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What does a content writer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Scott Blanchard Ph.D.
What does a content writer do

The job of content writers is to create the best possible written or visual content ranging from blog posts to press releases. They produce the content for various types of websites, including social networks, news aggregators, and e-commerce sites. The job of content writers is not limited to writing, but also ensuring that the content connects or is relevant to the website pages. They are expected to set the tone of the website and revise the content upon customers' or clients' requests. They are also responsible for assisting in the creation of style guides.

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Content writer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real content writer resumes:

  • Implement and manage Salesforce and Marketo for client to establish lead nurturing campaigns.
  • Maintain guest blogging strategy and policies to achieve a consistently diverse authorship and to grow readership.
  • Manage the editorial production of the pamphlets, brochures and graphic material to target worldwide audiences including china.
  • Manage proposal process from RFP (request for proposal) receipt to writing and editing various contributions to final RFP submission.
  • Collaborate with overseas team and manage documents using SharePoint to conceptualize and generate new marketing content.
  • Produce a wide array of literature ranging from poetry to short stories.
  • Perform research and analysis on social media, google analytics and twitter hash tag analytics.
  • Utilize WordPress for writing, editing, publishing, and overseeing web content on a daily basis.
  • Code websites using HTML5, CSS3, PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL.
  • Partner with CRM team for customer segmentation and modeling.
  • Experience with ghostwriting, copywriting, articles, and blogs.
  • Proofread students' works for content, grammar, and spelling.
  • Repackage and edit articles using Drupal, ensuring content are SEO friendly.
  • Participate in team brainstorming sessions, proofread all print and digital projects.
  • Create a WordPress website using a customize theme written in XHTML and CSS.

Content writer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Content Writers are proficient in Digital Marketing, WordPress, and Web Content. They’re also known for soft skills such as Social perceptiveness, Customer-service skills, and Creativity.

We break down the percentage of Content Writers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Digital Marketing, 10%

    Coordinated with editors and product managers, delivering best-in-class shared services digital marketing copy as collaborative team member.

  • WordPress, 9%

    Managed team of 7 content writers, proofread and quality checked their work, implemented basic SEO and published using WordPress.

  • Web Content, 6%

    Developed Web content primarily for financial industry enterprises in accordance with customer requirements and company specifications.

  • Blog Posts, 6%

    Organize and lay out my own blog posts, and then send to editor(s) for reviewing and publishing.

  • Digital Content, 3%

    Volunteer digital content writer for a non-profit organization.

  • Content Marketing, 3%

    Monitored content effectiveness of all content marketing activities and provide monthly reporting to senior management.

Common skills that a content writer uses to do their job include "digital marketing," "wordpress," and "web content." You can find details on the most important content writer responsibilities below.

Social perceptiveness. The most essential soft skill for a content writer to carry out their responsibilities is social perceptiveness. This skill is important for the role because "writers and authors must understand how readers react to ideas to connect with their audience." Additionally, a content writer resume shows how their duties depend on social perceptiveness: "accelerated content development and utilization of social media by training new staff. "

Creativity. This is an important skill for content writers to perform their duties. For an example of how content writer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "writers and authors must be able to develop interesting plots, characters, or ideas for new stories." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a content writer: "produced original content marketing to attract page visitors with original and creative posts for ideaoverten and their clients. ".

Writing skills. content writer responsibilities often require "writing skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "writers and authors must be able to write clearly and effectively to convey feeling and emotion and to communicate with readers." This resume example shows what content writers do with writing skills on a typical day: "assisted content director in writing articles about visiting artists and performers"

All content writer skills

The three companies that hire the most content writers are:

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Compare different content writers

Content writer vs. Journalist

A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.

If we compare the average content writer annual salary with that of a journalist, we find that journalists typically earn a $1,910 higher salary than content writers make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between content writers and journalists are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like web content, blog posts, and press releases.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between content writers and journalist. For instance, content writer responsibilities require skills such as "digital marketing," "wordpress," "digital content," and "content marketing." Whereas a journalist is skilled in "excellent interpersonal," "multimedia," "local community," and "edit video." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Journalists earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $64,488. On the other hand, content writers are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $97,968.The education levels that journalists earn slightly differ from content writers. In particular, journalists are 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a content writer. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Content writer vs. Editor

An editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be. There are several types of editors, from copy editors, books to managing editors, but they have few skills in common, like strong writing skills, good judgment, and leadership abilities to help guide the whole editorial team. Most of them work in the office, but it is quite becoming more regular for them to work remotely.

On average, editors earn a $6,811 lower salary than content writers a year.A few skills overlap for content writers and editors. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "web content," "blog posts," and "content marketing. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, content writer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "digital marketing," "wordpress," "digital content," and "content writing." Meanwhile, an editor has duties that require skills in areas such as "video content," "seo," "editor-in-chief," and "edit articles." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Editors may earn a lower salary than content writers, but editors earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $62,170. On the other hand, content writers receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $97,968.editors earn similar levels of education than content writers in general. They're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for content writers in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Scott Blanchard Ph.D.Dr. Scott Blanchard Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of English, Misericordia University

I can't speak with much authority about technology. I think that we have yet to determine how 5G technology will transform the world. Some futurists suggest that humans will only have to put in about half the hours they do now in the future.

Content writer vs. Technical editor

A technical editor is someone who proofreads, revises, and edits technical documents. He/She or she checks for grammar, punctuation, and style to ensure that the technical content meets company standards. Some of the qualifications to become a technical editor include knowledge of technical concepts, prior experience in print or online publishing, a keen eye for details, and strong verbal and written communication skills. Someone having a bachelor's degree in English or journalism could qualify for the position.

On average scale, technical editors bring in higher salaries than content writers. In fact, they earn a $2,799 higher salary per year.content writers and technical editors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "web content," "content marketing," and "press releases," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a content writer is likely to be skilled in "digital marketing," "wordpress," "blog posts," and "digital content," while a typical technical editor is skilled in "english language," "training materials," "xml," and "technical editing."

Technical editors earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $62,371. Content writers earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $97,968.technical editors typically earn similar educational levels compared to content writers. Specifically, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Content writer vs. Writer and editor

Writing is not an easy task, so a Writer and an Editor must work together to deliver quality content. A writer's role is to gather information to create a structured written material that would serve its purpose, whether for recreational or informational. Moreover, it is the Editor's responsibility to oversee and examine what the Writer has produced. From this, the Editor will provide feedback, corrections or suggestions, and guidelines that the Writer can follow to improve the material.

Writer and editors tend to earn a higher pay than content writers by an average of $2,564 per year.While both content writers and writer and editors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like web content, blog posts, and content marketing, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between content writers and writer and editors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a content writer might have more use for skills like "digital marketing," "wordpress," "digital content," and "proofreading." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of writer and editors require skills like "photography," "conduct interviews," "fact sheets," and "giveaways. "

Writer and editors enjoy the best pay in the internet industry, with an average salary of $97,058. For comparison, content writers earn the highest salary in the finance industry.The average resume of writer and editors showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to content writers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.6%.

Types of content writer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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