Suman Samal, Asst. Marketing Manager
Suman Samal
Oct 13, 2021

Copywriting vs Content Writing: What are the Differences & Similarities?

Content writing and copywriting are often considered the same, but this isn't true. Read this article further to find the difference between content writing and copywriting and why they matter?
Copywriting vs Content Writing: What are the Differences & Similarities?

Table of contents

Content writing and Copywriting are often confused as the same term. However, this is not true!

Copywriting and Content writing are two different processes, but they are the two sides of the same coin. It's like a Venn diagram of content marketing where the two intersect, but they have some phenomenal differences.

Both of them gave words on their page, but both serve a different purpose to the reader.

The primary difference between these two is that copywriting is creating a written text for a specific purpose. At the same time, content writing refers to creating an article or blog post with information about a topic.

In this Copywriting vs. Content writing article, we will share the main difference between SEO content writing and copywriting and why they matter?

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is the art of selling products or services through simple words and entice the readers to take action. The action could be buying a product, subscribing to the email newsletter, or joining a community.

The primary purpose of copywriting is to convert the readers or audience into sales and leads.

The best copywriting practice is the perfect blend of products and ideology to create a brand image. It talks about them together in one sentence or paragraph so that they're not separate but related.

What is SEO Content Writing?

SEO content writing is the art of creating an article or blog post with information about a topic. The primary purpose of SEO content writing is to create high-quality, unique, and relevant content for search engines like Google and Bing.

The primary goal of creating an SEO blog post is to write, inform, educate, or solve the user's problems. However, the end goal depends on the intent, but it is always lucrative for businesses to generate potential customers and get organic traffic.

While in copywriting, you are creating content for the audiences, the case is slightly different here. In SEO content writing, you have to create both search engine friendly and enhances user experience.

Why should you use copywriting?

Well, you should use copywriting if your product or service is information-based.

The target audience of a sales letter or a sales page needs to be clearly defined. Copywriters know how to communicate with their audience and what benefits they can expect from the product or service.

Here is why you should use copywriting for boosting the marketing efforts

To build your brand image

Brand image is a complex and multi-dimensional concept. It can't be reduced to a single characteristic or even to just one aspect, such as how consumers perceive it.

A professional copywrite knows the right words to use so that you get a good impression of your brand and an idea about who you are in their writing.

Provide value to the audience 

In a short-form copy, you have only a few words to leave an impression

A good copywriter creates content that leaves the readers hooked and uses the style and tonality that appeals to the target audience.

For example, a product description should have all the features and USPs, whereas the About us page must have as much information for the brand.

To get better insight into the audience 

Your target audience may be different from the one you are targeting. You need to understand them to know what your product or service can offer to them.

The copywriter is supposed to explain the benefits of a product and how it works with the readers in simple language that is easy to understand.

Why should you use content writing?

Content writing is an integral part of marketing strategy.

It would be best if you had an eye for the written word to succeed in your business. Content writing is a skill that you can learn by reading content independently or by taking a course.

Once you can write content, you will be able to write for your business. This is because it is essential to understand what your customers want and how they want it. This will allow you to create content that is useful and can sell your product or service.

Furthermore, people are always looking for information on how to use a product or review the product before making a purchase decision. Thus, detailed and valuable content will help them get every nitty-gritty of the product or service and then decide on it.

In a nutshell, content writing comes before copywriting in any marketing strategy.

Content Writing vs Copywriting: What are the differences?

Here are some of the key differences between copywriting and content writing.

Purpose

The significant difference between content writing and copywriting is their purpose.

Content writing subtly informs and educates the audience, whereas copywriting is more creative writing that tries to sell your brand to the target audience.

Copywriting leads to sales generation, whereas content writing solves the pain points, engages the audiences, and solves the problems.

Jobs and Duties

People often confuse copywriters and content writers. But, there is a thin line between the two job descriptions.
Copywriters write content for businesses. They are responsible for generating sales, increase conversions and enhance brand image.

A content writer need not necessarily be a professional writer. The long-form blog posts that content writing needs research, and anyone can write them, from CEOs to professional writers, bloggers, or authors.

The main objective of the content writer is to produce valuable content for the readers so that they can give the benefits in the long term.

The bottom line is copywriters need to be more creative, whereas content writers need more research and knowledge about the topic to write.

Types of Writing

Now, the main difference lies between the types of writing for each. Copywriters have to produce content that entices the buyers to take immediate action.

Earlier, copywriting was used only in TV advertising and newspaper. With the evolution of the Internet, the demand for copywriters has grown drastically.

The list includes:

  • Online advertisements
  • Brand taglines and slogans
  • Web content for various pages
  • Email campaign content
  • Sales copy
  • Press releases
  • Video scripts
  • White papers
  • Social media ads copy
  • Brochures
  • Sales letters

Content writers have different types of content to produce. They are responsible for producing content like:

  • Long-form blog posts
  • News articles
  • Email copies and newsletters
  • E-books
  • Print magazines
  • Case studies

Well, not to forget that content writers contribute to TV and scriptwriting as well. Hence, you need to decide what type of writer you are and what content you can produce.

Conclusion

To conclude, Copywriting is the art of creating content that gets you what you want. It's about making your potential customers feel like they are part of something special and unique.

The best copywriters make it clear how their product or service can benefit them, and that's why they're so good at what they do.

On the other hand, content writers need to create different types of content for different purposes. They need to write blog posts, white papers, emails, etc.

We hope you have a clear picture of which practice you should choose: Copywriting or content writing.

Suman Samal
Asst. Marketing Manager
ABout the AUTHOR
Suman Samal
Asst. Marketing Manager

Suman Samal is a Asst. Marketing Manager at Scalenut. She is a technology enthusiast with a keen interest in content marketing and SEO. She truly believes that with the right set of tools every organization can improve the ROI of their content marketing campaigns. She spends her time managing content operations at Scalenut and ensuring that everything we publish is of the highest quality.

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