Content writing among most important online industries

Content writing has surged in importance over the past year and a survey published by the Elance website suggests that writing online material is now the number two most prominent online activity on the firm’s Internet Work Index. As such, content writing is second only to PHP-related web jobs and right behind in third place is online article writing. This represents a jump of seven places on the top ten list, since content writing used to be the ninth most prominent internet-based freelance work. The rise of content writers, however, means that HTML coding now lags behind in fourth place, with graphic design slipping to fifth.

While content writing is the second most prominent form of online freelance employment according to the Elance Work Index, other forms of written, freelance work are also near the top. For example, academic writing is among the top 25 most sought-after positions, as is copywriting and creative writing. In fact, both technical and academic writing skyrocketed up 30 places on the Work Index’s Top 100 Jobs list.

Many may wonder what might be fuelling the noticeable rise in online writing work. Most experts, however, point to two clear factors. The first is related to the current recession; the vast majority of companies are cutting back on unnecessary costs and a great way to do this is to hire online assistance. Online content providers offer access to a diverse range of freelancers, from all walks of life. The second reason for the rise in content writing has more to do with the decline in newspapers and print media, and the rise of digital sources of newsworthy information. All serious companies must now maintain a website, as this creates the initial impression with potential clients. Additionally, the most dynamic firms go the extra mile and also develop blogs. These, however, can be time-consuming, as they require the regular publication of catchy, newsworthy written content. As such, freelance content writers are often best suited for corporate blogging.