The term ‘content writing’ can be misunderstood. Content is the written material that is used on websites, social media posts, emails, etc. This content can be used in many ways, including to entertain, to inform, or to persuade people to buy/use something.
A content writer is the person who writes this content. They work with a brand to create written work for the target audience that aligns with their goals. This process may include researching, writing and editing, and SEO optimisation.
Interested in content writing and want to start a business? Keep reading to find out how!
Steps for setting up a content writing business
Now that you know you want to start content writing, you need to figure out where to begin. It may seem daunting, but following these steps will help you find your footing.
Step 1: Determine your goals
It’s important to decide what you want to get out of your content writing. Do you want to earn some extra money on the side of your full-time job? Are you wanting to change careers and think writing could work for you? Or perhaps you’re already in the writing business and want to improve your profits? Figuring out your goals and motivation for content writing will help you to identify the best next steps for you.
Step 2: Freelancer or agency?
If you’re looking for some extra money and free time, you may decide to work alone as a freelancer. This means you’ll be creating all of the content by yourself, and only taking on as many clients and projects as one person can handle. You’ll be considered a sole trader and work as self-employed.
However, if you’re already writing professionally but can’t take on enough work to make the money you want, starting an agency might be the best course of action. In this case, you’ll need to set up a company, and hire other writers to work with you.
Step 3: Decide on your niche and services
Once you’ve decided which business path you want to go down, it’s important to determine your niche. Whilst you may want to write about as many things as you can, it’s much easier to develop a portfolio and get clients if you decide on a specific topic.
For example, you might decide you want to work with companies in the automotive industry. You can then decide what services you want to offer them: perhaps you want to write blog posts, or write the content for companies’ social media. Once you’ve decided on this, you can figure out prices!
Step 4: Solidify your business plan and processes
Now that you know your goals, setup and niche, you can start to solidify your business plan and the processes you want to use. Your business plan may include your strategies for growth, your financial goals, and research into competitors.
Your processes are the ways that work will be done in your business. This ensures that you never miss anything you need to do for each piece of work. Your processes are especially important if you’ve decided to start an agency, as you’ll need all of your writers to do things the same way.
When establishing your processes, you may want to consider using online tools to help make your writing more efficient and effective. For example, if you don’t have the money to pay for a proofreader yet but want to make sure your work is free of accidental plagiarism, you can use Copyscape. This tool finds similarities in your work to other online content so you can improve your originality.
Or, if you’re wanting to optimise your writing for SEO but struggling to do it alone, you can use the Semrush Writing Assistant. This tool ensures that your writing is SEO-friendly by helping you find the best keywords for your topic and giving you insights on keyword rankings.
Step 5: Marketing – get your name out there!
Marketing is a highly important step in starting a business – nobody can use your services if they don’t know you exist! If you’re working as a sole trader, you can use freelancer websites such as Fiverr or Upwork to put yourself out there and get work for your portfolio (if you don’t already have one). You should also use social media.
If you’re starting an agency, you’ll want to look into marketing options for businesses. This may include hiring a marketing and/or social media manager. You could also use a tool like ConvertKit. ConvertKit provides you with tools to grow your business, including email marketing, sign up forms, and subscriptions. You can also automate your marketing, giving you time to focus on the all-important content.
Step 6: Get clients and build trust
The final step is to get clients who want your writing! Whilst it’s not as simple as clients appearing from thin air, following the previous steps will have put you in a good position to find people who want to work with you.
If you’re freelancing, you can look for open positions at content writing agencies or companies who are hiring freelancers to work in-house. You can also pitch directly to companies that you believe would benefit from your work.
When you’ve completed work for a client, ask them for some feedback. If it’s positive, you can use this as a testimonial to encourage others to work with you. Testimonials help potential clients see you as trustworthy and worth their time and money because they know you’ve given others a great experience.
Wrapping Up
Content writing is a great way to build your skills as a writer and earn money whilst helping clients. Having a clear goal, business plan, and marketing strategy is highly beneficial and will help you give a great experience to your clients.
