I realized last night that I have been so excited about sharing all the nuances of content marketing that I haven’t addressed the most important question that you most likely have: How do I make money as a content marketing writer? So, today I am going to talk about who hires content marketing writers and will go more in depth on each of these over the next few weeks.

Here are four places to find work as a content marketing writer:

1. Content Companies – I unknowingly began my career as a content marketing writer 2 years ago, when I answered a job ad for Contently, a content marketing company. Companies such as Contently, Skyword, Ebyline and others provide content marketing writing and act as middleman between the writers and the brands. Each company works differently, with some providing editors and staffing the teams while others have the writers work directly with the brands. The pay ranges greatly based on the projects, as does the caliber of clients, but you typically make less going through a third-party company than contracting directly with a brand.
2. Directly for a Brand or Professional – A great way to earn top dollar and see the impact of your content marketing is to write directly for a brand or a professional, such as a doctor, lawyer, or dentist. Oftentimes, their marketing departments are already overworked or don’t have a writer with the right skills so companies search out freelance content marketing writers. You can make good money with the right client, but you also will typically find yourself doing more educating about content marketing.
3. Custom Publications – Have you read Costco Connection, the magazine that Costco sends out to its members? That is an example of content marketing that has been around for years. Many brands, companies and even organizations have their own publications for members and customers. A good starting point to find custom publications is the Custom Content Council. Most of the time one publisher creates custom publications for multiple brands so it can initially be challenging to find the right contact, but once you do, you often hit a jackpot of future work with multiple publications.
4. Marketing/PR firms – No longer is working marketing/PR firms considered the “dark side” as in years past. Public relations firms are increasingly finding themselves being asked to product content for customers and often need additional writers. One of my most steady clients is a technology PR firm that has hired for a variety of deliverables, including case studies, blog posts and ghostwritten articles for major publications. One of the good things is that you can break into multiple industries this way and have steady work sent your way.

Where have you found work as a content marketing writer? Any tips for others?