Article Writing Job: How to Find Content Writing Jobs in 2023

If “ARTICLE WRITING” in the above heading is evocative of memories of those bored-to-death high school English writing classes then just hold back for a few moments till you discover some lucrative way of Earning through Writing.

What is Article Writing?

Article writing is nothing but to create content for online consumption as well as for prints like newspapers and magazines. 

Although a very exhaustive subject, this article will give insights on web article writing, to be precise, on creating worthwhile job opportunities by writing web articles. 

Why Article Writing?

Today every single business and brand is under tremendous pressure to create an online presence for their brand through a business website, industry publications, LinkedIn profile, social media pages, and so on. 

That is when content marketing comes into play; regularly updated fresh content on various digital platforms gets consumers eager about products and services. Still move a step ahead and cater to readers with some engaging “how-to” articles that are useful to the target audience and compel them to visit the site to read more and eventually build a strong and trusting relationship.

The Content Writing Career is here to stay

Now whether the business chooses to run its website autonomously or hires a digital marketing agency, the role of an article writer stands indispensable which is to churn out excellent quality articles that personify the brand image in its reader’s mind.

These articles can be of different genres depending on the business. But must be engaging enough that keeps the readers coming back for more. Most importantly, a good article SHOULD ignite thinking, command respect, gain loyal followers, and even leverage sales. 

In a nutshell, content creation skills have the potential to be a profitable profession.

But wait….easier said than done.

A career in article writing comes with its own set of limitations

With so much awareness in the content field and zillions of writers out there, each “Brilliant” topic that pops into your mind as a newbie writer, seems to be already taken by someone else. 

Thus, coming up with consistently original articles that uplift a website’s ranking on search engine results might seem to be a daunting task but surely not an impossible one if you have the art of giving different treatment to words. 

And the good news is that this art is learnable….with consistent practice of course. A successful article writer has the following set of skills. Do not be intimidated thinking that these are inherent qualities. On the contrary, anyone with the willingness to work hard in the right direction can acquire these skills. 

• An impeccable grammar and writing style
• Creativity to maintain freshness in content in every single article
• Outstanding research skills
• Ability to work with tight deadlines without compromising the content quality
• Some basic knowledge to write SEO-friendly articles.

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Do I need to have a degree to become an article writer?

Article writing is all and all a skilled-based field. As an article writer, you are expected to write articles that are optimized for the web; editing and proofreading go without saying. But above all, you should be able to translate clients’ expectations clearly into creative words with the help of your strong communication and research skills.  

Although there is no specialization required to make a career as an article writer, a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, English, or Journalism will surely give you an edge over others. Companies hiring full-time writers do generally prefer graduates and even postgraduates, especially for technical writing.

Don’t be disappointed if you do not have any of the above degrees; practice will help you acquire the art of expressing thoughts effectively. Eventually, you will be able to identify your errors and write in gripping and lucid language.

Things you should always remember to write a winning article

1) Large opening paragraphs are repellent

When you beat yourself up to produce a spot-on and crisp opening punch line, trust me, your efforts will never be futile.

A reader generally begins to read an article with a set of questions in mind. If the readers have to penetrate a couple of massive paragraphs to search for their answers, it is a pure disappointment for them.

Remember, the time it takes to skim through your opener must be shorter than it takes to scroll past your article.

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2) Keep your article “text-light”

A balanced mixture of black letters and white space is soothing to the eyes. Hence, be informative but not verbose. 

Fillers will get you through the desired word density but not quality. So always make short sentences that take your message to the audience without having to read a lot.

An added advantage of this is that you will be able to bring that razor-sharp accuracy in the choice of vocabulary.

3) Add value 

A writer’s prime goal in writing an article should be to convey meaning. A “50 ways to…..” article makes no sense to me if the aggregate value is not even half of 50. 

Thus, write substance, make a point, and give your reader a pleasant feeling of “value for money”.

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4) Structure a smooth-flowing article 

Generous use of bullets and highlighting features, and easy-to-follow pattern of ideas, illustration, explanation help you steer your readers in any direction you wish.

On the other hand, a staggering presentation of your ideas leaves your readers confused.

