Somebody once described content writing as a writing genre that requires a particular set of skills, which must be acquired throughout your career. These skills make you a dream applicant for any writing job. And if you focus on honing them, the best recruiters will search for you. They will find you…and hire you.
Fortunately, most of these abilities don’t require any special training since you can acquire them independently. However, aspiring writers, as well as those with mountains of experience, need to brush up on recent digital innovations.
With that in mind, let’s go through some marketable skills every content writer must acquire.
1 – SEO skills
Content writing involves interacting with humans and machines simultaneously. It differs from creative writing because of the limited scope for expression. You have to curtail your creative process to meet the technical requirements of the task at hand.
With that in mind, any content writer worth their salt must have a basic knowledge of search engines. This will improve your understanding of effective search engine optimization techniques.
More so, an extensive understanding of SEO techniques offers you some creative advantage. Every content you create will sound ‘less robotic’ while fulfilling the project’s technical demands. And recruiters will fancy your CV above other candidates’.
Therefore, take some SEO courses, and practice the acquired skills gradually.
2 – Organizational skills
As a content writer, your job involves handling large volumes of text. By extension, you also have to curate deadlines. Some companies might even demand that you track the content’s progress reports — check comments and engagement analytics.
Therefore, every content writer must work on their organizational abilities. Your process must allow continuity and seamless communication, even if you work alone or in a team.
Also, organizational skills are by-products of personal discipline. So, you need to develop a healthy working routine, starting from organizing your workspace. And if you are struggling to keep track of your work, expedite the process using organizational and writing tools.
3 – Accountability
A content writer’s responsibility is not merely writing texts but also entails presenting the company in the best possible light. This involves delivering top-quality work in a timely fashion.
Think about it; your text goes out to the world as a portrait of the institution. So, anything you write must represent the company’s tone and overall image.
In the same vein, content writers must always come up with unique, unmatched content. No form of plagiarism is permissible in content writing. Use writing tools to ensure that every final draft meets the technical and grammatical specifications.
Besides, projects have strict deadlines. Always ensure to deliver the project in time. If you can’t make the deadline, notify your team leader or project manager for an extension.
4 – Adaptability
The nature of content writing varies depending on the institution. When writing a blog post or article, you enjoy more freedom to express your ideas. Conversely, an SEO post limits your roaming space. In essence, your creativity must factor in keywords, key phrases, and other SEO requirements.
Similarly, some companies have an established philosophy and tone of voice. As a result, every content writer must adjust to the company’s ideals. This doesn’t mean you should abandon your writing style completely. Figure out the content purpose and audience, and tailor the delivery to them.
Nevertheless, experienced writers often struggle to adapt to new content writing trends because they’ve already developed a unique writing style. But new content writers find it easier to adapt to a company’s needs.
5 – Communication skills
Communication is essential for every content writer. First of all, you need a clear channel of communication with the rest of the company. This means that a content writer should be a team player, irrespective of whether they work alone or in teams.
Similarly, any qualified content writer should know how to communicate their ideas clearly without any confusion. The readers should go through your content and understand the message without any hassle.
In essence, your responsibilities as a content writer include external and internal communication to deliver top-quality content.
6 – Innovation
The best content writers distinguish themselves with their innovative abilities. While some institutions delegate ideation to content managers, others allow content writers to come up with ideas. As a result, you must sharpen your innovative skills.
Research is the best way to gain useful insight into content creation ideas. It focuses on your ability to discern the validity and credibility of sources and the information they provide.
Moreover, content writers need to analyze the competition when creating content. This competitor analysis highlights the strong and weak points of the top-ranking posts. And they will help you strategize on the most effective content-creation approach.
7 – Concentration
A content writer’s ability to focus on a specific task depends on their organizational skills and state of mind. But if you condition yourself to pinpoint your focus, your productivity will increase.
But how can this be achieved?
First of all, you need to arrange your workspace to suit your personality. Keep every distraction away from your desk. Learn how to work in ‘sterile’ environments devoid of any external distractions.
Secondly, if you are still struggling with concentration, you can download concentration apps to sharpen your focus. Work with them until you master how to dedicate the required attention to tasks.
Moreover, you can focus on discovering your most productive hours. Choose the time of the day when your energy levels are high and try to adjust your work schedule accordingly.
Ultimately, practice meditation and mindfulness to increase your concentration levels.
To sum up
Content writers are in demand all over the world, especially those with a unique set of skills. You need to understand basic SEO rules and techniques. Also, every content writer must focus on providing undeniable quality within the specified deadline. And your writing style must mirror the company’s central philosophy. More so, sharpen your ability to distinguish reliable sources from non-reliable ones. And if possible, invest in apps and character-building exercises to fix these skill deficiencies.
Who wrote this?
As the owner and editor of SomebodySays, Ugo Ezenduka shows readers the fundamentals of content writing and blogging to help them adapt to the ever-changing landscape.
He has collaborated with several IT and publishing companies to create articles and blog posts that customers crave. When he is not in front of a screen, Ugo can be spotted somewhere with a camera or on a football pitch.
