Author: Gazala Firdos

If you are new to blogging, you may have noticed that some of your blogs are loved a lot better by your readers in comparison to others. You might be working equally hard for all your projects, yet some of your brightest ideas may remain devoid of the attention they deserved.
This happens because you might be missing some key components that make your blog exciting and attract readers to your post. Here are 5 interesting components of a good blog-

1. A Catchy Title

One of the first things that a reader notices about your blog is the title. The title must be interesting enough to compel the reader to click on the link. Keep experimenting with your title. You must understand that your reader comes across several blog posts every time they scroll their phone. Think about what would make them open yours.

2. Sub-heading

You may get your readers to open your blog through your title, but you wouldn’t be able to have them till the end without dividing your piece into subheads. In this era of information, content is available everywhere. You must make it easy for your readers to consume your work. Otherwise, they would find someplace where it is.

3. Images

Let us face it, no matter how mind-blowing your content is, long paragraphs of plain text never attract anybody. You need to make your blog look attractive for the readers to reach the last section. The human brain finds images more stimulating than text, and hence, you must add images to make your blog aesthetically pleasing.

4. A Binding Introduction

One or two paragraphs at the beginning of your blog decide the fate of your whole piece. Your introduction should give a summary of what the blog has to offer and should convince the reader that the ensuing paragraphs contain valuable and relevant content.

5. Formatting

Many bloggers neglect the power of proper formatting. Knowing which section to bold, italicize, or underline makes a considerable difference to your blog’s overall appeal. Even though it is a relatively simple thing to do, but it creates the impression that effort has gone into curating this content.

It is never too late to learn. And with the advent of modern technology, it has never been easier. Writing comes naturally to some people, and some have to make an effort. However, even if you are good at writing, there is always room for improvement.
If you are willing to learn or improve your writing skills but could not take out the time to join a class, you have the perfect opportunity now with online content writing courses. You can easily join one of these courses and start learning from exactly where you are.

1. ECT (Education and Career Times) Content Writing Course

ECT is a Government of India recognized institution providing a content writing course that will help you polish your writing skills to a professional level. This is three months course, and you will learn different forms of content writing. You will strengthen your vocabulary and learn to avoid common grammatical mistakes. The course fee is INR 15,000.

2. Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization

The University of Michigan is offering a specialization in content writing as it deals with the whole process of content writing in detail in its four courses- Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order, Structure and Organization, Drafting and Revising. The course is entirely free of cost.

3. Ninja Writing: Writing Skills, Copywriting & Content Writing

It is a beginner-level course offered by Udemy. It starts with the basics of writing- words and makes its way up to sentences, passages and stories. Along with content writing, you will also learn to make websites and how to get the reader’s attention.

4. Free Writing Courses & Classes Online by Skillshare

Skillshare is a platform where educational videos are made available to anyone who is interested. They are offering a writing course which can be availed for free and via which you can improve your writing skills. You will learn the various processes involved in producing a written piece.

5. Free content Writing courses & classes by LinkedIn Learning-Lynda

LinkedIn is well known social media platform for professionals. LinkedIn Learning-Lynda is running free content writing courses comprising instructional videos to hone your writing skills.

Do you think that you would be able to write 350-2000 words on a given topic from a particular area of choice? If yes, then you can start earning right away by writing commissioned pieces of writing.
In today’s world of content marketing, having the potential to write an original and interesting writeup on any topic is a great advantage. Not only do you get to earn, but you get to work according to your schedule and preference. If you are interested in becoming a freelance content writer, then here are a few platforms you must check out.

1. Upwork

If you have been into writing for some time now, you have probably heard of Upwork. It is a website that acts as a middleman between the content writer and the employer. To get a writing job at Upwork, you need to sign up at their website.
Service fee- 5-20%

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is another website for freelancers. You need to signup and mention what services you are willing to provide. You also need to pick a price for your service and find clients to work with.
Service fee- 20%

3. Guru

Guru is a great platform to start freelance writing. There is a plethora of employers and freelancers, not just for content writing but many other services. It is also one of the websites having comparatively lower service charge.
Service fee- <10%

4. Crowd Content

Just like the name suggests, the website has a crowd of content buyers and sellers. You can be one of those freelancer content writers by signing up and writing an application showing your writing skills. They examine your writing skills before approving you as a content writer. Once approved, you can work on your preferred assignment and get paid twice a week.
Service fee- None

5. Content Writers

The site is exclusively for freelance content writers, as evident from the name. It is a very popular platform for freelance content writing. You can visit their website to sign yourself up. In case they are not accepting applications, you can contact them by writing to their team at writers@contentwriters.com.
Service fee- None