How to Become a Content Reviewer (Skills, Education, Tips)

I worked for a long time as a proofreader and enjoyed every moment of it. But as time passed, my interests gravitated toward reviewing facts and in-depth content as opposed to identifying surface-level grammatical errors. This began my foray into learning just how difficult it would be to become a content reviewer.

In today’s digital era, content is paramount. The need for quality content has never been greater – for social media, blogs, online magazines, and much more. But as data consumption grows, so does the demand for assessment and quality control.

This is where content reviewers come in. These field experts ensure that the content they are checking is accurate, readable, and tonally sound. I’ve realized that this step in the content publishing process is non-negotiable for my own blog. If you are detail oriented and enjoy reading and fact checking, you can become a content reviewer.

Allow me to walk you through the skills, education, and experience required to be a great content reviewer. I will also provide advice on how to flourish in this dynamic industry and differentiate yourself from other equally important professionals such as copy editors and proofreaders.

Skills Required for a Content Reviewer

To become a content reviewer, you must possess the skill set that will enable your work to meet the highest standards of accuracy. Here are the most essential skills needed to succeed in this field.

Strong Writing and Communication Skills

Strong writing and communication abilities are essential for a content reviewer. You must be able to spot discrepancies in the tone and meaning of the text. You should also be able to provide the writer or editor with clear and constructive feedback. Your comments should be detailed and practical, noting areas where the content could be enhanced or corrected, and recommending how to do so.

Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer

Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is another inherent must for a content reviewer. You will need to spot even minor factual mistakes in the content, such as double meanings and outdated practices. Attention to detail is essential not only to ensure that the information meets the greatest standards of accuracy, but also to assist brands in maintaining their professional reputations.

Understanding Industry Standards

A content reviewer must be well versed in industry standards, which outline content rules for specific industries like legal, healthcare, and finance. Keep abreast of the current news, trends, and practices within your niche and ensure that the content you review follows them to a T.

Knowledge of Content Management Systems

All content reviewers should be well versed in content management systems (CMS), which are used in creating, managing, and publishing digital material. Content reviewers must be familiar with the CMS used by the company or brand with which they are working, and be able to navigate in order to assess and make adjustments to the materials. You must be comfortable dealing with images, videos, and other multimedia that may be incorporated into your clients’ content.

Related: How to Become a Beta Reader

Education and Experience

A college degree is not compulsory for a content reviewer role, but having one pertaining to the field in which your clients specialize can set you apart from others seeking the same position. Your public portfolio can add a certain level of trustworthiness and authority to the content you review.

For example, a person with a law degree who becomes a content reviewer for a legal firm can ensure the proper usage of terminology and law application within the company. Similarly, a retired nurse could fall back on a career’s worth of medical terminology and experience to guarantee accuracy in health-related content.

As someone with a full-time job and parental responsibilities, you are undoubtedly aware of the importance of certification. If you aim to explore extra work opportunities online while leveraging your diploma, accreditation, or specialized knowledge, a relevant Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree is an absolute must.

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Content Reviewer Pay or Salary Expectation

If you’re considering a career as a content reviewer, it’s vital to know what kind of salary you can expect. Let’s estimate what you might earn, and explore the factors that can affect your content reviewer pay.

While ZipRecruiter reports that the average salary for a content reviewer job in the United States is around $42,575 per year, this number can widely fluctuate based on the variables outlined below.

Factors Affecting Your Content Reviewer Pay

These are some of the most significant factors affecting your salary as a content reviewer.

• Industry: Your industry can significantly impact your content reviewer pay. For example, if you’re working for a social media platform, you may earn a different salary than you would while employed by a health or legal organization.
• Experience: As with most jobs, your level of experience is an essential factor when it comes to salary. If you have experience as a content reviewer, you can command a higher salary than someone who is just starting out in this field.
• Location: Your location can also affect your pay as a content reviewer. If you work in a major city, you may earn more than someone who is based in a smaller town. 
• Education and Certifications: Your level of education is another factor that can affect your pay. If you have a degree or a certification in the niche in which you choose to review content, you can command a higher salary than someone without that education.
• Number of Clients: The more clients with which you can comfortably and professionally work, the more you can grow your income.
• Service Offerings: As you build your portfolio, attain certifications, and ultimately improve your skills, you can provide additional services to your existing clientele, such as copy editing and proofreading.

Content Reviewer vs Copy Editor vs Proofreader

When it comes to producing high-quality content, several roles are involved in the process, including Content Reviewer, Copy Editor, and Proofreader. While all of these positions are essential in creating explicit, concise, and error-free content, they do have some key differences, as well as similarities. Read on for detailed comparisons.

Content Reviewer

A Content Reviewer examines the content from a high-level perspective. Here, your primary goal will be to make sure the content is factual, consistent, and adheres to the company’s tone and style guidelines. You are not responsible for grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors, but should instead focus on the content’s overall meaning and accuracy.

Content Reviewers are experts in their chosen fields, and may also be marketing professionals who ensure that the messaging is consistent with the company’s branding and tone.

Key content reviewer roles and responsibilities include:

• Reviewing content for accuracy and consistency
• Ensuring that the content adheres to company tone and style guidelines
• Making sure that the content meets the target audience’s needs
• Providing feedback to writers on how to improve the content
• Ensuring that the content meets any legal or regulatory requirements

Related: Get Paid to Read

Copy Editor

A Copy Editor is responsible to ensure that the content is grammatically correct, readable, and adheres to the company’s style guidelines. Copy Editors focus on the technical aspects of the content, such as spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax.

Copy Editors work closely with writers to verify that the content is clear, concise, and error free. They also make sure it is appropriately formatted and that any graphics or images are placed correctly.

