How to be a versatile writer
People have often asked me how I adapt my writing seamlessly across different industries. This actually gave me pause in the beginning because it had never really occurred to me that this is something other people have a problem with. Yes, I have worked in content across the software, PR, e-commerce and now NGO industries, but to me the shift wasn't so drastic.To me it still isn't.
Corporate content is an interesting space to work in. On the one hand, like me, you can move between industries with far more ease than if you were say, a dentist. This gives you as a writer the opportunity to try out different styles of writing, gain a huge amount of experience very quickly, and boost your value with your next employer.
On the other hand corporate content in its basic form is really quite standardised. Regardless of which industry you join, the foundation of your work remains the same. You will still probably have to work on the company website,blog, social media, emailers, newsletters, display ads, campaigns and a few other usual things.
This is not to say that there's no difference between writing for an e-commerce company, and writing for an NGO. There is, just not a huge one. Though e-commerce companies work for profit, and NGOs are the exact opposite, they each have a customer. It is understanding who that is, what they want, and how to appeal to them, that will strengthen your adaptability as a writer.
Unfortunately this is a very instinctual process. No one can teach you how to mentally and emotionally connect with your audience, how to put yourself in their shoes, how to feel the things they feel and anticipate what they want to know. That's something you can work on to a small extent but it begins with the gift of empathy, that you have to be born with.
If you have empathy combined with technical skill, you already have what it takes to become a versatile writer. Beyond that all it takes is belief.
Have you found it difficult or easy to move between industries in your line of work?