Where there is a will, there’s a way, and with the advent and reach of the Internet, the number of ways to achieve monetary success have grown exponentially. Full time jobs are being supplemented with income earned online and online jobs are becoming full-time in time when they become lucrative. Who wouldn’t love the comfort and ease of earning your living without having to leave home?
One way to earn money online is to write articles, either for your own blog, as a freelance agent or as a staff member of a company that owns websites or writes copy for a price. For any of these options to have even a modest chance of success, you have to possess certain skills and abilities:
- Your command of English (being predominantly the language used across the web) must be excellent. Fluency in both grammar and prose are equally important.
- Your writing should have a style of its own.
- Your text should be error-free and easy to read.
- English is just one language, but it has different dialects, accents and terms for each country it’s spoken in. Keep your target audience in mind when you write and use the appropriate form of the language to get your message across. You may not be in Rome, but when your article is being read mostly by Romans, it’s best to talk (write) as the Romans do.
- Use simple language that can be understood by a wider range of people rather than verbose, complicated essays.
- Stick to word limits give or take 50 or so words.
- If you are asked to use key words for search engine optimization, blend them into your article in a systematic manner rather than strew them randomly and at odds with the rest of your text.
- Never ever plagiarize from other websites or sources. It reflects badly on your ability as a writer and your sense of ethics as a human being.
- Be well versed in the subject you’re supposed to write about if you want your audience to take you seriously.
- Dedication to deadlines is an asset, especiallywhen you’re working from home.
- Come up with catchy headlines.
- Be cohesive and plan your article before you begin to write it. Random thoughts simply put on paper (or screen) do not make for interesting reading. Weave a story that both encapsulates what you have to say in a nutshell and captivates the attention of your reader from start to finish.
- Check out the job offer thoroughly before you begin any work. You don’t want to end up being cheated by a fraudulent outfit.
- Brush up your Internet search skills if you expect to make a successful career out of your web sojourn.
- If it’s a blog you’re writing for, encourage and respond to reader comments. It’s the best way to increase traffic to your site.
- Continuous writing can take its toll on a writer’s creativity, so come up with new ways to keep your work interesting and challenging.
Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of credit cards. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
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