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Content Writing vs Copywriting Guide – With the flux of content in the digital and other platforms that foster this data, the terms content writing and copywriting as used ever so popularly. Are these two the same? Who does these jobs and how do they get to it?
If you’re new to the writing business and looking for some clarity – well, content and copywriting is definitely not the same thing. Not only are they different styles, but they also are done for different purposes of use.
Content Writing vs Copywriting
It is commonplace for the two terms to be confused or used in place of each other in regular language. To be fair, these terms have come up in the digital domain around a similar content curation theme which makes it easy to confuse the two.
Even though there are similarities since pretty obviously both are to do with writing; however, the purpose of content writing and copywriting are strikingly different. This is the main point that sets them apart. Content writing is intended for a completely different outcome than copywriting.
The Key Difference
| Content Writing | Copywriting |
| 1. Content Writing usually gravitates around writing that is informative or educational without any ulterior promotional motive. | Copywriting includes write-ups and material for advertising and marketing purposes often intended to sell a product or promote a service |
| 2. This is merely telling a story or presenting some information for the readers.
Even though it is true that content can be monetized and there are ways of revenue generation via online forums, there is no product or service which is being sold as such. The value generated here is in the content itself. |
Copywriting includes write-ups and material for advertising and marketing purposes often intended to sell a product or promote a service.
Copywriting can include suggestions and advised to buy a certain product or present a list of products that can be best for you. It is promoting a product, brand or service rather than paying much heed to the writing in particular. |
For anyone entering the writing business, it can be a good idea to appreciate that no strict lines are demarcating a writing style to only be the job of a copywriter or only that of a content writer.
These fundamental distinctions can help understand copywriting and content writing better. Having pointed out these differences, it is only right to say that there are some overlaps between the two styles.
However, one does need to understand the differences and get an insight into what each job would require you to do.
What the jobs entail:
A Content Writer’s Job Profile
A content writer’s work in conformed to forms of content that are intended to educate, inform or entertain the readers. Contrary to popular belief, this is not limited to writings that cannot be monetized.
In fact, content writers are experienced in marketing and creating more engaging content that will be well received by the target readers.
This can be in the form of articles, blogs, emails, social media forums, etc. The only catch here is that there is no direct promotion or appraisals for a product or service whatsoever.
Content writers design content that is more focused to establish credibility about the source and make a bond or relationship with the reader.
What content writers must do?
The work of content writing has some specifics that must be maintained for a better reach and appreciation of the content.
Here keywords are often used within the texts that are aimed at optimizing the search engine results. Long forms of content are used which are intended to be more engaging and easy to read.
The structure of the content makes all the difference. Subheading and texts are used to help make the article or blog easy to scan. One must be able to spot relevant pieces of information.
A content writer must have a good understanding and grasp over the English language or any other language that is being used as the medium for writing.
However, simple this might appear from the outside; there is a lot that goes into content writing. The writers need to carefully edit and proofread their content for any errors or irregularities.
Some topics even require extensive research to make sure only credible information is used.
Writing for informational and educational purposes really expands the horizon for the topics that can be used. One needs to be able to write for a variety of industries. The task of coming up with fresh ideas for new content isn’t always easy either.
A content writer needs to work cohesively with their clients while sticking to deadlines and ensuring that only premium quality work is churned out.
A Copy Writer’s Job Profile
The business of copywriting is one of suggesting and persuading readers. A copywriter needs to mold his/her words in such a convincing way that it compels the reader to click on the “call to action” button that is a provision to facilitate purchases or for knowing more about the sale. It is essentially a form of writing for avid sales.
Be it a product that needs to be sold, a brand that needs to be promoted or a service that people are to be made aware of; all these can be done easily by some effective copywriting.
Advertisements, sales copies, emails, brochures, ads, and content for landing pages and digital ads- are all instances of copywriting.
Contrary to content writing, which is informational and to the point, copywriting tends to adopt a more conversational tone that is interactive in nature.
The reason for this resonates with its purpose of intent that is to convince people to buy something or commit to a service. People are more likely to be convinced if they find the words relatable. It is more like talking to potential customers through writing.
What a copywriter must do?
An excellent copywriter is an expert in creating product copies, SEO copies, direct advertising, and industry-specific promotions as per the requirement. He/she needs to understand the market behavior to be able to target their intended audience appropriately.
