So, you want to be a content writer?

A content writer is a unique creature. As a crafter of words that aim to impact and convert audiences, their mission is to be storyteller, magician and mind reader all in one.

There is a romantic fascination with content writing; the notion that a writer squirrels herself away in a light-filled turret with classical music wafting in on the breeze and a vintage typewriter positioned on an ancient desk. The elusive muse, mugs of coffee and scrumped up balls of paper - and perhaps a stray cat - her daily companions. If only…

Let’s pause the fairy tale and hit reality...

The unique and comprehensive skillset required to conquer the digital world of content writing is not for the fainthearted.

And yet, you don’t have to hang around digital marketers for long to realise that a fair share of them fancy their chances of dipping their toes into the waters of content writing. And while there is no denying the fact that most people can write (we are talking basic literacy skills), not everyone is a writer, and certainly not just anyone can be a content writer.

The first tell-tale sign to spotting a genuine (content) writer has to do with a metaphorical pea (taken from Hans Christian Anderson’s 1835 fairy tale, ‘The Princess and the Pea.). To recognise someone who has the true heart of a writer, and therefore the potential to be a content writer, their ‘pea’ - besides a weird obsession with vintage typewriters - is a collection of pens, highlighters, notebooks and their latest reading list which they never leave home without. (To borrow imagery from another fairy tale, these are their magic beans).

Before their fingers ever touch the keys on their laptop, messy scribbles - pregnant with ideas - fill the pages of their notebooks. This is the unmistakable identifier that sets them apart.

(And it is worth noting that these written musings occur during working hours and at 3am; the magic hour where the craftsmanship of a true wordsmith begins).

A writer who bravely steps into the wonderful world of digital will quickly realise that a strong optimised online presence owes its success to crafting content that motivates action. And to have the edge as a content writer means honing a professional set of skills. (So get ready to grab a pen and notebook to make notes).

#1 Channel your inner Jane Austen - you have to love words

I would not hesitate to say that to be a successful content writer, you first need to be a naturally talented writer. Not everything, however, is about talent; there are definitely content writing hard skills - such as SEO, researching keywords, and navigating the backend of Wordpress and Shopify - that can be taught.

But the true power of content writing lies in an innate love of words and playing with sentences in such a way that weaves them into the magical power of storytelling.

It doesn’t matter that your client’s marketing goal is to promote a brand, sell a product or service, or convert a customer; without a creative story approach that becomes sparkling and compelling content, you have no audience. Your words are wasted.

We are all wired to respond to stories and a content writer needs to be a storyteller for each and every client they write for. You have to love words.

#2 Channel your inner Matilda - you have to love reading

To hone your talent to write well means adopting Stephen King's writing philosophy, "Read, read a lot and read broadly."

It also means embracing Roald Dahl's view bound up in Matilda,“All the reading she had done had given her a view of life that they had never seen.”

Writing is anchored in life, in experiences, in relationships, in observations. That is what gives words a meaningful and relatable sense of connectedness with the reader.

Compelling writing has always been challenged by worldviews, stimulated by the thinking of others and awed by the talent of those who always seem a little bit greater than you. This may make you feel small and inadequate for the mission before you, but humility is always the starting point to growth and the catalyst to learning. It is this broader view of life that will make your writing great.

So be curious and read. Read a lot. And read broadly. Your readers (and clients) will thank you.

#3 Channel your inner Cinderella - you have to do the hard slog

This has nothing to do with a fairy godmother, a royal ball, a prince and a glass slipper. Rather, it has everything to do with self discipline, hard work and tackling messy tasks. And sometimes, just sometimes, the ‘evil' 'stepmother and 'wicked’ stepsisters will be versions of your bosses or clients and you will have to suck it up.

A large part of a content writer's day is about dedication and doing the hard slog;

• Unreasonable deadlines (the clock will strike midnight),

• Tedious and methodical tasks,

• Jobs you will have to redo,

• Boring tasks you will have undertake every single day and

• Writing chores you will be required to perform that are not sexy; proofreading, editing, rewriting, admin… and that's just for starters.

The fact is you will have to write when you don't feel like it and about topics you don't feel passionate about. And then there is the small matter of working with people who don't get writers and their creative ways.

This is the daily grind of a content writer. Writing every single day - not just to get the job done, but to create a world of order, beauty and meaning out of words. It's as simple as that.

#4 Channel your inner Martha Stewart - you have to be organised

Channelling your inner Martha Stewart is obviously not referring to financial fraud but rather to organisational skills, paying attention to detail, smashing deadlines, creative thinking and savvy strategising. As a content writer, you are likely to be managing and optimising content and copy for a variety of clients and that content is never one-dimensional.

Brainstorming where to place content, managing omnichannel solutions, repurposing content and keeping an eye on the Analytics and insights all speak to a multi-tasking approach.

#5 Channel your inner Sherlock - you have to be a sleuth

Research skills are paramount in a content writer. Whether a freelancer or employed at a digital marketing agency, your client portfolio is likely to span a diverse range of brands and industries.

Good research skills are key for churning out credible and valuable content. And this takes lots of time, making time management skills a key discipline in any content writer's arsenal.

A competent researcher will also employ conceptual thinking, analytical brainstorming and visual mapping techniques; a fantastic addition to a content writing toolkit. Graphically organising researched information and creative ideas to guide a content marketing strategy is the starting point to any successful content marketing campaign.

You may not be solving a crime, but you are asking the right questions by finding out how to repurpose content, where that content should go, who the targeted audiences and competitor industry players are, and what keywords should be targeted for SEO. So get sleuthing.

#6 Channel your inner Elon Musk - you have to reach for the stars

I stand corrected; you have to reach for Mars. 😉

The point is, as a content writer, you are first a writer, always dreaming and chasing the muse; always thinking of new ways to express yourself or strategising how to tackle the client’s brief.

When words are at stake, it is not possible for content writing to just be a job. A client’s reputation is at your fingertips and your own reputation - as a wordsmith - is on the line.

The heart of a genuine writer is never satisfied with mediocrity; they pursue excellence (in every sentence).

Elon Musk could probably design any basic car that does the job, but where's the creative vision and engineering finesse in that? Sure, a content writer could probably get away with being grammatically correct, ticking the basic SEO boxes, keeping to the word count, leveraging AI tools such as ChaptGPT and going through the motions of churning out acceptable copy, but where's the creative muse and skilful craftsmanship in that?

Then there is, of course, the technical aspect to content writing. A solid understanding of SEO is imperative as well as staying up to date with SEO trends and Google’s algorithm changes.

#7 Channel your inner 'Jack of all trades’ - you have to wear many hats

By now you are probably realising the scope of a content writing career and the diversity of skills required. Being adaptable to meet the challenges and expectations that make up the world of a content writer is a quintessential skill.

Your clients’ target audiences are broad and diverse, as is the scope of tasks; requiring you to morph your writing to fit their unique brand voice, tone and current brief. You will need to adapt to macro and micro content as well as creatively repurposing content.

You are not only a ‘Jack of all trades,’ you have to be a master of all when it comes to content writing skills. (In other words, you need to wear many hats and look good in all of them).

It's exhausting. It's exhilarating. It's the exciting world of content writing.

Let's face it; I could have simply done some basic research and bullet-pointed the top skills you need to become a content writer, but where's the fun or skill in that?

I am, after all, a content writer, and the fact that you got to the end of this blog means I did my job (relatively) well. Mission accomplished!

Here’s the bottom line: for a writer, the satisfaction of sitting back and looking over the energy expended that has been transformed into words and stories on a page, well, there are no words for that.

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