Copywriting vs Content Writing: How to tell the difference
Words can be confusing. For instance, copyrighting, the legal action granting creators the exclusive rights to their original work and its distribution, sounds identical to copywriting, the act of writing the text of advertisements or publicity materials.
As a creative entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard the words copywriting and content writing a thousand times over. Due to the similarity of the words, you may have even considered them interchangeable.
It can seem confusing, but I’ve got you. This article was written by a writer (hi!) to discuss the differences between copywriting and content writing in a relatable way so that you recognize how both concepts directly impact the way your audience responds to your brand.
ready?
Copywriting is the act of writing the text of advertisements or publicity materials. Copy is the written content, produced by a copywriter, aimed to persuade people to take a particular action.
Here’s the scoop: Copywriting is a form of storytelling. It’s a service (offered by a copywriter) that uses carefully constructed words and phrases to explain the problems businesses solve. Copy is meant to grab the reader’s attention and tug on their emotions in a way that converts them from a passive reader into a recurrent customer or client.
Can’t anyone write copy? All it takes is a keyboard and a brain, right?
Not so fast.
The difference between copywriters and the good ‘ole DIY method is the training. Copywriters learn the necessary skills to turn average words into persuasive content that influences people to take action, or more specifically, purchase your product or service.
That commercial you saw while watching your favorite TV show? You know, the one that got you to look up the brand on your phone immediately?
A copywriter wrote the script.
The website you visit 20 times a day because the content just speaks to your soul? You know, the one that has at least 50+ blog post headlines that you can’t wait to read.
A copywriter found a way to make your heart skip a beat.
Those pesky social media advertisements that make you think “I need that!” and then run to grab your wallet. You know, the ones for dog-printed socks and easy, at-home gel manicures.
Your unnecessary purchases are all thanks to a copywriter.
Whether it’s by creating an influential marketing campaign, writing website copy that empathizes with an audience’s pain points, or creating compelling social media advertisements, hiring a copywriter will strengthen your content in order to boost search engine rankings and sales.
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to complicated world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short). According to Ahrefs, SEO is the practice of optimizing content to be discovered through a search engine’s organic search results.
Let’s put it this way: Just as it’s a search engine’s job to present you with a curated list of the most relevant results based on the keywords you use in a search, it’s a copywriter’s job to curate content in a way that makes it visible to a search engine in the first place.
Lightbulb!
Copywriters can tailor keywords used throughout digital content to increase search engine rankings.
Thanks to research done by Status Labs, we now know that 90% of searchers haven’t made up their mind about a brand before starting their search. This means that your website is just as likely to be clicked on as your competitor’s—that is, if your website’s SEO is good enough to rank you as high as your competitors on search engine pages.
Copywriting and content writing both help boost SEO for business owners. However, while copywriting is geared towards persuasion, content writing focuses on education.
Every wonder how big brands like Adidas and Sephora consistently pop up as #1 in google searches (aside from the fact that they’re famous, of course)? The answer is that the SEO in their content is spot-on. These big-named brands have hired expert copywriters to plug in keywords and keyword phrases on the front AND back end of their websites (among a ton of other strategies) to ensure that even when you type in basic searches like “running shoes” or “makeup”, their name shows up at the top—every single time.
If you’re just starting out in your industry, patience is key. Using the right keywords and keyword phrases on your website won’t rank you #1 overnight. However, there are a few website copy changes you can make on your own to point your website in the right direction—check out Ahref’s Top 10 Google Ranking Factors to get a feel for what it takes to make it to the (literal) top.
Producing valuable content is the best way to show your audience that you are an expert in your field. And, the good news is, that there is no limit to the amount of content you can create. The options are literally endless.
But, we’re here to talk about the writing portion of content.
Let’s face it: if your content isn’t well-written, your audience is going to notice. In fact, written content is so important that a 2017 study by Hubspot showed that companies spend 46% of their budget on content creation. Woah.
Chances are, you’re writing content right now without spending a dime. Blog posts, e-courses, vlogs, and podcasts all need words to thrive and, with the world of social media at our finger tips, there’s no excuse to pass up this free marketing opportunity.
However, in order to make your mark in a saturated market, your content needs to be topnotch to stand out—and hiring a content writer will help you do just that. Content writers help brands showcase their unique knowledge in a way that keeps readers engaged and eager for the next post.
Plus, producing professionally written content naturally attracts more people to your website while making your website more visible to search engines.
Well-written content helps your SEO skyrocket. The more a keyword shows up on your website, the more likely search engines are to rank your business as a reliable source. In order for this to happen, you have to keep a few things in mind.
Written content should be:
Valuable
Relatable
Relevant
TBH, if your audience comes to you for skincare knowledge but you’re blogging about your favorite places to eat, you’re doing nothing to establish your brand’s reliability.
Written content must provide information that your audience appreciates and solve a problem that they can apply to their lives in the present moment (this is why you saw so many businesses pivot their marketing strategies to produce work-from-home content when the pandemic hit).
The more you establish yourself as an expert in your niche, the more people will come to you looking for advice. People are hungry for knowledge and search engines are hungry for words. Feed ‘em.
the bottom line
As a creative entrepreneur, it’s important to relay your authentic self through words. Well-written copy and content establish who you are as a business owner, what you do, why you do it, and what problems you solve—all while turning your brilliant ideas into beautiful words that make your audience think, “Damn, I want to work with THEM!”
There are a few differences, though. While most forms of digital writing (if done the right way) boost search engine optimization, copywriting is used to persuade and content writing is used to educate (and entertain!)
Sure, you could write copy and produce written content for your own business, but hiring a professional writer ensures that you share valuable, relatable, and relevant niche content every single time.
Now that you know the difference between copywriting + content writing, it’s time to put the concepts to practice. Let me help you discover a variety of ways you can gain your audience’s loyalty, respect, and attention, just by using words.