5) Most important……Practice

I can go on and on about how crucial it is to persistently practice writing along with some quality reading. But for now, keep in mind that no one can teach you to write; you can be a good writer ONLY by writing.

Along with this, aiming to outdo yourself with every article will up your game without a doubt. 

Freelancing gigs Vs Full-time jobs

So you have decided to join the highly fulfilling profession of article writing, huh??

BTW, The nature of article writing work can be freelancing as well as full-time. 

Can’t single out an option out of freelancing or full-time work??? 

Then go on reading TO FIND OUT HOW?

Freelancing pros

• You are your own boss; you choose your projects at your convenience.
• You enjoy great flexibility in terms of the number of hours per day.
• You can strike a work-life balance and can also take on other responsibilities.

Freelancing cons

• You might not have consistent gigs and thus a steady income all the time.
• With so much competition well-paying clients can be difficult to find.
• It limits your interaction with the real world compared to 9 to 5 jobs- quite frustrating for an extrovert.
• You must constantly keep your creativity ignited to deliver excellence.

 Full-time work pros

• It promises a secure and steady income.
• Working in teams helps you learn leadership and interpersonal skills from real-time situations.
• There is a huge scope to stay updated with industry developments.
• You get a chance to associate with premium brands.
• You only have to worry about content delivery, bringing projects is not your headache.

 Full-time work cons

• The growth in terms of income can be slow.
• There is a constant struggle to maintain a work-life balance.
• There is no work hours flexibility.

Which of these two paths you should take????

Well, the choice relies heavily on your idea of career and personal responsibilities.

Nonetheless, at the end of the day fulfillment is what we all try to achieve through work.

About landing work

Applying for a full-time article writing position requires you to go through the same process as any other job. 

There are plenty of opportunities for you in the corporate world. However, a separate position for article writers per se is less common. Rather, technical writing, copywriting, and academic writing jobs are comparatively more lucrative.

While good copywriters are assets to the advertising and marketing industry, technical & academic writing, business writing are directed at creating content for education, academic, or business communication purposes. And thus may require you to have background knowledge of the subject matter and mostly a bachelor’s if not master’s degree in that particular subject.

On the other hand, getting started on your freelancing career calls for a holistic approach which is quite understandable given the inconsistency in the freelancing job flow.

I get it…..as a freelance writer, your mind would be hooked on making a consistent income with word power.

So, keep reading to discover the tactics to get started with your freelance article writing gig as a fresher.

Freelance article writing gigs

1) Job boards:

Yes, I agree some writers do not recommend finding projects on job boards as they pay peanuts. But as a beginner, getting the ball rolling and landing your first job can be frustratingly difficult. 

Job boards, free as well as paid, give you that perfect start which is crucial to maintain your confidence level as a newbie in the highly competitive market. The key is to register yourself on 5 to 6 different job boards for getting more listings and to dedicate a couple of hours every day on these boards searching for freelancing work. 

Pheww…that is quite a task but who said it’s easy????

Read further to know about some popular job boards.

• Problogger

Problogger was one of the first freelance writing jobs online with the jobs range from beginning freelance jobs to experts. To post a job opening on this platform advertisers have to pay $50 per post to run for 30 days. This assures generally excellent quality job posts.

• Freelance Writers Den

A Highly competitive one as the board opens for new members only a couple of times a year. But the quality of job posts is unquestionable. An active forum and resources to flourish your freelancing business is an added advantage.

•  Writers Weekly

Writers weekly have been one of the most used freelance writing resources for almost 20 years. It holds the reputation of high standards of screening job ads before being posted on the web.

• MediaBistro

Mediabistro houses all types of media jobs and information for writers. Its location filter comes in handy for those who are interested in local jobs.

• BloggingPro

It is a free job site that has job type filters and helps you sort results as – Freelance, Internship, Contract, Part-Time or Temporary. Even if the name highlights blogging gigs, you also find other types of writing projects.

• All Indie Writers:

It is a great platform to get yourself freelance writing jobs along with some valuable writing tips. There is a time-saving filter that sorts posts based on pay range also. It is a free job board.

