Are you thinking of starting a career as a content writer, or are you a beginner looking for the top skills that can help you excel in any niche you choose? I am proficient in about five, but I have listed eight for you here.
You may wonder if you need to be perfect in all these skills before you can start.
Nope, they are not necessarily a requirement.
However, the must-have skills for content writing are the ability to research, edit, understand basic on-page SEO and find suitable images that correspond with the topic.
Knowing that content writing is almost becoming a big thing in the world today, you can equip yourself with the necessary skills to help you succeed.
Today, many brands need content to promote their product and services, and if you have the skills, you can create the magic they need to reach their target audience.
See also: How Do I Become A Content Writer With No Experience? 10 Ways
What Are The Skills A Content Writer Should Have?
Here are ten important skills you should have. The first four are a must.
- Researching
- On-page SEO
- Editing
- Excellent Writing
- Social Media Marketing
- Copy Editing
- Pictures Editing Skill
- Basic Google Analytics
1. Researching Skills
Your familiarity with the niche or subject matter can make writing very easy. However, it’s not enough to rely on what you know. Minor or deep research can give you more ideas to create content that impresses your clients.
Still, researching and keeping up with the trends is part of it. Some keywords are seasonal and regular, while some are no longer functioning. So, depending on what you knew about a topic a few months back can be the reason you can’t close a deal.
Take your time and explore search engines for any topic you have to work on. For an easy understanding of trends, you can learn to use Google Trends to know about the current direction of any topic.
2. On-page SEO skills
SEO writing skill is your ability to optimize your content with words that are available on search engines. Starting with keyword research, you need to know how different users search for any topic you are about to write.
This will help you not to write for yourself but to optimize your work for search engines to understand and recommend it to searchers.
For instance, when writing on a topic, you must use keywords that would likely appear on auto-suggest when someone is searching for related topics on any search engine.
So, if you are interested in this career, you need this skill to stand out and succeed.
See also: 9 Tips to Improve Your Communication Skills
3. Editing Skill
Editing helps you review your work by paying close attention to mistakes. There are certain apps that you can use to edit content.
It is a process that should continue even after you think your work is perfect. Use feedback from others to improve your writing. Take care in how you edit your work, and ensure that you use a process that helps you to be consistent.
Applications like Hemingway App, Grammarly and Copyscape can be helpful. You can always check on your work even after publishing.
Some writers are consistently unable to edit their work correctly after writing. If this happens, try stepping out and coming back with fresh eyes for the work.
4. Excellent Writing Skills
Excellent writing entails your ability to select simple but correct words in any niche that you handle.
Poor writing can confuse your readers and stop them from reading your work.
Moreover, your ability to provide value in any article and satisfy the searcher’s need related to that post proves your standard.
5. Social Media Marketing Skill
As an online writer, having a schedule for your marketing plan will be pretty helpful. This skill can help you to choose which content will match each social media platform.
Content writers should know how to manage social platforms and how social media works. You also decide which copy matches each platform. Here, you can interact with your audience in real-time and answer questions from customers about your brand.
6. Copy Editing Skill
Editing an article isn’t the same as editing a copy; you must understand how to edit a social media copy.
Other roles of a copy editor include: making sure the write-up is in one voice, posting correct links, and Checking spelling and grammar usage.
7. Pictures Editing Skill
Ability to creatively bring the work of art into the message to get people’s attention will be an additional skill as a content writer. Graphics design beautifies the brand’s website
Remember that sometimes you might be required to pick a good image that corresponds with your article.
This is the part where you good a good photo skill and photo editing skills. Good visuals always complement lovely write-ups.
Video has a great way of telling a story, which works better since readers can also see what they’re reading. You can say that the video compliments the text.
8. Basic Google Analytics Skill
Although it is not a must for writers to analyse their work on Google, understanding Google analytics would give you an edge in the industry.
So, besides excellent text, graphics and audio or video presentation, a good knowledge of analytics can help you in your subsequent posts.