This often requires skill in a persuasive tone and some convincing ability to help the readers see their perspective as credible. A copywriter needs to inspire the readers to be able to trust the brand they promote and be compelled to invest in their services.
There are several particulars that need to be kept in mind for doing this. One needs to use the right voice of speech to establish an instant connect with the readers. They need to carry out some research for the brand they promote before including anything in writing. The credibility of this is essential as it represents the brand and what it stands for.
It is also relevant to understanding the marketing goals of the brand to be able to write copy effectively. The tone of writing should be easy to understand and extremely engaging. It should be able to invoke the emotions of the reader.
A copywriter needs to be an expert storyteller to craft an exciting read for potential customers and clients. The copies they create must be impactful and as per the brief of the client. They need to stick to deadlines and might need to incorporate changes as per the client’s demands.
Let’s Talk Numbers
If you’re considering a job in either of the two positions or perhaps just curious to understand how many content writers and copywriters are flourishing in the business, let’s look into some statistics.
Which of these two is likely to be higher paying? Or presents more work on demand? Which kind of work is consumed more?
Read along to know more!
The market for Content Writing
There can be different kinds of work in content writing including
- Articles
- Blogs
- Newsletters
- E-books
- Magazines
- Podcasts
- Film content
- Papers
Statistical Analysis
- Marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are 13x more likely to see positive ROI.
- 55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority.
- One in ten blog posts is compounding, meaning organic search increases their traffic over time.36% of people prefer list-based headlines over its lifetime, one compounding blog post creates as much traffic as six decaying posts.
- Titles with 6-13 words attract the highest and most consistent amount of traffic.
- Using statistics in blog posts improves consumer trust43% of B2B marketers say blogging is their most important type of content
- Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising.
- 45% of B2C marketers believe visual content is their most important type of content.
- Podcasts 17% of marketers plan to add podcasting to their marketing efforts in the next 12 months.
- 51% of B2B marketers prioritize creating visual assets as part of their content marketing strategy.
- Listicles are the most popular blog post format among business blogs.
- 47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales representative.
Source Hubspot
The market for Copy Writing
There are a variety of writing types that are included under copywriting:
- SEO content
- Web Content
- Online Ads
- Offline Ads
- Email Campaigns
- Video Scripts
- Press releases
- Brochures
- Sales letters
- Catalogs
- Social Media content
- Mails
- TV or radio promotional scripts
Statistical Analysis
- Almost 50% of Internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store 4 in 5 .
- Consumers believe that demo videos are helpful. 92% of marketers make videos with assets they already have.
- Transactional emails receive eight times as many opens compared to regular marketing emails.
72% of consumers say they would have a lower opinion of a brand if they subjected the consumer to a pop-up ad. - 33% of inbound marketers and 31% of outbound marketers rank outbound marketing practices, such as paid advertising, as the top waste of time and resources.
- 56% of brands using an emoji in their email subject line had a higher open rate than those that did not.
- Nearly half of marketers say they sometimes test alternate subject lines to optimize email performance.
- 62% of people said they were more interested in a product after seeing it in a Facebook Story.
- 53% of users say they are more likely to look at a native than a banner ad.
- 91% of shoppers want to hear from companies they do business with via email.
- Product videos can increase purchases by 144%.
- Email Copy 66% of marketers personalize their emails based on age data.
- The most popular display ad types are banners, native ads, and social media ads.
- 30% of marketers think outbound marketing tactics are overrated.
- More than two-thirds of US digital display ad spending is programmatic.
Source: Hubspot
Final Words
Thus, it is evident that both content and copywriting play an essential role in the digital as well as real content space. One could also say that at some level these can be linked to each other despite the stark differences in the purpose and style of writing.
For instance, while purchasing a particular product if a user comes across content like ads that have been copywritten, they might want to refer to some blog posts that a content writer has drafted somewhere else on the internet. The reverse is also possible.
Seeing a blog content, a user could be convinced to find product advertisements elsewhere to be able to initiate a purchase.
With their different agendas in nature, copywriting and content writing serves a common purpose of creating value either for a service or a piece of information. It is this value that draws readers and audiences towards the two. These are two jobs that are as interlinked in their existence as they are apart in the impact they want to create.
We hope this was an enjoyable read for you and you learned a little about the fields of content and copywriting. To any aspirants who are about to pursue either as a career, we wish luck and emphasize these to be excellent choices for occupations. In case you were just curious, now you know how these are different yet alike!
