How to Write for the Internet
By Eric Hammer
The skill set you need in order to write for the Internet
is dramatically different from the skill required to do say journalistic
writing. Typically, when you want to write Internet articles,
you will need to write in a way that appeals both to people who
want to read what you wrote and that appeals to computers that
are searching the Internet, trying to find relevant information
when someone does a web search.
In addition to this difference, writing for the Internet also
involves regurgitating information whereas most other writing
involves more research for a story. Here’s an example: Say
you are asked to write an Internet article about the best dog
food available on the market today. You might find an article
in Puppy Magazine that says that Purina is the most popular dog
food on the market today. The article might go on to say that
XYZ dog chow is however considered the best balance of nutrition
and taste for dogs today.
In most cases, when you write for the web, you’re not
going to be writing your article by doing independent research
where you contact individual veterinarians and ask their opinions
about which dog food is the best. With the amount of money you’ll
earn, you simply can’t afford that (see below regarding
typical salaries for Internet writing). Instead, you’ll
simply take material that already exists and regurgitate it into
something new.
For example, you may begin your expose on dog food by saying,
"Puppy Magazine reports that Purina is the world’s
most popular dog food. They interviewed a number of veterinarians
and four out of five agree that it’s the most popular, though
perhaps not the best for your dog. Veterinarians say that if
you really want to give your dog the best dog food, you should
go with XYZ Dog Chow." In essence, instead of reporting
on the news, when you write for the Internet, in most cases,
you are reporting on what others are reporting.
By contrast, Puppy Magazine’s writer probably phoned
a number of veterinarians and asked their opinions. He or she
may have spent months visiting dog chow factories to learn about
the process of making dog food and why this food is better than
that food. That however is journalistic writing as opposed to
Internet writing; and while journalistic writing can often be
more interesting, it is also much, much harder to get into and
to earn a steady paycheck from, which is why writing for the
web is so popular.
How Much Can You Make?
When you write for the Internet, you are in essence writing
what is known as "content." While small, independent
web sites may pay more, typical rates for a 400-500 word article
range from around $5-$15 per article when you work with major
"content" sites such as Demand Media Studios, TextBroker
and BrightHub.
Other content sites work with a pay per click system where
you are paid based on how many people visit your article and
pay around a penny for each visitor, sometimes less. Popular
sites for this kind of Internet writing include places like Examiner.com,
Suite101.com and AssociatedContent.com.
Ways to Make More | Related Opportunities
| Tips
In addition to making money writing basic Internet content,
you can also work with companies to help with something call
Search Engine Optimization. This sometimes will entail knowing
basic HTML, which means that a lot of people who work in content
writing don’t want to get involved, but really it’s
a matter of understanding how to write headers for web sites,
which are relatively easy to do. In addition, many companies
will happily pay you to maintain a blog for them about their
products, again, a skill that not all content writers are comfortable
with but which can pay more money.
Qualifications / Requirements
The reason there is so much competition amongst people who
write for the Internet is because there really is no barrier
to entry. Anyone who can write in the English language and even
many people who really can’t write in the English language
but who think this is a way to make an easy living can get into
this business. However, to be successful, you need to keep your
finger on the pulse of the Internet and learn a lot about how
writing for the Internet works.
First Steps
Start by visiting several popular content web sites. Drop
by places like Examiner.com, Suite101.com and eHow.com. See how
the articles are put together in these sites. Then visit some
of the more professional content sites, places like About.com
or Livestrong.com for example, which also work on a similar basis,
but pay their writers more and also have much more stringent
requirements for those who want to work for them. Note the differences
and try imitating the style of writing that you find on sites
like these. Once you get to the point where you feel confident
in your skills, go ahead and apply for a writing job. Show ‘em
what you’ve learned and you too can join the ranks of Internet
writers.
Resources
http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com
- Freelance Writing Gigs; A web site devoted to the business
of freelance writing, with some great articles on how to break
into the business and especially the business of writing for
the ‘Net.
http://www.nojobformom.com
- No Job for Mom – One woman’s personal blog
about her efforts to become financially independent writing for
content web sites.
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