Do you need to hire a writer for your website but are unsure whether you should hire a content writer or a copywriter? You are not alone; many business people face this question.

The answer is actually simple and you will know immediately which professional you should hire after reading this article.

Here is the difference that you should understand: 

A copywriter is a creative person who creates unique and impactful copy for advertising purposes.

A content writer writes material that supports the advertising copy, but not with words that try to persuade. Content writers create content to build trust with customers and website visitors. And that trust may eventually lead to a sale. So, content writers contribute indirectly to conversions. 

The Art of Copywriting

Let us not forget that copywriting is a form of art. It is text that must appeal aesthetically as well as rationally.

The best copy is not the advertising copy that says ‘Buy now’. It’s not that obvious. The reasons why some advertising copy succeeds are not necessarily quantifiable. 

Copywriters have to come up with inventive metaphors or original ways to use everyday words in order to persuade their target audience.

While it’s true that good copywriting should have no grammar or spelling mistakes, flawless writing is not equal to persuasive advertising copy. It is probably closer to content writing. 

Copywriting explained

Copywriting is text written to market a product or service. Examples are advertising copy, website copy, brochures, catalogs, email marketing, taglines, white papers, and advertorials.

The word “copywriting” refers to writing text for an article or advertisement. ”Copy” is the word used in the industry to refer to text written for advertising purposes.

Copywriting is any writing that’s done for marketing purposes. In fact, many people refer to copywriting as marketing writing.

The Skill of Content Writing

In contrast to copywriting, the main skill in content writing is to write clear, focused and compelling content. The purpose of the content, be it a blog or an article, is to tell the story of a brand in such a way that readers become engaged and curious about the business.

The writing informs or entertains readers in such a way that they become curious about the business, read more about and return to your site to read more interesting articles or blogs. The purpose is not to get people to buy something; it’s to build trust so readers eventually become loyal customers.

The content itself is well-researched and conveys a level of expertise that establishes the brand as a leader in its field. 

The term has become synonymous with marketing and compared to copywriting, content writing is closer to business writing than creative writing.  

In the end, good content writing and copywriting will hopefully both have a positive effect on a business.

Check out our article on How To Become A Copywriter With No Experience.

Content Writer vs Copywriter

Should You Hire A Copywriter Or A Content Writer?

Now that you are clear on the difference between copywriting and content writing, the answer to this question should become clearer. 

What Does a Copywriter Do?

A copywriter writes sales copy aimed at getting the target audience of a business to take some form of action, such as buying a product or signing up for a subscription. 

Before the days of digital marketing, this type of content would have been called advertising copy, or sales copy. These days, we talk about marketing content.

It aims to advertise the business, create brand awareness, and persuade customers and prospects to make some sort of financial commitment to the business.

Think of a copywriter as part of your sales team. 

It is copywriters that write the catchy slogans that brands are identified with. They come up with billboard copy that catches the attention of passersby. 

What Does a Content Writer Do?

A content writer produces writing in the form of blogs, articles, and white papers to give readers a broader perspective on the business, what it does, and why it deserves the status it enjoys in its field. Content marketers use much of the content produced by content writers for marketing purposes.

The nature of the content speaks of expertise in the field and is relevant and helpful for the target audience.

The aim of this kind of content is to grow a company’s reputation among consumers. If the content writer does this right, consumers will stick with the brand through thick and thin.

An important aspect of a content writer’s responsibility is creating content optimized for SEO so search engines rank the business prominently. 

Dissecting The Differences Between Content Writers And Copywriters

Here are the difference between content writers and copywriters:

1. Both create content but for different purposes

Copywriting aims to sell. Content writing aims to inform and build trust. The copywriter has a clear objective to write copy that sells, whereas the content writer’s goal is to promote brand loyalty.

The purpose of copywriting is to advertise and sell. 

Content writers create well-researched content written for a business that is informative and useful for readers. It is designed to build trust with an audience, which is a proven marketing strategy, as research has shown that consumers prefer to buy from brands they trust.

In short, content tells while copy sells.

2. Copywriters Go At Selling Directly; Content Writers Play The Long Game

Copywriters write sales copy that urges consumers to take action. Their writing includes a call to action (CTA) that urges readers to buy a product, sign up for a subscription, enroll in a class, or download something.

Part of their tactic is to create a sense of urgency or scarcity to compel readers to commit now.

Content writers, on the other hand, are not trying to sell a product or service; they build a basis  for future sales by building trust among customers and prospects. If their writing is on target, sales will be an indirect result of their content.

