Are you confused about the difference between copywriting and content writing? Don’t worry; you’re not alone!
Both types of writers use words used online and offline to help people better understand what a business does and help to grow the interest in a product or service.
But they are slightly different.
If you are considering copywriting vs. content writing for your business, this article will help you understand the key differences.
What’s the difference between a content writer and a copywriter?
Here’s the TL;DR version:
A copywriter usually writes to persuade someone to buy.
A content writer usually writes to educate, inform, and entertain.
You can think of them as two different sides of the same coin. They both serve a purpose in growing sales for a business, but the approaches (and techniques) are different.
Content writing is used to attract potential customers and educate them about the products and services of a brand. This is usually done by using blogs, articles, press releases, etc.
Copywriting presents products and services with a specific offer that compels the reader to buy now (or at least very soon).
Over the past 100 years, copywriting has sold billions of dollars of products. Some of the most famous copywriters are Eugene Schwartz, David Ogilvy, John Caples, and Claude Hopkins. The word ‘copy’ was initially used in print media because the typeset words were reprinted (i.e., copied) and shared with a broad audience of readers.
In the earliest days of marketing, most copy writing was produced in a sales letter format. This type of writer was sometimes known as a direct response copywriter.
During the past 25 years, there has been a growing focus on content writing as the demand for online content has grown. As of 2020, there are almost 2 billion websites online, all of which need content to get visitors to pay attention to them.
An Example of Professional Copywriting
The simplest way to explain the difference in copywriting vs. content writing is to look at two different websites covering the same topic.
Apple’s company website has excellent copywriting about the products. It explains the features and benefits and makes you want to buy them.
Persuasive writing is at the core of all good marketing copy. The Apple website uses clever headlines, subheadings, interesting facts, and speak to the benefits of what is offered. Price is always a secondary consideration on the Apple website, which is an excellent rule of thumb for all sales copy.
An Example of Professional Content Writing
By contrast, the website 9 to 5 Mac is an example of excellent work by a content marketer. The entire site is dedicated to sharing articles about upcoming Apple products, Apple product reviews, Apple company news, etc. 
For those who are interested in the Apple brand and upcoming products, it is valuable content. But underneath the surface, it is also showing the incredible results that an SEO content writer can offer a business.
The web content that 9 to 5 Mac creates is a perfect example of how SEO content should work. Every blog post that is added to their site adds to their digital marketing footprint. SEO writing means that you must incorporate specific keywords and semantic language into your website content.
Each page that ranks in the search engines becomes a landing page for new visitors to discover and build trust with their brand. This is the real purpose behind any content creation and at the core of inbound marketing.
A Definition of Copywriting
Copywriting is focused primarily on generating sales.
It’s the writing equivalent of Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Ross. The focus of copywriting is direct, short-term sales with significant returns in mind.
Copywriting is usually found in ads, sales letters, sales emails, PPC landing pages, social media ads on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, etc.
A good copywriter can craft compelling headlines and calls-to-action (CTAs) to prompt consumers to take action. This usually means purchasing a product, subscribing to a service, requesting a demo, scheduling an appointment, or submitting an email or phone number for follow-up.
A Definition of Content Writing
Content writing, on the other hand, is the nice guy of marketing.
He’s like Robin Williams’s character John Keating in Dead Poet’s Society. He starts slow and compels you to action.
People will often search for an answer or for something of interest, and over time through the magic of content writing, they’ll come to trust your brand and be interested in your product or service.
The most popular content writing types include blog posts, social media posts, emails, white papers, and ebooks. All these content types are focused on educating, entertaining, and informing your audience about a given topic.
Content marketing’s power is that it can turn leads into prospects, prospects into customers, and customers into repeat buyers. If a prospect converts over time, they are more likely to stay with a brand and keep buying.
A good content strategist can help you understand whether you want to inform, educate, or entertain your audience. Great content will always have a clear purpose and reason for being written. Any marketing campaign needs to represent the brand’s voice, and it needs to be an entertaining, valuable read.
What Makes a Good Copywriter?
A high-quality copywriter will understand your specific target market needs and combine the right jargon with persuasive language to compel your readers to take a particular action.
As a rule, the best copywriters will:
- Understand the needs of the target audience and use language to inspire confidence in the brand.
- Use the appropriate brand voice and jargon to connect directly with your readers
- Research your business to understand your core marketing goals
- Write copy that is plain-speaking, free of jargon, and never boring
- Explain any complicated ideas clearly and in practical terms
- Know how to use storytelling techniques to keep the reader interested
- Understand SEO tactics and semantic language
- Know how to craft short-form copy for advertisements
- Stick to your content brief and writing deadlines
- Work with you on edits until you’re happy with the website copy
What Makes a Good Content Writer?
Content writers must be well versed in online marketing strategy and have experience creating content for different channels, such as websites, blogs, social media, and email. Written content is usually designed to strengthen the relationship between the reader and the brand and build up SEO rankings.
Any content specialist should have a proven record of results of other sites that can show the value of their SEO content writing.
As a rule, the best content writers will:
- Use accurate keywords to build your search engine visibility
- Be experienced in producing long-form, interesting content that helps your customers
- Know how to structure content and high readability to make it easy to scan
- Have a firm grasp of English language, vocabulary, and understand grammar rules
- Carefully proofread and edit their content for clarity and accuracy
- Know how to use descriptive language and jargon to keep the reader interested
- Use industry research and expert quotes to increase the credibility of the content
- Have industry experience writing for similar businesses in your niche
- Be able to create new content ideas and keep finding new topics to cover in your niche
- Follow the brief and deadlines outlined by your team
- Work through edits and revisions until you’re content with the articles
Is Copywriting or Content Writing Better For Your Business?
Of course, the answer is it depends.
If you want to generate sales quickly, you might consider spending money on ads and using good copywriting to your advantage.
If you want to grow your brand trust and increase organic traffic to your website, you might consider using a content writing strategy. It takes a little longer to see results, but over time it grows long-term loyalty.
Of course, the very best strategy is to use both sides of the coin together to increase sales and to grow your brand loyalty.
Remember that the goal of a copywriter is to persuade people to take action. The content writer’s purpose is to build brand trust by engaging the reader.
With the right content strategy in place, you can maximize the results of your content over time.
Before you begin your next content marketing project, it’s wise to keep these definitions in mind.
Knowing what kind of professional writer you need will help you work more efficiently to achieve your business goals with content marketing.
At the end of the day, the differences between copywriting and content writing work together to enhance your business’s success.