Copywriting vs. content writing

We compare some of the distinctions between copywriting and content writing in this article. What part does each style have in developing a strong brand?

Let’s find out.

Introduction

Every great digital marketing campaign is powered by content. However, not every type of content piece is the same. For example, there is copywriting and there is content writing. These two writing categories serve quite different objectives, despite the fact that both are used in digital marketing campaigns.

What is content writing?

Content writing entails producing text that will inform or entertain readers. Although it might also increase sales, that is not its main goal. Rather, its main purpose is to educate and engage an audience.

Examples of content writing pieces include:

• Web articles
• Case studies
• Social media posts
• Tutorials
• Email newsletters
• E-books
• Blogs

What is copywriting?

As stated in our previous article, copywriting is the act of creating text that will persuade readers to take an action linked to the sales process of your company. For example, if you're trying to sell a product, you'll need to persuade potential buyers that it's a good investment.

Examples of copywriting pieces include:

• Website sales copy
• Product pages
• Social media ads
• Landing pages
• Product descriptions
• Sales emails

Key differences

1. Content writing focuses on SEO

The goal of content writing is often to increase traffic. So exceptional content writers are also excellent at SEO.

Using search terms that are relevant to your company's objectives, they'll assist you in selecting trendy topics that your readers will love.

Because it provides readers with a lot of value, content creation is beneficial for SEO. It doesn't indicate a desire to make money. Instead, content writing is completely informative, which makes people happy to read and share it. The longer length of content writing is another factor that makes it beneficial for SEO.

The goal of content writers is to engage readers. They seek to build confidence and present the brand as a trustworthy source of information

2. Copywriting creates a sense of urgency and inspires emotional responses

Copywriters want readers to act right away. For instance, they might encourage readers to download something, subscribe to a newsletter or buy something.

That is why copywriting is majorly used for highly sales-driven channels such as email marketing campaigns and advertising.

3. Content writing focuses on the latter stages of the customer journey

The goal of copywriting is to engage audiences early in the customer journey.

Copywriters can increase the number of people entering the top of the funnel by using ads to specifically target those people.

Contrarily, content writers concentrate their efforts on guiding those leads through the customer journey by writing material that positions a reader for future sales.

Content writers assist in advancing a client to the final phases of the customer journey by establishing trust and credibility with audiences.

Key takeaways

Digital marketing requires both copywriting and content writing to be successful. Although there are some similarities, content marketing and copywriting have significant differences. Ultimately, both writing categories want to draw in new clients. In the end, it doesn't matter which is better; what matters is what you need for your business at the moment.