How to succeed as a content writer (and stop procrastinating on your writing goals!)

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When writers fall into a pattern of deadlines and word counts, it’s easy to slip into the habit of making these outcomes your only goal. Although it’s important to meet deadlines, doing the best work for your client isn't just about turning in content on time. It’s about digging deep, paying attention, and creating something new, even when you’re not feeling interested, creative, or motivated to do the job.

When all you can focus on is finishing your last 500 words, those 500 words feel slow. But in the right state of mind, the writing process can be fun—and help make content your career. Below, we explore my favorite tips for content writers to create engaging writing that audiences love to read. 

What is a content writer?

Maybe you’ve heard of the title before but perhaps you’re not entirely familiar with what being a content writer entails. A content writer is responsible for creating and crafting written pieces, such as an article or blog, for the purpose of digital marketing. Content writers can work as freelancers but are also hired in-house, typically under the title of a content marketing professional. Content marketers usually look at the full picture of content’s impact on a business, whereas a content writer will be solely responsible for writing the content itself. Content writing may entail writing articles for all types of media, included scripts, press releases, and more.

If you enjoy writing or have studied marketing, language arts, or academic writing, you may find content writing, or content marketing in general, to be a valuable and exciting career path.

How to write the best content to drive website traffic, customer engagement, and revenue for businesses

1. Care about your content as much as your client does

As freelancers, we can’t control what happens in the external world. While there are plenty of good ways to prepare for instability (like saving for a rainy day, having plenty of leads in your pipeline, or seeking out longer term contracts) the quality of your output is the biggest aspect of professional writing that is under your control.

Economic circumstances or budgets can change your income or the amount of work you have on the go. However, clients generally remember writers who are creative, bring new ideas to the table, go the extra mile to polish, and back all their statements up with a reliable source. By doing our best work every single time, we show up as a writer clients value and rely on for their next job—one who cares about the quality of their content as much as they do.

2. Write it because you want to, not because you have to

As writers, our work is often cyclical, sometimes unpredictable, and includes both periods of rest and times when you have to put your nose to the grindstone. 

Do not let this grindstone stop you from enjoying your job. 

If there isn’t something you enjoy about writing, you would have probably picked something else—like accounting, software engineering, TikTok dancing, cabinet making, nail art, becoming a plumber… But even if you hate writing and you’re just reading this blog because there’s something you have to get done, there’s probably some way you can make it fun.

• What do you want to share? 
• Why is this something you’re writing?
• What gets you zingy and revved up about what you can do? 
• What can you find that’s fun about it? 
• What would you write if you were the last person on the planet, and all you could do for fun was write content about the 5 best ways to use AI in your accounting software?

I won’t use writing as an example because I love it, but I hate sports. Especially team sports. I would rather eat paste than kick a soccer ball around with a team. I would eat a lot of paste before I would kick the soccer ball. A lot. But if I did find myself in a position where I had to play soccer (and no paste would save me), I could do one of two things: 

• Be absolutely miserable & accept that
• Find something I like about it

Could I try to enjoy the competitive atmosphere and push to do more? Try to run faster and challenge myself to improve? Joke around with my team? If I had the choice, I'd still take the paste. All I’m saying is that in every situation, there’s a reason why you actually want to do the job (even if it's just because the alternative sucks). Focus on that.

3. Write to entertain your reader

The bathroom is the only place where nobody can bother you, and this is because they think you’re having a poo. People read on their phone in the bathroom because they like to remain unbothered for as long as possible. Also, they’d rather do that than work. You might be there right now. Congrats!

For the record, I do not mind if you read my writing on the toilet. Content to me is an opportunity to teach someone something useful or give them a break in their day. Whether it’s some ‘me time’ over coffee, a bite of knowledge as you gulp down your lunch, or a quick resource to skim for an answer you need, what I really care about is that my reader took a few minutes to themselves and got something out of the experience. 

Focusing on treating your reader to something interesting (versus making a word count or meeting a deadline) makes it easier to write without procrastinating, as well as being more effective at reaching your audience.

4. Understand why you’re writing the content

The best professional advice I’ve gotten over the course of my career is this: ask as many questions as you want—because it’s better to ask than to do it wrong— but don't ask the same questions twice. If you’re unclear about what your client wants, ask! Then write down the answer so you won’t forget.

Before you write, be sure to get a clear mental picture of who you’re writing for and what they might find interesting, as well as why the client has asked you to write the content in the first place. It even helps to picture your audience or someone in your life who fits that mold. Why would they find this valuable? What would they want to read?

Pay attention when you talk to your client about their expectations and goals. Asking for more info helps build a rapport and gives you a better understanding of their business and what they’re trying to achieve. I can do my best work when I’m focused on connecting to a target audience and making something fun for them, and I can do that a whole lot easier when I have a clear idea of the client’s marketing strategy ahead of time.

Everyone’s process will be different, but in the end, we’re all after the same goal. Writing content should be fun, interesting, and valuable: for the client, the reader, and your career!

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