The Content Writer’s Dilemma
A few years ago, Anjali, a bright student from Kerala, started working as a freelance content writer. She had good grammar, could write neatly, and was hardworking. But she kept facing one problem: her clients said her content was too general and not engaging enough. She read every day, even followed blogs and news, but still, her writing didn’t stand out.
Anjali was confused. “I read so much,” she thought, “so why is my writing not improving?”
If this sounds like you someone who reads regularly but struggles to apply that knowledge in writing you are not alone.
The truth is, reading and writing are two different skills. But when combined correctly, reading becomes the most powerful tool a writer can have. This blog will help you understand how to use your reading knowledge to become a smarter and more successful content writer.
1. What Should a Content Writer Read?
Reading anything can improve your language – novels, newspapers, blogs, social media captions, emails, and even advertisements. But when you’re a content writer, what you read matters.
Here’s what you should focus on:
High-quality blogs: Websites like HubSpot, Neil Patel, or Grammarly blogs show you how professional content is written.
Industry-specific articles: If you’re writing for education, read news and blogs related to education.
Marketing content: Read email newsletters, landing pages, and product descriptions. You’ll learn how brands use words to sell.
Client websites: Read your client’s website or competitors to understand their tone and customer needs.
Tip: Read with a writer’s eye. Don’t just read for fun. Ask: Why did the writer use this headline? How is this idea explained?
2. How to Remember What You Read
You don’t need to remember every word, but you should remember the ideas, style, and structure of what you read.
Here are some simple techniques:
Summarise in your own words: After reading a paragraph, write one or two lines to explain it in your own way. This builds memory.
Create a reading notebook: Note down new phrases, good headlines, or how an article was structured.
Use digital tools: Tools like Notion, Google Keep, or Evernote can help you organise reading notes by topic.
Teach what you read: Try explaining the main idea to a friend or even aloud to yourself. If you can explain it, you’ve understood it.
Tip: Don’t try to remember every example or statistic. Focus more on ideas, tone, and the way content flows.
3. Understanding What’s Required in a Write-up (and What’s Not)
Not all knowledge from your reading will be useful for every article.
When writing, ask yourself:
Who is the reader? A college student, a business owner, or a working mother? Use only information they will care about.
What is the goal? Is it to inform, persuade, entertain, or sell?
What tone is needed? Formal, friendly, funny, or technical?
Let’s say you are writing an article about “Study Tips for College Students”. You may have read a great story about Steve Jobs, but does it help college students in this case? If not, leave it out.
Tip: Cut what is not needed. Just because you know something doesn’t mean it belongs in the article.
4. How to Apply Reading Knowledge to Make Your Content Attractive
Now comes the most important part – using what you read to improve your writing.
Here’s how:
a. Use good examples and comparisons
From your reading, you’ll find creative ways others explain things. Use these ideas to create fresh examples in your writing.
For example: Instead of writing “Be unique in your resume,” write “Your resume should be like a movie trailer short, exciting, and unforgettable.”
b. Use professional tone and vocabulary
Reading helps you learn words like “strategize”, “streamline”, “engagement”, “conversion” commonly used in content writing. Use these to sound more professional.
But remember don’t overdo it. Keep it simple, especially if your audience is not native English speakers.
c. Structure your content better
Reading good articles shows you how to:
- Start with a hook
- Use short paragraphs
- Add subheadings
- End with a call to action
Apply this structure in your own writing to keep readers interested.
d. Borrow the rhythm of good writing
When you read regularly, you unconsciously absorb the flow of language — where to pause, how to keep sentences short, how to connect ideas.
This improves your natural writing style without extra effort.
Tip: Try imitating a well-written blog for practice. Write on the same topic with your own ideas, but in their style. This improves both creativity and clarity.
Read Smart, Write Smart
Anjali, the writer we spoke about at the beginning, started changing her reading habits. She began reading better content, took notes, paid attention to how writers framed ideas, and applied these techniques in her writing.
Within a few months, her clients were happier, her articles were ranking better, and she was getting more projects.
Reading is not just for improving English. It’s your secret weapon as a content writer.
To recap:
- Read high-quality and relevant content
- Remember ideas and structure, not every detail
- Understand what your write-up needs and skip the rest
- Apply examples, tone, structure, and flow from what you read
If you start reading like a writer, you’ll start writing like a pro.
Would you like to learn content writing with personal guidance or get quality content done for your business or blog?
Contact Pensemble Creatives – Your Trusted Content Writing Partner.
