What Is Content Writing?

Content writing is a very generic term that can refer to many different things. Content writers contribute to blogs, social media posts, email blasts, advertising campaigns, and technical documents. As a consequence, it encompasses all types of writing, from complex and formal to simple and informal.

Some examples of content writing include:

• Marketing emails for subscribers to an email list
• Social media posts for brand awareness
• Instruction manuals for products
• Product reviews for websites
• Political commentary
• Travel guides
• Restaurant reviews
• “How-to” guides

What is content writing?

Although there is a crossover between printed output and online “content” (i.e., newspapers and magazines almost always have an online version of their output), “content” tends to refer to things that are published online.

“Content” also covers photos, videos, music, and games, but this article deals only with written content.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has had an impact on content writing, causing some anxiety about whether it will replace human authors. However, it is usually possible to detect AI writing using a tool like the QuillBot AI detector.

Different types of content writing

Content writing covers everything from catchy taglines to full-length books. And the range of platforms is extensive as well. Here are the main areas where you will find content writing.

Social media writing

Most social media writing is short-form. The main platforms are TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter). Content tends to be short, and any need to explain at greater length can be met with links to blog posts or sometimes using a “thread” of posts that are meant to be read together.

For those building or maintaining a “brand,” social media content needs to be posted frequently—often daily—and needs to catch the attention of users as they scroll. Most of these channels also rely heavily on visual content, with text taking a secondary role—with X and its rivals like Threads and Bluesky being the notable exceptions.

The language of social media posts is more likely to be informal, with many niche words, figurative language, and slang.

Blog writing

The word “blog” is a neologism (specifically, a portmanteau) from “web log”—i.e., a log, or record, kept on the World Wide Web.

Blogs are used by businesses, journalists, media outlets, and individuals to write long-fom content to reach their audiences. They can be about politics, current affairs, travel, cooking, or any other hobby- or interest-related topics.

Blogs are hosted on a number of platforms, with Tumblr and WordPress being the most popular.

The style and formality of language will depend on the creator and audience, and will range from informal and lighthearted to serious and weighty. Similarly, the content length will vary from short and pithy to many thousands of words.

Some websites will use blog content to drive traffic to their commercial services, so access to the blog is free, and links direct users to paid services. Others, like Substack (which is not strictly a blogging site, but is very similar) allow authors to charge for the online content they provide. Its “Notes” feature is closer to X in intent.

In 2024, the top five blogs by readership were:

• Billboard
• Business Insider
• People
• TMZ
• Entrepreneur

Website creation

It is almost unheard-of now for a business, brand, political party, charity—indeed any organization that interacts with the public—not to have a website. Even the most visually focused websites, like photographers’ portfolios, are still likely to use written content.

Some websites are very text-heavy—for example, news organizations. Others will be focused on images with some text. In fact, you will find every possible mix, from almost zero text to almost zero images.

However, whatever the concentration of text, it still needs to be carefully planned for the target audience. Some of the content will also be more akin to copywriting, but there will be plenty that is there to inform, entertain, or otherwise engage the reader.

Brand promotion

Companies will use a variety of content to promote their brand. This includes the brand’s website, which will have a range of textual components, and social media platforms, as well as advertising copy on other websites, YouTube videos, etc.

Content writing for brand promotion will therefore extend from catchy mottos (“Just do it!” and “Think different!”) to stories about the brand’s origin to examples of how successful people use their products. The range is almost endless.

The language used is likely to be fairly informal in order to communicate the company’s accessibility, but it might also be formal enough to express that it is a serious business. These choices will reflect the target audience of the product.

Email writing

If you have an email address, you almost certainly will be a recipient of marketing emails. Businesses and organizations rely on them to generate income and interest. Emails will often link to other types of content, like blog posts or product reviews.

Marketing emails will reflect the image desired by the marketer. They might be chatty, personal emails, or more serious. As with all content, they need to be tailored to communicate to the target audience effectively.

Promo writing

“Promo” is short for “promotional,” and promo writing is anything that aims to promote a product, service, or brand. As such, it will be found in many of the areas already discussed, from social media platforms to blogs, leaflets, websites, and many others.

The content will need to fit the audience and the business profile, and this will determine how formal the language is, as well as any visual elements.

Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting has nothing to do with haunting supernatural spirits. Rather, it refers to authors who write for someone else, usually a famous person. It is a way of using the writer’s skill and the celebrity’s fame to produce a good product that will sell.

Ghostwriters often go unacknowledged (hence the term “ghost”), with the celebrity’s name being given the credit. At other times they might get a mention, such as “with Joe Bloggs.” For example, True is a novel that credits “Hilary Duff” on the cover and, inside, adds “with Elise Allen.”

