Do you want to make a career out of writing, but do not know where to start? In this post I will introduce you to the two most popular forms of writing and help you decide if you are a Content Writer or a Copywriter. So, get your lucky pen and favourite note book, and note the following down.
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is the function of writing persuasive content for conversion, or traffic purposes. The main point in the preceding sentence is the word persuasive. Let’s take a turn into ancient times and examine how copywriting was in use. Yes, you heard me right! even back in ancient Rome, copywriting was an important aspect of day to day activities, especially in politics. The Town Crier used to stand in the middle of the town square and yell the daily news. Well, you might say how is that persuasive? Amazingly enough, senators used to bribe the criers to skew the news to their benefit in election time.
Examples of Copywriting
In today’s world, copywriting does take a different tone though. Ads you see on Facebook, Instagram, and Google are all forms of ad Copy. The page you go to when you press on these ads is called the landing or sales page. These are also forms of copywriting. They are all aimed to lead you to a specific goal. That is to pay for a specific product or service or sign up for something else. Examples of said Copy are:
- Social Media ads
- Email ads
- Landing pages
- Billboards
Content Writing
Content writing is the strategy of writing pieces with the aim of education and entertainment. They are usually longer forms of content and aim to build interest in the customer’s mind around the offering over time, as well as build brand loyalty. This is a strategy often used by high-end companies. How many ads do you see around Rolex for example? Not much, but there is quite a bit of content when it comes to blogs, articles, and YouTube content around luxury products. This is not to say that ads are not used to market said items, but it is more important to build brand interest and loyalty in these cases.
Examples Of Content Writing
What you are reading right now is a Piece of content writing. Blog posts are some of the most popular content around. It’s not as easy as it may seem! Skills are required to score highly when it comes to SEO, and land well on google search. Nevertheless, here are other examples of Content out there:
- Blog Posts
- Articles
- Website Content
- Newsletters
- Whitepapers
So whats the difference between a Copywriter and a Content Writer?
The storytelling aspect in Copywriting vs Content Writing
You would be deceiving yourself if you think that Storytelling is only a factor in Content writing. Copywriting tells a story to the customer as well, which said the customer did not know what she/he needed to hear in the first place. It is a story that creates or initiates an impulse and interest in your offering. The strategy of doing so is different than the traditional storytelling of content writing. Copywriting focuses on keywords and headlines that focus on attracting the reader. Content writing educates the reader and informs him/her about the offering. Yes, even content aims at persuading the reader to perform a certain action, but it is more indirect than copywriting.
Speaking of persuasion, the purposes of both forms of writing slightly diverge. While both focus on persuasion, it is more direct in copywriting, while education is more prominent in content writing. An example of this is Facebook ads. The most efficient Facebook ads are 80 words maximum. Therefore, there is not much space to “educate”. For more information on headlines and “Above the Fold”, check our article in the link below.
Creativity
Creativity plays a role in both forms of writing. With that said the forms of creativity differ. Creativity in copywriting focuses on making an attractive above the fold. Creativity here falls in being able to make scrollers stop and check out what you’re offering. this aspect is also more challenging in the copy where shorter posts are usually more effective. Hence, you must show your creativity in a tight and short frame. Although the “Above the Fold” is important in Content, you have more options to explore creativity. This comes down to both longer forms of content, and the fact that content writing usually aims for a longer-term goal.
So, Are you a Copywriter or Content Writer?
We explored some of the differences between two strategies. Purpose, style, storytelling, and creativity are just some of these differences. With that said, it is important to keep in mind that copywriting and content writing are two sides of the same coin. It is recommended to balance in promoting your offering. That is because attracting new customers, retaining existing customers, and increasing brand awareness are all critical to success.
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