How To Find Online Content Writing Jobs? A Step by Step Guide

How about never leaving the comfort of your home and still be able to earn good money? Fascinating, right? What I really love about these online content writing jobs is exactly this flexibility to work from literally any corner of the world and of course doing what consumes a writer the most; Writing! Yes, you also have the choice to take a full-time role as a staff writer at an office. It is this freedom of choice that makes these online content writing jobs seem lucrative to people from all walks of life.

Five things to keep in mind before looking for online content writing jobs:

• Be better than the rest

There are many people out there who want the same things as you do. It is very much possible that these people are much better than you are and there is also a good possibility that you are not that bad either. Do not live in uncertainty. Find people who have had relevant online content writing jobs in the past and present, on every platform you can; Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, Quora, Medium, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn. Study them! Learn the patterns they followed which landed them the job. Observe what they did differently that made them stand out of the crowd. Take inspiration from such people and start to carve a persona for yourself that will help you get recognition from employers.

• Know where to look

You can the best content writer out there and still won’t land a job if you are looking for them in the wrong places. Having proper knowledge of the relevant job-seeking channels will dramatically increase your chances of finding online content writing jobs as soon as possible. In a while, I will be enlisting some reliable channels that everyone should know about if they want to get regularly hired for online content writing jobs.

• Have a portfolio

You will not be hired anytime soon if you don’t have an online compilation of write-ups that showcase your writing abilities and dedication to posting content as frequently as possible. The best way to build a portfolio for starters is to start a free blog and post high-quality content on subjects you like. You can extend your work by signing up for platforms like Quora and Reddit and become an active writer and participant there. Not only will this help you build up a good compilation of writing samples, but it will also help you to network with people who can guide and refer you to various online content writing jobs.

Types of online content writing jobs

Part-time: You can work part-time as an online content writer depending on your daily schedule. You have the flexibility to work during the hours of the day as you please. This type of job is suitable for students, stay-at-home moms or people who want to pursue writing, parallel to their full-time jobs.

Full-time: As a full-time content writer, you are expected to work as a  full-time, generally 9-5 employee. However, you still usually have the flexibility to work from the comfort of your home or from the office depending on your convenience.

These part-time and full-time online content writing jobs are further differentiated on how long you will be employed for.

Contract-based writer: You can get hired as an online content writer for a specific period of time, say a few months or a year. This time period depends on the need of your employer.

Permanent staff writer: There is also a chance of you getting hired as a permanent staff writer for an organization. However, the chances of keeping the job secured depends on your competency. You will have the flexibility to work from home if needed.

• Reality check and pay

Initially, you will not be paid much. But if you get in the practice of crafting high-quality content and delivering it within the stated deadline, chances of being in the business and getting hikes will increase manifold.

Your pay scale depends on the type of online content writing jobs you have taken.

Part-time online content writing jobs pay on the basis of words you write per day. It is generally between 30 paise to 40 paise per word. So, if you are writing, say a 500-word article per day, you will be paid around INR 150 per article. The more the number of articles you submit more will be the more money you make.

For full-time online content writing jobs, the median annual income for a fresher is INR 248,001.

There is always a new peak to achieve. To make it big, you need to be really patient, resilient, disciplined and above all hopeful.  

Courses to check out at IIM SKILLS Institute

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Where to look for online content writing jobs?

• Internshala:

Internshala is an online platform built to provide school, university students and also stay-at-home moms, retired people with practical exposure through internships and instil in them relevant skills through online training that will make them job-ready. It provides a space for youngsters and people from all walks of life to gain hands-on experience in various fields and finally decide the career path they want to walk or switch on.

To get started, all you need is to create an Internshala account, set preferences and fill in your educational and work details. According to your preferences (content writing), the feed will show you relevant internships. You can then start applying to as many online content writing internships as possible. For absolute beginners, it is advisable to take up even unpaid internships to gain relevant experience. They can further step up and take paid roles with time.

The usefulness of these internships lies in the fact that the chances of converting your internship to a full-time role increase if you prove your competency to the employer. The least these internships can do for you is to help build a shining portfolio.

• LinkedIn

Not on LinkedIn yet? You are missing out on a lot!

LinkedIn is a hub to land your dream job and network with people who can guide and refer you for the same. You can set preferences for the kind of content writing job desired and apply to as many openings as possible. Following the accounts of relevant employers and organization is highly recommended to stay updated with the availability of job vacancy.

• Social media groups

Yes! Facebook and Twitter help people bag online content writing jobs. To get relevant job offers, it is important that you first declutter your news feed and only follow pages and join groups that are meant for content writers. Many employers post requirement posts of freelance content writers or full-time staff for various types of online content writing jobs. You should let them directly know that you are looking for work. You can do this by commenting on these posts or directly messaging the concerned people.

You can join these groups to stay updated:

On Facebook, you can join groups like Freelance content writer and Content Writers to know about the job openings.

On Twitter, you can follow pages like Write Jobs, WhoPaysWriters, JJ Jobs to stay updated about vacancies.

• Freelance work acquiring websites

One of the best channels to acquire freelance online content writing jobs are websites like Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr.

If you are willing to acquire freelance projects, these websites are the best place to bag such opportunities. All you need is to make your profile and describe your qualities, work experience, educational background and wait for the employers to approach you. You can also directly apply to openings if any.

• Build your own website

For starters, you can also build a website where you can offer your content writing services. It may not be possible for a beginner to take this step, but over time, it is highly recommended to build such a professional website to attract high-paying clients. You can craft the content of your website and optimize it to gain higher ranks on a search engine result page and attract more people to the website to acquire many content writing projects which pay really well. To get good results and step up your game, it will be really beneficial at one point to invest in a self-hosted WordPress website.

• Ask for referral

It is important to build a network of people who have built their credibility as star content writer and have a good record of proving their worth whenever required. For this purpose, it is crucial to stay in touch and maintain cordial relationships with these people through various social media channels. Before asking for a referral, it is important that they know your level of dedication and also the kind of progress you have made over time.