Contently Review (Is It Worth It? Find Out The Answer!) (2019)

Hello! Welcome to my Contently review!

Writing is one of the great ways to earn money online. It pays well, that is if you got the right gig and skills.

Furthermore, it is fun and if writing is your passion, then that would be great! You will be earning money by doing what you are passionate about.

Contently is one of those gigs that can really be good for your online writing career. In this review, you will find out why. But we won't just tackle the pros, but also its cons.

With that being said, let's get started with this Contently review!

Contently Review Quick Summary

What is Contently?

Contently is a content marketing agency/platform/business/company. ​It serves as bridge for businesses and writers worldwide.

Furthermore, it is mostly used by well-known brands. The website provides writers to create content for these brands.

Contently was founded in 2011, by Joe Coleman, Dave Goldberg, and Shane Snow.

All of them have a common goal to make freelancers achieve their dreams and to improve their careers. Furthermore, they aim to help brands in being more successful.

With awards like Digiday’s Best Content Marketing Platform and recognized as the "Best Place to Work" by huge names like AdAge, Crain’s, Fortune, and Inc., Contently is obviously great.

However, it is not perfect. That is the whole point of this Contently review. We tackle both the good and the bad.

Who can join Contently?

Any freelance creatives can join Contently. This is unlike other content marketing agencies out there.

This means that photographers, videographers, designers and more can become a member.

As long as you can contribute content to a business or company, you are eligible to join.

How to get started with Contently?

The bread and butter of freelance writers in Contently are their portfolios. These are the keys of being discovered and hired by clients.

Basically, clients will use the search bar on Contently to look for writers. Then they will check the portfolios. If they aer satisfied, then you are hired.

It just works like search engines. So how do you make a portfolio?

Step 1. Create an account

The first step is to create an account. You will be given a form which you must fill up.

Furthermore, Contently will be asking for some information. See the picture above.

After clicking "Register", you must verify your email address.

#2 Set up profile

The next part is composed of 5 steps, which are basically about setting up your profile. This is your chance to "promote" and "sell" yourself.

In the basics, you will be providing your name, location, website URL and a short description about yourself. However, the number of characters in the short bio is limited. So be sure to only include the most important ones.

Afterwards, you can start working on adding some of your previous projects. Furthermore, you must indicate your skills and experiences. There are really great for you to be able to be hired.

Then, you are pretty much ready to go! Submit this application and it will be reviewed by Contently.

Step 3 Starting out

After submitting your application, you will have to wait for a short while. If ever your portfolio is well-decorated, then you will receive a faster response.

Once you have been accepted, you will receive an email, just like this.

Please do note that it is very important to take the orientation course. You will need to do this because if not, you will not be matched with any brands to work. After the course, you will have to wait again.

Until, you will receive another email saying that you have been invited to work with a brand. Usually, these invitations last for a week. So to ensure you get the job, you must respond immediately.

Most of the time, you will be asked to pitch some ideas. Be creative and open-minded. Then you can start working.

Expect emails from Contently from time to time. It is one of the feature I like. It updates you with deadlines and other job details from time to time. This is nice especially if you have multiple clients.

How to get writing jobs in Contently?

Contently is different from other content marketing agencies such as Textbroker and Writer Access. It was designed to make freelancers connect with well-known and great brands to provide content services.

Before, freelance writers had to pass an application to be able a member of the website's Pro Writers Network. However, as years passed, it continuously changed.

Today, talent scouts can check out writers' portfolios to determine whether he/she is the perfect one to provide services to clients.

The better your portfolio is, the higher the chances of getting employed.

Steps to get a job:

If ever you don't receive any invitation to work, do not worry. Having a portfolio is still good for you.

This is because it will be included in Google's search listings. So you will still be visible to clients. 

Pros and Cons

Tips

#1 Optimize your portfolio

The thing with Contently is that your portfolio is very important.

It is the very main thing you need to take care of since the chances of you getting hired greatly depends on it.

It works like search engines which run on an algorithm. Websites must do some SEO work to be able to rank higher on search engine results page.

In contently, optimizing your portfolio is a must. With this, clients can easily discover you. Thus, being hired more often. Furthermore, be sure to optimize it the website's "Intelligent Talent Recommendations".

Basically, just make sure that you pick the right keywords and put them on your description. Avoid keyword stuffing because this will bring more harm than good.

Second, make sure that you don't just add random keywords. Choose the ones that best describe who you are and what you cna do.

#2 Update your portfolio daily

Another tip regarding your portfolio is to update it daily.

You can add more information about you. In this way, you will increase the chances of being "discovered" by the algorithm, Contently has.

With that, you might be hired!

#3 Be professional in communication

Communication with the editors and clients can be done within the Contently platform. In my book, that is something good.

Furthermore, you can respond to comments made on your stories. Working with editors and clients can create a bond or relationship with them. However, even though you are already close, still keep your communication professional.

There are cases wherein a writer accidentally complain about something or someone. The ending? Well, let's say people from the client's legal department will be really mad at you.

#4 Work well

This is kind of obvious already. Be sure to work well with editors and clients. Doing this will likely open new opportunities for you in the future.

Follow instructions, write well, deliver before the deadline and of course, be open to feedback.

#5 Rank in order

Another tip regarding your portfolio is to rank the information in order. Be sure to put the best one at the top.

In that way, you will be able to get the client or talent scout's attention right away!

#6 Take the initiative

Do not be afraid to take have some initiative when working in Contently.

There will be some clients who have other jobs. Do your best to grab them!

The moment you get hired for a job, immediately start pitching!

Also, do not be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, or wants some clarification, then ask. It will be greatly appreciated.

#7 Never give up!

The downside with Contently is that you don't have the ability to apply for jobs. You get found.

This might really take a while for you to land on a job. Others even waited for a year before they got the first job!

However, do not give up! Just follow the tips that I have shared to you, and you will increase the chances of being discovered.

Also, the moment you are hired, it will be worth it. There are no shortcuts to success, right?

Is Contently a scam?

After a thorough research about Contently, the answer to this question is no!

First, Contently is greatly rewarded by big companies such as AdAge, Crain’s, Fortune, and Inc. If it was a scam, do you think it will garner these rewards?

Furthermore, the fact that big brands, including Google, use Contently to work with freelance creatives is already a proof that it is legit.

Contently really makes sure that its workers are more than qualified. They do a screening to do this before hiring anyone. With that, high quality services are offered to clients.

It is also a great place to earn money writing online. You either write for clients or for Contently. Either way, you can still earn.

The only downside about Contently is being a part of them. The application process will take about 30 minutes, that is if you have everything ready.

However, the waiting game cannot assure you if you get accepted. Furthermore, you might be wasting time waiting for the acceptance.

I recommend Contently for those who are really creative and have experiences already. But for beginners, not much. There are better alternatives out there in which you can really earn more money, like affiliate marketing.

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for reading my Contently review! If you have questions or comments, please feel free to leave them on the comment section below!

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