Blogging is one form of content used to create trust and drive buying decisions. According to research by Research Now, 84% of consumers make purchases after reading about a product or service on a blog. 

For younger generations (ages 18-34), blogs were chosen as the most important source of information for their buying decisions. Blogs were the second most important source of information after friends, family, and colleagues for consumers between the ages of 35-54.

3. Copywriting is short-form copy and content writing is long-form copy

Copywriters keep their text brief to captivate their readers and spur action. 

Copywriting appears in:

• Ads
• Slogans and taglines
• Television or radio commercial promotional and advertising scripts
• Video scripts
• Billboards
• Brochures
• Catalogs
• Sales letters
• Direct mail letters
• Jingle lyrics
• Web page content
• Email campaigns
• Social media

Content writers write long-form content that is an in-depth explanation of a service or topic that’s useful to readers.

Examples of content writing:

• Articles
• Blog posts
• Newspaper pieces
• Magazine features
• Press Releases
• White papers
• Reviews
• Case studies
• Email newsletters
• Guides
• Interviews
• Op-ed pieces
• Newsletters
• Social media captions
• FAQs pages 

These lists are not exhaustive nor definitive, and there is an overlap in some cases.

4. A Content Writer Has to Be an SEO Expert; A Copywriter Is Less Focused on SEO.

Businesses hire content writers to boost inbound traffic. For that, they have to be SEO ninjas, choosing the best topics based on search terms, writing SEO-friendly copy, and writing engaging and optimized title tags.

The content that content writers produce must rank well on search engines, otherwise, they fail in their purpose. Content writers know how to optimize content embedded with targeted keywords and headlines that induce clicks. 

Content writers engage in long-form content like blogs, articles, guides, and white papers that lend themselves to SEO best practices.

Copywriters, on the other hand, develop advertising copy that speaks directly to an audience. The goal is short-term: do this now. Here is my reason why you should do this now.

For this kind of advertising copy, SEO practices are not relevant. The bold messages that copywriters write for ads, banners, and slogans need to be impactful and speak directly to people, not nudge them through keywords.

5. The Nature of The Marketing Content Differs

The content that content writers generate must relate to readers on a personal level, inform them, and solve a problem for them. The content does well if it’s entertaining as well, but primarily it must be useful to really appeal to the modern consumer.

Content that is useful and practical also drives sales. A 2021 DemandGen study revealed 62% of those making B2B purchase decisions said they relied more on practical content like case studies and visual content, such as webinars, to guide their buying decisions and cited a higher emphasis on the trustworthiness of the source.

One of Google’s algorithm updates in 2022 gave preference to websites with ‘helpful content’. Helpful content was defined as content written for humans, not for search engines.

Copywriting, on the other hand, does not produce helpful content as such. While the product or service may be beneficial to users, ultimate the nature and aim of copywriting is to boost the company’s bottom line.

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6. Content writers drive organic traffic; copywriters capture that traffic and convert them

The aim of SEO-optimized articles and blogs is to make the website noticeable to search engines that then rank the website high in search results. 

Content writers drive organic traffic with their SEO-optimized writing, while copywriters use sales copy, slogans, and email campaigns to convert website visitors into sales and prospects.

Of course, it’s not as clear cut as all that – and there can be an overlap, but basically, SEO content’s prime function is to drive traffic, and sales copy’s prime function is to drive sales.

Content Writer VS. Copywriter: Which One Should I Hire?

If content writers and copywriters produce different products and aim for different results, does it mean that you need to appoint both a copywriter and a content writer?

It depends on the size and needs of the business and the ability of individual writers. A large concern that runs massive marketing campaigns will need both. Such a business will require a copywriter for ad copy, slogans, video scripts, and so forth. But it will also need a content writer for press releases, articles, and blogs. 

A small business might get away with appointing one professional to fulfill both functions. Many talented writers are comfortable with writing content and copy.

But on the whole, a business needs both copywriting and content writing: the copywriting to generate sales and the content writing to prepare the groundwork for customer conversion.

So, consider hiring a content writer and a copywriter.

Know When to Leverage Copywriting and Content Writing

Enlist the services of a content writer when you need to:

• Build trust and loyalty
• Educate your target audience
• Share helpful information with your customers and prospects
• Build your reputation as an industry leader
• Generate SEO-optimized content to generate organic traffic

Use the services of a copywriter when you need to:

• Advertise your company, products, or services
• Sell a product or service 
• Create brand awareness
• Convert visitors to your site into buyers or leads
• Tell consumers about your business and its goals through webpage copy

Ultimately, for businesses, the consideration shouldn’t be copywriting vs. content writing; it should be copywriting and content writing.