If you are following content marketing, probably the term “Copywriting vs Content writing”, is not new for you. But, as both terms look similar and involve writing, so create confusion for newbie marketers. Most content producers having a common question like, Are they both the same or different?
And the fact is, Copywriting and content writing, both are serving the same purpose. But with diverse approaches, and with unique writing skills. In both, you have to give more focus on creating content for marketing purposes. So, what’s the difference between copywriting and content writing? That’s what we are discussing in this post.
What is Copywriting?
As the name suggests, copywriting is related to writing a copy. A copy that serves the marketing purpose related to inform, engage and interact with the target audience. The purpose of copywriters is to create a marketing copy that creates brand awareness and place the sales message through the text written persuasively.
The concepts of copywriting have a far longer history, ever since humans have started interacting with each other. But, in the digital era, the written copy is for promoting and publishing on digital media such as social media, websites as well. Copywriting is a dynamic marketing tool, that can deliver long-lasting positive results, when done the right way.
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What is Content writing?
When it comes to content writing, it’s relating to writing content for a particular medium, platform-oriented content. Content creation, the concept of writing content is emerging due to digital marketing and advanced marketing strategies. Any contents that are created as part of the modern marketing campaign needs, are called as Digital content writing.
Similarly, content writers are responsible for creating digital content such as website content, blog posts, articles, ebooks, and all. Not only for marketing purposes, they also need to concern moreover for which platform their content will be posted.
Okay…So both copywriting and content writing is for creating marketing contents, so again what is the difference between them? The next section will answer you for that.
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Difference: Copywriting vs Content Writing
As said earlier, Writing for marketing goals, is something that creates confusion between copywriting and content writing. But there are the other key aspects that help you understand the difference between them even better.
Message length for Content and Copy
First and foremost, the difference between copywriting and content writing is related to created content’s length, which means the structure of marketing copies.
Content writers need to provide detailed information for educational plus marketing purposes from their articles & posts. So the content length has to be maximum in order to cover the subject in detail. Talking about SEO content, such posts and articles need to cover and educate every aspect of the subject matter. That also improves its ranking and search visibility.
Whereas copywriters have to write short-form articles or landing pages, that speak the brand message directly. The too lengthy copy will create confusion for the readers and will not result in a successful campaign. Copies are specially written for serving the marketing message in a short and in an effective manner.
Content Purpose: Why to create them?
The next difference related to copywriting vs content writing is due to its purpose of writing. Every copy that copywriters produce has to target the core business goal, that is Sales. Indeed, some copies are written with the purpose of branding perspective. But the core goal is to sell something to the readers out of it.
Content writing is a broad term that never writing for single goals. As per the business needs and campaign plans, created content is to educate, inform, engage, and entertain the audience. Not all content serving the same purpose to educate and engage the readers only. Some of them are varying as per the type of business as well.
There are many types of contents, a company needs to create for reaching its marketing and branding goals.
Overall, content writing has long term goals to create business brand and acquire potential audiences. Whereas copywriting focuses on short term business goals, to acquire sales from the potential audience mostly.
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Outcomes from Both marketing tools
Talking about results from content writing and copywriting, they are serving different business needs. Due to content writing company gets more exposure and brand mentions online. While copywriting serving the potential audience firstly, and try to engage them with the brand’s offers.
The core purpose of copywriting is to promote the product and services directly. Whereas content is the sequential process and directing the audience with understanding their information needs. Sales funnel based content are the reason for that. Where content is created by considering the information needs and the buyer’s journey. The purpose of content to support the audience to take further action at every funnel stage.
Whereas in copywriting focusing on the interest of the audience towards the buying products. Copywriters focus on the potential audience or leads. Some copies are to generate more leads, while some of them are for remarketing campaigns. But the goal here is to produce copies that convert well.
Writing for various online platforms
Not denying the facts, that content is a need for any online-offline marketing platform. But still, for which platform that will be also can be the factor to differentiate copywriting vs content writing. How??, let’s have a read further.
Content is an essential marketing tool in digital marketing and demanded by almost all online media platforms. Talking about SEO and social media, content writers create content over specified publishing platforms. Before writing any content, the writers need to confirm for which platform it will be. As the content writing approach keeps changing based on the platforms and their audience’s preferences.
The SEO content needs well-researched keywords first. And Keyword research is actually a base for the whole content creation process. There are needs for the keyword insertion and content optimization, to make more out of the created contents. Following the search, guideline becomes crucial for content writers to follow when writing SEO contents.
On the other hand, copywriting primarily focusing on providing the brand message in a persuasive manner. While writing for social media posts or for the website copy, copywriters need to ensure that copies will be engaging plus interactive enough with the brand theme and website design.
SEO Copywriters (Content + Copywriters)
Knowing the importance of SEO in digital marketing, more and more copywriters also becoming the SEO copywriters for writing copy that attracts the new visitors as well.
Copywriting is heavily focusing on the information need of human readers. Whereas content writing is for a specific platform first and then for a specific audience. Means, you need to understand the platform first, and also to write considering the platform algorithm first. That helps you to reach the maximum audience later on.
Not all the content is compatible with online media platforms, you just can not create content and posted it to any online media out there with same formate.
Whereas copy is targeting human interaction and aspires to short in nature. This means, a copy is an easily shareable content type for the diverse platform as well.
Related: Benefits of Blogging for Small Businesses
Final thoughts:
Even though from the above points, it shows that content writing and copywriting is not the exact same. But still are equally important as part of content marketing strategy. Not a single company following digital marketing over traditional marketing can ignore these two concepts of marketing and writing in their routine campaigns.
As a core business goal and its potential impact, content strategist requires to know how to balance between copywriting vs content writing. Writing persistent content helps businesses to generate brand awareness and attract the new audiences first while using copywriting they can be converted into qualified leads and prospects.
Content creates ideas, whereas Copy concerts that ideas.
Content generates Awareness, whereas Copy brings Sales.
Ketan Parmar, a content strategist and founder of Wordzyx, a content strategy agency from Ahmedabad. Currently working with small businesses and startups, Ketan contributing their Business growth via content strategies plus website optimization, through own proven marketing experiences. He’s on a mission to promote content marketing as an Investment for a business, rather just advertising costs.
Read something more about, Ketan parmar.