• Your Local CraigsList:

Here you can find remote as well as local work. Just be cautious as some of the links can be spammy. 

•  Morning Coffee Newsletter

It is surely a sign-up-now weekly email newsletter. You can get the subscription through FreelanceWriting.com.

• LinkedIn Jobs

The versatility of these job boards demands a separate mention. 

In the last few years, LinkedIn Jobs has emerged as one of the most powerful job portals; the statistics go as more than 85% of the recruiters scan the LinkedIn profile of candidates before making hiring decisions. 

Knowing how to use this job board to its fullest potential will help you to:

· Search job

· Build your brand

· Affirm your credentials

· Connect with professionals

Few tips to use this tool like a pro:

• ·        A regularly updated profile: 

Let the professional world know that you are actively pursuing different milestones in your career. Be it a new article you are posting or any certification you have completed, update your profile. This improves your visibility among recruiters.

• Connect more and maintain good relationships: 

The more you connect with others better are your chances of endorsements. Help others whenever you can and be in touch to stay well informed about potential work opportunities.

• Mention all the work experience and skills you have:

Build an exhaustive work profile by mentioning all the relevant experience and skills. Include your higher education credentials and certifications (But not high school education) that testify to your credibility in the domain you are trying to establish yourself.

• Get your skills endorsed: 

There is this excellent feature that allows you to endorse the skills you have mentioned in your profile by the people you have worked with like your bosses, colleagues, classmates, etc. Believe me, recruiters do consider it while hiring.

• Stay active: 

Keep posting informative posts to heave in sight. Although, make sure that the posts are strictly professional. No need to turn your LinkedIn profile into Instagram or Facebook letting out your family pictures.

•  Keep a tab of what recruiters are posting: 

Follow companies or people you wish to work with. Be proactive and approach them to find out if any vacancy is coming up. This way you ensure that you do not miss any potential opportunity.

2) Facebook groups:

If you wish to grow your business as an article writer then you can not afford to undermine the power Facebook has to take you to the whole new world of networks. 

Until now you might have spent your time on Facebook to connect with your friends and family, post your summer vacation pictures, and even share your workout posts. Now it’s time to realize the true potential of this stunning social media platform to promote your skills. 

But how?

There are innumerable groups and communities which you can join to achieve the following:

• Find openings as many organizations are turning to social media for posting vacancies.
•  Share your work.
• Network with other writers and freelancers.
• Get updated with the latest trends in your niche.
• Give answers and get answered.

Here is the compilation of some of the best FB groups for writers.

• Freelance B2B writers
• The freelance to freedom project
• Creative freelancers unite
• Female freelance writers
• Freelancing females
• The write life community
• Sisterhood of huslin’ mamas
• Writing revolters
• Digital nomad girls community
• The Solopreneur Society
• Some groups from India are also doing good:
• Media jobs daily
• Digital Media 
• Content writers
• Article writers club
• Content writers forum

3) Friends and family:

So you are a stay-at-home mommy trying to build a career from scratch or a 9 to 5 office goer who decides to quit to become an article writer. Let your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc. know about the new venture you are embarking upon.

Announce on your social media pages that you are accepting article writing assignments. You can also get some classy visiting cards printed to hand out to family and friends. Or you may offer to do some small gigs for free in return for testimonials and referrals for them.

4) Website:

Although you, with almost no writing experience, can grab a feasible offer from recruiters via job boards, most of the ads will ask you to present your published sample post. What better place than your own website to publish the sample articles??

Don’t worry….you need not hire a web developer for a professional-looking website. Thanks to technological advances anyone with a domain, web hosting plan, and a content management system can build a website in less than an hour. 

The dual advantages of having a website are that you can not only publish your articles but also can promote your article writing services. 

5) Guest posts

Pitching to job ads is going to be a routine once you decide to do freelance article writing. However, getting some real deals may be difficult, in case you do not have a good set of sample posts or your own website. Then guest posting proves to be a pretty nice option.

So does writing free for popular sites pay you off??? The answer is Yes. 

