The Differences Between Content Writing And Copywriting.

Content writing and copywriting are what I like to call, two sides of the same coin. But it is probably not as simple as that and not as complicated as you would think. A lot of people use both concepts interchangeably and some writers believe they can double as both without even knowing the difference. As a writer, it is important to be able to identify the differences so you can easily shed off either of the roles as the case may be. Content writing and copywriting differ in various ways but, basically, they differ in the purpose of writing, the style of writing and the role of the Content Writer and Copywriter.

The Purpose of Writing

One of the first questions to ask yourself when considering the differences between content writing and copywriting is the reason why you are writing. What are you hoping to achieve? Are you trying to entertain, inform, educate or get something from them? If you are trying to inform, entertain or educate, it falls under content writing but if you are trying to get them to take an action after reading your piece, that’s copywriting.

From the above explanation, you are likely to think that copywriting is the most important; however, brands can really not do one without the other because building an online presence is very important for brands in this decade and owning a blog is one aspect of building an online presence. Most blog posts are products of content writing while the advertorial aspect of the brand is written by copywriters. So, basically, content writing informs, educates or entertains you with contents focused on the brand and its industry, while copywriting appeals to your emotion to patronise the brand or take a defined action.

The Style of Writing

The Copywriters write the copies on sales letters, social media content, billboards, online ads, flyers, brochure, proposals, press releases, campaigns and all other forms of advertisement carried out by the brand. So, the style of writing for Copywriters is different from that of Content Writers because the latter writes content to educate, entertain or inform. Aside from that, they both have to produce excellent and engaging writing, but like the point above, one is to propel the readers to take action. Copywriting is not an outright sale of products like salesmen do, but it is appealing to the emotions tied to the products that will make you want to buy it. Copywriters are, therefore, writing, persuasively while Content Writers provide content that is centred on the brand; it gives you a lot more information on the brand or informs you that the brand knows their onions.

The Role of The Copywriter and Content Writer

Simply put, a Copywriter is expected to write copies while a Content Writer writes content. Copies are advertorial contents i.e. words written to advertise, therefore, they can be in any format -visual, written or both. As far as the intent of the content is to advertise something, it is a copy and that is the job of the Copywriter. The Content Writer, on the other hand, is expected to write or produce content that can be visual or written as well, not exactly with the intension of advertising. It is important to note that both Content Writers and Copywriters are expected to inspire the reader’s trust, so sometimes, both job roles could overlap.

It is very possible to do both and master them. It doesn’t have to be a content writing vs. copywriting contest; it is not a one or the other situation. However, while it is easy to be a Content Writer as a Copywriter, it is a little more challenging to be a Copywriter than a Content Writer. You should note that you really cannot be a good Copywriter without first being a brilliant Content Writer, copywriting is still more about the ability to make people take action through your words. Once both skills have been mastered, you can then decide on which types of projects you’ll love to work on, or you could simply do both.