Copywriting vs. content writing—what’s the difference?

In the era of web-based marketing, words, images and sounds relentlessly compete for our attention. Turn on your phone, load LinkedIn or Instagram, eh voilà!

The pressure is on to make your brand stand out. To be distinct. And we know that you feel it. We certainly do.

That’s why what and how you write about your brand is integral to your image and business growth.

But before getting started, it's crucial to understand the differences between content and copywriting, as they’re easily confused. Many businesses don’t differentiate between the two, which isn’t wise, as they require distinct skill sets. And serve different purposes.

According to acclaimed marketer and entrepreneur Neil Patel: “copywriting is written to persuade or sell, while content writing is written to educate or build relationships.” Thus, they constitute two different styles of writing.

While their key purposes are distinct, copywriting and content both need to work in tandem—and complement one another. When marketing your brand online, understanding how and when to employ either is an essential first step to your brand strategy, and to marketing your business.

Are you content with your content?

If your brand strives to educate, share, and connect deeply with your audience, you’ll probably be doing some content writing. Content writing manifests in blog posts (like this one), industry reports, newsletters, articles, eBooks and more.

At its core, content writing serves to inform. It’s not about selling or sales. Not directly anyway.

Thought leadership is a good example of how you can build your brand identity through content writing. Traditionally, thought leadership is used to establish (and bolster) expertise and subject matter authority in a given area. Often, businesses will seek to embark on a blog or ‘article series’ where they provide in depth knowledge and research on a core competency area or latest best practices; these often include interviews with industry leaders, some of whom tend to hail from the company’s own ranks. By honing in on your deep knowledge and wisdom, you can use thought leadership content pieces as positioning devices, allowing you to further stand out against the competition.

Moreover, great content writing engages your target customers and cultivates your identity. Across channels, your voice can come to fruition with every piece of content you produce. Patience and consistency are key here.

Start with a few seeds, keep adding water and with a little bit of time you’ll have a garden that people can’t stop coming by to see.

This little copycat went to the market.

Generally in short form, copywriting aims to persuade readers. Through digital ads, billboards, email campaigns, and websites, copywriting is how you incite your audience to act.

 And it’s no secret: copywriting is about selling.  

Instead of a focus on brand loyalty or building identity over a prolonged period, copywriting is about catching attention NOW so that attention can eventually grow into commitment. Short Instagram posts introducing a new product launch—or reminder emails about sales or promotions—are examples of how you can make your brand visible and intriguing through copywriting.

It’s no secret: copywriting is about selling.  

Even if you’ve got your content writing strategy, you’ll still need your audience to buy from you. You’ve got a whole garden of flowers now, but they aren’t going to sell if they aren’t at the market.

That’s why it’s especially important to have a well-written website: loaded with impactful, mobilizing copy. More than just SEO and catchy taglines or slogans (which are forms of copywriting), websites offers an intimate peek into the living, breathing pulse of your organization. It’s the ultimate storefront, and will increasingly be so, as attitudes towards online shopping continue to swing upward. A Statista survey of Canadian consumers shows that 48% now prioritize conducting internet research before making significant purchases. Moving forward, this trend will likely increase.

Copywriting, however, comes with a caveat: it should be grounded in a solid verbal identity, including tone of voice. Often, brands will go too heavy on copy and forget to develop an identity for their consumers to connect with. Especially during the era of information overload, cheesy-worded ads and product pushing gets old.

Quick.

To quote Seth Godin: “In the short run, you can fool anyone. In the long run, trust wins.”

Fool a couple people now with a few catchy ads, but to build that loyalty, you also need content to get those people to stick around.

“In the short run, you can fool anyone. In the long run, trust wins.” - Seth Godin

In addition, cleverly naming your businesses and its services—and refining your writing to articulate your voice—are great ways to harness the power of great copywriting.

Go off now and flourish.    

For a business to be successful in the digital space, copy and content writing must work hand in hand. The balance, style and frequency of each is dependent on you, who you are, and who you want to be.

Hiring a seasoned writer can make all the difference in the longevity of your content garden. Contact us today and let’s get started on cultivating your big ideas.