Key responsibilities of a Copyeditor include:

• Checking for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax errors
• Ensuring that the content is readable and flows smoothly
• Checking for consistency in style, tone, and formatting
• Making sure that any graphics or images are correctly placed and formatted
• Providing feedback to writers on how to improve the content

Related: Get Paid to Edit Papers in Your Spare Time

Proofreader

A Proofreader mostly provides a line of defense before content is published. Proofreaders are responsible for checking the content for errors the Copy Editor may have missed, and focus on catching typographical errors, misspellings, or formatting errors that may have been overlooked.

Proofreaders work independently. Their primary goal is to ensure that the content is error free before publication.

Key responsibilities of a Proofreader include:

• Checking for typographical errors, misspellings, and formatting errors
• Ensuring that the content meets the company’s style guidelines
• Reviewing the final version of the content before it is published
• Ensuring that the content is error free and ready for publication

Related: Proofread Anywhere Review

Differences and Similarities

The key differences among these roles lie in the primary responsibilities. A Content Reviewer job description focuses on the technical terms, depth, and accuracy of the topics discussed within the content. Copy Editors go further into the technical aspects of the content, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. On the other hand, Proofreaders focus on catching any final errors the Copy Editor may have missed.

All of these roles do share some similarities; Content Reviewers, Copy Editors, and Proofreaders all work closely with writers to ensure that the content meets the company’s standards and guidelines. They should all have an eye for detail and strive to produce error-free content that meets the target audience’s needs. They also provide feedback to writers on how to improve the content.

Related: How to Become a Content Creator

Tips for Successful Content Reviewing

Effective content reviewing is critical to the success of any content strategy. It ensures that an organization’s content is high quality, aligned with industry standards, and consistent with the brand’s voice and style. Here are some essential tips to help you become a successful content reviewer.

Establish a Legal Working Relationship

Maintaining a legal working relationship with your clients is crucial to your success as a content reviewer. This includes establishing clear and concise contracts, understanding intellectual property rights, and resolving any disputes that may arise between you and the client.

“You should have a contract for any service work you provide, so that you can enforce those terms should the need arise,” says Amira Irfan, business lawyer and creator of A Self Guru. “This will ensure that both parties are clear on their roles, expectations, and rights when it comes to the services being provided.”

Amira has more than a decade of experience as a business lawyer and is the No. 1 resource for legal bundles designed to protect individuals and businesses. Her Freelance Legal Bundle is essentially the only resource you will need to get started as an independent content reviewer.

Stay Up-to-Date On Industry Trends

To ensure successful content reviewing, you should stay up-to-date on industry trends. This means keeping current with changes and advancements in the niche you service, including new technologies, terminology, and changes in best practices. By staying informed, you can make sure the content you review is up-to-date, relevant, and aligned with industry standards.

To achieve this goal, follow industry blogs, attend industry conferences and events, and subscribe to relevant newsletters and publications. You can also use social media and online forums to stay informed about emerging trends and discussions within the industry.

Keep Your Certifications and Education Current

Your present education is key to providing accurate and quality reviews. In the same way you strive to keep up with advances in your industry, it’s also important to continue learning more about the topics you cover. This could involve taking relevant courses or workshops, enrolling in a certification program, pursuing a degree or higher education, or participating in online research groups.

If you are reviewing products, consider taking courses related to that particular area of expertise, like technology, engineering, or health sciences. Being able to provide accurate, in-depth reviews will help you keep your customers and readers engaged.

Develop a Style Guide for Consistency

Developing a style guide is crucial for upscale content reviewing. A style guide outlines the rules and guidelines needed to create and publish content, ensuring consistency across all content types and channels. Your style guide should include details about formatting and style conventions, voice and tone, and other specific instructions relevant to your brand.

Work closely with writers, editors, and other stakeholders to develop the style guide. They will help you identify and define the style elements that are most important to the brand. The style guide should be regularly reviewed and updated as needed to remain current and relevant.

Related: How to Become a Freelance Journalist From Home

Maintain Good Relationships With Writers and Editors

Maintaining good relationships with writers and editors is crucial for successful content reviewing. A positive relationship facilitates open communication, collaboration, and a shared commitment to creating high-quality content.

To maintain those relationships, establish clear communication channels, give constructive feedback, and show appreciation for the content creators’ work. Be responsive to questions and concerns, and be willing to collaborate in streamlining the content creation process.

Provide Constructive Feedback

Providing constructive feedback is another critical component of successful content reviewing. Feedback should be specific, actionable, and focused on improving the quality of the content. It should be delivered positively and constructively, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the content and providing suggestions for improvement.

To provide constructive feedback, carefully review the content while taking note of areas where improvements could be made. Then give the content creator clear and specific suggestions, highlighting areas where changes could be made to improve the quality of the content. The feedback should be delivered promptly and professionally, with a focus on collaboration and a shared commitment to creating high-quality content.

A Content Reviewer Can Naturally Improve SEO

While a content reviewer doesn’t need to specialize in search engine optimization (SEO), a job well done can naturally improve a site’s rankings and organic traffic. With Google’s prioritizing of content packed with Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), both the content writer and reviewer’s credentials are crucial. The content reviewer can add natural, industry-standard keywords and ascertain the facts of the subject matter.

Becoming a content reviewer can be a challenging, yet rewarding, career path. Maintaining ethical and appropriate online content is paramount as society becomes more digitized. Follow the steps outlined in this article to set yourself up for success as a content reviewer. Remember that with dedication and hard work in your remote content reviewer job, you can become a valuable asset in ensuring the integrity and quality of online content.

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