Just like you cannot hire a plumber to fix a leaking rooftop, you cannot hire any writer for copyrighting or content writing. No two forms of writing are similar to each other. There’s content writing, technical writing, scriptwriting, and copywriting, to name a few. Even though they are a part of digital marketing campaigns, they serve different purposes. If you wish to use digital marketing to promote your business, learn the difference between copywriting v/s content writing.
A writer must follow different parameters to determine if the content is successful. Even though it seems that copywriting and content writing seem like two sides of the same coin, their writing styles differ from each other.
Now, you must wonder about the difference between copywriting v/s content writing. To answer your question in simple words, copywriting is any writing that is done for marketing purposes. In contrast, content writing is a more specialized form focused on one or more content marketing goals.
The main aim of copywriting is advertising a product or brand, driving conversion/sales, and encouraging a direct response. Content writing is targeted to build rapport/trust with consumers, create a positive brand association and increase domain authority.
What is Copywriting?
Marketing is the primary goal of copywriting. It is also called “marketing writing.” It refers to the content written to market a product in some way. Text created for an advertisement, website, brochure, catalog, direct mail piece, tagline, white paper, social media post, or any other marketing communication is all included under copywriting.
The word ‘copywriting’ is derived from a secondary definition of ‘copy.’ In this case, it describes text for an article or advertisement. The meaning of ‘copy’ is not limited to only news articles or published content but describes any text used to promote a product or brand.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing is a form of indirect marketing compared to traditional marketing assets. It involves the creation of text content to educate or entertain its readers. Sales are not the primary purpose of content writing. Here, you want to inform your readers by creating high-quality and valuable content, for example, blogs.
Copywriting V/S Content Writing: Differences
Here are the key differences between copywriting v/s content writing.
A Copywriter will sell, while a content writer will inform
The copywriter’s job is to target the desired audience for your brand. However, a content writer’s job is to inform, educate, entertain or instruct readers. We have different kinds of blogs available, such as health, travel, school, lifestyle, etc. These all address different issues and fall under the scope of content writing.
Content writing attracts an audience who wants to learn, and copywriting attracts an audience who wants to buy.
Copywriters know whom to target and why
Copywriters write in a way to make people take immediate action. They will compel you to perform tasks such as downloading a link, signing up for a newsletter, or buying a product. Copywriters ensure their target audience responds to the brand because of the text they have written. They thread urgency and scarcity to headlines to elicit fast action.
Conversely, content writers want to build an engaged audience with whom they can create a rapport. They want their audience to bond with the written content and establish a relationship of trust. By doing so, they wish to position the brand as a reliable source of information.
Content writers set up the stage.
Content writers may not try to sell the product or service directly but are still concerned with selling. Sales just happen to be an indirect result of producing valuable content. For example, blogging is an effective way to build trust before anything else.
Content writers focus on SEO
People hire content writers to drive inbound traffic. Hence, content writers need to be great at SEO. They help you choose topics based on search terms that align with the employer’s business goals.
Content writers know that a focus keyword is the main search term a page is optimized for. This word is included in the title, first header, and throughout the text.
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Copywriters use short-form copy; content writers use the long-form copy
Copywriters write copy for ads (online and off), slogans and taglines, web page content, email campaigns, television or radio commercial promotions or advertising scripts, catalogs, video scripts, billboards, and postcards, to name a few.
As opposed to this, content writers write longer-form content such as articles, blog posts, newspaper pieces, magazine features, press releases, white papers, email newsletters, e-books, books, print magazines, podcasts, television, and films. Even though some areas overlap, you understand the general idea.
Content writers are long-term strategy contributors.
A content writer’s work performance is reflected through metrics such as click-through and open rates. Measuring content in the short term is difficult since good content strategies take time to pay off. We can say that the value gained content from blogs and articles have a longer shelf life. Unlike certain ads or emails, blogs and articles have proven to have the staying power that pays off over a long time.
Content writers bring in organic traffic; copywriters turn that into leads.
In our quest to understand copywriting v/s content writing, this last point shall up everything. Copywriters convert the organic traffic brought by content writers into leads or sales.
Copywriter V/S Content Writing: Wrapping it up
Now that you understand the difference between copywriting v/s content writing, you can make an informed decision when you come across content creation. The marketing team often makes the wrong call by hiring a freelance writer who does not understand the niche. With the help of this article, you will be able to form better decisions.
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