Did you know that over 70% of companies now hire someone to write their content?
From blog posts to emails to website copy, content writing is in demand, and it's growing every year.
The best part is that you don’t need a fancy degree or years of experience to get started. If you love writing, sharing ideas, or helping others learn, content writing could be the best path for you. But how? What should you do? What do you need?
We are discussing all that in this guide to becoming a content writer. I will walk you through everything you need to know:
Let’s break it all down, one clear step at a time.
Content writing is the skill of writing words that serve a purpose online. It’s not just about writing well or what you know. It’s all about writing with intention, whether to inform, educate, or entertain.
Nothing in today's digital world works without content. The blog post you read, the newsletter you get in your inbox, when you scroll past a brand’s Instagram caption, or even look at the About Us page on a company’s website, that's all content writing.
Content = information. Writing information = content writing. You don’t just write what you feel like.
You write what your audience wants to read.
For example, if you write for a fitness brand, your content might explain how beginners can start working out, how to choose a protein powder, or how to stay consistent with exercise. The goal is to help the reader first and guide them toward the brand second.
Content writing is designed to work well online. That means:
The average person online spends just seconds deciding whether to keep reading. Your writing must be clear and valuable from the first line.
And every piece of content you write will have a goal. That might be:
Good content writers write content that gets results, and what they do is more than just blog posts. Your writing can be:
If it has words and it’s online, it likely started with a content writer.
(We also have copywriting, and it's natural to get confused when getting started. But copywriting alone can be another topic).
Its ability to go well with anything the brands want to do on the internet makes content writing the core part of any business.
Want to get more traffic organically? = SEO = more content
Want to make more impact? = attract more people = more content
But with AI tools in the market, it has become so much easier to do all this. While AI can help save time and spark ideas, your job as a writer is to bring the strategy, structure, and human touch that turns words into helpful content.
So, if you can break down things, enjoy learning new topics, and want to grow a real skill online, content writing is a great place to start. Many people I know as freelancers or into full-time roles as marketers have started with something as simple as content writing.
There are three ways you can start earning as a content writer.
So, how can you get started with content writing?
Becoming a content writer is an exciting journey that blends creativity with strategy.
Whether you are transitioning into a writing career or starting from scratch, the path to success involves several steps. Each step builds on the previous one, helping you grow from a beginner into a professional content writer who can secure clients and get paid for your skills.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for you.
The first step to becoming a content writer is strengthening your writing skills. It is the foundation of everything you will do as a writer. While you don’t need to be perfect from the start, you should focus on:
You must also see the type of English you should use in your content. If your target market is the USA, your language flow and a few spellings of words will vary from those targeting the UK or Indian audience.
You must also monitor the length of the paragraph, the number of words in a sentence, the use of bullet points, and those that improve the reading experience and give a way for readers to skim through information.
This is a challenging aspect for freelancers as they work with multiple clients or brands because every brand has its unique style and voice.
Start by reading and writing every day. It will help you internalize good writing habits. You can also take online writing courses or refer to grammar tools like Grammarly to help spot mistakes.
Choosing your niche is one of the most vital decisions you will make as a content writer. A niche is a specific area or industry you want to focus on. While you can write about anything, focusing on a niche allows you to:
Consider your interests, experience, and market demand when choosing a niche. Some popular niches include technology, health and wellness, personal finance, marketing, travel, and lifestyle. Just because something is trending doesn't mean you should jump into it because:
It mostly happens with generalist writers. Generalist writers work in every niche and take up any project that comes their way.
If unsure, start broad and narrow down as you gain more experience. The key is to focus on areas where you can deliver value to your readers.
Remember: the more value you deliver, the more pay you get.
You need samples to get content writing jobs, which we call a portfolio. It's a collection of your best writing that shows your skills to potential clients or employers. Here’s how to build your portfolio:
You can also pick the published content pieces online and tweak them with your insights and creativity. Then, show it like before and after.
If you are in the marketing niche and want your work seen by 66,000 aspiring and working marketers, we currently are open to guest posts in our newsletters, Marketing Monk and Marketer Club.
You can start writing on Medium or LinkedIn Articles for free. Or, if you want to get your hands dirty, you can build your free website on Wix, Webflow (but automated SEO distribution is only possible on the paid plans), or Canva website if you only want to show your writing.
Add the best examples to your portfolio as you work on more projects. Resume days are on the verge of extinction unless you apply for full-time or part-time roles in companies. A strong portfolio is one of the best tools to land writing jobs.
Content writing is not just about writing well. It’s also about writing so that your content gets found by search engines like Google. That is where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes in. Learning basic SEO will help you create content that ranks on search engine results pages (SERPs) and drives traffic. Here’s what you need to understand about SEO:
So, in the end, knowing how to find the right keywords puts you ahead of the competition.
At first, SEO can be challenging, but learning the basics will help you produce content that drives traffic and ranks on Google. There are plenty of free online resources, like Moz and Neil Patel, where you can dive deeper into SEO.
