Most copywriters are familiar with content writing, but many content writers aren’t familiar with copywriting. What’s the difference between these skills? Which one should you focus on developing, and why? Check out this guide to find answers to these questions and more.
Defining Copywriting and Content Writing
There’s no one right way to define these two words, but they’re often considered opposites. Some say copywriting is selling a product or service directly, while content writing includes both informative and promotional writing that leads people somewhere—to content (as in other pieces of content on your site), for example, where you sell them something.
Others believe content writing is more creative than copywriting; some even use it interchangeably with blogging.
The Differences Between Copywriting and Content Writing
Marketing professionals who are new to content writing or copywriting often ask if there is any difference between copywriting and content writing. After all, both terms fall under marketing when you look at them from a high level, so they might as well be interchangeable, right? Not quite. The truth is that while it can seem like copywriters write content and vice versa, there are differences between these two areas of marketing.
5 Differences Between Content Writing and Copywriting:
There are several similarities between content writing and copywriting; however, some differences exist too. These 5 key differences will help you understand what each skill entails:
1) Content Writing is Creative, While Copywriting is Persuasive: One of the biggest distinctions between content writing and copywriting has to do with their respective roles in marketing campaigns. Content writers create content that helps brands establish credibility and build trust with potential customers, while copywriters are more concerned with convincing customers to buy a product or service.
2) Content Writers Work on Long-Form Content, While Copywriters Work on Short-Form Content: Another difference has to do with length. Content writers create long-form content that is typically used in blogs or articles, while copywriters are responsible for creating short-form content that is used in emails or social media posts.
3) Content Writing Focuses on Quality, While Copywriting Focuses on Quantity: The two skills also differ when it comes to quantity. Content writers are expected to create a certain number of posts per month or year, while copywriters are expected to create a certain number of emails or social media posts per month or year.
4) Content Writers Use Keywords and Phrases in Their Content, While Copywriters Create Content that Uses Keywords and Phrases: Another difference has to do with keywords and phrases. Content writers are expected to use keywords and phrases in their content, while copywriters are expected to create content that uses keywords and phrases.
5) Content Writing is Considered an Inbound Marketing Skill, While Copywriting is Considered an Outbound Marketing Skill: Last but not least, content writing is considered an inbound marketing skill while copywriting is considered an outbound marketing skill. This means that content writers focus on creating content that will attract potential customers and convince them to buy a product or service, while copywriters focus on creating content that will convince potential customers to make a purchase!
The Similarities Between Copywriting and Content Writing
Copywriters and content writers tend to be two different types of marketers, but they have a lot in common—at least, according to content marketing experts. There are similarities between copywriting and content writing, including their goals (to sell products or services) and methods (such as making an emotional connection with customers).
Let’s take a look at some of these similarities!
Both Copywriting and Content Writing Share the Similar Goals: Whether you’re trying to make money by selling products or by selling advertising space, your goal is always to increase sales. It doesn't matter if you're using words or images—the point is that you want your product/service/company name out there so that people will remember it. If you're good at what you do, then people will tell others about it (whether that's through conversation or online reviews), which means more business for you!
Both Are Ways of Communicating with Customers: You might think about copywriting and content writing as separate fields because of how each industry uses them. But really, both are ways for businesses to communicate with customers via words. Some businesses choose to use copywriting skills, while others go with content writing skills—but regardless of which one you choose, all companies should strive to connect with customers on a personal level. This allows consumers to feel like they know your company better than competitors' companies, which leads to brand loyalty and repeat purchases.
Both Use Emotional Connections: When it comes down to it, most consumers don't buy based on logic alone; instead, emotions play a big role in their decision-making process. Studies show that emotion drives 90% of purchasing decisions!
So whether you're creating ads or building blog posts or crafting social media updates for Facebook or Twitter—you need to find ways to appeal emotionally (and logically!) when communicating with customers. Not only does appealing to emotion help you win over new clients, but it also keeps existing ones coming back for more.
Both Can Be Effective Alone: As we mentioned earlier, not every business needs copywriting or content writing skills—it just depends on what type of company you run. For example, if your main focus is SEO and digital marketing, then copywriting may not be necessary since search engines rank websites based on keywords and meta descriptions rather than creative language.
On the other hand, if you own a brick-and-mortar store that sells clothing items or food items (or anything else), then having strong copywriting skills can help boost sales by helping potential customers understand why they should purchase from your company rather than from another competitor's company.
Both Have a Role to Play in Business: No matter what type of company you own, copywriting and content writing skills can (and should) be used to promote your business. The bottom line? Both copywriting and content writing skills are essential for any successful marketer. They're your way of speaking to customers and establishing a voice for your company. They're your way of drawing in customers and establishing yourself as a trustworthy businessperson. And they're your way of explaining to customers why they should spend their hard-earned dollars with you, rather than with someone else.
Without copywriting or content writing skills, you'd be doing yourself (and your business) a disservice!
Advice on Becoming a Better Writer
Although both copywriting and content writing are all types of marketing, they are very different roles that require very different skill sets. Both, however, require strong writing skills.
If you want to excel in either field, first consider your strengths and weaknesses as a writer: Do you prefer putting emotion into your words or understanding what drives your customers? For most writers, it’s much easier to lean on one side than on another – and recognizing which side comes naturally will go a long way toward improving your craft over time.
Also remember that no matter how good you get at content or copywriting, there is always room for improvement. Every business can always do better at content and every writer can find new ways to improve their work. The trick is finding those ways to continually grow and expand your knowledge so that you can continue moving forward with confidence.
One more thing: Be honest with yourself about where you stand as a writer before trying to tackle content or copywriting. Chances are, if you’re not happy with your current position, then taking on these new roles won’t be worth it because you won’t be able to see results right away. You might end up feeling discouraged and frustrated, which could lead to quitting altogether. But if you enjoy writing and want to become a stronger content or copywriter, then go for it!
Just make sure you know what you’re getting into before jumping in headfirst.
Key Takeaways
Unless you are a marketing/copywriting professional, chances are you're writing one or both of these regularly. Many marketing professionals tend to call themselves content writers and not copywriters. But what's in a name? The key takeaway here is that it's important to know which one you're doing so that your message is clear. If you want to be taken seriously as a marketer, then it's best to nail down your terminology so that there's no confusion about what exactly it is that you do.
If you aren't sure where to start with either of these terms, just remember
Copywriting = Marketing + Advertising;
Content Writing = Marketing + Journalism.
The other key takeaway here is to use simple language when explaining these concepts to others, including non-marketers. Marketing people like buzzwords—that's why they chose marketing as their profession!
However, if you’re trying to communicate something important (i.e., I don’t need more content for my website), using basic language will help ensure your point gets across clearly. For example, instead of saying I am looking for a new copywriter who can write engaging web content try saying I am looking for someone who can write engaging web content. The first statement sounds complicated because there are too many buzzwords and long words. It sounds formal and difficult to understand.
On the other hand, engaging web content is much easier to understand because it uses common language that anyone can understand without any background knowledge in marketing.
Lastly, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether or not you would understand what you wrote. Do not assume everyone else knows what all those fancy words mean. You might think it makes you sound smart, but at least half of your audience won’t get what you are talking about. Make things easy for them by keeping things simple. This will make it easier for everyone to understand what it is that you do and how they can work with you on your next project!