You’ve probably found your way here by searching either copywriting or content writing, but what’s the actual difference? While there is a difference, I think the lines are blurring these days.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is the process of writing persuasive words, generally geared at selling products or nudging people towards making another type of immediate conversion. Traditionally it’s tended to be fairly concise, so think catchy billboards, headlines, scripts and print.
What is content writing?
Unlike traditional copywriting, content writing aims to build trust, inform and educate. While it can lead to a conversion, it’s not always solely focused on it. Good content writing helps to remove doubts, boost search and genAI visibility and improve brand presence in the mind of the audience. It can also play a key role when the audience is considering different competitors – something that’s particularly pertinent in B2B, SaaS and tech decisions.
You might have noticed that I use both copywriting and content writing across my website.
In actual fact, I started off as a copywriter in more traditional media like TV and radio. As digital became more of a presence, I’d largely say I’m a content writer these days.
I’d argue that both matter in the marketing funnel, and that an audience is likely to encounter both before making a purchase. You might encounter content while comparing options, and then persuasive copywriting as you move closer to signing up or checking out.
There are Reddit pages aplenty debating whether the lines between the two are blurring.
Ultimately, it’s all about using language to inspire action from the audience – whether they’re learning, comparing, considering or converting.
