A Simple Breakdown Between Content Writing and Copywriting

Do you have a business that needs more marketing content? Writers can help build your brand! All advertising involves a marketing plan. All marketing plans need content, and all content needs good writing. This article helps distinguish the type of writer you may be looking for, because not all content is copywriting, but all copy is content. Confused? Here are simple distinctions between the roles of a copywriter and content writer.

COPYWRITER:

Purpose – A copywriter’s talent is in the power of persuasion. Copywriters are skilled at pushing for a call to action AND getting results. A copywriter’s goal is to get its audience to act.

Approach – Copywriting is direct. There are no fluffy explanations or elaborate directions. Copywriting works best in a conversational tone. The text is short and to the point. Copywriters write to their audience as if they are talking to friends.

Form – Since copywriters use a friendly tone to get their point across, most are fluent in emotional conversation. All forms of copywriting aim to strike an emotion. Since the end purpose of a piece is a CTA (call to action), copywriters have a way of pulling on the heart strings! They are selling an ideology about the brand, not just the product.

Examples:

Brochures

Magazine ads

Taglines

Direct mail

PPC ads

These examples all create a sense of urgency – Buy! Click! Go! Act Now!

CONTENT WRITER:

Purpose – Content writing’s main function is to inform. Content creators initiate interest, drive web traffic, and encourage consumer engagement by producing consistent pieces that both educate and entertain.

Approach –Content marketing uses relevant content to attract an audience and build a following. Content writers create informational pieces that add value to a brand. Their focus is to research and explain what the brand is about before what it is trying to sell. If a copywriter aims at the heart, a content writer aims at the brain.

Form – Writing content can vary from writing social media posts to web pages to blogs. It is a content writer’s intention to build trust with a target audience and inspire loyalty to a brand. They often write long form pieces that require research and SEO knowledge. SEO knowledge is important for content writing because keywords are the invisible marketers you need!

Examples:

Blogs

Ebooks

Web pages

Newsletters

How to guides

Evergreen articles

Reviews

Podcasts

White papers

These all have a similar strategy. They are all meant to be shared.

In conclusion, some thoughtful ways to distinguish between the two:

•Copywriting can be content, but content is not always copywriting.

•Content is meant to be shared, while copywriting is aimed directly to the reader.

•Content writers use SEO knowledge to increase web traffic to a website. A copywriter converts that traffic into sales!

Still have questions about what type of writing you need to build your brand? Send us an email.