Think you know how to write?
Think again.
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Nearly 75% of employers want employees with strong writing skills. Yet, almost half of employers say young job applicants can’t write well enough.
These days, writing is so much more than basic grammar, correct spelling and proper punctuation. You need to be able to communicate complex messages in dozens of different ways, for wildly different audiences.
Here are six kinds of writing everyone needs to master—no matter what industry you’re in.
1. Video
Literally every brand has jumped on the video content wagon, and scriptwriting is an art form unto itself. It requires a special kind of creativity to tell a story using both audio and visuals.
Scriptwriters also need to know specific formatting practices that are standard in the industry. For example, you may need to write a video script in screenplay format or two-column advertising format.
If you can quickly turn around a well-written and professionally formatted script, you have an undeniable advantage over the competition.
2. Audio
Listen. Do you hear that? It’s the sound of podcasts and radio shows taking over the planet!
There’s more audio content being generated than ever before, and you never know when you might be called on to write a podcast script, radio commercial, podiobook or audio blog.
Writing audio content is completely different than writing content that’s meant to be read (like a blog post) or seen (like a video).
3. Social Media
Sure, you might have a killer social media following for yourself, but do you know how to write social content for brands? It’s a whole different ballgame.
Writers need to understand the stylistic nuances of each platform, while at the same time being true to the brand. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube… it’s a lot for a writer to learn.
And don’t forget social media advertising. Promoted tweets, YouTube pre-roll videos and Facebook ads are all created by writers.
4. B2C Copywriting
As technology continues to evolve at a rapid-fire pace, B2C (business-to-consumer) copywriting is becoming more multi-faceted. Writers must keep on top of these industry changes to stay employable.
But if we go back to basics, every successful B2C writer has to master these three skills:
Writing for highly targeted niche audiences
Writing across drastically different platforms (websites, email, print ads, digital ads, email, social media, etc.)
Coming up with an endless stream of new strategies and ideas to present well-worn ideas in a fresh new light.
5. Sponsored Content
One of the fastest-growing areas of B2C is sponsored content, also known as advertorial, native advertising or promoted stories.
To create effective sponsored content, a writer has to marry a brand’s content and message with a publication’s style and tone. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk, and it’s why sponsored content writers are in such high demand.
6. B2B Copywriting
Writing B2B (business-to-business) is 10x harder than writing B2C.
Why?
It’s easy to put yourself in an individual consumer’s shoes because you’re an individual consumer yourself. It’s much harder to write compelling copy aimed at a business.
What does a business want? How can you convince them of your unique value proposition? How do you handle all the different channels of B2B marketing: trade publications, blog content, email newsletters, case studies, white papers and press releases?
We recommend that all writers take the time to learn B2B writing skills forwards, backward and upside-down.
Go Forth and Write!
Remember, 75% of employers want you to walk in the door with strong writing skills under your belt. Become a fantastic writer, and you’ll have great companies knocking down your door.
