How to get into B2B SaaS content writing

The fiercest side hustle out there: Content writing

*cue dramatic opening music*

Throw a "Freelance content writer needed" job ad out there, and you'll probably hook upwards of 500 people. That's a lot of people to be competing against. And yet, 95% of those people are sorely unprepared. Either because they've overestimated their talent or they're simply overwhelmed. Or both.

Content writing is more than just some technical SEO, metrics-driven job. To me, it's a creative pursuit you must practice every day. And even if you do that, you'll never be perfect.

Wait, wait, wait. Don't panic.

I'll break this down for you so you can:

• Learn how to prepare yourself for this profession
• Focus on learning to grow into content writing
• Set yourself up for future success

How do you prepare yourself for a life of content writing?

TL;DR - just write.

Kidding. I'll outline the steps for you:

1. Write every day. Whether you're fresh out of school or pivoting in your career, it'll be much easier to get started with writing if you love what you're writing about. Learn to write long-form articles on a free blog platform. Master short-form on socials. Keep a hand-written journal. Whatever it is, learn it, do it, and then move on to the next step. Everyone is always so impatient to get started that they forget to hone the most important thing: a consistent writing habit. Don't let that be you.
2. Learn about content writing and why it's different. Unlike the writing you've done before, the typical blog post structure is set up for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If a company is any good, you'll get a writer's brief to help structure your writing to help the post rank high on Google's Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Study and compare academic or regular business writing with content writing.
3. Learn to write for the niche you want to work in. I never intended to be a B2B SaaS writer, but here I am. Before I jumped in, I researched and asked many questions. What part of the B2B SaaS industry is booming? Who are the customers in that business segment, and what do they want? How and where do they consume and engage with content? Take a look at your target companies' blogs. What do they have in common? What unique perspectives could you bring? What are the gaps in their content? Do some basic keyword research on their businesses and use Google search to see the most commonly asked questions.
4. Learn to write in the style and voice of your target industries and companies. Take a look at blog posts published by your target companies. Study the structure and style. If you did your research in the previous step, you may have found a topic of interest that fits their blog. Now write! But don't do this with the intention to pitch what you're writing. This is purely an exercise to get into the flow of writing in this new style and voice.

Look, I'm not saying you'll score your first professional writing gig just by following these steps. But you'll be better prepared than your competition.

How can you continuously learn to improve?

You'll do a lot of learning as you write, but you can outsmart your competition by taking that a step further.

-Sign up for free online courses-

Semrush and Hubspot offer certification courses. I know what you're thinking, though. Will these certifications get me freelance work? Well, you'll be equipped with more knowledge than you had yesterday. People like to see you're willing to upskill and grow. These kinds of free courses can also help you decide if content writing is something you really want to do. I thought I wanted to do PPC marketing and signed up for a short course. I got through 15 mins and was like, NOPE.

-Take part in webinars hosted by your target companies-

Want to know who the audience is and how well the company understands them? Watch one of their hosted webinars. You'll get to see first-hand if their audience engages or switches off. Also, it's a great opportunity to see the part of their business they're trying to showcase.

-Sign up for a trial of their product or service-

You'll get great insights into the customer experience and use a completely different lens while evaluating them. Then, use what you've learned and apply it to content writing.

-Learn their most commonly used content-writing apps-

You may know how to use Google Docs to write, but have you explored everything it can do? Many content marketing teams also use apps like Clearscope to optimize their SEO. Learn how to use Chat GPT to support your writing, not replace it. Find out what they use and learn it. Don't get lazy and take shortcuts. Your writing has to be better than Chat GPT. Otherwise, they'd already be using it instead of looking for someone like you.

Things may look rosy now, but the industry can fluctuate strongly. The summer slump, budget cuts, and other factors can influence whether there are jobs out there. Don't get discouraged, they're out there.

How can you set yourself up for future success?

Keep your resume up-to-date. Don't assume that a previous job has no relevance to content writing. It's amazing how many professions have cross-over relevance. Find overlapping skills and showcase them!

Be active on LinkedIn and other socials relevant to your niche. Your writing and presence on any public platform are also part of your portfolio and brand. When I am looking at a selection of writers that apply, the first place I go is their LinkedIn. I look at how they write and interact. Are they just there to be a knowledge vampire and not give back? Or do they lift others and help where they can? Also, if their social posts are messy content-wise and full of errors, I'm going to assume that will be the amount of care they'll put into writing for us as a company.

Now it's your time to shine

You've unlearned what school or your day job taught you about writing. You have a plan for writing in different niches and genres every day to get the creative juices flowing. You've taken some courses to get the technical skills under your belt and figured out what makes you unique.

All of these things will boost your game before you even apply for your first job. Speaking of jobs...

Belinda, you forgot to tell us where to find work!

I didn't forget. Did you do all the stuff I talked about in this post? No? Then start at the beginning. No one becomes a brain surgeon with half the knowledge. That applies here, too. Small, consistent steps will eventually lead to fulfilling your larger plan.