Blog/copywriting vs content writing: what are their key differences?
What is the difference between copywriting and content writing?
Copywriting and content writing are used interchangeably, but are they the same? Using them interchangeably will affect your marketing.
Understanding them and their differences will help you choose the right one to use at any given time.
Let’s take a look at what they are, as well as their differences.
Copywriting
Copywriting is used to prompt prospects to act immediately. It involves the use of persuasion to convince your prospects to act such as to purchase a product, sign up for a newsletter, download an item such as an ebook or template, or offer support to a cause.
The text produced by a copywriter is known as copy.
Copywriting is used to write emails, digital ads, print ads, and website copy. It could be a long or short-form copy.
Content writing
Content writing is the process of writing valuable content that provides information, creates engagement, and educates your audience.
Content writing is used to build relationships by creating information that helps the audience understand certain topics, answers their questions, and offers guidance. Some examples of content writing are blog posts, social media posts, articles, and email newsletters.
Some Examples of Copywriting and Content Writing
| Copywriting | Content writing |
| Landing page copy | Blog posts |
| Email campaign | Ebooks |
| Ad Copy | Infographics |
| Video Scripts | Newsletters |
| Web page copy | Case Studies |
| Social media copy | Social media content |
| Taglines/Slogans | Magazines |
| Social media Ads | Press releases |
| Product description | Articles |
| Banners | Podcasts |
The Difference Between Copywriting and Content Writing
From the above definitions, you can already see that the two are different. What are the key differences between copywriting and content writing?
Copywriting
- The purpose of copywriting is usually to sell a product/service or make prospects take certain actions.
- Copywriting involves the special skills of persuasion, sales, and marketing to make your prospects act.
- Copywriting usually ends with a Call To Action (CTA), that prompts prospects to act.
- Copywriting talks about the pain points of prospects as well as the benefits of a product/service in order to convert the prospects.
- Copywriting is used to convert organic traffic into leads.
- Copywriting is usually for a short period.
- Copywriting aims to convert prospects immediately.
Content Writing
- The purpose of content writing is to educate, inform, build trust, and engage the audience.
- Content writing requires extensive research skills to write a valuable post.
- Content writing is for a long period and is usually hosted on websites, ebooks, podcasts, etc.
- Content writing provides solutions to the problems of the audience.
- Content writing can attract leads.
- Content writing is not aimed at immediate conversion.
- Content writing is used to build community.
Similarities Between Copywriting and Content Writing
- They both use a brand voice in writing to attract their target audience.
- They have something to offer, either product/service or valuable information.
- Both copywriting and content writing are important for businesses.
- Both of them can be leveraged for marketing.
- Both of them require good titles to get the interest of prospects.
Required Skills for Copywriting and Content Writing
The skills required for copywriting and content writing are different.
Copywriters need to learn the skills of persuasion and marketing. They need to understand how to use empathy to sell, and consumer psychology to influence their audience to act.
Content writers on the other hand need to learn the skills of research, organizing their content flow, keyword research(for SEO), writing valuable information, and learning the art of writing to engage their audience.
Features of Copywriting
Persuasion
The purpose of copywriting is to persuade your audience to act. Skilled copywriters persuade their prospects subtly through different techniques. Some leverage storytelling to show empathy which will evoke the emotions of their prospects, and also create a sense of urgency.
Provides Solution
A good copy will show your prospects their desires or provide the solutions to their problems. This is done to prompt actions to make their prospects want the solution offered. The solution will pique your prospects’ interest, and prompt them to act.
Your copy should provide solutions to your prospect’s pain points.
For instance, a copy selling a supplement to fix hair loss aims to provide a solution for the challenge of hair loss.
A Title that Grabs Attention
The title of a good copy is one that grabs the attention of the audience. Your title is very important, you need to put effort in crafting it, otherwise, your copy won’t stand a chance no matter how well written it is.
If the title isn’t one that grabs the attention of your prospects, then they won’t go further to read the copy, and you’d lose the chance of conversion.
The title must be one that makes the audience curious to see more.
Has Call-To-Action
Every good copy has at least one call to action. Your call to action prompts your audience to act through purchasing an item, paying for a service, signing up for a newsletter, or other acts.
The call to action button should be clear and visible, your prospects shouldn’t go searching for it when they’ve decided to act. It should always be within reach.
Some Copywriters argue that only one call to action button should be used for a copy, but I strongly think it depends on the kind of copy.
I read a long copy a while back, and I decided to sign up even before reading the whole sales letter, but I couldn’t find any call to action button. I scrolled and it seemed like an endless page.
I gave up and went looking for a similar offer.
In the case of a long-form copy, more call-to-action buttons are required, sometimes your prospects may convert even before the end of the copy, in such a situation, you don’t want them to keep scrolling till the end in search of the call-to-action button.
Conversational
A good copy is conversational. It doesn’t matter how well you can use jargon, your prospects aren’t interested in that. Make your copy easy to read, make it conversational.
Break down complex words to make reading and understanding easy for your prospects.
Don’t confuse your prospects by using complex words, they won’t buy, or act when they don’t understand your copy. Simple words always win when trying to sell.
Also, make your copy clear and concise, and avoid verbose words. Colson Whitehead in the New York Times said “Never use three words when one will do.”
Features of Content Writing
Informative
A well-written content is informative. It provides answers to questions and it solves problems.
Your content should provide new information and educate your audience.
If you search for information, and you don’t find what you searched for even if the title suggested your search query, you’ll end up feeling disappointed.
It’s important to provide the information relevant to your title, otherwise, the content will be irrelevant to your audience.
Write for Your Target Audience
Writing for a target audience is necessary, otherwise, the content will have no effect.
Writing for your target audience will make your content resonate with your audience. Your content shouldn’t be written for everybody, it should be written for a specific audience.
When it does, it becomes relatable to your specific audience. The smaller the target audience, the better. That will make a particular audience interested in your content.
Write in Your Unique Brand Voice
Neil Patel defines brand voice thus, “A brand voice is the personality you attach to your brand”.
A unique brand voice is what separates you from other brands. There are lots of content writers writing content in your niche. You need to have a unique voice that sets you apart from others.
Have a brand voice that your audience will become familiar with. Choose your writing style and tone such as conversational, compelling storytelling, memorable content, and distinct personality.
Neil Patel also suggests having a document where you write about your brand voice so that any content writer who writes your content will maintain the same brand voice.
Engaging
Write engaging content to keep your audience hooked. After delivering a headline that captures the attention of your audience, you have to keep them interested with every sentence.
Make your audience interested in your content by how you write it.
Use specific words that your audience will understand and appreciate.
Research
Research is a very important feature of content writing. It creates authority and it boosts trust.
When your content is well-researched, your audience will have confidence in what they read.
Doing research before writing your content will help you build trust. With tons of content available to read, having well-researched content will build credibility and make your audience want more of what you have to offer.
Copywriting vs Content Writing: Which is Better?
Copywriting and content writing should be utilized for marketing. There’s no competition between the two, all you need to do is figure out which should be leveraged to achieve your marketing/business goal.
Understanding copywriting and content writing will help you leverage and make the most of both.
Conclusion
Focusing on how copywriting and content writing can be leveraged for your marketing/business is important.
Each when utilized can produce tremendous results and great impact. Just just need to focus on which to use to achieve your goal.