Content writing vs. Copywriting: A direct comparison
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Abdul Wadood
Content writing vs. Copywriting — Are they the same?
No! Both terms appear to be pretty similar. However, their usage and purpose are entirely different from each other.
Simply put, content writing is all about providing value to the readers. It includes blogs, ebooks, etc.
Copywriting is about convincing a reader to purchase a product. It includes promotional emails, captions for advertisements (ad copies), etc.
Let’s dive deeper and learn more about content writing and content writing.
Table of content:
What is content writing?
If you’re into the world of digital marketing, you would have probably heard the famous saying, “Content is King“. This popular saying remains true even now.
There are lots of content on the internet. But, due to the growing demands of the user, there’s always a need for high-quality content. This demand is a fantastic money-making opportunity for content writers.
Content writing aims to educate or entertain readers on a particular topic. The content you create should be easy to read and understand.
Moreover, if your content is of high quality, you can use it to generate money.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is the content that’s written for marketing purposes. It can be to promote a product, bring in sales, upsells, etc.
A copywriter should know the emotional triggers that can convince people to purchase a product.
Moreover, you should display the copywriting content to the correct audience group. If not, you won’t be able to sell the product.
Purpose
Content writing and copywriting are related to digital marketing — however, their purpose and usage differ significantly.
Below, I have listed the differences in the purpose and usage of content writing vs. copywriting.
Content writing aims to provide high-quality information on a specific topic such as business, marketing, motivation, etc.
In content writing, the amount of value you provide to the users plays a significant role in determining the success of the content. To achieve this goal, you should have a clear idea about what you’re going to write. Also, you should ensure to make your content engaging and reader-friendly.
You can also utilize content writing to make money, and many people are doing it successfully.
For instance, you can sign up for an affiliate program and promote the affiliate products in your blogs, ebooks, etc. However, when promoting a product in your content, your primary motive should be to provide value to the readers.
The following are some examples of content writing.
- Blogs
- Ebooks
- Books
- Tutorials
- White papers
In copywriting, the primary motive is to write text-based promotional content that can convince people to purchase a product.
The following are some examples of copywriting.
- Sales/Ad copies
- Promotional emails
- Landing page content
- SMS advertisements
- Pop-ups
Tips to become a successful content writer
Having seen the concept of content writing and copywriting, let’s now discuss the tips to become a successful content writer.
1. Perform a thorough research on the content’s topic
If you want to create good content, you should perform thorough research before you start with it. By researching, you can get a clear idea of the points to discuss in the content, competition, keywords to include, target audience, etc.
If you’re a new content writer and want your content to stand out from the competitors, you can provide additional value by providing more information to the readers. You can know the topics that your competitors haven’t covered only by performing thorough research.
There are several platforms through which you can perform your research. For instance, you can do keyword research through tools like Wordtracker and SEMRush. Similarly, you can conduct information researches on Google or community-based websites like Quora, Reddit, etc.
Ok!
If you’re a content writer and don’t have a website yet, I highly recommend creating one. Creating a website has become pretty easy and affordable. In fact, it takes less than $60 to develop and publish your website on the internet — thanks to web hosting service providers like HostGator.
Publishing content (blogs, ebooks, tutorials, etc.) on your own website is much better than depending on third-party sites. Also, if you have a website, the readers will feel that your information is trustworthy. The same isn’t the case otherwise.
2. Write highly informative content
If you want to achieve success as a content writer, you should write highly informative content.
As mentioned before, if you want your content to stand out from the competitors, you should provide some additional value to the readers. If not, why should the readers prefer your content over more established ones?
Moreover, you should ensure that your content is free from plagiarism. You can write on the same topic as others; however, your content should have a unique voice.
You can use free plagiarism checker tools like Small SEO Tools to detect the percentage of plagiarism in your content.
3. Make the content reader-friendly
Providing value and educating people on a particular topic is the primary motive behind content writing. If you want to achieve this goal, it’s essential to make the content reader-friendly.
Creating reader-friendly content requires fantastic vocabulary and writing skills. If your English vocabulary isn’t correct, the readers will feel that your content lack professionalism.
