If you’ve ever slammed your laptop shut in frustration, realizing that you need a professional writer for your next marketing project, then you’re not alone, friend.
But is a copywriter who you should start looking for? Or is it a content writer?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but while both play a huge role in your marketing strategy, they serve very different purposes!
Still scratching your head over what title your next hire is going to have?
No problem. Today’s blog is breaking down the key differences between copywriting and content writing, showing you how they work together, and helping you decide when the best time is to seek either of their services!
Ready to find the right professional to elevate your written projects?
Let’s get started!
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is the art of creating persuasive and action-oriented written content that is designed to drive specific actions, like making a purchase, signing up for a new service, clicking a link, or subscribing to a newsletter.
Basically, copywriting is about influence — using the right words, creativity, and irresistible CTAs (“Buy Now!” “Sign Up Today!” “Find My Perfect Deal!”) to connect with your audience and drive them toward action.
Here are some formats where copywriting is usually found:
- Advertisements — Catchy headlines, memorable slogans, clever wordplay; however it’s formatted, ad copy is meant to grab attention and encourage immediate engagement.
- Sales Pages — Web pages are written with persuasive copy designed to convert visitors into loyal customers.
- Email Campaigns — Emails are made up of direct, impactful messaging that is tailored to get clicks and drive conversions.
- Social Media Ads — Short, compelling posts that are optimized for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.
- Product Descriptions — A product description’s job is to encourage sales! This text is formatted as engaging summaries that highlight the features and benefits of products to convince customers to buy.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing is the art of creating informative, engaging, and valuable written text that is designed to educate or entertain an audience.
Unlike copywriting, which focuses on coaxing readers to take action, content writing aims to build trust, authority, and long-term relationships with your audience. It’s about creatively positioning brands in a way that answers questions, solves, problems, and resonates with your audience.
Content writing comes in many forms, including:
- Blog Posts — A common feature on websites, blogs are in-depth articles designed to educate or entertain while driving traffic to your website.
- Whitepapers and eBooks — These are comprehensive guides written to establish authority and expertise in your industry.
- Social Media Content — Informative posts that engage followers and encourage interaction.
- Website Content — Pages like “About Us” or “Services” that inform visitors about your brand and your offerings.
- Newsletters — These are regular updates that keep your audience informed and connected to your brand.
Copywriting vs. Content Writing: Key Differences You Should Know
Let’s explore some key areas where copywriting and content writing differ to help you better understand their unique roles in your marketing strategy!
1. Purpose
The purpose of copywriting and content writing are their biggest key differences.
As mentioned above, copywriting is all about persuasion — content designed to influence your readers to make a quick decision, click that link, or purchase that product.
Content writing, on the other hand, is focused on informing, educating, or entertaining your audience, not so much influencing them. The goal of content writing is to build up trust, establish your brand’s authority, and provide value. While it doesn’t aim for instant conversions, its job is to nurture the relationship between your brand and your customer to encourage brand loyalty.
2. Tone
The tone used in copywriting is known for being direct, impactful, and action oriented. CTAs (“Act Now!” “Don’t Miss Out!” and “Claim My Discount!”) are written to make an emotional appeal, drive urgency, and motivate your readers to act! Most copywriting you see is brief, to the point, and full of clever and punchy wording that leaves an impression.
Content writing typically takes on a more conversational and informative tone. Whether your brand voice is “friendly neighborhood expert,” “seasoned professional,” or “casual storyteller,” your content will be written with the goal of engaging readers in the tone that best suits the audience, brand, and platform.
3. Length
Because copywriting is usually featured in ads and posts designed to convert, it tends to be more concise and to the point.
Whether it’s a tagline, email subject line, or ad copy, every word counts and tries to deliver a compelling and persuasive message, often within limited space like a social post or a graphic.
Content writing, because it’s meant to inform and engage, is usually longer and much more detailed. Blog posts, white papers, and website content are formats that allow writers to dive deeper into certain topics and offer insights and storytelling techniques that keep readers hooked and wanting more.
