As a beginner content writer, you don’t need to be an expert. Content writing for beginners requires being able to do research, having an understanding of basic English grammar, and being creative.
If you’re new to the field of content writing, we've got 10 content writing tips for beginners that will help get you started!
But first, a refresher of what content writing is really all about!
What is content writing?
Before you begin, it’s important you understand content writing is usually focused on writing for platforms with a marketing goal. In today's world, this is usually digital.
For example, this blog post and other online articles are examples of content writing. Even captions on social media are a type of content writing.
Keep in mind that the internet space is large, and content writing extends to online articles, newsletters, ebooks, video scripts, white papers, and research papers.
With content writing, there is endless earning potential. Be sure you pay attention to the following tips to help you become a successful content writer.
Content writing for beginners: 10 tips
If you're new to content writing, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some key tips to help you as you begin!
1. Know what you want to write about
There are many content writing tips for beginners, and defining your interest or niche is one of the most important. Think about a topic that you either know a lot about or have a strong interest in.
Being an expert in that topic isn't necessary, you just have to know a little more than the average person. Or be willing to do some research.
Here are some popular niches that you could write about:
- Personal Finance
- SasS (software as a service)
- Education
- Lifestyle
Once you choose a topic or niche, take a look at what information or content is already out there.
Type your topic in Google search and pay attention to what types of blog posts and articles show up in the results. It’s helpful to pay attention to related google searches around your topic.
Understanding what people are searching for will give you ideas on what to write about and help you improve your search engine optimization (SEO) skills.
2. Read and study online content
Once you’ve found the different types of content on your topic of interest, it’s time to read. Reading is one of the easiest content writing tips for beginners. When reading articles from different publications, make note of why that content is popular.
Reading different articles also exposes you to quality writing and helps you to write for bigger audiences.
Pay attention to comments or reviews about the online content. When you identify what people enjoy most about the content, such as the tone or the anecdotes, you can apply similar characteristics to your writing.
In addition, take note of what information is missing. Perhaps you want to write educational content, and the majority of online material is about grade school and less about preschool learners.
With less content in a particular area, you can start writing content that fills the gap and attracts a new group of readers.
3. Understand voice, tone, and style
Another thing to note while reading through existing content is the publication's voice, style, and tone. This is an essential area to be aware of when it comes to content writing for beginners.
Here are what those elements mean:
Voice
The voice of the content refers to the way the piece was written. The voice can be causal and informative like you're talking to a good friend. Or it can be professional and direct as if you are talking with a coworker or a boss.
Style
The style refers to the grammatical structure. Besides the basic rules of grammar, different publications and businesses will pick and choose which aspects of grammar they want to use.
For instance, some publications will use exclamation points and em dash to communicate their message.
Tone
The tone is how the reader interprets the written content. Similar to the tone of voice, it helps you interpret the intention of the article.
For instance, most lifestyle blogs have a cheerful and optimistic tone that encourages you to make positive changes in your life.
Understanding voice, style, and tone will help you write for any publication and help your personal blog stand out.
4. Understand your audience
This can be pretty tough for new writers, as it’s easy to write from your own point of view.
However, content writing is for consumers who are looking to learn something or be entertained. Thus, content writing for beginners involves understanding the readers.
Here are some questions you can keep in mind when writing.
- Which problems are my readers experiencing?
- Why are readers interested in this topic?
- What are the demographics and lifestyles of my readers?
The more you keep your audience in mind when you’re writing, the more relatable your content will be.
5. Do your research
As mentioned before, one of the content writing tips for beginners was to know a lot about a topic. In addition, it’s important to know how to do research.
Quality research consists of finding information from reliable sources, fact-checking, and accurately communicating your findings without plagiarizing.
Research is essential because it helps you to provide more professional insight and value to your readers.
When researching, make sure you cross reference your information to help guarantee accuracy.
6. Practice writing concisely
When it comes to content writing for beginners, an easy mistake to fall into is writing fluff content.
Fluff writing happens when writers are so worried about creating content or hitting a certain word count that they write unnecessary sentences or paragraphs that have very little value.
To avoid this type of writing, a very helpful content writing tip for beginners is to practice writing concisely.
Before you start writing, ask yourself, "what is the most important information that needs to be shared?" Then decide how you can bring value through the content you are writing.
7. Understand how to do keyword research
It may seem like there's a lot to remember when it comes to content writing for beginners, but the more you know, the better. One content writing tip for beginners that will be invaluable is understanding keywords.
According to the Hubspot blog, "keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines."
When you understand how to find keywords, you can start to incorporate them into your content which will help improve your SEO editing skills and bring more eyes to your content.
8. Learn from your competition
Out of all the content writing tips for beginners, studying the content of your competitors is often overlooked.
When reading their work, ask yourself what makes it stand out and how can you make your content even more valuable.
What information or insights do you have that may not be available to your competition?
When you understand how to write better content than your competitors, you have a better chance of your content performing well.
9. Review your work
Content writing for beginners isn’t all about writing, it’s also about editing and proofreading.
For best practices, it’s helpful to always have a second pair of eyes review your work for any typos or inconsistencies. However, it’s equally important for you to catch your own mistakes.
To help you improve your self-editing skills, the best time to review your work is 24 hours after it's written.
Let the content breathe and give yourself time away from the piece. When you come back, it’ll be easier to spot typos and grammatical errors because the content will seem new to your brain.
Although this tip can be easy to skip, being able to edit your content that will be read by hundreds of people will help you gain credibility and make things easier for your editor.
10. Be open to feedback
Often content writing for beginners means being open to feedback. This could be feedback from your readers, editors, or anyone you share your work with.
Almost every writer remembers that moment in grade school when they got an essay back covered in red marks of corrections.
Getting critiques or any type of feedback on your writing can feel uncomfortable. As a beginning writer, feedback may even make you doubt yourself.
Instead of closing yourself off to the new information, try seeing it as an opportunity to grow.
An article on Betterup.com suggests being open to asking questions about your feedback to help you better understand and gain clarity.
In addition, you can try to analyze your feedback for any patterns that may have come up.
Related articles on content writing
Did you find this article helpful? Learn more from these related articles.
- Getting Started As A Beginner Freelance Writer (In-depth Guide)
- How To Start Freelance Grant Writing
- Building A Career Out Of Full-Time Blogging
Content writing for beginners is easy to learn
Content writing for beginners can be simple if you follow these key tips. By reading and studying your competition, reviewing your work, and learning to write concisely, content writing will soon feel like second nature.
Above all, it’s important to remember that good content writing takes time to produce.
When you continuously practice, you will become better and better with each new piece of content you create.
For more writing tips, also review our articles about writer's block and how to become an author.