Everyone seems to know the answer to the question “what is content writing?” but when we start looking for the answer, things get complicated.

If you are new to content writing and have no idea what it means, this is for you!

What is Content?

Content is information.

That’s pretty much it. It can be information that tells you what are the 20 Things to Consider When Buying a Lawn Mower or it could be information about how to make a caesar salad or it could be information about How you place your cutlery and what it says.

So “What Is Content Writing?”

Content writing is the process of writing information that we want to share with the rest of the world. Some tend to believe content writing is only exclusive to blog writing but it’s not the case as information takes many forms to present itself to the world.

 

Let’s look at some of the most common and popular content you’re bound to encounter on the internet.

Some of the most common content types

1. Blog posts

Blog posts (Blogs) are one of the most popular sources of information on the internet to share expertise and interests. Most blog posts are written to inform people or to help them understand something.

Every blog post has a purpose and how it’s structured depends on it.

There are content writers who specialize in blog writing and they are known as bloggers.

2. E-mails

E-mails help us share information in a fast and convenient manner. You are now probably wondering  “But can’t anyone just write an email?” yes, they can but it depends on the purpose behind the email.

Let’s assume you are writing an email to your teacher about how you forgot to submit your assignment. Your teacher will read it regardless of how long-winded your email is. 

What if you have to write an email to introduce your company to a total stranger? The stranger will mark you as spam if you fail to structure the email properly as it’s a different ball game. 

 

Some content writers specialize in writing effective, persuasive emails, and they are known as email copywriters. (Sharing information is the focus of content writing, whereas copywriting focuses on attracting customers with persuasive writing)

3. Social Media Captions

When some of us want to post some visuals on our social media accounts, It’s the norm to write a caption to give more context. When these posts are shared by personal accounts, these captions aren’t a big deal, but when they come from a large corporation, every word can be a liability.

There are content writers who specialize in writing for social media are usually known as social media writers.

4. Guides & Instruction Manuals.

Guides and Instruction Manuals usually provide us with critical information on how we can perform a specific task or operate something successfully.

Given the importance of each instruction manual, we cannot approach it in the same way that we would approach many other types of content.

 

Content writers who specialize in writing instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex issues in a digestible manner re called “Technical Writers“.

5. Video Content

Videos have become one of the strongest driving forces when it comes to sharing content with the rest of the world. The writers of “Marketing Trends 2023: 9 Trends to Help You Power Through” by Mediatool advise people on increasing the use of video and live streaming for content sharing, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. Why? This is why.

 

What does a writer have to do with video content? Almost every well-planned and well-executed video has a script written by a content writer.

A script is a pivotal part of when it comes to video production and scripts usually describe the actions, events, and dialogue that will take place during a scene so that the cast and crew know what, how, and when to do things.

Content writers who specialize in writing scripts for videos are usually known as “Script-Writers“

Conclusion

Now you know what happens behind the curtains of “Content Writing” and who does what. There are content writers who are adept at creating content for all of these scenarios, as well as content writers who specialize in one type of content.

if you were here to find an answer to what content writing is, hope this helped.

If you were here to understand the fundamentals of content writing to give it a shot,  you are off to a great start!