Copywriter vs content writer: 4 key differences

The need for brands to produce their own content has increased in urgency since the advent of blogs. Since consumers today seek out more profound connections with and inspiration from the companies they like, it is crucial for marketing teams to develop a more personal approach.

However, many still confuse content writing and copywriting, which is expected since both roles include writing that has nothing to do with writing a novel or poem.

However, even though sometimes one can be both a copywriter and a content writer, there are clear distinctions between those two roles.

The purpose of content writing is to educate and inform the reader about a specific topic. It could be about the brand itself, a technology, a concept, an event, or anything else that needs to be explained.

However, copywriting focuses on eliciting a response or action from the reader. Copywritten materials engage and convince readers to undertake a specific action, such as signing up, downloading, or purchasing something.

The key difference is that copywriters want readers to act right away.

A content writer generally produces long-form content like articles, blog posts, ebooks, newsletters, case studies, brochures, magazines, etc.

On the other hand, a copywriter writes short-form content like ads, slogans, sales emails, landing page content, social media posts, and everything that has the intent to sell or make a reader take a specific action.

However, there are cases where copywriting can appear in long form pieces, such as white papers, or commercial reports.

These products tend to cater to B2B customers (Business to Business), and require adept copywriting skills to make the content interesting and appealing to businesses.

Copywriters usually keep one objective in mind while working: to acquire as many clicks as possible. That means that copywriters are more concerned with creating appealing headlines and intriguing taglines that attract the leads a business wants for campaigns rather than concentrating on SEO.

Content writers who write long form copy for web are highly focused on SEO in order to progressively rank up on search engines to grow a brand's credibility and authority.

Depending on the type of audience you are writing for, you will use varying tones while creating content. For instance, you'd expect a travel blog's tone to be more casual and informal.

However, the tone of business or commercial materials such as whitepapers is formal, and, depending on complexity, can be jargon-heavy.

On the contrary, copywriting utilizes a consistent tone. To reach the widest audience (e.g., laypersons), it is conversational, straightforward, and jargon-free.

It is so that the reader would feel driven to take rapid action, such as making a purchase.

While there are evident differences between these two roles, it’s not uncommon to see a single person undertaking both roles.

The underlying concept to understand is that copywriters aim to convert leads such as readers or ad viewers into sales (or actions, depending on your marketing goal), whereas content writers play the longer game to inform.

Written content such as articles tend to stay on the website for a longer time and are supportive of copywriting efforts.

For example, content writers commonly write articles that are then shared on social media platforms, whose posts will come with its own copywritten text that leads followers of a brand to click on the link to read the article.

Great copywriters and content writers will be skilled at using the appropriate style depending on the marketing goal. At the same time, business owners should know the difference between the two roles and decide which would be the more appropriate service to use.