Many people know to speak English, but they struggle when it comes to writing. If you’re among them, don’t worry.
Fortunately, thanks to the abundance of online resources available, you can develop your English writing skills with ease — provided you work hard with dedication. You can also utilize writing assistant tools.
4. Learn the SEO techniques
SEO optimization is essential for your target audience to discover your content on the internet. Without optimizing your content for SEO, people can’t find your content even if your content offers top-notch value.
If you’re a new content writer, you’ll probably have no idea about SEO. Am I correct? Don’t worry! Here’s the explanation of SEO.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In simple terms, SEO refers to increasing the visibility of a website on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
The following are some of the techniques to optimize your content for SEO.
- Keyword research
- Keyword distribution
- Link building
- Fast loading speed
- Mobile optimization
- High-quality information
5. Know the social media strategies
In this era, social media is one of the best places to promote anything, including content.
If you want to become a successful content writer, you should know at least the basics of social media.
As a content writer, you can grow your social media by publishing high-quality posts consistently and engaging with your audience.
Once you build an audience base on social media, you can easily promote your content to them. If they find it valuable, they’ll probably share it with others, which can bring you more readers.
Besides helping to promote your content, social media can give you more recognition as a content writer among people.
Tips to become a successful copywriter
Successful copywriters know the strategy to attract and convince their audience.
However, if you’re new to copywriting, you’ll probably not be aware of the copywriting techniques.
Below, I have listed the tips to become a successful copywriter.
1. Know your target audience
If you want to become a successful copywriter, you should have a clear idea about your target audience.
A target audience is a set of people who are interested in the products you sell. Identifying a target audience requires a lot of research. However, once you find them, it’s pretty easy to convince them to purchase a product.
If you display your copy to your target audience, it will perform effectively. If otherwise, your efforts may result in an ineffective campaign.
2. Stay away from spelling errors
Before publishing your copywriting work, ensure that it’s free from spelling errors. You can make sure the spelling is correct by double-checking your work and using writing assistant tools.
Spelling errors can significantly reduce professionalism, and it affects your reputation. Much worse, many people may skip your product because of the spelling error.
Speaking about grammar, sometimes, a copy with incomplete sentences may convert better. If this is the case, you can let the sentences be incomplete.
3. Choose the niche
If you’re a beginner to copywriting and want to succeed in it, you should choose a niche and become an expert.
Initially, if you work on a single niche, you can quickly learn the copywriting basics. Once you develop your skills, you can gradually start writing copies for other niches. However, always ensure that your work is of high quality.
People prefer quality over quantity. Thus, even if you write copies for few niches, position yourself as the best in the industry.
4. Keep learning
If you want to achieve success as a copywriter, you should have the desire to learn and keep yourself updated.
In this digital era, things get updated pretty quickly and frequently. The same is the case with copywriting.
As a copywriter, you should be aware of the popular products in your industry, competition, copywriting strategies, etc.
The primary motive behind copywriting is to persuade people to purchase a product. Sometimes, you may find that your copy isn’t driving as many conversions as before. In this case, you can check on your competitors who perform well and update yourself on the latest and effective copywriting techniques.
5. Use the correct emotions and Call-To-Action (CTA)
The emotions of customers play a significant role in making them purchase a product.
A successful copywriter should be aware of the emotions that can convince people to make a purchase. Some of the popular emotion types include anger, fear, joy, etc.
Besides resulting in better conversions, emotions make your copy more memorable to the readers. It also makes your copy more shareable.
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As a copywriter, you should also be aware of the CTA’s that can bring more conversions.
For instance, if you’re advertising to sell a product, you should use CTA like “Buy Now”. Similarly, for consulting agencies, the CTA can be “Book Now”.
Conclusion
I hope you found this blog beneficial. Before ending this blog, I’ll give a quick recap of the primary differences between content writing vs. copywriting.
- Content writing is about educating people on a specific topic. Copywriting aims at convincing people to purchase a product.
- Blogs, tutorials, and ebooks are some examples of content writing. Promotional emails, ad copies, and SMS advertisements are some examples of copywriting.
- Content writing usually involves lengthy content. Copywriting copy is short.
If you have any questions about content writing or copywriting, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.
