Your Talent Alone Might Not be Enough to Land you Online Writing Jobs

getting online writing jobsEver since I was a little girl I loved writing. It came naturally to me and brought me joy to put universal human experiences into words, especially the ones others might have trouble finding.

I always received positive feedback on any essay, short story, or copy that I wrote, but whenever I applied for online writing jobs, I was always greeted with a canned rejection letter and for the life of me couldn’t figure out why.

I decided that maybe writing was just going to be a hobby and moved on to plan B. With the continued boom in technology, I decided to take some career enhancement coursework in web design and development. My intention was to land myself an in-demand job as a front-end developer, but it turns out that these coding skills were the missing piece of the puzzle to finally get me interviews, calls from head hunters, and steady job offers as a content writer.

With holistic SEO techniques always rewarding websites with lots of helpful written content, there’s a lot of demand for talented writers that can produce and edit written copy within existing websites either in content management systems like WordPress or within the website’s written code. Granted, not all coding skills are necessary and you don’t need to be an expert, but these technical skills can be the catalyst for high-paying online writing jobs and freelance writing jobs. So what skills helped me finally bust the door open for these opportunities?

Most Online Writing Jobs Require an Understanding of SEO 

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a booming industry. Even more so with the social distancing restrictions in 2020 forcing marketing efforts online. Ranking in the top 3 organic positions of Google helps businesses connect with customers that don’t need to be sold to since they were already looking to find their types of products and services on their own.

Execution of proper SEO on a website requires a diverse range of skills including Market research and forecasting, performance analytics, an understanding of basic web design architecture, paid search, technical SEO, working within content management systems, user experience, the ability to write persuasively, proofreading and more with each update to google’s algorithm.

With your ability to write engaging content, you’re already a valuable asset. Polishing and perfecting your SEO writing skills will keep your phone ringing off the hook.

Learn to Code, Get Paid to Write

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While WordPress sites occupy 39.5% of all websites in 2021, 38.3% still don’t use a content management system at all. This means if you want to add content to these existing websites and aren’t familiar with web design and development, it’s going to look like an alien language. Thankfully, there are lots of resources for learning these essential markup and programming languages that make up the modern website.

Your local community college may offer career enhancement certificates or associate degree programs.

Pros: Having compassionate mentors that can spend a little extra time helping you understand these complex topics, as well as career resources to help you find online writing jobs and other opportunities once you graduate.

Cons: This is unfortunately typically the most expensive and time-consuming resource.

Coding bootcamps like the software guild have become a trusted resource and a hotbed for recruiters in the tech industry.

Pros: You’ll get in-depth and fast-paced training that is the most similar to real-world working environments. Many of them offer both in-person and online programs, and you can typically finish these in a year or less and put your skills to work.

Cons: Very fast-paced environment, and often not a very flexible schedule. The cost is less than that of a degree program but still averages about 10,000-15,000 dollars to complete the program.

You can also self-teach with millions of free online coding resources. There are structured courses like those offered at Codecademy as well as a never-ending supply of helpful videos on youtube.

Pros: You can’t beat the price or the flexibility. You can learn on your own time with $0 dollars invested. It’s also a great way to improve your problem-solving and research skills.

Cons: It requires lots of self-discipline to complete a self-guided program, and you won’t have connections to mentors who can hold you accountable for deadlines or correct work. Lots of beginners find themselves trapped in “tutorial purgatory” and don’t feel confident to use their skills without the helpful step-by-step instructions.

No matter how you decide to take on learning these skills, being comfortable with front-end coding will be an invaluable tool when you’re looking for online writing jobs.

Have We Mentioned Content Management Systems?

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You might be more accustomed to a moleskin notebook, but there’s a lot of high-paying online writing jobs that want you to perform your craft in content management systems like WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, among others. These systems allow you to manage your page design and add or edit content without code, which is great news if the previous step seemed a little overwhelming.

WordPress in particular has great features that also help you manage a website’s on-page SEO and site health all in one place. You can also choose from highly customizable themes with built-in design elements to create a beautiful environment for your work to be displayed in.

Want to Get Ahead and Find Online Writing Jobs?

Calepin is a resource and community for current and aspiring writers to connect, grow their knowledge and become better writers overall. Whether you’re an old pro or just starting to look for online writing jobs, we consistently post helpful content based on experience and proven research that will help you write better and write more.

Subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to know about workshops and new informative content that gets results, and is quite frankly very fun to read. Get involved with  https://writingjobspot.com/ today!

By Published On: May 3, 2021Categories: Career Development5 min read984 wordsViews: 2349