Content writing vs. copywriting: what’s the difference?
Content is everywhere, and, because it’s become so ubiquitous in our online interactions, it’s naturally been broken up into various categories.
This can get tricky since, like so many divisions erected by many different people as an industry is growing, they aren’t set in stone. Today, I want to take a look at two specific types of content you’ve definitely heard about and might be confused by: content writing and copywriting.
Are they the same? How are they different? Does it matter? Does your business need one, the other, neither, both?
Oh, you know I have thoughts.
The difference between content writing and copywriting
Ok, a quick definition:
Content writing is the longer-form writing you might come to a page expressly to read, subscribe to, or find in the "Blog" section of any website. It’s supposed to be engaging, informative, and offer something of value to the reader—add to the conversation, you might say.
Copywriting has the explicit intention of selling something, advertising something, or driving the reader to perform a specific action (“subscribe to my newsletter”). It's usually fairly short. To succeed at its goal, it needs to evoke emotion and quickly drive home the value of the product….
Wait a second.
Other than length, don't these two definitions sound pretty similar?
Let's go back to newsletters. Where do they fall in these categories? They’re almost always trying to get you to buy or at least click through to something, but the best ones are also interesting, maybe funny, and probably engaging, like content writing.
Or what about the CTA (call to action) you’ll see at the bottom of this and most other business’s blog posts? I’m trying to get you to hire me, and that’s sales, right? So, is this long-form blog post technically copywriting?
The overlap is strong with this one
Every website needs short snippets of text that drive conversions for their pop-ups, product descriptions, and landing pages without going off on long, thoughtful tangents. But for every other piece of content a business creates, I'd argue that the best content straddles both categories.
One of the major tenets of my service—it’s right there in my bio—is that you'll see business wins if you create content that both genuinely engages and drives the bigger conversation and encourages people to buy your product or service.
We’re in such a weird place in society these days. It’s all about hustle culture, but wait, make sure you schedule time for self-care; otherwise, you aren't balanced and will probably burn out. Or it's all about how entrepreneurs are the true backbone of our culture, but so many of us feel (are made to feel?) like following up on emails, laying out (and charging for) our services, and handing out business cards is pushy and cringy.
The middle ground is ever-shifting and shaky as all hell.
I see the content writing/copywriting nuance within this same scuffle, but just like you can work hard and maintain the boundaries you need to stay mentally and physically healthy, you can hit both these notes in your content.
Buyers, customers, clients, what-have-you—they're not stupid. They know when they’re being sold something devoid of humanity. Don’t be that guy. But they also know you're a business, so unless you have a good reason (ie: you really aren't selling something), don't waste their time with lengthy posts that don't get to a point that's relevant to your offerings and their reason for reading in the first place.
This was a real rapid-fire foray into a pretty hefty topic. Here’s the TL;DR:
Content writing and copywriting have differences but tons of overlap.
Your business absolutely, definitely needs both.
There’s nothing wrong with selling yourself while you're adding value to the conversation, as long as you do it authentically (lying and misleading aren’t cool).