decide on your niche, consider the different angles you can write about. For instance, if you’ve decided to be a health content writer, give tips on how to remain healthy, speak on various diseases and their treatment, talk about doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers, etc.
Related article: How to Become a Better Content Writer: 11 Tips on Creating Content
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Be Active Online
After deciding your niche, next is to publish your work for your target audience to read. Start with popular platforms like LinkedIn and Medium to expose you to potential clients. Posting your writing helps people see what you do and how good you are at it.
You can also start a blog but remember to be consistent in posting. Ensure you have at least one article every week to post. A blog will market your writing skills and help you rank higher for keywords related to your niche.
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Learn about Your Audience
You cannot write for an audience whose interests you don’t know. You may think sharing your trip to London is exciting, but if your content is not educating, entertaining, or inspiring others, no one will read it. People will only care about your adventures if they feel they are getting something from them.
Take your time to know your audience, their likes and dislikes, and what motivates them. Then, incorporate this into your writing such that it offers value to readers. If you don’t have an audience, decide the people you want to read your content. Then, look for writers with a large following and see the people reading their articles. Determine whether there are common themes and patterns in their followers and get to understand them.
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Build a Portfolio
A solid portfolio is a great way to get paid through content writing. It may include social media captions, articles, and anything that shows your expertise in writing. Besides writing well, employers also want writers that can tell compelling stories that position their business as the solution provider.
Related article: Make Money as a Writer with No Experience or Degree: 5 Ways to Get Paid in 2019
Final Thoughts
Becoming a better content writer and creating content takes some work. But once you know what to do, you can quickly achieve success in this industry. Plus, it may open other doors for you, like becoming an editor, an SEO writer, or a copywriter.