Copy has been around forever – long before the rise of digital marketing. Copywriting is needed for your website, social media, ads, emails, and print advertising.
Storytelling is paramount to modern brands, however. Through stories, brands can show their human side and use empathy to gain trust among customers and inspire action. This is where content marketing comes in.
If you thought copywriting and content writing were the same, you’re not alone. Many people do, but it’s important to understand the key differences between these two types of writing and how they affect your brand’s marketing.
Copywriting Is Selling, While Content Writing Is Informing
Copywriting is about selling. It’s salesmanship in print or pixels, and intended to persuade the audience to take an action. Content writing inspires, engages, entertains, and informs. It attracts the audience, demonstrates brand authority, and paves the way for a future purchase.
Copywriting Inspires Immediate Action
Copywriting is about getting the customer to the “yes,” whether that’s downloading an asset, purchasing a product or service, or signing up for a newsletter or email list. Copywriters use urgency and scarcity to prompt the customer to take an action.
Content Writing Invests in Future Sales
Content writing isn’t intended to sell a product or service directly. Instead, content writers try to build the foundation for future sales with valuable content that’s about serving the customer.
Trust is a big part of buying decisions, no matter the industry. Through building trust, eliciting engagement, and driving traffic, referrals, and signups from customers, brands get more exposure. Eventually, this can lead to a purchase.
Content Writing Focuses More on SEO Than Copywriting
Content marketing and SEO typically go hand-in-hand, so most content writers are experts at SEO. They know how to choose topics based on keywords and business goals, and they know how to write content that delivers on that purpose. An effective content writer can incorporate keywords and phrases in a natural way that keeps the flow of the content and doesn’t sacrifice its readability or value.
Copywriting Is Short-Form, While Content Writing Is Long-Form
This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, but it’s generally true. Copywriters are responsible for communicating big ideas in few words, such as:
- Slogans and taglines
- Ads
- Web copy
- Video scripts
- Radio scripts
- Billboards
- Email campaigns
- Sales pages
- Direct mail
- Social media
Content writers are responsible for long-form content, such as:
- Blog posts
- Newspaper pieces
- Magazine features
- Articles
- Press releases
- Whitepapers
- Email newsletters
- Ebooks
- Case studies
Content Writing Is the Long Game
Copywriting has a measurable, short-term return. If a copywriter writes an ad, you can tell if it was effective through a variety of metrics. Content isn’t as clear or easy to measure, especially in terms of short-term ROI.
Instead, content is about laying a foundation for the future. SEO, traffic, thought leadership – these take time to pay off. Over time, effective content generates returns, but it’s harder to quantify.
By the same token, content also has a longer shelf life. An ad is short-lived, but content can generate traffic, interest, and awareness over months or years.
Content Writing Drives Traffic, Which Copywriting Turns into Leads
Content writing and copywriting both have their place in your business. SEO content can drive organic traffic to your site, boosting brand awareness and authority over the long term. Once you have leads, your copywriting is what ultimately sells your products or services.
Which Type of Writing Do I Need?
Both copywriting and content writing are important for your business. Fortunately, you have options for how to get the best writers for your purpose.
You can write both copy and content yourself. It doesn’t take a Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer to pull off copy or content. Your knowledge of your brand and products or services can make up for your lack of professional writing skills.
That said, both content writers and copywriting have a fundamental understanding of marketing principles. You can build on your basic skills with free online writing courses and newsletters or blogs that give you advice and guidance, however remember to keep track of your work to create an impressive copywriting portfolio.
There are also numerous tools available to hone your writing skills, such as Grammarly. This tool can catch style or consistency errors, typos, and other problems. It’s not perfect, however, so you must still proofread your own work.
If you feel way out of your wheelhouse with writing yourself, consider outsourcing to a marketing agency. Many agencies have skilled copywriters and content writers on staff – often specialized to different niches or industries – so you can count on quality, professional work.
Aside from the fact that you may not feel comfortable writing yourself, it takes a lot of time. You’re pulling yourself away from mission-critical tasks for your business that only you can do, so you may be better off simply outsourcing your content and copy.
Wrapping Up
When it comes to your business, there’s a time for selling and a time for value. Both business copywriting and content writing are an investment that fuels your business’s growth and success. Hiring a professional ensures you put forth the best first impression.
