Copywriting and content writing come under content marketing which requires distinct sets of skills. Oftentimes, the roles of both are confused or are being used interchangeably. 

This article is our attempt to shed light on the differences between copywriting VS. content writing. So without any further delay let us jump into the topic!

Introduction to Copywriting

Copywriting is content consisting of words that can be either written or spoken. It should be crafted in a way that influences people to take some kind of action related to business sales. In simple words, copywriting is the process of writing compelling marketing and promotional content that convinces people to take sales-related action. 

From pay-per-click ads to social media ads, sales emails, SMS, product pages, taglines, etc. are all examples of copywriting. The messages or slogans in copywriting are usually in short form but impactful. Similarly, it can also include videos, product descriptions, and white paper. These are also written for campaigns or projects with short spans. 

In recent times, big and small companies have started hiring copywriters to connect with their audiences and market their products. The copywriters need to have an understanding of what the audiences need and want to influence them. 

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Introduction to Content Writing 

Content writing on the other hand involves the creating and publishing of written content for various purposes. The most common example of content writing is blog posts. But it can range from scripts, social media posts, ebooks, speeches, newsletters, etc. The purpose of content writing is not only for marketing but also for educational purposes and entertainment. 

The content writing is usually lengthier, written in clear sentences, and free from any kind of spelling and grammatical errors. Similarly, the topics are also well-researched and targeted for specific audiences. Through content writing, companies try to attract and engage target audiences. 

Businesses, media companies, and even nonprofit companies hire content writers nowadays. These content writers create engaging content for these companies that helps to establish trust with their customers. 

Copywriting VS. Content Writing: Key Differences

Now that we know what is copywriting and content writing, let us discuss what are the key differences between them. 

1. Length

Copywriting is usually in a short format and has an impactful message. It is straightforward and sometimes the text may only include one or two sentences. It is used for social media captions, advertisements, SMS, etc. 

In comparison to copywriting, content writing has usually a longer format. Sometimes ebooks, an example of content writing, can have hundreds of thousands of words. Meanwhile, blog posts’ word length can range from 500 to 2000 words. 

2. Purpose

Copywriting is normally for short-term purposes like for campaigns. The copywriter’s main purpose is to sell, therefore, copywriting should influence target audiences to make sales-related actions. 

The main purpose of content writing is to engage and inform their audiences. The content writers make engaging content that drives the audiences to the company’s site and generates organic traffic. Content writing typically has a longer life span. 

3. SEO

Although copywriting has short texts, SEO principles are used to optimize ranking in search engines. This helps to direct potential audiences to the company’s page. However, it does not heavily focus on SEO. 

Unlike copywriting, content writing heavily focuses on SEO and its optimization. The content writers write their content relying on the SEO principles including SEO keywords that target audiences use in the search engine. It helps to boost the ranking of the page and generate organic traffic to the site.   

4. Grammar

Since copywriting is shorter in length and may contain only one or two sentences, grammar is not of much concern. The copywriters often play with sentences, adjusting grammar accordingly to make the message or slogan more catchy. Sometimes they can also use incomplete sentences. 

In content writing, grammar plays a very crucial role. Since content writing provides information, the sentences must be grammatically correct. It helps to gain credibility from their audiences and customers. No audience will enjoy reading articles filled with grammatical errors. 

5. Strategy

Because copywriting is used in advertisements and campaigns, the copywriters focus only on short-term strategy. It is easy to measure how the content is doing through open and click-through rates. 

The content writing focuses on the long-term strategy. Therefore, the success of content writing cannot be measured in the short term. As the saying goes, good stuff takes time, good content may garner success in the long run. 

Wrapping up!

So these were the major differences between copywriting VS. content writing. Both are part of digital marketing but require a specific skill set for the job. They are used for different purposes but some companies integrate both for marketing strategies. Based on the kind of content required, companies can hire either a copywriter or a content writer. 

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