There is no rocket science behind it. Writing for popular sites (even if it’s for free) builds your portfolio, raises your credibility and familiarity among readers, and who knows one of them could be your potential client. (https://neilpatel.com/blog/guide-to-guest-blogging/)

Typically, guest posting serves you as follows:

ü Establishes your authority

ü Drives traffic to your website

ü Earns you more backlinks

So how exactly do you hunt for guest posting opportunities??

1 Google search:

• Quickly type your niche+write for us and see the magic. 
• Visit sites, follow their guidelines, and propose your post theme.

How to go about proposing for guest posting?

• The first and foremost thing is to follow the process well before directly contacting the blog owner. Get yourself familiar with the post theme, format, login process, etc., and then contact the blog owner.

• While writing the mail to the blog owner, begin with a personalized salutation like Dear Smith. Introduce yourself with a crisp but effective bio.

• links to your best work you have published on other sites including yours. 

• If you are asked to submit a post theme, do not just pick any random topic of your niche. Rather it is advisable to spend some time researching the previously published articles on the same website. Study the work of other writers, examine their format, tone, and find out what type of subjects have driven more traffic to the website in the past.

• Make sure that the article justifies its theme and purpose; refrain from promoting your services in the post. Of course, you can insert links to your website in the author bio section. This section can be a great place that is just about you and your services.

• If you wish to contribute regularly on a website as a guest writer then go all out to promote the post among your audience too. The site owner will surely trust you more if you bring in new guests to the house.

• Do not leave the thread then and there; be sure to answer the comments. 

With these easy-to-follow guest post etiquettes, you will feel more confident about reaching out to other writers, blend in well with the industry regulars, and establish your authority.

6) Digital marketing agency 

A more localized approach to bag writing gigs is to list down digital marketing agencies in your region handling some notable portfolios. (with google listing of course).

Connect with them and let them know about your eagerness to work for them. Although they do have their in-house content creators, some of them might also be interested in outsourcing. And chances are there that they might help to start your journey.

7) Get a referral from past clients

Now for this to work, there are two prerequisites: One, You must already have clients. Second, your clients must be well pleased with your performance.

Don’t be apprehensive about what will they think. Rather be prepared for the worst-case scenario which is outright rejection. But here is the fact- until you put yourself out there and ask for work, work ain’t coming to you. Also, here your relationship-building skills will be sure to serve you.

Writing scams

Writers, those into remote work, are prone to fall for scams considering that their communication with their clients is mostly through Emails. 

Agreed…..the nature of freelancing work demands a certain level of trust in the clients. However, writers must always be wary of scammers; treacherous practices in this field are very common. 

Let’s take a look at the situations while landing a writing job that must trigger an alert in your mind. If you are approached by someone to write for them for an unrealistically huge fee, don’t be gullible to immediately agree to write for them. Do some market research and find out what is the average compensation paid to the writers like you and then take a step forward.

When a potential client asks to submit your fresh work, it is a warning bell for you. Why would anybody ask you to write unique articles for them to evaluate your writing potential when they can see your published work??? 

Most likely, they only want your unpublished work without paying a single penny. They take your article and then never turn up. So, never agree to submit entirely new content for free.

It’s a no-brainer that one should not share any of our bank account information with anybody. A genuine client would never ask for any such details when the whole world is using secure payment modes like Pay Pal. And if somebody does, then chances that it is a scam are there.

Sometimes a client might trick you into submitting the articles using flattery and sugar-coated promises. Once they get the articles, they cut off any means of communication with the writer. And you on the other side feel so embarrassed that you do not even share with others that you are conned.

There is only one way to avoid this is to ask the client to pay a small percentage in advance. I am sure a legit person who understands well what it takes to write an article wouldn’t mind respecting your demand. After all, they have liked your work.

Job listing websites asking for money just to view the job post is another scam you should be aware of. Of course, websites do charge for their premium membership but that is optional. Nobody pays just to view posts and who knows if those are even legit are not??

Use the above tricks to identify fraudsters praying on hopeful writing aspirants and instead work hard to bag genuine offers.

To cut it short

If you are passionate about converting your writing skills into a full or part-time profession, then the above tactics will help you to create a strong base to build a fulfilling and well-paying career.

So….. don’t just read and forget, start applying right away. 

And let me know how did this write-up work for you.

All the best.