How to be an Article Writer in 2023?

Welcome to the club!! You’re here because there is a teeny tiny thought, a dream, or a goal for you to become an article writer. And guess what you have already taken the 1st step to becoming a writer. So let me start with a famous quote 

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

by Stephen King

So there are many types of writing and this post, we are going to talk about being an article writer in 2022. 

Being an article writer in 2022 is a dream career for many if not most. However, You need to know how to write articles, how to determine what your reader needs, and how to give it to them. Becoming one of the best article writers on the site requires a lot of practice, dedication, and patience. 

So let’s start by looking at things you need to know before becoming an article writer in 2022.

What are the skills required for an Article Writer? 

First, we will look into the skills required to be an article writer and how to enhance these skills to be a successful writer. It is not necessary that every writer is born with writing skills. These skills required to be an article writer is something that can be learned and mastered. Therefore, we can discuss what are the skills required 

Strong Research Skills 

As a writer, you should be ready to do in-depth research on the topic. Even if you have the best writing with clarity and fluency without proper research the content losses its credibility. To write a good article must have facts double-checked and give your audience well-researched and informative content that is clear and trustworthy. There are many sources to conduct your research both online and offline. Anyway a well researched is a win-win for both the writer and reader. 

Know your audience 

” Content is important, but your audience is the real King “

To become a successful writer one needs an audience, Without readers, your content is nothing but tasty food wasted with no one to consume it. It is necessary for every writer to understand the target audience. Be it a newspaper, magazine, blog, whatever, you should write for your audience. Understand their needs and align your content accordingly. Without knowing your audience and readers you will never make it as a writer. Conduct various analyses and strategies to know your target audience. 

Adaptability 

A writer should be able to adapt to the changing trends in the modern world. You must be adaptable to the requirements of the writing. As a writer, you have to change your tone and style of writing for different projects. In an article written for a newspaper, the style, and tone is much different from a blog or an article written for a fashion magazine. Hence it is necessary for a writer to adapt to the changing needs as the modern world is full of transitions. 

Communication skills 

Communication is an important skill for any person who is willing to connect with a larger group. Your writing should be in a way that connects with the reader and is also easily understandable to a wide range of audiences. This doesn’t mean perfect grammar and accurate sentences, but you should satisfy the goal of your writing, whether it has made an effect on the reader. Always put yourself in the reader’s shoes while writing. Understand the purpose of your article and what as a reader, you expect to be delivered. This makes the job a lot easier. 

Basic SEO 

It is a digital world. Everything is digitalized so if you are going to write for a digital marketer, you need to know basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Without the right keywords and sentences, your article may not reach the audience. To attract more traffic to your webpage you need to know the inside out of the SEO. There are so many SEO tools available to optimize your content, make use of it. 

Editing and Proofreading 

As an article writer, you need to be able to spend your time editing and proofreading. Go through the article from the start to check for the flow, clarity, and details. This should be done once you have finished your article. You should have the patience to read your article again and again until you find it perfect. It is a time-consuming task and it is difficult, but it is a skill that you can learn.

How do you write a great article? 

So now you have decided to become an article writer, you have enhanced your skills or you got an idea on which area to improvise. What next? You decided to write an article. But where to really start? What are all things to keep in mind while writing? What makes you an article writer? 

Following the 7 steps, you can write a good article 

1. Topic/ Headline 

Deciding on the topic and creating a head-turning title on that topic is the 1 step involved in grabbing the attention of the audience. Brainstorm and come up with new ideas and topics that are in current trend or on which there is more scope. Create a list of topics and select the one which you’re more passionate about or that you have some knowledge on that topic. When you are a beginner go with the topics which you are already aware of and which inspire you. This will not build much pressure on you and will make you write with ease. 

Once you decide on the topic, create an attention-grabbing title that makes the reader view your work. The headline must stir the emotion and pique the interest of the reader to know more about it. Without this even if your content is great you will lose readers. 

2. Don’t let the grip, create a hook

Once you have driven the audience to your article, hold them by engaging content. The first few lines decide what your content has to deliver. So master those 3 seconds of reading by capturing the attention of the reader and smoothly informing the first point that creates a hook to read more about it. Don’t prolong much in the introduction as you have just a few seconds to deliver the audience’s needs from the article. If the reader is not given the information he wants, you simply lose them. They are going to move on to the next article. 

