Month: April 2023

Most people find value in continuing to learn new skills in their careers. Writers are no exception. Even the most experienced writers can benefit from being open to learning more about how to write better  content. While you may feel that you know the basic rules of writing, there are still skills and information that could help you take your writing to the next level. Consider learning more about your craft to improve your skills and further your career.

Ask for feedback

Feedback is not always positive, but constructive criticism is key in helping anyone learn how to be better at their job. Writing online content provides plenty of options for feedback. Online articles often have comment sections, and these can provide you with useful information on how to improve your writing. But it’s also helpful to ask those who work in the same field for feedback, especially those who are more experienced. Positive feedback is always nice to hear, but it’s the constructive negative comments that can truly help you make changes to your work to make it better. 

Step outside your comfort zone

It can be easy to continue to write the same types of articles in the same style as long as it’s working for you. But learning new styles of writing can benefit your career and help you enhance your skills. Consider taking a college course that’s centered around a topic you’re not familiar with. Those who write news articles, for example, may benefit from a creative writing class. While someone who writes content for lifestyle blogs may find useful information in a class on writing legal content. The main idea is to do something new and different that can help you learn more about the parts of the writing world that you are not familiar with.  

People who are receptive to feedback, and to making the necessary changes to improve their skills, often excel in their careers. Writers can benefit from asking for feedback on their work and from actively looking for ways to learn new skills. Writing is challenging and even the most experienced writers can adapt and change to write better content for their readers. 

Many people take on side gigs to bring in a little extra income. Working online in copywriting is a very popular side gig for many reasons. You can usually choose your hours and can work when and where it’s convenient for you. But this convenience often comes with the drawback of not having a full-time position and the benefits that come along with it. Moving into a full-time copywriting position can be done if you want more hours, more structure, and benefits.

Finding full-time positions

The easiest way to find a full-time position in copywriting is to inquire about your options with your current employer. They may be open to offering you a full-time position or at least give you the opportunity to take on more hours or more clients. Using online networking sites can connect you with employers or others in copywriting who can help you find what you’re looking for. A quick search through an online job listing website allows you to sort by job type, salary, location, and other variables to find a position with the hours, pay, and benefits you want. 

What to expect

Working part-time as a copywriter usually means you don’t have access to benefits like worker’s compensation, health insurance, and paid time off. Most full-time positions will offer these benefits, but the way you work may change once you move to full-time. These positions often have more structure when it comes to the hours you must work per week, meaning less flexibility with your schedule. You may be paid by the hour, by the job, or paid a yearly salary depending on the terms of your employment. 

Many people find joy in writing and are talented writers who thrive in the copywriting field. It’s common to work part-time in copywriting as a way to earn some extra money or have a flexible job with convenience that’s not available in many full-time positions. But if you want more structure and want the benefits of working full-time in copywriting, there are plenty of opportunities out there. 

Ethical writers focus on providing readers with access to accurate information. Lying or purposely misleading readers is a quick way to lose your reputation in the online publishing world. Once the word gets around that you’re publishing bad articles, most people will look for other places to get their information. One of the best ways to ensure that you’re providing reliable information to your readers is by evaluating your sources before using their information.

Finding a good source 

Sources that provide facts should have no problem showing where those facts come from. A good source should be well-written without spelling and grammar mistakes. Even good information looks bad when there are easily avoidable errors. Information should come from a non-bias viewpoint and be based on facts instead of emotions. While there can be some merit in using opinion pieces, depending on the type of article you’re writing, these pieces aren’t ideal for many professional blogs and articles where information is supposed to be solely fact-based. 

Watch for these red flags 

There are some red flags to look for when identifying non-reliable sources. A page with lots of ads can mean the source is only there to earn money for the site rather than to provide good information. Extreme political pages can also be biased and tend to alter data and ignore facts that don’t follow the ideology of the writer. If the source focuses on out-of-date information or spends a lot of time dealing in facts and data that can’t be backed up with proof, you should question the information. Consider the message, the author, and the purpose of the article to determine if it’s appropriate to your purposes.

Living in an age of instant access to virtually any type of information you want can be overwhelming. There are great sources out there to use for professional and personal use when you’re trying to find information. But especially when searching for sources for professional use, you must use caution and verify that the source is reliable. Using bad sources can quickly ruin the reputation of a writer and the organization they work for.