Copywriting and content writing: all you need to know

Although they are sometimes used interchangeably, content writing and copywriting are not exactly the same. As a small business owner, you’ve probably overheard arguments about the differences between copywriting and content writing, especially when hiring.

While content writing focuses on conveying a message with compelling and clear information, copywriting is more concerned with promoting and advertising a product or service.

We’ll go into more depth about the parallels and discrepancies between these two disciplines in this essay. This article should be useful whether you’re a newbie trying to decide which career to pursue or a company owner wanting to find your next freelance writer.

What is Copywriting?

The art of selling people on a concept, brand, or philosophy is known as copywriting. The finest copywriting creates branding by combining a brand’s goods and philosophy. Copywriting is by definition advertorial since its purpose is to persuade consumers to utilise a brand’s goods and/or services.

Persuasion is the main focus of copywriting. Copywriters are specialists in using language to persuade readers to perform the desired action, be it buying something, joining an email list, or downloading an ebook.

A few types of copywriting are:

  • Blogs\sE-books
  • Email bulletins
  • How-to manuals
  • features in magazines
  • Journal articles
  • Webpages

What is Content writing?

The art of producing content is called content writing. It must embody the voice of the brand and must either enlighten, educate, or entertain; it must have a clear goal and/or rationale behind the article, and it must be enjoyable to read. No matter if it comes from a brand or a publication, the finest content writing is centred on editorial quality.

Storytelling, branding, emotions, and SEO are all incorporated into content writing. It also has the most difficult ROI to demonstrate; a customer may read ten excellent articles over the course of two years before contacting your company via a form that generates a conversion credit.

Common examples of content writing are shown below:

  • Complete instructions 
  • How-to articles
  • Reviews \sLists
  • a case study
  • Interviews
  • Opinion pieces
  • Newsletters
  • Facebook captions
  • E-books FAQ sections on websites

What are the differences between copywriting and content writing?

The table below represents 5 major differences between copywriting and content writing. Knowing these differences will help inform your choice either as a small business owner or as a freelancer looking to venture into one of these two fields.

Pillar Copywriting Content writing
ObjectiveCopywriting’s one-directional objective is to sell products. A copywriter persuades your target market to support your brand. Excellent copywriting creates branding by combining a brand’s philosophy with the products to sell.The objective of content creation might vary, such as educating readers, resolving issues, motivating readers, entertaining readers, conveying your brand’s narrative, boosting organic traffic, and converting readers.
Sales funnelThe final stage of the buyer’s journey is the one that copywriting concentrates on.All stages of the marketing funnel are covered by content writing.
EmotionsCopywriting evokes strong emotions and a sense of urgency. They want readers to act right away. For instance, they may encourage readers to download something, subscribe to a newsletter, or buy something. In order to prompt quick action, copywriters weave urgency and scarcity into a headline.Content writing does not evoke an emotional response: On the other hand, content creators want to grow an engaged audience. They seek to build confidence and present the brand as an authoritative source of information, as we have discussed.
Where they workCopywriters frequently work for an advertising firm that handles client marketing.Content writers are employed by a wide range of businesses in different sectors. While content writers use the third party, copywriters frequently deal directly with businesses.
Skills Persuasion is one of their core required skills. They must be experts in persuasion, sales, and marketing. They must also comprehend human psychology and possess the verbal skills necessary to evoke the desired emotions in readers and motivate them to act.Both strong writing and in-depth research are required of content writers. They must also be professionals at producing worthwhile, educational content that isn’t overly promotional.

As a business owner, if you don’t have a firm grasp of the difference between content writing and copywriting, you can wind up with the incorrect individual for the incorrect job position, which could cause confusion later on and result in missed opportunities for achieving your content goals.

Whatever route you take, keep in mind that your organization is investing in each piece of content it creates.