3. Research… Research and research a lot 

I cannot emphasize this more, but this step is crucial. Without proper research and having your facts checked, you lose the credibility of your content. Most of your time on your article should be spent on research. You must have extensive knowledge of what you are writing. The readers should believe you and trust you, this brings back the readers to you and creates your audience. There are various ways to conduct research for your article

• Google search, websites, books, and journals, and communicate with experts 
• Always verify and double-check the source of information 
• The information provided should be up to date 
• Organize your research 

4. Create an outline 

After you gather all the points, create an outline, and jot down the points you are going to discuss. Every article should have 

• A title 
• An Intro 
• Body paragraph 
• Conclusion 

Write your 1st draft, includes all the information gathered and finish the draft. Later do the editing and proofreading. This helps you write all your thoughts and be creative and also saves a lot of time. 

5. Single purpose 

Decide the purpose of the article. What is the goal of it and focus on that. Do not try to include multiple information and leads in a single article. This may distract the reader and you will fail to drive the desired result. Your content should answer the 5 W (Who, What, When, Where and Why) and 1 H (How). Make sure you satisfy this rule else your article never feels complete without answering these questions. 

6. Be original/ Unique 

There are many articles written by different authors on the same topic. What makes you stand out from the crowd is being you/ being original. Have a piece of extensive knowledge on the topic and dig and dive deep so you know what to convey. Write your understanding of the topic, and your new ideas, and give your new solutions. Give a personal touch by including your own experiences and craft your own story. This makes an article unique from others. 

7. Editing/ Proofreading 

This should always be your last and final step. Read your article aloud again and again until you find no errors. There are so many tools available to check grammar and spelling mistakes, use them. Read the article from the reader’s perspective, and ensure that the article is precise to the topic. 

And moreover, every piece of writing requires style and tone, identify it and write accordingly. Business writing requires a formal/ professional tone. Whereas a personal blog has to be a relaxed/ friendly tone. 

This is the final step to ensure that the article will bring out the expected result. That the content is intended for the target audience. Also, make sure that the information provided and the message delivered are authentic. Hence, with all the required skills and following the steps your final draft is ready to be published. 

Why finding your niche is important 

As a new writer, it is very difficult for you to identify your niche and your area of expertise. As a beginner, you can write and jump into various niches. But as a new writer, you must identify your niche. Every successful writer knows their area of expertise, and what they are good at and passionate about. This is the key to success. 

Some benefits of identifying you niche 

• Identifying what you are good at and what you are passionate about makes the overall writing a lot easier and fun. 
• Not only that, it is important to know which niche is in high demand and in current trends. So this helps you to upskill your knowledge in that area. As a writer, it is important for you to stay with the market trend. 
• Also, when you concentrate on one or few niches, it allows you to dive in deep and experiment with new ideas. 
• Moreover, when you become an expert in that niche, it drives clients and the audience towards you. This in turn can help you demand a high pay 
• Also, this makes you a more valuable writer and benefits the future and current clients 

How can you identify your niche? 

As discussed identifying your niche can benefit you and the clients in all ways. Here are the simple ways to know what you are good at 

• Find out what you love 
  • What topic are you passionate about 
  • The topic that interests you
  • The things which you love to read 
• Identify your Strengths 
  • Your education, work history, achievements 
  • What information do you love to share with people 
• Practice a lot 
  • You can play your cards in different areas 
  • Take all the writing opportunities to test your skills 
• Brainstorming 
  • Don’t stick to one or two niches, explore various fields
  • Write on a random topic or thoughts regularly 

Profitable freelance niche as on 2022 

• Health and Fitness
• Ghostwriting 
• SEO writing 
• Financial writing 
• Technical writing 
• Digital Marketing 

Types of Article Writings 

To be an article writer, you need to understand the different styles of writing. And also learn about the types of articles. There are different types of article writing and every article has a unique writing style it is divided into 4 broad categories and every article writing comes under these 4 styles of writing. 

The 4 types of writing styles in Article writing are 

1. Expository writing 

This is the most common type of writing style. The simple meaning is explaining a topic. If a writer wants to convey facts and information or want to explain a process or give your opinion on the topic or simply offer a piece of knowledge on the topic this type of writing style can be induced. The readers of this type of writing need not specifically have prior knowledge of the topic. 

Examples

• How to articles 
• Recipes 
• Textbooks 
• Technical and Scientific Writing

2.  Persuasive writing

This type of writing is adopted when the writer wants to convince the reader or to agree with the writer’s opinion. This type of writing is argumentative and strongly based on facts. Also a writer should use persuasive writing techniques like emotional language, logic and facts and credibility is important to convince the audience to agree with the writer’s opinion. 