Unless you are in the corporate world and committed to a company, your presence on social media defines your success. Considering the lack of job security as a freelancer, having an online presence is crucial for networking and attracting clients.
It still is an added advantage for full-time roles. Here’s how to build your presence:
If you are into marketing, talk about everything you know and what is happening in the marketing industry. And do the same for all the other niches you are into. That builds your credibility and authority.
Many give up on LinkedIn after posting for a week or two, but your prospects (potential clients) still watch you from behind the wall. Be active and consistent for at least 6 months to start seeing results.
Do not just be another community member and ideal. Comment on other posts, get into their DMs, and share insights and your thoughts because that's how you get exposure, and success and money follow it.
It's okay to be on every social platform, but you do not have to be on each to see success. First, figure out where your clients are. If you target the B2B market, LinkedIn is the best place. If you target coaches, Instagram is the best.
When you have an established presence on platforms where your target clients are, it becomes much easier for you to find clients and work.
Once you are good with all the other steps, especially portfolio, and online presence, you can pitch your services to clients or companies or apply for content writing jobs. Here’s how:
I suggest GrowthRoles because other websites post jobs from many industries, and many carry the same and outdated listings. GrowthRoles is exclusively for growth and digital marketers, with jobs fetched directly from company career pages.
Start small and be persistent. Even if you don’t land your dream job immediately, each pitch or application is a step toward building your reputation and gaining experience. And the world of content writing is constantly changing, just like any other industry.
To stay competitive, you need to keep learning and adapting.
Here’s how:
By continuously improving your skills, you will stay ahead of the curve and increase your chances of landing higher-paying jobs.
Not all content writers do the same thing. Some write blogs. Some write emails. Others write YouTube scripts or social media captions.
That’s why choosing the right type of writing is crucial, especially when you are just starting.
Here are the 7 most common types of content writers, what they do, and how to know if that role fits you.
Blog writers create helpful, educational, or entertaining articles for websites. These could be how-to guides, listicles, opinion pieces, or long-form explainers. You can find these on company blogs, personal blogs, content marketing agencies, and SaaS websites.
This content writing role is a good fit for you if you:
Copywriters focus on writing that sells. Their job is to persuade people to take some action, like buy, sign up, click, or call. Think landing pages, product descriptions, and ad copy. The best examples could be e-commerce brands, ad agencies, marketing teams, and DTC brands.
As said before, this can be an entire topic. This content writing role is the best for you if you:
Technical writers break down the hard-to-understand things in a simple way. They often write user manuals, product documentation, API guides, or training materials. The best examples are tech companies, SaaS tools, engineering teams, and cybersecurity firms. Remember the guide kinda book we get with every electrical item, like washing machine or refrigerator, we buy? This can be your go-to choice if you:
SEO writers write content that helps websites rank on Google. They use keywords, optimize headings, and follow SEO best practices to drive traffic to a page. All the blogs and articles you find on Google right after you hit the search button are optimized content pieces. Sometimes, a blog content writer will also act as an SEO writer and we can use this title for them interchangeably. You can get into this role if you:
Scriptwriters write content meant to be spoken. This could include YouTube video scripts, podcast outlines, intros/outros, or explainer videos. Every educational video (and most others) is scripted. You remember that reel that grabbed your attention instantly with a hooky statement or a question? Similarly, video content on every platform works on script. This can be your career if you:
They write captions, threads, memes, and short-form content for platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or TikTok. The goal is to grab attention, build engagement, and go viral. YouTube descriptions, captions under reels and static images, and LinkedIn and X posts are the best examples. You may be the best fit for this role if you:
Email writers write newsletters, product updates, onboarding emails, and promotional sequences. The goal is to build relationships and often drive sales or clicks. Every email you get, the welcome email from the moment you sign up to the unsubscribe email, is the work of an email content writer. This can be your perfect fit if you:
Woah! These are just some but how do you decide which one is for you?
Ask yourself:
Start by exploring 2–3 types. Try sample projects in each.
Over time, you will naturally lean toward one based on your skills, interests, and feedback from clients or readers.
Here’s a simple checklist to follow when writing:
☑ Is my headline catchy and clear?
☑ Did I break long text into short paragraphs?
☑ Are my sentences easy to read?
☑ Did I use keywords if needed (for SEO)?
☑ Did I add examples or facts to explain things?
☑ Did I read it once before sharing?
Use Grammarly or the Hemingway App to check your final draft.
You don’t need years of experience to start.
But having these helps:
Becoming a content writer isn’t just about writing well. It’s about writing with purpose, learning what works, and improving every day.
But many new writers get stuck because of a few common mistakes:
If you avoid these traps, you are already ahead of most beginners. To grow even faster, stay updated. Writing trends change. Platforms change. What worked last year may not work this year. So, keep learning.
How do you do that?
The best content writers don’t just write.
They read, test, tweak, and keep showing up.
So if you are just starting out, here’s your plan:
Write often. Learn fast. Improve daily.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to keep going.