4. Metrics
To measure how successful your copywriting is, one tends to look at conversion-based metrics like click-through rates, sales, or lead generation. These metrics track mediate action taken by your audience in response to your copy.
Content writing metrics are a bit broader and take more time to get a read on. The metrics are focused on engagement over time and include things like web traffic, time spent on page, social shares, and search engine rankings. These are the metrics that tell you if you’re building awareness and establishing credibility with your audience.
When to Use Copywriting vs. Content Writing
Understanding the differences and when to use copywriting versus content writing is crucial for creating a well-rounded marketing strategy.
Here’s a breakdown of when each type of writing is most effective for your needs:
Use Copywriting For …
Remember, copywriting is about persuasion and driving action. Use it when your goal is to generate conversions, whether that means making a sale, nabbing a lead, or encouraging engagement!
Here are some other scenarios:
- Launching a Product or Service — New products and services require compelling ads, sales pages, or product descriptions that highlight the benefits and inspire more clicks and purchases.
- Creating Email Campaigns — Punchy, action-driven language encourages clicks and guides readers through your sales funnel.
- Running Paid Advertising — Good, scroll-stopping copywriting is crucial for social media ads, Google Ads, and other campaigns where space is limited, and your words have to deliver.
- Building Landing Pages — Clear and focused landing pages feature persuasive CTAs and engaging copy meant to guide viewers and convert visitors into customers or subscribers.
- Driving Immediate Responses — Whenever you need an audience to act now—whether it’s signing up for a webinar, downloading a resource, or making a donation—copywriting is the tool for the job.
Use Content Writing For …
Content writing is focused on delivering information and value and keeping your audience hooked long-term. Use it when your goal is to build trust, establish authority, or build relationships with your audience.
Here are some other scenarios:
- Creating Blog Posts — A good content plan includes informative articles that answer common questions, solve problems, or provide valuable insights.
- Establishing Thought Leadership — Publishing well-researched and well-written whitepapers, case studies, or eBooks showcase your expertise in your industry.
- Building Brand Awareness — Long-form content that introduces your brand to new audiences and keeps existing followers engaged is extremely helpful for amplifying awareness.
- Boosting SEO Efforts — Use well-written and keyword-rich content to drive organic traffic to your website and improve your search engine rankings.
- Nurturing Leads — Offer useful resources like newsletters, guides, or how-to articles to keep your audience engaged while moving them through the buyer’s journey.
How Copywriting and Content Writing Work Together
Though copywriting and content writing have different goals, they are most effective when combined.
Here’s how these two writing styles complement each other and help you reach your goals
Content Writing Attracts, Copywriting Converts
- Content Writing’s Role — Blogs, articles, and social media posts draw in your target audience by providing valuable information or an entertaining read. They build trust, establish authority, and nurture potential customers over time.
- Copywriting’s Role: Once the audience is engaged, copywriting steps in to get them to take action — whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource.
Example: A blog post (content writing) educates readers about the benefits of a product, while a strategically placed CTA (copywriting) encourages your readers to “Shop Now.”
Building a Strong Marketing Funnel
Content writing focuses on the top and middle of the marketing funnel, where the goal is to educate and build relationships. Copywriting is meant for the bottom of the funnel, where it hooks readers and drives conversions.
Example:
- Top of Funnel — A content piece like “10 Ways a CaaS Platform Elevates Your Graphic Design” introduces your brand to potential customers perhaps already searching for solutions.
- Bottom of Funnel — A sales page with persuasive copy convinces your reader to sign up to test-drive your services.
Driving SEO and Engagement
Content writing helps improve your site’s search engine rankings by creating keyword-rich, long-form content that attracts organic traffic. Copywriting then takes that traffic and directs it toward a goal, so your audience knows what to do next.
Example: An article optimized for SEO gets clicks and drives readers to your website. Then a strategic and irresistible CTA encourages them to download your lead magnet.
Strengthening Brand Identity
Content writing establishes your brand’s personality and builds trust with your audience. Copywriting then reinforces that identity by creating consistent, persuasive messaging across your marketing campaigns.
