How to Write Informative Articles for Money
There are many ways in which it is possible to earn money in your spare time whilst working from home. This is great news for those people who already have a day job (whether it be full or part time) and are perhaps juggling family and childcare commitments as well.
Most of these methods of earning money from home are not going to guarantee significant sums, but a little extra here and there can often go further than you think.
Obviously, it will really help if these money-making opportunities are of interest to you. It is even more beneficial if you are able to use skills you already have and to build upon them further, as you could potentially be enhancing your future career prospects at the same time.
One idea for those people who are good with words, have reasonably proficient computer skills or an area of particular expertise is to write informative articles for money. If this sounds like something that might be of interest to you then hopefully the following information will help you.
Who will these articles be for?
The answer to this question could quite literally be, “Anyone.” The internet is such a boundless source of information for people on every subject under the sun and just because you feel that a certain topic might not be interesting or noteworthy doesn’t mean that someone, somewhere, isn’t absolutely dying to find out more about it.
Therefore, many companies will now commission freelance writers to create content for their websites and this is where you would come in. Who you are writing for will depend greatly on the customer base of each website. You might find that you can write about your in-depth knowledge of computer games for a few gaming websites or you might find that you prefer writing on a wide range of different subjects (according to each company’s brief) after doing a bit of independent research.
What skills are necessary to write informative articles for money?
The most important skill is to be able to write to a high standard in written English. You should be comfortable with spelling, grammar and syntax so that your articles are interesting and engaging for the reader. The companies you work for may well give you a word limit, so bear this in mind at all times and stick as closely to it as possible.
You will need to have access to a computer with a word processing program (Microsoft Word is the most commonly used) and the internet and be able to use both effectively. It will be helpful to you if you can read through other articles quickly and draw out the key points, as you may well have to undertake some research from time to time in order to understand the topics about which you are writing.
You should take care to fully understand the brief set by the client and to ensure that you include any necessary key words as per their requests. This will be important if the client is hoping to make money from schemes such as Google's 'Adsense', whereby websites can make extra money through having relevant adverts placed alongside or within your articles once they are published online.
You will also need to have good proofreading and editing skills, so that you can read back over your own work and refine it as appropriate. If you make the effort to do this you will be saving the client valuable time and are therefore much more likely to receive further assignments.
Where to go to find out more
A quick internet search will throw up many websites offering online copywriting jobs, but make sure you only register with companies that you trust. Large recruitment companies such as www.reed.co.uk might be a good place to start, although obviously they will take a commission for placing you with any employer.
Websites catering for freelance writers are also a good bet and these sites can often offer advice about other aspects of working from home such as registering with HMRC and so on. A good example of such a website might be www.freelancer.co.uk.
It is also worth regularly checking the jobs sections of newspapers such as The Guardian, as well as trade press and magazines for industries of which you have a particular knowledge. The further you spread your net, the more likely you are to be offered assignments and you might even find yourself in the wonderful position of being able to pick and choose which jobs you take on!