One of the larger overarching trends we’ve noticed since the inception of the Elance Online Work Index several months ago was the steadily rising increase in the need for written content in a number of forms.

The data speaks for itself. Article Writing has moved up three out of the past four months all the way to the number two spot, while Web Content has maintained a footing in the top 10 for the past four months. Online Writing, Content Writing, Copywriting, and Academic Writing have hung around in the top 50 for the past four months as well.

But why the sudden gold rush for high-quality written content? As someone who obviously spends a lot of time stringing a few words together in an online fashion, I can break down the sudden thirst for internet content in three main points:

1. Community Building: Having a noticeable presence online is almost as important as having a noticeable presence in the real world. Publishing online content in the form of blogs, newsletters, and more gives your customers, patrons, and readers a humanizing perspective of your business and also provides a channel for you to build a relationship with current and prospective customers. Online content also offers something for your client base to discuss with each other, creating a buzz that can reach even farthest corners of the web.

2. Marketing: A direct benefit of building an online community through specially written content is the ability to use the various media for marketing of your company’s products and/or services. Keep your loyal following in the know and on its toes by revealing new products, sales promotions, or company announcements. Here’s the catch: There’s a fine line between solid marketing copy and over-promotional, indigestible sales pitches. Seasoned, skilled providers can dance this fine line for you with ease.

3. Search Engine Optimization: This one is a biggie. The use of online content, especially in the form of a blog, can give your website a nice, healthy boost in search engine ranking. How? Great content isn’t just valuable for your readers — it also publishes a slew of valuable keywords that search engines just love gobbling up. Additionally, if your content ends up spreading on the web like wildfire by getting linked back to by other blogs, then you’ll see a nice boost in link popularity, which will result in a higher search rank. However, don't focus on the SEO benefits first — focus on creating the valuable content, and the SEO will follow.

These three points are major chunks of why you should be harnessing the benefits of well-written content, but the list doesn't even come close to ending there. There are, however, two crucial elements to remember when shopping for great writing. The first is that all content is not created equal, and to reap the full benefits, you will absolutely need high-quality content. The thing is high-quality content usually doesn't come cheap. But remember this: It's clearly worth the investment as evidenced by the high number of businesses finding success with great content.

Secondly is the importance of finding the writer that fits your needs perfectly — knowing exactly what you need is half of the battle. Sure, a great writer is a great writer, but having someone that is well versed in Web Content and Blogs isn't going to do you much good if you're looking for someone to help you write a 60-page piece of technical documentation. Content creators almost always have a specialization (there are almost 60 specializations in the Writing & Translation category), so be sure to play to the content creator's strengths to receive the highest quality writing possible.

The momentum behind the need for well-written content is fast and furious, and the fact of the matter is it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Entrepreneurs take note: In this day and age, businesses are in need of killer content, and if you don't have any, you better get some, quick.

Links:
Elance - Writing & Translation
Elance - June Elance Online Work Index: Experts Crack The Code