Content writing or copywriting – who care which?
To put it bluntly, you should. The type of writer you hire, whether content writer or copywriter, will affect how your project is written, and how your reader receives it. Choosing the wrong type of writer may leave you with metrics that don’t reflect your goals.
Writing is a skill. Just because someone calls themselves a writer, doesn’t mean they’re highly skilled at every writing type (or that they’re skilled at all, but that’s a topic for another day). So how do you decide if you need copywriting or if it’s content you’re after?
When searching for a writer to execute your marketing game plan, it’s important that you start with a firm grasp on a few concepts. This applies to hiring a freelancer on a project-to-project basis and searching for in-house help.
Let’s answer the most obvious question first.
What’s the difference between copywriting and content writing?
All copy is content, but not all content is copy. That’s not an overly complicated idea, but if you’re anything like me, you read it a few times before it made sense.
Let’s break it down.
Content Writing
Content is everywhere. It’s everything you read, from the book on your bedside table to the latest tweets you just caught up on. Plus, it’s everything you listen to and watch. We are consuming content all day. Every day.
Content writing may be referred to as a “soft sell”. It doesn’t sell a specific product or service, it sells readers on a brand. Educational content provides information that a brand’s audience is searching for. It builds authority and trust and positions that brand as an expert in their field.
Case in point: I’ll sell myself out here to offer you the best example I’ve got. This blog post you’re reading right now provides value to you, my reader. Nothing is being sold directly to you, but the next time you need a copywriter, you might remember this article and think of me.
Copywriting
Copy is a specific type of content. Simply put—it’s content that sells. It’s the ad on the side of a bus, the banner ad at the top of your favorite online magazine, and the promotional email that just landed in your inbox. That’s not to say that all sales copy is effective copy, but it’s copy.
Copywriting is usually thought of as more of a “hard sell”. Often, copywriters are seen as tough sales agents. Think Don Draper in Mad Men. Sometimes this is accurate. If the project calls for a hard sell, you absolutely want an advertising specialist, aka copywriter, writing it. But copy can also build relationships. For example, a copywriter can effectively write a monthly e-newsletter to keep your business at the front of your audience’s mind.
Here’s a little infographic to highlight the major differences between copywriting and content writing.
**Hot Tip** An Infographic is valuable content. You can repurpose almost any other content type into an infographic to reach a new segment of your audience.
How to choose between a content writer and a copywriter?
Now that you know the difference, you need to ask yourself a few questions to determine which writer to hire!
- What is the one thing that you need your project to achieve? This is the most important question. If you want to increase your social media followers or you’re trying to create brand awareness, you’re looking for content writing. If you want to sell people on something specific or ramp up excitement for a new workshop you’re about to launch, you’ll definitely need a copywriter.
- What type of campaign do you want to run? If it’s an email welcome series or a direct mail postcard you’re after, you’ll be contacting a copywriter. Looking to add 2 new posts to your blog each week? Find a good content writer.
- What type of expert do you need? If you need a whitepaper written for your legal services, you’re more likely to find a content writer that specializes in the legal niche. While many copywriters specialize based on industry type, copywriting is a specialty. You’re more likely to find a generalist copywriter — or one who specializes at a higher level such as B2B or B2C — who’s an expert in the art of selling.
Some extra help for your content writer or copywriter debate
Revisit your business goals. Strong writers will ask you questions like “What are your business objectives?” during an initial meeting to ensure they’re going to create the type of content you need. By asking yourself the same question, you can decide if copywriting (words that sell), or content writing (words that educate and inform) is more in line with your needs.
Remember that there is overlap between them because, as you now understand, all copy is content, but not all content is copy, and many writers offer both types of services. You can adjust your writer’s search accordingly.
Ready to invest in high-quality content? Want help to decide which type of writing you need? Send me a message for a free consultation and we’ll tackle your next project together.