Examples 

• Reviews 
• Opinion columns 
• Sales writing 

3. Narrative Writing

As the name explains, this type of writing involves storytelling. This style of writing is used by authors who write novels and autobiographies. The readers are offered instances and situations rather than facts 

Examples 

• Short stories 
• Anecdotes

4. Descriptive writing

The aim of this type of writing is used to describe the person and place it in a way that the reader is able to picture it as they are reading. 

Examples

• Essays 
• Journals 
• Poems

Some popular tools used by article writers in 2022 

As the famous saying goes  “ Smart work is always better than hard work” 

There are lots of tools and apps available to make your work a lot easier and here is the list of tools used by almost all the writers 

1. The best tools to check your grammar, clarity, strength, and vocabulary 

• Pro writing aid 
• Grammarly 
• Thesaurus
• Hemingway Editor

2. Best SEO tools 

• Surfer 
• Yoast SEO 

3. Best tool for graphics 

• Canvas 
• Photoscape 
• Pablo 

These are just a few tools listed, but there are 100s of tools available online, where some are the best and some are the worst. Please do your own research and choose whichever is user-friendly and make use of them. 

How can I find Job opportunities as an Article Writer? 

The writing career is quickly growing industry. Every business needs marketing and every marketing team needs content. There is a wide range of opportunities for you as a writer. You get to work with different niches and clients. Anyhow, you can start your career as an article writer by 

• Freelancing/ Freelance article writer 
• Brand Journalists 
• Technical writer 
• Subject matter experts 
• Academic and Research writing 
• Bloggers
• Editors 
• Proofreaders 
• SEO content writers 
• Columnist 
• Magazine Journalist

There are so many ways to enhance your writing skills and being an article writer is an art that can be learned. There are many courses available online to learn the required skills and the best among them are  

1 . Henry Harvin 

Henry Harvin’s Writing Academy is one of the best courses offered for those who aspire to become a writer. The content writing course is ranked as the No. 1 in India and has been awarded for the same. There are 1000+ students who have benefited from this course. The course is curated by experts and the trainers are experienced with 15+ years in the writing field.  

Key Features 

• It is ranked among the Top 5 by India Today. And one of the best certified Digital  Content writing course (CDCW)
• You will learn 30+ content types in this course and this will give you a brief idea of what type of writing you should choose. 
• The course also guides you on how to earn online and as a freelancer.
• Internship assistance on live projects is provided to all students to gain hands-on experience 
• 100% placement opportunities for successful completion of the course 
• 1 year Gold membership of Henry Harvin’s Writing Academy that includes 
  • Access to all recorded videos, case studies, and lectures 
  • Bootcamp session organized every month for one year 
  • Access to complimentary materials like soft skill development
• Globally recognized certificate for the successful completion of the course 

Learning Benefits 

• You will gain a brief understanding of the different types of content writing 
• Gain the necessary skills to connect with the readers through your writing 
• Professionally trained to write as per the current industry standards 
• Knowledge of various tools used for effective writing and editing 
• Expertise in the language skills to be able to write for global clients 
• Gain knowledge on the advanced research skills to become a successful writer 
• Technical skills on how to launch a website and how to start blogging 
• Gain the skills required to write engaging content for the target audience 
• After the completion of the course, you will be able to start your career as a freelancer

Course details 

• Duration – 40 hours of live interactive sessions 
• Fee – INR 17500 with a no-cost EMI option 
• Mode – Online and classroom sessions 

Other Writing courses offered by Henry Harvin

• Master Creative writing 
• Technical Writing 
• Research Writing 
• Medical Writing

2. Coursera 

Coursera offers 200+ writing courses online and you can choose which suits your needs the best. The courses are categorized into different levels Beginner, Intermediate and advanced. 

Please check the website for more details

3. Udemy 

An online learning portal with 1000+ courses for trainers across the world. You can learn the courses at your own pace. And also connect with the learners globally. The courses are available at a discounted price on sale day. Go through the course description and modules to choose that suits you the best. 

4. Linkedin Learning 

Another way to use social media effectively. Linkedin learning offers writing courses that will make you a better writer. Check for the ratings from the learners and earn a certified course from them. 

Conclusion 

If you’ve read this far, you can probably tell that being an article writer is a tough gig. It’s not just about writing—it’s about marketing yourself, creating content that will attract a specific audience, and then maintaining those relationships long enough to get paid. But if you have what it takes, the rewards are great: You get to see your words in front of an audience of millions and earn money for them!

It’s definitely not easy though. There are so many different ways to approach marketing yourself as an article writer in 2022—and there are even more ways to screw up! But if you’re willing to put in the work and try new things, then maybe one day soon (maybe even this very day!) you’ll find yourself sitting comfortably with dollars in the bank.

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

by Sylvia Plath

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