Technical writing

Technical writing can range from drafting legislation to authoring user guides and software documentation. Technical writing might involve complex, technical language aimed at an expert readership, or it might require skilled, simple explanation of technical issues for the layperson.

For example, a user’s manual for a studio microphone will probably have highly technical data about frequency response, phantom power, bass roll-off, and proximity effect. On the other hand, a consumer-level microphone, whilst touching on these matters, will couch the advice in more accessible language. The author will take into account the likely technical expertise of the end-user.

An interesting example of simplification of technical writing is Ikea’s famous instruction manuals. These attempt to eliminate all text, allowing for use across multiple language areas without technical translation, thus cutting costs.

Long-form content writing

There is no official word count at which writing becomes long-form content writing. But once an article exceeds a couple of thousand words, it is safe to start thinking of it in those terms. The particular challenges of long-form writing are coherence and sustaining interest. It is unlikely that an unplanned, loosely structured piece will hold the audience’s attention.

That being said, there are plenty of long-form content providers. Often they are legacy news organizations (both the Guardian and The New York Times, for example, have regular pieces that run into thousands of words—the Guardian’s is even called “The Long Read”), but other sites such as Substack are also focused on hosting long-form journalism.

Long-form content is more likely to use formal language and grammar, and it requires careful planning. In general, paragraphs will need to be well-structured with a topic sentence and  clear development, and the article will need a logical progression from beginning to end. Long-form isn’t a license to waffle—it should be long because of the depth of content, not just for its own sake.

What skills does a content writer need?

A content writer needs a range of skills, no matter the type of content: a command of the language, an understanding of the audience, and a flexibility to write in the appropriate style.

As we have seen, different types of content will require specific styles of writing. A content writer who can master a range of styles will find it easier to obtain work.

As well as writing skills, a content writer needs to be organized, able to meet deadlines, resilient in the face of criticism, and able to work with their editor(s).

Who uses content writers?

Online and print publications, advertising agencies, brands, celebrities, manufacturers—the list of those who use content writers is almost endless.

Most content writers will specialize in a particular niche area of interest or expertise (e.g., photography, lifestyle, gardening) and/or a particular format (short-form, copywriting, social media, etc.). It would be unusual for a writer to be able to cover all modes across a wide range of subject areas or areas of interest.

Content writing and SEO

Online searches rely on search engines (such as DuckDuckGo or Google), and content providers try to make sure their websites appear towards the top of the search engine results page (known as SERP). The task of making your content fit the requirements of search engines is called search engine optimization (SEO).

SEO is worth nearly USD 90 million annually, so it’s big business. After all, how many of us look beyond the first two to three pages of results when we search online?

There are many different formulas for optimizing your content to meet the needs of the search engine, and this is just one of many steps in the content writing process.

Tips for content writing

No matter what type of content you are writing, there are several golden rules to follow to ensure success:

• Plan effectively: We often associate planning as being most necessary for longer-form writing, and it’s true that planning is especially important for that format. However, every kind of content will need some planning, and it’s important not to skip that step.
• Research your topic: There is simply no point in writing in ignorance. Do your research and keep an open mind.
• Know your audience: It doesn’t matter how well-researched your content is if it isn’t tailored to your audience. Most retirees won’t make it beyond “Yo! Ma dudes!” if that is your first sentence.
• Know your content type: Craft your content to suit the platform you are writing for. Chatty, anecdotal writing might suit one website and be totally out of place in another. Sometimes you will have to suppress your natural writing style to fit the publisher’s requirements.
• Review and redraft: Reviewing your content can be the most onerous of tasks. Very often, we want to finish it and send it off. But it would be very rare indeed for content to be publishing-ready at the first attempt. Indeed, even after several rounds of editing, reviewing, and proofreading, errors will still creep in. You can use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to catch any errors.
• Get a second opinion: Ideally, an editor should check your content before publishing it. It can feel threatening to have someone looking over your work, with memories of having your homework marked—but it can be a very productive and helpful relationship.

Frequently asked questions about content writing

How do I become a content writer?

In many ways, it’s never been easier to become a content writer. All you need is access to the internet and somewhere to publish. Now, of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll make any money for that.

Keeping a personal blog is, however, a good way of building up a body of work so that if you apply for jobs as a content writer, you have a portfolio of work.

Other steps you can take are to put in bids on Fiverr, keep a LinkedIn profile, and offer to produce content for charities, schools, and other good causes.

What’s the difference between a content writer and a copywriter?

The difference between a content writer and a copywriter is not always well understood. This is partly because the lines between the two can be blurred.

Put simply, the purpose of content is to inform, entertain, argue, or persuade, whereas copywriting is focused on persuading people to send their money in a particular way.

Whether you’re working on content or copy, QuillBot’s free AI tool for copywriting can help you quickly write texts that connect with your audience.