Writing is writing, right? Well, yes, it’s words on a page, but there is more to it and when you break it down there is actually a difference between copywriting and content writing. A writer can do both if they have generalised their skills, but some choose to hone their skills and become specialists in one certain area.

For me, I chose to generalise. Well, it’s more like generalisation chose me! Working as a Digital Content Manager in my last role, I became the jack of all trades. Long-form content? I’m your gal! Email content? I’m your gal! PPC advertising? I’m your gal! You get the picture 🖼️

So, what are the key differences between a copywriter and a content writer? Well, you’re in luck because I go through the most significant differences right here:

1. Sell vs Inform

A copywriter’s job is to sell, sell, sell. They take care of things like PPC ads, CTA buttons, sales emails and more. Whereas, a content writer’s job is to inform. This comes in the form of longer content like blog posts, case studies, press releases and more.

Copy is quick and used to make a sale, while on the other hand, content works on everything else. This includes educating and engaging the audience so that when they are ready to make a purchase decision, your brand is top of mind.

2. Focus on SEO

Generally speaking, content writers are more focused on SEO. You’ll see a lot of a copywriter’s job centred around making a sale and using advertising like social media ads or PPC to make that sale. 

Content writers usually focus more on SEO, which is a long-term strategy. They are there to boost the traffic and brand awareness of your website. Content writers will help you choose the right topics to talk about on your website after competitor and keyword research is complete.

3. Content Writers Help Sales (Eventually)

With the focus on SEO, content writers will in fact help sales, which is the main role of a copywriter, but it won’t happen overnight. Content writers focus on a long-term strategy that will lay the groundwork for sales.

It’s important to build trust with a potential customer. If this is the first time seeing your website or ad, they might not trust you, mainly because they don’t know you. But if they keep coming back, they understand more about you and that trust begins to be built.

4. Traffic Into Leads

A content writer’s job is to get traffic onto your website. They do this through SEO and writing content on a website that solves a problem that users are having. This is organic traffic and is achieved by holding a decent ranking for several different keywords.

Once the user is on your website, it is then up to the copywriter to hook the user and convert them in the desired way (i.e. get the user to make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter, etc.). Content writing copy isn’t really meant to convert a user, but copywriting copy is!

If you’re looking for a copywriter or content writer and you’ve decided you want a jack of all trades, then it’s a good thing you’re here! I’m here to help you take your business to the next level. Feel free to reach out to put your words into action!