What Is The Difference Between Copywriting Versus Content Writing?

The marketing industry is one of the fastest moving industries on earth. As information communication technologies (ICTs) improve, so too do the capabilities of marketers who are able to master them. The short answer is that copywriting is a short game, whereas content writing is a long game. Copywriting is used to describe texts that are written for advertising campaigns and other quick-result promotional activities. Content writing, on the other hand, describes texts that are not sales-centric, and are intended simply to educate a reader and improve the brand’s customer experience. We’re taking a look at a few examples of each below:

Content Writing

• Blog Articles
  

  These are informative articles of between 300 and 1500 words in length, loaded onto a website or separate blog site. They’re usually to inform readers by unpacking a large topic.

• Social Media
  

  This content is developed and posted on a schedule, which keeps branded content going out and into the public eye. These posts aren’t intended to be sales-focused.

• E-Books
  

  These are usually PDF format and may remind some of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. E-books drill even deeper into topics, providing topical content that gives real value to the reader.

• Video Scripts
  

  Video content involves, in the case of animated tutorial videos or similar, the development of a script detailing what information the featured characters will share throughout the production.

• White Papers
  

  These ultra-informative pieces of online content are intended to give a concise perspective on a specific complex issue, frequently presenting the brand’s philosophy on the matter

Copywriting

• Print Media

  
  Intended to drive immediate leads, print media copywriting can include writing copy for a newspaper classifieds advert, or writing copy for a printed flyer being handed out at traffic lights.

• PPC Adverts
  

  Those top three or four results that show up when you search for anything on the internet. They are PPC ads and take wordsmithing skill since there are stringent character limits involved.

• Sales Emails
  

  Running a great summer special and you’d like to tell your customers about it through a bulk mailer? A copywriter can write compelling content that will generate better open rates and click-throughs.

   

• Sales Letters

Similar to sales emails, but more formal, are sales letters. These are commonly used on LinkedIn, and take a more dynamic approach to sales acquisition.

Getting to grips with the difference between content writing and copywriting is the first step to mastering either or both of these digital marketing specialities.

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