Here’s a quick article that breaks down the digital content writing process into 7 easy steps. Although not set in stone, it’s one way of approaching the business of article writing as a freelance content writer.
1. Understanding the Intent of the Article
The content writing process begins with understanding the intent of the topic and what it’s trying to achieve. Asking pertinent questions about the hows and whys of the subject will help you develop a rough outline of the article and look for the right kind of information.
2. Diving Into Research
Follow this up with thorough research, reading the top-ranking articles on Google, jotting down keywords and ideas for SEO, and getting a good handle on the subject.
3. Creating an Article Outline
Fill in the knowledge gaps in the article outline based on your learnings. Reorganize it to flow seamlessly while covering relevant details addressing the intent. Once the article outline is in place, the actual writing begins.
4. Actual Content Writing
Treating each heading or section as an individual piece helps you write solid content. There’s always more information to write about than words to accommodate it. This leads to distilling information in as few words as possible, leaving no room for fluff.
Remember to cite authoritative sources for claims made, use descriptive anchor texts for internal linking, and provide freely sourced visual media to make your text more appealing.
5. Writing the Introduction and the Conclusion
Once done with the article body, it’s easier to write an introduction and a conclusion that effortlessly segue into and out of the main content topics. A good introduction tells the reader what to expect from the article, while a good conclusion summarizes it.
6. Proofreading Your Content
Most writers tend to read from memory during the first round of editing, missing minor errors that would otherwise jump off the screen. Two rounds of proofreading with a gap of a few hours in between are good to spot the mistakes one tends to miss when the writing is still fresh.
Use technology, like the Grammarly extension, to make the process easier.
7. Content Submission
Timely content submission, edits to accommodate client feedback, if any, and final delivery round off the content writing process.
That sums up the 7 steps process of writing digital content. Now that you have the basics figured out, you may want to learn how to write as fast as you type.
