11 Skills Every Digital Content Writer Needs
We encounter digital content on the Internet every day. These are all possible articles, posts, blogs, messages, and advertising copy, thanks to which companies promote their services and products to the market. Digital media authors prepare them. And even without being a professional, you can easily distinguish quality content from amateur content.
Therefore, to become a professional digital content writer, you must have the necessary skills. What exactly - read on.
Studying the topic
When creating digital content for a specific company, everything is essential, in particular, the following points:
- the ability to convey information, maintaining the company's tone of voice;
- cause a reaction from potential customers;
- write attractively about everyday things.
But it only sounds simple. In fact, a large iceberg of skills, knowledge, and training is hidden under the visible top - the result that reaches the customers. Let's analyze the most important skills, without which it will be difficult to create quality content.
Yes, the author cannot always be an expert in all the fields he writes about. But he has to research the topic he's working on to convince potential clients. This is the only way to create a convincing text.
Important: When researching, use only reliable and verified sources of information. Therefore, the ability to determine reliability itself is also necessary. A good example of primary sources is research companies like Statista, and authoritative media like Forbes, etc.
Meticulous editing
Authors who have been working with content for a long time know that editing takes more time than writing. Because it depends on the final review whether users will like the article.
Everything matters:
- the absence of any errors - spelling, grammar, punctuation;
- the brevity of sentences;
- whether the text is an answer to the first question;
- compliance with the structure of the article;
- formatting;
- general attractiveness.
There are not always enough resources and knowledge to do high-quality editing on your own. In this case, it is better to contact writing services by EssayTigers. Also for error checking, you can use such tools as Grammarly.
Knowledge in the field of Search Engine Optimization
An author who begins to prepare certain content, first of all, should research the results of search engines in order to create high-quality and acceptable text for them. Digital content is only part of a large-scale marketing strategy, so it must fit consistently into an established system.
And accordingly, the content creator must have an idea of the elementary concept of SEO methods in order to create a reliable source of information according to their results. Therefore, it is important not only to use already acquired knowledge but also to constantly monitor the updates of search engine algorithms in order to adapt the text in time. To do this, regularly reading blogs on the subject, such as Moz, will be useful.
Use of linguistic techniques
When working on the received task, the author must determine in what style and direction to write the content. After all, the text is a kind of written communication with customers, so it must be convincing and accessible. Here are some tips on how to create one:
- be honest with potential customers;
- use active voice;
- optimize the text;
- lead one idea from beginning to end.
The presentation of the material, the manner of conducting, and the style of presentation should correspond not only to the characteristics of the company but also be accessible and understandable to the target audience. For example, if instead of short technical descriptions, a general description of the goods is presented, such content will be ineffective. After all, the client needs to understand what it is and how it works - in three sentences. And, on the contrary: if, for example, children's clothes are described succinctly, young mothers will pass by. After all, it is important for them to learn everything about the product - what it is made of, who the manufacturer is, how to wash it, etc.
According to each type of customer, it is necessary to speak in "their language". So the more styles the author can master, the faster he can create quality content for different audiences.
Meeting the deadline
The ability to properly manage one's own time allows authors to approach content creation more scrupulously and carefully. Accordingly, he will be able to step by step perform all the necessary actions in order for the content to be effective and high-quality:
- to study the peculiarities of the subject;
- analyze reliable sources of information;
- prepare the content structure;
- write a text;
- edit the material.
Often, the content author is just a link in a large system in which the work of some depends on others. If the author does not submit the text within the allotted time, the editor will not have time to read it. So remember that even when you're working alone, you're still part of a team. Therefore, try to control your time and avoid deadlines.
The ability to concentrate
Each topic requires concentration and attention. If you work on several topics of different focus at the same time, most likely, none of them will be completed. If you have distractions, get rid of them. And when it is difficult to focus on a serious task, try the warm-up system: perform several simple small tasks before that. And after that, take on a big job.
Conducting communication
It would seem that everyone knows about it, but in practice, they forget to use it. Instead of guessing how exactly to write about this or that fact, racking your brains and inventing what and how you should just communicate with the customer. This will not only save your time but also his. After all, it is better to clarify all unclear points at once and write high-quality content than to revise it several times.
In addition, the customer will appreciate the desire of the executor to complete the project with quality and his responsible attitude to work.
Continuous self-development
No matter how brilliant an author you are, this is no guarantee of your continued success. In order to be in demand in your niche, you must always be aware of the latest events. Monitor the latest algorithms of search engines, analyze the works of other authors, and use the possibilities of social networks. Be in trend and thus you will keep the interest of customers.
Study your audience
If you don't know who you're writing for, it's a waste of time. Be your marketer - study the audience that will be interested in your content. Then you will know exactly not only what to say, but also how to do it.
To do this, you should create a consumer avatar. Remember, the more information you can gather about consumers, the better the content will be. Use the outline below to design your avatar effectively. Just fill in the table and you will get the desired result. Looking ahead, there may be more than one, and that's okay.
https://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog/customer-avatar-worksheet/
Keep it unique
And it's not just that the search engine will easily find plagiarism and won't miss your text. And every topic on the Internet has already been written millions of times. And your task as an author is to create unique content with novelty that will be interesting to users. It will not be difficult for a professional to create exclusive content about anything. But it requires effort and a constant desire to improve. Otherwise, it is impossible to become the best in the field of digital content.
Disclosure of all aspects of the topic
Usually, each text is a kind of answer to some question, request, or consideration of customers. The author's task is to give such a clear, understandable, and useful answer that the client does not have to look for a similar topic to improve his knowledge. It is best when this answer is written in concise sentences, in simple language.
And most importantly: always revise your text at the end not as an author, but as a reader. Believe me, you will have something to correct and clarify after asking yourself: would I be interested in such a text as a client?
Hey! If you have made it this far then certainly you are willing to learn more and here at Coursesity, it is our duty to enlighten people with knowledge on topics they are willing to learn. Here are some more topics that we think will be interesting for you!