Example: A series of thought-provoking blogs (content writing) positions your brand as an industry leader, while your ad campaigns (copywriting) drive home your unique value proposition.
Educating and Selling Simultaneously
While content writing educates your audience, copywriting uses what your audience has learned to really sell your product or service. When these two work together, you’re not just informing your audience—you’re also leading them toward a meaningful interaction with your brand.
Example: A whitepaper (content writing) explains the benefits of using AI in business operations, while an accompanying email campaign (copywriting) invites readers to schedule a demo.
How to Choose the Right Writers for Your Needs
Ready to make a hire right away for the expert wordsmith your team desperately needs?
Choosing the right fit is important to your success, so follow the steps below to find the perfect writer you’re looking for:
- Identify Your Goals — What exactly are you looking for? Action-driven results (copywriting) or informative, engaging material (content writing)? Or is it both?
- Look for Industry Experience — Choose a writer familiar with your industry’s audience, lingo, and challenges.
- Review Portfolios — Check your writers’ portfolios for samples of their work to see if their style matches your brand, how versatile a writer they are, and any results tied to their work.
- Check for SEO Experience — SEO is important so make sure your writer knows how to research keywords, optimize content structure, and use SEO best practices strategies to boost the visibility of your content.
- Compare Communication Skills — Look for a writer who is responsive, collaborative, and gets your vision.
- Match Their Style to Your Brand Voice — Look for someone who can adapt their tone to fit your brand’s personality.
- Look for Professionalism and Reliability — Choose a writer with a history of meeting deadlines and producing high-quality and well-written work.
- Consider Hiring Through a Creative Platform or Agency — Instead of spending hours searching for and vetting freelancers, consider speeding up the process by partnering with a copywriting agency to get access to vetted professionals.
<div class="c-blog_comp-cta cc-component-1"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-wrap"><img src="https://global-uploads.webflow.com/61cdf3c5e0b8155f19e0105b/6369722e59155470b6840033_Potential-clients.png" loading="lazy" alt="" class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-img"></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-right"><div class="c-blog_comp-content"><div class="c-text-wrapper cc-mb-32"><div class="c-title-4 cc-bold"><strong>Want to save money without sacrificing the quality?</strong></div></div><div class="c-text-wrapper"><div class="c-text-2">Say goodbye to traditional, expensive agencies and unreliable marketplaces. Say hello to Designity.<br></div></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-wrapper"><a href="/pricing" target="_blank" class="c-button cc-primary cc-inverted w-button"><strong>Get Your 2-Week Trial</strong></a></div></div></div>
Looking to Partner with a Copy & Content Writing Agency to Meet all Your Content Needs?
If you’re convinced that your brand is ready to have all of the benefits of a professional writer without having to spend hours sourcing freelancers, then a copy & content writing agency is what you’re looking for.
And if we can make one more suggestion before we go, then we think that Designity is the copy & content writing agency you’re looking for.
Rather than a traditional marketing or advertising agency, Designity is an innovative Creative as a Service platform that acts as a one-stop shop for all of your marketing needs. Our creative community is made up of only the top 3% of all of the talented creatives who apply each year, meaning that partnering with Designity means partnering with the best of the best in fields like copywriting, content writing, SEO, digital marketing, social media marketing, graphic design, video production, and more — every moving part you could possibly need to elevate your brand’s written words and creative content.
And with a Creative Director to manage your account, source your creative team, and make sure all of your content is in your hands when you need it, you can free up your internal team and get instant access to all the writers you need for blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, ads, email copy, and whatever else your marketing efforts need.
Why not check out our copy and content writing service page and portfolio and see how Designity’s talented and strategic wordsmiths have made a difference for brands just like yours?
If you like what you read, then why not take things one step further and book your demo call today?
We’ll get you started with your two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test-drive Designity’s content writing services and see for yourself how our talented creative writers can give your brand the right words, every time.
Are you ready to boost your content game?
