Copywriting vs. Content Writing: The Difference

The creation of marketing copy and content is a balancing act; one where copywriters and content writers play similar roles.

And with terms like "copywriter" and "content writer" often used interchangeably, it can be confusing to determine which one is which. In this article, I'll walk you through the differences in each and what their purpose is.

On average, it takes seven touches by a brand's marketing or advertising team before a customer will buy... sometimes even more. Today's customers want to know they matter more than the bottom dollar. They need to trust the company before they buy their products or services.

That's why successful brands use a combination of consistent, informative content and engaging, persuasive web and ad copy to stay top of mind and create a meaningful relationship with their audience. They cleverly weave a narrative that appeals to the human element of marketing, inspiring us to take action while encouraging us to trust in their mission and values.

Whether you're a manager building your team or a freelancer deciding which style of writing to specialize in, knowing which is which is helpful in building a strong marketing strategy.

But how do you know which kind of writing is needed and when? Let's dive in.

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is content used primarily for marketing and advertising purposes. Copywriting highlights the product or service's features in a memorable and interesting way. Its goal is to raise brand awareness and persuade the audience to take a specific action in the sales process, typically this action is making a purchase.

It is compelling short form writing using short phrases and eye-catching words to evoke a sense of urgency in the potential buyer. This writing strives to get the audience to act today -- right now -- rather than building a relationship over time.

Copywriting is often closely analyzed for effectiveness. And it's easy to tell if it is doing well by measuring open and click-through rates. These numbers will quickly show if changes are needed.

Some examples of copywriting are:

• Social media posts and captions

• Taglines and slogans

• Landing page content

• Product descriptions and pages

• Website sales copy

• Short Message Service (SMS) ads

• Brochures

• Ads (both online and offline)

What is Content Writing?

On the other hand, content writing instructs, entertains, or educates the audience. Yes, it still drives sales overall but unlike copywriting, it does not evoke urgency to make a purchase right now. Instead, this style of writing seeks to build trust with the audience over time through valuable, high-quality, relevant content.

You are likely familiar with content writing. For example, if you've ever signed up to receive a company's newsletter, this is content writing. These emails are being used to share what's new with the company, upcoming sales, employee news, product features, and more to create a lasting relationship with you -- their target customer. And there's nothing wrong with that. Not only does it help them meet their sales goals, but you as the customer become familiar with the brand or product and, hopefully, have an opportunity to learn more of the brand's values.

Unlike copywriters, content writing is much harder to measure short term as great content strategies take time to show success. Content writing is part of a long-term strategy.

Content writers strive to generate inbound web traffic and use effective search engine optimization (SEO) to increase engagement. They generally are more SEO-focused than copywriters, and their content requires researching topics and related keywords.

Some examples of content writing are:

• Blog posts

• News articles

• Whitepapers

• eBooks

• Email newsletters

• Books

• How-to guides

• Case studies

• Webpages

• Email newsletters

The Final Word

There's a time to focus on persuading your audience to buy and a time to build trust and educate. In digital marketing, copywriting is all about persuasion and inspiring your audience to take an action. Use it when your goal is to sell something and to create a sense of urgency, such as on a product landing page.

Content writing is all about entertaining and educating. Use content writing to build a loyal, engaged audience and increase web traffic through SEO.

To be successful you need to wisely use both styles of writing in your marketing strategy. Doing so will create meaningful relationships with your customers.