Meet, Lisa, a writer at My Content Pal. Because we’re always looking for top talent to join our stellar writing team, we thought we’d let you in on what it’s like to write for us.
Please introduce yourself and describe your role at My Content Pal.
Hello! {{FirstName}}. Just kidding!
I’m Lisa, a current freelance content writer at My Content Pal. Although I like to think of myself as a freelancer with perks.
Compared to other freelance writing jobs this one has been the most fulfilling.
When chatting with my boss, Craig, I once referred to myself as a freelancer. He made it clear that he was not overly fond of that term.
“It creates this feeling of us and them. And I’ve always considered you part of the team anyway”
When I first started I was doing the usual SEO articles on various subjects. Now I am tasked with writing copy for carousels, email outbound sequences, graphics for articles and social media content.
How did you get started in the content industry and how did you get a freelance writer position?
I started in the industry in late 2019. But honestly, I knew NOTHING about SEO. I heard about a company who was looking for writers through a friend.
After my first few articles, I was hooked. And I knew that this is what I wanted to do. The previous company I worked for allowed me to write a lot, but I wasn’t learning.
There was no guidance or encouragement. I scrolled through LinkedIn for months looking for other job opportunities and came upon a listing by MCP. And the rest is history.
What does a typical day look like for you?
You might think that freelancing in remote setting allows for perks such as waking up whenever you want or working from bed.
And honestly, that was me in the beginning. But I quickly learned that I needed to prioritise my work and have a dedicated workspace and schedule. Especially if I wanted to turn this into a career.
Typically:
- Wake up between 6 and 7 am, shower, have coffee, and get dressed as if I were going to an office.
- Set up my laptop in my home office, open Slack and reply to any messages if needed.
- Write up my to-do list for the day, and set a goal of what I want to achieve.
- Read through client instructions for the article.
- Research.
- Take notes.
- Open Surfer and start writing.
- Research while writing and write while researching.
- Check-in with managers if I have any questions or need clarification.
- Clean up the article, run checks (Grammarly, Copyscape, Hemingway)
- Submit and wait for edits.
My days will vary depending on the task at hand. Some days it’s quiet and I can focus on my projects.
Other days it can feel chaotic, with so many different tasks on different platforms each requiring a different TOV. But, it keeps it interesting.
How do you prioritise your tasks and manage your time each day?
I have a giant whiteboard and I plan my weekly tasks, being sure to allow for a “cushion” of time in case anything else pops up.
If other projects are sent to me I communicate with the managers and check which tasks take priority.
I keep track of the time I spend on certain tasks as a freelancer, but this has also been a source of motivation.
As I continue learning and working I try to optimise my time and become more efficient with my turn out.
How do you interact with the team on a daily basis? What methods do you use to ensure effective communication and collaboration?
Slack has been the go-to platform for communicating with the managers. Between leaving comments in Surfer, Google Docs or emails, I make sure to send a message on Slack as well.
The managers are dealing with a lot of messages on a daily basis and I try my best to be clear and concise to avoid anything getting lost in translation.
What are some common challenges you face, and what do you do to overcome them?
I sometimes struggle with:
- Procrastination
- Fear of failure
- Expecting myself to get things right the first time
- Overthinking
To overcome them:
- I set goals and time limits, limit distractions and have educated myself on reasons for procrastination.
- This links back to my procrastination. It’s an ongoing process but I remind myself that failures are so valuable. You learn more from failure than from success.
- Ask for help and advice. This was hard for me in the beginning. But everyone at MCP wants you to learn and wants to help.
- I often hear Craig in my head saying “Don’t overthink it”. I say that to myself before starting on a new project.
What resources have been particularly beneficial to your growth at the company?
Webinars, YouTube and LinkedIn have all been incredibly beneficial. But I think learning on the job from the managers, Craig and other writers has been the most incredible resource. Honourable mention goes to Canva, for the graphics.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
Learning! Not just about SEO, marketing strategies and content creation. Writing about so many different niches has me saying “Did you know…” almost every day.
I love this random encyclopedia of knowledge that exists in my mind.
I also love the interactions with other MCP staff. There is a great sense of camaraderie which makes the remote setting feel a lot less isolating.
What skills or traits do you think are essential for success in this role?
- Eagerness to learn
- Being able to take criticisms constructively
- Time management
- Initiative
- Discipline
- A creative mindset that allows you to take a mundane topic and make it interesting and engaging.
- Willingness to unlearn everything you thought you knew about writing.
- Adaptability
What advice would you give someone who wants to become a freelance writer in the content industry?
Be prepared for late nights. Freelancing doesn’t always mean working at your own pace. Keep up with content and SEO trends.
This industry can change overnight (I’m looking at YOU Google algorithms). Realise that content writing companies go through phases.
You may have an influx of work one month and very little the next. Be sure to manage your expectations.
How do you see the role of a freelance writer changing in the future at My Content Pal?
Most content writers are already “full stack” writers at this point and I see it becoming more of a necessity at MCP. Writers will also be exposed to the more technical aspects of the industry and writing different forms of content.
