Copywriting vs. Content Writing – What's The Difference?

My topic for today is all about writing. So as a copywriter, I get questions all the time from people on what is the difference between content and copy, or content writing and copywriting. Both are very, very important for your business. And I would say that both are equally have equal value in terms of what they can do for you and your business, but they are very, very different. So I'm going to spend the next few minutes going through what I think are some of the main differentiating factors between content writing and copywriting. And then I'm also going to share with you my advice on how to get great content and how to get great copy written for your online business. First, I'll start off by just giving some examples of what is content. So you've probably heard that term a lot, and the best way to think of it is content is just any informal sort of relationship building piece of writing that you release. So this can be blog posts, this can be emails that you send out to your database of subscribers. It can be an ebook or a report, it can be even a podcast script or a video script. That would be an example of a great content piece. Now copy pieces are very important because they're usually used to make a sale. So that includes webinar scripts, sales letters, video sales letters, promotional emailers, and things of that nature. So after thinking about it and after hearing this question multiple times, I came up with what I think are the three biggest differentiating factors between content and copy. And I'm going to share those with you right now. So think of content as being multi directional conversational, with the goal of creating a relationship first. Whereas copy is one directional, it's intentional. And the main goal is to create a sale, whether directly or to activate a most wanted response from someone visiting your website that then indirectly leads to a sale down the road. So those would be the three biggest factors that separate content from copy. You know, think of content writing as having a conversation with somebody. When I say multidirectional, it's exactly how a conversation would go with your with your friend. You don't sit down for a conversation with your friend and expect it to go and only one direction. Unless of course you're a salesperson. But then that further proves my point of copy being one directional or sales copy. So content is all about creating that relationship. So you write from a very informal and friendly place. You're usually sharing a lot of content. You could be curating ideas and thoughts from many different sources and including them in a blog post. You might have links that go other places because it's really all about creating the best user experience and relationship with the person that you're sharing that information with. So the difference between that and copy is copy is very, very strategic in the way that you write it. So it's not about length, it's not about multiple sources, it's not about going in multiple different directions. Every single sentence and every single word that you write is strategic. Copy flows very easily for people who are very linear in their thinking. And I tend to be a little bit more in that way. So every sentence I write, I'm writing it for the purpose of getting people to read the following sentence. And that's what sales copy does. You start people at A, and you string them through B, C, D, all the way until they make a sale. And so you have to be very, very strategic in the way that that conversation goes. Now, again, you can do this through webinar scripts, sales letters, video sales letters. It's a very different skill set from content writing, but like I said before, they're both equally important. Now, the one kind of misnomer that I want to nip in the bud right now is a lot of people think that copywriting is more formal, which is actually incorrect. I think that both content and copy are better when they're written in a more informal, laid back style. I mean, think about it. When you go to buy a car, would you rather talk to a salesman who's more easygoing, a little bit more informal, and can build that rapport with you versus versus somebody who is very clearly following a perfectly grammatically correct. I don't even think that was grammatically correct, but a very perfect flow of a script that sounds a little bit too formal for your liking. So again, there's no difference in the formality of content versus copywriting. It's in the style and the intention behind it. A good promotional campaign should actually include both content and and copywriting. So maybe down the road I can do another video on the importance of that balance between creating a relationship and providing content and value versus selling. Because it is really a fine balance that you need to tune into and understand your audience so you know how often you should be communicating and what type of content or copy you should be sharing. Now, I hope that that sort of gives you a good idea of, of the difference between content and copy, Whereas both are very, very important. And even with sales copy, there is the secondary benefit of creating a relationship. As with, there is content the secondary benefit of making a sale. So they're not completely mutually exclusive. However, the way you go about it is very different. Now, how do you go about getting content and copy for your online business? Who makes a good content writer? The answer I give to everyone for that is you. You make the best content writer for your business and your niche, your audience, because you understand what you're saying and what you're selling more than anybody else. And personality behind a brand is very important. Don't get caught up on, oh, but I'm not a writer. Like I said before, the more informal the better. And if you can let your personality flow through your content, you're going to create more of a relationship with your list and your community and they're going to love you for it. So for content writing, I highly recommend you do all of the content writing, at least starting out until you really want to scale and are looking to bring in some additional resources to help you out when it comes to copywriting. Again, you could possibly make a really great copywriter because it isn't about being formal. And there's a few tips that I would recommend if you are going to write your own sales copy is to really get a feel for obviously your audience, step into that kind of marketer's role and think, okay, who am I speaking to? And when you're writing copy, make sure you're writing to that one person. You know, we talk a lot about finding your customer avatar and talking to that one person directly. That's really, really important. You can also check out some of your competitors sites and go, hmm, what works for them? What are they selling? How are they communicating their message? Is this something that I can lend some ideas from? Now, if you're looking to hire a copywriter, this can be a little bit tricky. So if you find one that works for you, don't let go of them because copy is definitely an interesting skill set. And not everyone who says they're a copywriter is, is actually a copywriter. So you can definitely go onto websites like Elance.com or Odesk.com, sorry to find potential copywriters, but please always make sure you ask for a lot of samples so that you can review their writing and start off on a very small project basis. So give them a couple tests, maybe they rewrite a couple blog posts for you. Maybe they write a short sales page or an upsell page or something that you can test without, you know, putting all of your eggs in one basket. Because again, you can be a good writer. But maybe your message or the way you in which you present your information as a copywriter doesn't resonate the same with every single audience. I also recommend that you ask the copywriter what niche or niche they're used to writing for. So, for example, I am a personal development copywriter in a sense that I have the most experience writing for, you know, health and wellness, fitness, spirituality, that sort of thing. And a lot of the copy that I write is geared towards women. Other copywriters are really great about writing about real estate or financial investing or business opportunities. And that's a very different type of writing because often the demographic is a lot different, and it can be hard for a copywriter to switch that voice and write from one angle and then go in a completely different direction. So that's very important when you're finding a copywriter. So, you know, writers don't Just because you're a good writer in one area doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be able to convert sales in another area. And one last thing, beware of people who have too much formal writing experience. Often someone who's really used to writing in a more formal tone, it can be very hard for them to switch to the more informal writing style that's needed for content and copy. And the more experience they have from the formal side of things makes it even more difficult for them to step into the role of a content writer or a copywriter. So sometimes people with limited writing experience but who are great writers are the best bet. So hopefully you found this video helpful, and if you have any more questions related to business or marketing or growing your online brand or community, definitely leave your questions below. Thanks.