The Difference Between Content Writing and Copywriting
I get this question all the time from clients.
What’s the difference between copywriting and content writing?
Let’s get literal for a second. The dictionary definition of copywriting is: “the activity or occupation of writing the text of advertisements or publicity material.” Content writing, on the other hand is a more modern idea that is loosely defined and was brought on by social media and the rise of online publications.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting has been around for a long time! Writing advertisements actually dates back to the 1400’s when some smart marketer needed to sell a prayer book and wrote a killer ad for it. It really picked up steam with the rise of mass printing in the 1600’s. From there this style grew and grew into what we see today… a lot less newspapers and a lot more e-commerce, but the same need for words that sell.
Copywriting is:
Used in advertisements, emails, web copy (home page, about page, services, etc) and sales letters to promote anything from online courses to supplements.
All about hitting the right buttons/pain points of your audience and persuading a very specific audience in order to reach one goal: conversion, aka sales.
Telling a great stories to persuade readers in order to quickly get them to take an action (aka call to action) such as making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or downloading a piece of content.
As one of the OG copywriters, Eugene Schwartz said, the goal of writing copy is to, “ Tap a single overwhelming desire existing in the hearts of thousands of people who are actively seeking to satisfy it at this very moment.” People don’t want to wait to feel better, lose weight, or have more energy, they want it now!
Copywriting can make or break the success of your business, afterall, if you can’t get people to buy what you’re selling you have no business.
What is Content?
Content writing is all about educating your audience and keeping them on your site engaging with your brand and giving you credibility, in order to build trust and eventually buy from you.
In other words, content is the long-game, it’s not interested in a quick conversion, but takes it’s time and provides real value to your customers, usually free of charge.
Great content aims to:
Provide new information to an audience
Raise brand awareness + become a thought leader
Address something common in a new way
Work as an SEO tool to drive more traffic to a website
Speak to a target audience and their needs and desires
Entertain and inform on a specific subject.
Types of content include social media posts, emails, blog posts, lead magnets, e-books, and infographics.
To sum it up, copywriting sells and content educates. While copywriting is a type of content, it’s not like true content which is meant to be creative, informative, and very shareable.
So which one do you need?
The simple answer-- both.
It’s important to start with great copy. After all, if you have content that drives people to your site to buy and then the product copy, descriptions, home page, etc. fall flat or are un-clear, and customers don’t get it, then you’ve lost them.
Great copywriters do in-depth research on your ideal customer avatar (ICA) and ask lots of questions to truly understand who they’re talking to and what their biggest pain points are. What are your customers waking up at night wishing they could solve? Or, in Marie Forleo’s words, what is causing their night sweats and wet dreams?
You need content, on the other hand, to get people excited about your brand and what you do, to make them feel like they know you, to show them your personality/voice and get them interested in learning more. In this sense content writing is very important as well.
Do copywriters also make good content writers?
Depends. Much like art forms, most writers have one style that they focus on and perfect, but the benefit of using the same writer is that they get to know your tone and voice really well and can make the experience on your website and blog seamless.
I’ve been writing content for many years, but as a strategic marketer, my true passion is in copywriting and I work constantly to perfect the skills of persuasion in an authentic “non-salesy” way. Copywriting is generally a higher cost investment but for a content writer who understands SEO best practices content can be pricey too. Both are a worthwhile and necessary investment if you want your business to stand out.
There you have it, hope that was a helpful explanation. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about content or copywriting and help determining which may be best for your business.