I’ve been in the ad business for two decades, and in that time, I’ve seen the growth of technology facilitate the rise of digital media and its subsequent conquest over traditional media. When I first began my career, copywriting was something ad creatives did and content was something tv networks did.

But the rules have changed. Now, any company or individual can write copy and create a piece of content, and digital marketing has allowed businesses of any size, around the world, to compete with established brands, regardless of their advertising budget.

It’s a complicated game, though. Across the internet you’ll see acronyms such as PPC, CTR, CTA, SEM, and SEO thrown around as if everyone know what they are, but it can become confusing if you’re new to the business. “Content marketing” and “copywriting” are also two important tools in the democratization of digital marketing, and are incredibly powerful when done right.

We know digital marketing is a great investment. With the right content, tools, and strategy, you can scale your business in new directions and turn potential prospects into paying customers that keep coming back. And as a marketer or business owner, you’ve no doubt heard copywriting and content marketing come up a lot, from bloggers to sales gurus to SEO experts. But while you may be assume these words are interchangeable, they serve uniquely different purposes and benefit your digital marketing strategy differently.

We’re here to walk you through everything you need to know about copywriting and content marketing so you can use both to your advantage and successfully build your online presence. From calls to action to the value of words, here’s what you need to know about the difference between copywriting and content marketing, so you can fine-tune your marketing strategy.

What is Copywriting?

Let’s first distinguish that we’re not talking about the act of “writing copy,” which is, simply, writing words. We are talking about the advertising and marketing tactic of “copywriting,” which is specifically, in this usage, creating (brainstorming, writing, editing, and revising) the copy on your website, promotional marketing materials, and different digital marketing channels.

This copy is found on your “About Us” web page where you introduce your team, and on the corporate blogs you write to inform customers about changes or updates. It’s on product page descriptions, welcome email customer journeys, and how-to tutorials.

Anything on your website that uses copy is considered copywriting, as well as in a sales pitch. This copy typically has a persuasive purpose and a call to action somewhere on the page. It’s written to help sway a prospect to take a specific action almost immediately.

So whether it’s to click the contact us button, or add a product to their cart, copywriting generally has a goal to help you increase your conversion rate among potential customers.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing, on the other hand, is a specific digital tactic that is related to copywriting, but is not the same thing. This tactic is where you plan and create (again: brainstorm, write, edit, and revise) the content you create for attracting new customers and building trust with current ones. Good content is created to add value to your customer’s day and help you connect with customers who are actively seeking your products or services.

A strong content marketing strategy requires a lot of thought on behalf of content writers, well before any pen is put to paper or fingers touch the keyboard. It’s there to be the driving force behind your big-picture ideas and allows you to showcase your brand in an enticing way that drives engagement with prospective leads, as well as keeps current customers coming back.

Content writing can take different shapes and forms. Whether you’re putting together a video explainer about your newest data product, explain new a pricing model, or looking to give an inside look at your brand’s mission statement, everything is written to increase brand awareness and influence a purchasing decision, rather than drive them to convert right away.

Content marketing can take many forms, such as:

·       Videos

·       Podcasts

·       White papers

·       Blogs

·       Articles

·       Social media posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and more

·       Photos on Instagram

·       Infographics

·       Email marketing

·       Ebooks

·       Case studies

And that just skims the surface of the different types of content marketing businesses are using. With the right content writing, you can fill your sales funnel with viable leads and outrank your competitors on search engines. In fact, studies suggest that content marketing generates 3 times as many leads as any of your other outbound marketing initiatives.

The best part? With the right content marketing team in place, this strategy can actually be a lower-cost solution than paid media, that yields higher results. 

So when you’re building out a strategy for content writing, you’ll want to consider your target audience, goals, and what you hope to get from the content you create.