By Lydia Barley

Content writing and copywriting, do you know the difference? Content writing and copywriting are two terms that are frequently used interchangeably. While there are some similarities between them, there are also some clear differences between the two. In this blog post we define both copywriting and content writing and share 3 of the differences that distinguish the two from one another.

What is Copywriting?

A copywriter is a professional who specializes in producing compelling copy that drives people to take desirable action towards the business. In simpler terms, copywriting is the act of writing content that is focused on selling people on an idea or brand.

What is Content Writing?

In simple terms, a content writer is a writer who produces content, primarily for the use in a marketing campaign. Unlike a copywriter, a content writer is not focused on advertising for a company but is focused on creating content that informs, educates, entertain or instructs readers. Focusing more on engaging with a business’s audience, rather than persuading them to take the business’s desired action.

1. Purpose

The greatest distinction between a content writer and a copy writer is the purpose of their writing. While we touched on this briefly within the definitions of each, we touch on this again to emphasise the difference between the two.

The purpose of the content written by a content writer is primarily to strengthen the relationship between the reader and the brand. In contrast to this the purpose of content written by a copywriter is to convince readers to take a desired action, whether that’s buying a product, requesting a service or downloading a report.

Ultimately, the goal of copywriting is to sell an idea, pitch a brand and generate action. The goal of content writing is not to sell but is to help the audience connect with the brand and generate interest towards to brand.

2. Content format

Another distinction between the two is the types of content that they produce. Simply put, a copywriter writes marketing material while a content writer writes content.

Historically, copywriters were limited to ‘traditional advertising’ text such as the creation of slogans, however with the increasing uptake of the internet, the scope of what copywriters write for has extended beyond slogans. Copywriting now consists of writing for a range of different marketing materials, including, but not limited to: online and offline ads, slogans, landing page content, email campaigns, TV or radio commercial advertising scripts, catalogues, billboards, brochures, sales letters, direct mail letters and social media advertising text.

Content writing however consists of content such as: articles, blog posts, newspaper pieces, magazine features, ebooks, books, social media posts, newsletters and podcasts.

3. Content Length

The final distinguishing element between a content writer and a copywriter is not just the type of content they produce, but the length of the content they produce.

This element does vary depending on the type of content that the writer is creating however a content writer primarily writes long form rich content while a copywriter primarily writes short form copy.

In conclusion, while copywriting and content writing have some similarities, there are some distinguishing features between the two. By discussing these differences, we hope we have helped differentiate between the two, once and for all.