What they don't tell you as a certified content writer

Hi, I am a certified content writer and I want to stress on the word certified.

But Why?

Initially, I started writing because I liked to write.

Always dreamt of writing a book ( the paperback one you buy at book stores) that is announced as the best-selling book and wins the Booker Prize.

I haven’t given up on that dream but shifted my focus to writing an e-book on content writing instead. Paperback book is still my dream though.

Writing for passion is one thing, but writing to get paid is another journey in itself.

To maintain a cash flow, I shifted to academic writing, and because of my qualifications, it was easy to get assignments. However, the creative writer in me wanted to do more than create academic content.

Since I wasn’t a certified content writer, I thought a certification will help catapult me into the right league of paid content writers in the relevant niche.

Scoured for online content writing certification courses, picked some free and paid courses that I was interested in and a few months later I was a certified content writer-

And now, the expectation- the doors to paid content writing have to open.

Knock, Knock…. I did knock many a door, but that is when I learned a few truths that I want to share with freelance writers who have just started their journey:

• Certification courses help you understand the nuances of writing

• Help you learn formats and styles involved in different genres

• Introduce to keywords- long tail, short tail, and all the other kinds

• Keyword stuffing ( yes a very important one) to be avoided

• SEO- the holy grail of getting found by Google search engines.

and many such do’s and do not’s

I felt, wow, with all this knowledge and my passion for writing I am set for my role as a highly paid content writer.

Knock, Knock… all that I heard when the door opened was sorry we are not considering your application/pitch this time. You have great ideas but we would like to hire someone with more relevant experience. All the best!!!

So if you are a fresher and a freelance content writer looking for paid assignments, they don't tell you this-

• certification will not automatically land you paid assignments

• Don’t expect content writing to pay your bills initially
• Work a regular job till your writing gig takes off
• Scan sites that offer paid internships ( I know of Internshala in India, there must be similar ones in your country). The amount varies as per the internship, but you can get a hang of it, and get some experience, plus get paid.

All say Fiverr, Upwork, and some of the other sites out there, help you find work, but I haven’t tried them. You can try and check if it works

• Write sample posts in your niche/genre, and maintain a folder
• Research what kind of gigs are generally available in your niche or genre and create sample posts to align with them
• SEO is required , do work on it to get recognized by Google

But it is the readers who will elevate your article up the ranks so write for them and not search engines

Repeated disengagement by the reader and best of SEO will not come to your rescue.

Never write for free for potential clients.

I learned it the hard way.

I wrote several articles in the hope that I will end up getting the assignment only to be told someone else has been selected. ( I published them free on relevant sites )

Try to land the gig through your portfolio articles. If that doesn’t work provide a sample of 200–300 words. It is enough to let the client know how you write.

But if all that fails, and they want the complete article, ask them to pay you for the sample article. After all, you are providing them with one. That way the effort doesn’t seem wasted.

Go ahead and publish it on your WordPress site if rejected. ( A WordPress site is a definite requirement so create one).

You can start with a free site and then upgrade it once you get the hang of it. ( I did that).

Freelancing paid gigs start off as a trickle but with patience, experience and value add it will not be long before it turns into a full scale business rather than a side hustle.

Once you are on a roll- Remember these tips to make your freelancing journey a smooth affair-

• Always draw a contract that clearly states the word count, the number of revisions, payment terms, and anything else you feel is important to you.
• Try and send an outline to get client approval in writing, before starting work on the article.
• It makes it easy to identify gaps if there is any misunderstanding
• Do not undersell yourself as it is your writing skills that help the brands grow.
• Remember to revise your rates after every 6 months or whatever period you feel is right

Lastly, the journey to becoming a paid freelance content writer is difficult but not impossible. So happy writing and searching for your first paid gig as a content writer.