Content writing means creating informative, useful, and engaging content for websites, blogs, and other online platforms.
As more and more businesses realize the value of high-quality content for attracting and retaining an audience, there is a growing demand for skilled content writers.
The good news is – you don’t need to spend money on expensive online writing courses to learn the art and science of content creation.
There are many free online content writing courses, blogs, and resources available that can help you become a successful content writer without spending a dime.
If you are starting your content writing career or are already a professional writer looking to improve your content writing skills, here is how to learn content writing for free today:
Why Learn Content Writing?
In this digital age, there are many great reasons to learn content writing, especially if you want to work online. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Huge demand for skilled content writers. As content becomes king for websites, the need for writers who can create high-quality, engaging content continues to grow. This creates plenty of job opportunities.
- Freelance work opportunities. Content writing is perfectly suited for freelance work as you can work from anywhere with just a laptop and internet connection. No fixed office hours either.
- Variety of industries and clients. As a content writer, you can work on very diverse projects for all kinds of businesses – from SaaS companies to e-commerce websites to non-profits. There are always new topics to explore.
- Creative expression. Creative writing allows you to flex your creative muscles while getting paid. You can showcase your unique voice through blogs, website copy, social media posts, and more.
- Learn new skills. To become a skilled content creator, you need to develop various skills like research, writing persuasively, keyword optimization, analytics, and more. These transferable skills open up new career paths.
- Make money online. Once you build up your portfolio and client base, you can earn a healthy income as a freelance writer from the comfort of your home. You can even write for us at StoryChief!
So, if you love writing, enjoy learning new things, and want the freedom to work remotely – a content writing career is perfect for you. Let’s get started!
Start Writing Content Regularly
While taking a free course, reading blogs and guides will teach you the theory – there is no better way to improve your creative writing at your own pace than by actually writing high-quality content yourself.
A great way to practice regularly is to start your own blog.
You can easily and cheaply set up a basic blog these days with platforms like StoryChief, WordPress, Medium, or Substack.
Come up with blog topic ideas and short stories around your interests and passion.
As you research and write blog posts around those ideas, you will gradually become a better blogger and pick up practical skills like:
- Keyword research
- Search engine optimization
- Writing compelling headlines
- Structuring content
- Promoting posts
- Google Analytics
- Best practices around search engines
- Writing for different platforms
- Experimenting with different formats
You can also use your blog as a portfolio to showcase your writing prowess to potential clients or employers.
The best way to learn is to write hundreds of blog posts. Get feedback from friends, family, and other writers. You will make mistakes, but that’s how you learn.
Best Free Content Writing Online Courses
You can use the many free online content writing courses to improve your content writing skills. Here are some of the best free writing courses:
StoryChief Content Marketing Resources
StoryChief offers a treasure trove of free content marketing resources, including ebooks, guides, and webinars. You can learn content marketing basics, SEO, social media promotion, and more.
HubSpot's Inbound Marketing course
HubSpot Academy offers a free Inbound Marketing course that teaches you how to attract customers through valuable content and tailored experiences.
You'll learn how to create accurate buyer personas using HubSpot tools and map out your buyer's journey to develop impactful content that drives action.
The self-paced course includes 7 lessons, 24 videos, 7 quizzes, and 4:54 hours of content. It's free and you can also get a certification upon completion.
The topics covered include content marketing, social media promotion, lead nurturing, conversion optimization, and more.
SEMrush Academy
SEMrush Academy offers many free SEO resources, including courses, webinars, and certifications. You can learn about keyword research, competitive analysis, content marketing, and more.
Some of the best free courses for content writers include:
- Plan a Magnetic Content Strategy Using Semrush
- Digital Advertising 101
- Mastering YouTube Search Trends and SEO strategies
- Small Business SEO Basics: Create High-Ranking Content for Your Website
University content writing courses
Here are some universities that offer free online courses on content writing:
Open University offers free courses on a wide range of topics, including writing, digital marketing, and more. You can learn at your own pace and get a certificate upon completion.
EdX offers free online courses from top universities around the world like HarvardX.
University of Michigan offers a free course "Good with Words: Writing and Editing" that teaches you how to write and edit content for different platforms.
University of California offers a free course "The Strategy of Content Marketing" that teaches you how to create and promote engaging content.
Best Content Writing Blogs
Many talented content writers and marketers generously share their knowledge through blogs and free tools. Here are some great resources:
Copyblogger
Copyblogger offers a treasure trove of in-depth articles, guides, ebooks, and webinars focused exclusively on content marketing and copywriting.
Whether you want to learn how to conduct keyword research, structure compelling content, optimize it for SEO, promote it, or track results – Copyblogger has you covered.
StoryChief Blog
The StoryChief blog shares the latest content marketing tips and strategies to help promote your content effectively. Learn how to create catchy headlines, SEO, meta descriptions, and more.
Get Feedback on Your Content Writing
When you are starting, it’s challenging to evaluate your writing objectively.
As a beginner content writer, getting regular feedback is crucial so you can identify weaknesses and improve even faster. Here are some options to get feedback:
Join Writing Communities
There are many online communities for writers where you can share your articles and get feedback from other writers. These include Reddit’s writing subs, Scribophile, Goodreads, and more.
Find a Content Writing Mentor
An experienced writer in your niche can mentor you by reviewing your articles and giving feedback. You may find someone willing to help in one of the online communities or get a professional mentor on MentorCruise
Use a Readability Tool
While not as good as human feedback, readability tools like StoryChief or Hemingway App will analyze your writing and highlight hard-to-read sentences, use of passive voice, complex words and more.
Take a Content Writing Course (Paid)
While the learning resources above will teach you the basics, if you want expert feedback and coaching, it’s worthwhile to invest in a paid content writing course later. This will take your writing skills to an advanced level.
Conclusion – Keep Learning & Improving
As the famous quote goes – “Good writers are made, not born.”
With the wealth of free online resources and dedication to keep practicing, anyone can master content writing.
Learning content writing may seem intimidating as a beginner but take it one step at a time.
Build your foundations first before trying to craft complex long-form articles.
Content writing is a constantly evolving field with new trends, formats, and platforms emerging all the time.
So keep learning, keep writing, and most importantly - keep improving! The opportunities are endless for skilled writers who continuously hone their craft.
