3 Cool Non-Work-At-Home Jobs for a Web Content Writer

In the wake of finishing my business degree, I've delved into some ideas about how skills and knowledge learned from at-home content writing can translate into an enjoyable job with similar tasks and responsibilities. The big advantage to this is that you already have a solid skill set in creating content if you have been doing this from home for more than a year or so. Many content writers bring in more in-depth knowledge of areas like keyword research and how to find topics that are trending. As an added bonus, I've added something new: a slideshow to inject some more life into this blog.




It may not be 100% perfect, but the next one will be better how that I have an idea how to do this.

Why Picking the Right Domain Name is So Important

During my workday, it's pretty rare that I run across something that makes me laugh out loud, but this is one of the worst domain name choices I have ever seen: 

www.blindsexpress.com. 

It's a site for a window blind company. I'm omitting the details of exactly where and under what circumstances I found it in order to shield the guilty party. Am I the only one seeing something quite different, or is my mind just in the gutter? It's a prime example of why anyone must preview/proofread possible domain names! Getting more than one pair of eyes to look a a possible domain name is even better. Friends, colleagues and significant others can often spot things that a fledgling niche site author will miss. This is coming on the heels of my plans for creating my own niche sites in the coming months, so I have been studying things like this. That is all.

3 Things I Advocate About Online Writing...

...that go against some of the accepted conventional wisdom found on many other sites devoted to this profession.  These ideas come from my experiences in the offline world of business. Despite the power of the Internet as an infinite information source, being a web content writer is still a new concept to many people. What I have discovered is that it takes a specific approach and the right wording to get the uninitiated interested in what you do. This is especially important when networking with others who may open up doors to new career opportunities for you. Rather than viewing this idea as a detriment, I approach it as a challenging chance to market yourself as a professional in an area that can be new and intriguing one to a good number of other people.

1. Banish the word "freelance" from your vocabulary if you are serious about becoming a web content writer. Like it or not, there are still some situations where the "other F-word" (as I've dubbed it) sends the wrong impression. There are still people out there who have preconceived notions about it, and they will associate it with being unemployed and wasting time on the Internet regardless of how far this image is from your reality. Replacing the other F-word with "web content writer" has a professional sound and more meat to it. It will give those same people the impression that you are doing something serious that has substance.

Are you doing the exact same work? Yes. It's all about marketing and the connotative power of words. Is there a time when it is appropriate to call yourself a freelance writer? Yes. If you are submitting pieces for consideration in print magazines, newspapers, and some high-profile websites like the Huff-Post, you are definitely a freelance writer. The same applies if you are shopping a finished book around for an agent and publication. I would say you are also a freelance writer if you are self-publishing books on Kindle, Nook, or iBooks, even if you do not earn from them. On a side note, I've read a couple of free self-published novels on iBooks that are excellent. Can you do both this and be a web content writer? Of course! I say go for it :)

2. Don't overly promote yourself as a work-at-home parent. Now I have nothing at all against kids and parenting. I applaud anyone who does it and I often have doubts if I could do it myself. The main reason is that the market is already saturated and it will be that much more difficult for you to stand out. This especially applies to web content writers who also have blogs similar to this one. It's great to give your kids and family an occasional mention in a post if you want, but just don't overdo it. Instead, think of some other unique angles about yourself that you can promote. These could be from your past career areas, your personality, the types of writing you like to do best, or anything else that sets you apart. This may take some brain-storming, but you may very well come up with a great angle for promoting your writing.

3. If at all possible, look for both independent contractor and employed opportunities where you can hone your learned skills as a web content writer. This may be a challenge due to geographic location, the need to be at home with the kids, and the state of the job market in your local area. Despite those circumstances, most of us still have more avenues open to us than we may first realize. It's usually just a matter of looking in the right places. More and more businesses are building online presences to reach more customers, and they will need someone to write good content for them.This can be a potentially lucrative area to explore. Making these kinds of connections could be quite rewarding in many instances. Some of the easiest ways to do this include setting up social profiles that showcase your writing samples and applying for listed part-time writing-related jobs on your favorite job board sites. Not only can this lead to better earning opportunities, it can fill in the gap where many of us miss the face-to-face interaction that comes with a traditional offline job.

So here's my recap:

• Replace the other F-word in conversations about your work.
• Think of an angle that is unique only to you for promoting your writing.
• Mix it up with working both at home and out of the house.

Some of these ideas may go against the grain, but they are a summation of what I've found works best so far in my journey on this road. I've also found that flexibility and contingency planning are two names of the game in the world of web content writing. A source of online income may go under or get slapped by Google tomorrow, so it is crucial to be able to quickly try some new and different approaches when the old ones no longer apply.