"Your Guide to the Custom Original Content Opportunity Online."
(Interview with Merry Bruns-excerpt from ContentBiz.com
Report.)
Who's going to make real money with original custom content?"
Merry Bruns, who's been producing content-rich Web sites for such clients
as the NIH and many large associations since January 1995, says, "You're
never going to get rich being a freelance writer for Web sites.
There's a joke amongst freelancers: How can you make real money as a
writer? Marry rich."
Bruns explains that writing content is only part of the opportunity,
"Clients need a content strategist, a producer, as well as a writer.
You have to sit down with the organization's leaders and discuss the
drive and the focus of the company, and then what their audience's needs
are. I explain the Web is different from their marketing brochures
and traditional media—it's an audience driven medium.
" They look at me and nod their heads and I know they don't know
what I'm talking about. Why should they? It's not their business!
It's your job to know this, and to explain it to them so they can understand
it ."
"So," she continues, "there's so much more than just
saying 'I'm going to write content for your site.' You have to
understand what the user is supposed to do when they arrive at this
site. The strategizing goes on far ahead of putting pen to paper.
But, a lot of writers just want to write.
"But even if a freelancer has that rare combination of talents—great
marketing skills and the ability to act as an online content strategist—their
opportunities are still limited due to time constraints. A single
person can only take on so much business by himself or herself."
Copyright 1997-2012 Merry Bruns
ScienceSites Communications
Washington, DC
All Rights Reserved.