Most of the time we will use content marketing and copywriting in the same context, and this might create confusion to those who are not very familiar with the topics. This misunderstanding can be easily seen when reading job descriptions; there are plenty of companies that would post a job opening that says “copywriter needed” when they are actually looking for a content marketing specialist. To be able to make the difference in between the two concepts, you need to understand what they are both about.
Copywriting is meant to determine the potential client to make an action after reading your text, add or commercial. The actions can vary from making a purchase to making a phone call or subscribing to a mail list, asking more details about the products or services, etc. We have copywriters in advertising agencies, PR companies and even working in-house. Copywriting is very important as each element of the text, be it the title, the subject and even the style was chosen for the text needs to follow certain requirements and serve a specific purpose. The copywriter will create the text ads for banners and magazine ads, can also write blog posts as well as content for newsletters or brochures.
And now you will ask what content marketing is if that is copywriting… and it would be a fair question!
Content marketing has a role in educating potential clients about a certain product, service or concept. The writing style will not be focused towards making a sale or driving the potential client to make an action, but to teach the clients and to engage with them. The content marketing strategy might include working with a copywriter to give all communication the consistency needed, but a content marketing expert will be in charge of making the plans and the publishing calendar.
The differences are not that big, but it is essential to know that we can’t have a valid content marketing strategy that is focused on just making a sale, even if that is the end goal. The main difference in between a copywriter and a content marketing expert is that the first needs to be very good with words and people behavior while the second needs to be very savvy in the online medium and educating the audience.
Using the two together is the perfect choice for an effective marketing strategy. Just think of it like this: to close a deal and make a purchase the client will need more details about the products, the company, and its services. So first comes the content marketing specialist that will provide all these details and make the user curious about the products. When this is done, the copywriter will have the stage and close the deal, determining the client to buy.
Quality content is all about a blend of content marketing and copywriting. Add some search engine optimization techniques to that and you have the perfect recipe for online success.