Copywriter or Content Writer: Who do you need?
What is the difference between Copywriting and Content writing and who do you need to elevate your business?
You’re a busy entrepreneur.
You want to market your business. Increase your digital presence.
You have decided to hire a writer!
But who are you going to hire? A copywriter or a content writer?
You’re confused. Questions start forming in your head.
What’s the difference between copywriting and Content Writing?
How do I know who I need?
Which one should I hire?
Don’t worry. Let us have a look!
Who is a content writer?
A content writer is basically a writer who writes content that educates the readers. Example, a content writer writes,
Blog articles
long-form pieces (such as opinion pieces, listicles, etc.)
Email newsletter articles
Who is a copywriter?
A copywriter writes content that persuades the reader to take an action or do something. For example,
writing compelling CTA (Call to Action)
writing landing page copies
writing product descriptions
Okay, now that you’ve learned what a copywriter and a content writer do, we may need to understand what copy is and what content is.
What is a copy?
Copy is text.
Yeah, it is that simple. Let me elaborate.
Copies can be blog posts, ads, social media posts, and emails needed to market your presence.
What is content?
Content = information provided to serve a purpose (to inform/educate/tell/convince the readers)
There are various forms of content, such as:
Long-form articles
Short-form articles
Listicles
Infographics
Audio and Video content (such as YouTube)
Newspaper articles
Opinion pieces
Podcasts
Editorials, etc.
So, how do a copy and content differ?
Content and Copy are basically the same. They only differ in the purpose of the words used.
A small example
Let's consider a simple example to illustrate the difference between content and a copy.
Assume that there is a website about ‘Healthy Eating.’
How will you frame content and a copy for the site to increase its authenticity?
Content:
Ever imagined a website dedicated to providing valuable information about healthy eating habits?
Ever imagined a one-stop solution for all your doubts related to fitness and diet?
Ever imagined a personal coach who would guide you at every step of your fitness journey?
Well, if you say YES, then this site is for you.
You can find articles, blog posts, and resources about healthy lifestyles on this site. From helping you to curate meal plans to explaining what a keto diet is, our primary goal is to inform, educate, and engage the reader.
Copy
For the same site, we can now look at some ‘copy’ that would increase its presence and urge readers to act.
For instance, on the website's homepage, you will include a slogan,
"Sign up for our weekly newsletter and start your journey to a healthier you today!"
or “Want some healthiness to your doorstep? Take the right action today!”
or “Want to go from Fat to Fit? Sign up for our weekly meal plan and kickstart your wellness journey today!”
This copy is intended to encourage visitors to take a specific action, which is
To subscribe to the newsletter,
To sign up for weekly meal plans,
To urge readers to look at the various prospects the site offers.
So, in this scenario:
- "Content" informs and educates the reader about healthy eating.
- "Copy" is focused on persuading the reader to take a specific action, such as subscribing, purchasing, or signing up.
In summary, "content" provides information and knowledge, while "copy" convinces and drives a particular response, often related to a business goal like lead generation or sales.
So, now that we have understood how a copy differs from content, it is perhaps required to understand what makes an excellent copy/content.
What makes a ‘good copy’ great?
Good copy and good content - both do two things well:
Engage the reader completely
Solve the ideal customer’s problem
If your content/copy does that, then it is great!
Ok. Is that all?
No, it isn’t. A great copy, from my experience, has three characteristics.
A great copy is interesting to read.
A good copy urges the reader to take action.
A great copy convinces (persuades) the reader to take action.
Great copy = Interesting + Informative + Captivating.
A great copy solves a great problem.
A good copy speaks to your audience
A great copy emotionally touches your audience.
Emotionally touching? But how?
By understanding what your audience exactly needs.
What if you don’t understand your audience?
Suppose I am sick and visit a doctor, and he/she gives me medicines to cure my sickness.
What if the doctor doesn’t know what kind of sickness I have?
What if the doctor treats me without regard for my symptoms/previous allergies, or any other factor?
Then what will happen? I will probably not be cured of my sickness at all.
The same thing will happen here too.
If you don’t understand your target community’s problems, you’ll never know what the solutions to those problems are.
Suppose the same doctor immediately recognized my symptoms and treated me accordingly; I would probably be cured soon.
Now, can you see the difference?
For instance, SockSoho, a popular Socks manufacturing brand, describes their products beautifully as follows
Can you see how the brand subtly convinces its audience that its products are always inits the premium range?
A good copy is optimized for SEO.
Now I can hear you asking, SEO is only for long-form content, right?
Yes, but even copies can be benefitted from SEO.
But how? By -
doing keyword research
understanding the search intent (what exactly is the searcher searching for?)
implementing proper on-page SEO techniques
So, here comes the million-dollar question: should I hire a content writer or a copywriter?
Copywriter or Content Writer?
Choosing between hiring a content writer or a copywriter isn't always straightforward.
If you're looking for someone to create compelling product descriptions, optimize landing page content, or craft persuasive PPC ads, a copywriter is your go-to. A content writer is the better fit when you need engaging blog posts, informative email newsletters, or in-depth ebooks.
In reality, the labels "copywriter" and "content writer" often blur, as both involve using words to inform, entertain, and drive brand engagement.
Here's a suggestion: consider hiring a copywriter with SEO skills. This choice may be expensive, but it can benefit your business by boosting your online presence and driving conversions.
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