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The Basics of Content Writing: What You Need to Know

December 22, 2008

When you dip your feet into web writing, there are two things that you will immediately notice. First, that there are some differences between writing for the web and for print. Sure, the same grammatical rules and some stylistic considerations still apply, but there are also different demands involved in web writing.

Also, some online writing jobs are the same as their print counterparts. However, there are also those jobs that only apply to the web.

These are the basic things that this article covers. Read on and learn more.

The Difference between Web Content and Print

If you look at how content is written on websites and blogs, you’ll easily notice how different it is from the printed page. There are several reasons for this.

In Jakob Nielsen’s article at www.sun.com entitled, ‘Writing for the Web’, he cites three things that make writing for the web different from print. They are: the majority of users only scan the text on a web page, reading from a computer screen is 25% slower than a printed page and web content should be shorter than its printed equivalent.

So from those information, we can say that people do not spend a lot of time reading web content because it’s slower to read than a printed page. That is why shorter content and crisper sentences are favored on the web than fluffier ones. Aside from that, web writers should also make it easier for readers to find exactly what they’re looking for. Otherwise, they’ll click on the Back button right away.

Who Writes on the Web?

A visit at online job boards for writers will show you the various types of web writers there are. And knowing what each type of writer does is important if you want to pursue a career in writing for the web.

Here’s a list and descriptions of some of the most common writing jobs on the internet:

1. Content/Article Writer – this type of writer writes information articles for websites. Most begin as generalists, writing on a wide array of topics such as health, technology, etc. But more experienced ones usually specialize on a specific subject since they have spent more time writing on that subject than anything else and are thus more familiar with it.

2. Copywriter – most webmasters confuse copywriters with content writers thinking that they are one of the same. But content writers focus on writing content that gives information while copywriters write content – specifically known as copy – that persuade readers to do a particular action, e.g. buy a product, sign up for a membership, request more information, etc. Copywriters write sales letters, landing pages and text for home pages, to name a few.

3. PR Writer – PR is short for public relations. What PR writers do is that they write PR materials that are sent to editors of various websites who in turn may publish them as news. Their work is mainly to provide and disseminate information about a product or event that their client requires.

4. Bloggers – this general term refers to writers who post their content on blogs. Some bloggers aim to form the public’s opinion through their pieces, while others make tutorials or provide information about their field of specialty. A blogger can talk about anything depending on the niche that his or her blog covers.

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