Turning your passion for writing into a career or an option to earn money from home is an exciting step. Still, writers must be wary of falling into an unfortunate situation. At some point during your writing journey, you’re bound to hear about content mills.
Learning the ins and outs of content mills is essential, as you could be writing for one and be taken advantage of. It’s natural to want to accept any and all writing opportunities you receive when getting started. Fortunately, you can learn about the pros and cons of content mills and discover how to identify them. Continue reading to learn more about content mills and other writing jobs today.
Pros of content mills
Consistent assignments
One of the first pros you’ll uncover about content mills is the access to consistent work. Most content mills will have a seemingly endless amount of content for you to write, providing a stable income as a side hustle or career. You won’t need to wonder where your next project or assignment is coming from, eliminating stress from the equation.
SEO focus
Another pro of working for a content mill is the opportunity to gain experience writing content with an SEO focus. The pieces you write will be tailored to rank highly for search engines, helping you build your knowledge and skills while bringing in more money due to the high ranking.
Clear guidelines
Content mills are notorious for having clear guidelines on how they would like pieces constructed, written, and linked. The clarity of those guidelines can help new writers know what is expected and how to produce content that will please the mill and the customer. It’s an effective way to remove all ambiguity from the situation, giving the writer something to aim for.
Cons of content mills
Low pay
One of the realities of working for a content mill is the low pay. Most content mills want to produce generic content that ranks well on search engines, and they offer low pay and high volume, which can quickly lead to burnout.
If you want to earn money from your writing jobs, it’s best to look for other opportunities after getting more experience. Getting new clients will increase pay and help you break away from feeling dependent on content mills for work.
Strict requirements
With clear guidelines come strict requirements, and writers who fail to meet those requirements can see their contracts terminated. You run the risk of losing your position and access to a steady flow of work if you fail to meet the requirements set forth by the mill and its editorial staff.
Generic content
Another drawback of working for a content mill is the lack of space for creativity as a writer. You can make a solid income, but you will do so at the expense of creativity, as much of the writing will be about dry content that is tailored more for SEO than it is a pleasurable reading and learning experience.
Mills will prefer that you focus on concise pieces that are filled with all the best keywords, and it’s your job as the writer to make it all sound and feel organic. You will lose much of your creative license to structure and write the piece with your voice.
SEO issues
Since you’re writing pieces to appease SEO, you may encounter SEO issues when the algorithm changes. The changes may result in you needing to rewrite pieces from years ago to ensure they still rank highly. It’s a much different dynamic versus focusing on writing evergreen content.
Burnout
In order to make a full-time wage at a content mill, many writers need to produce a high volume of work. The combination of writing thousands of words while needing to meet guidelines and deadlines can leave a writer feeling drained of energy and creative thought. It’s a matter of time before you feel yourself losing your passion for writing if you become solely dependent on writing for content mills to make an income.
Inconsistent quality
Content mills can be a negative experience for clients, as the quality is less consistent. The pieces a client wants could be produced by dozens of different writers, each with their own skills, experience levels, and tone. Mills can result in a rollercoaster ride of writing quality.
Start your writing career today
Finding opportunities as a writer is exhilarating when you’re passionate about the career path. Minuteman Press can provide an alternative path toward writing from home and away from content mills. Take the first step and apply to be a writer with us today.