The Difference Between Content & Copywriting – By Rohan Rao

The difference between Content Writing and Copy Writing is similar to that between Journalism and Public Relations. They seem similar, with many people assuming that the two are interchangeable in the 21^st century. However, there is a stark difference between the two.

The Collins dictionary defines a copywriter as a “person whose job is to write words for advertisements.” It’s a rather simplistic if somewhat dull view of the job description of a copywriter. Don Draper is the quintessential ad-man, and he didn’t put words to match products. He sold a story, an emotion, an ethos for a brand. Whether it was the scene in the opening episode for the Lucky Strike pitch, his flirtatious encounter with Rachel Menken where he debunked the notion of true love, or his pitch for the carousel ad, Don Draper’s craft was art and the spoken word his paint. Copywriting isn’t about selling a product or service. It is about selling a story to connect people to the product and sell the feeling that their life is incomplete without this one product in hand.

Content Writing, on the other hand, can differ from copywriting.

While both have can be used to sell products and services, content writing does not always have to have a commercial agenda behind it.

As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary is “ideas that are contained in a piece of writing, a speech, or film.”

Essentially, the most significant difference between the two is that ‘content’ is about something with substance. It is concrete, while ‘copy’ is about engaging with the viewer or reader to pull and tug with their emotions through the feelings expressed and shown. Whether it’s a jingle, a catchy slogan, or a makeover of a brand’s image, copy sells an idea.

This is not to that content writing does not have its commercial purposes. Online Copy Writing, especially in blogs and newsletters, is not restricted to blocks of text. Through Search Engine Optimization, a content writer could say very little but communicate a lot through tags and keywords. Online content writing, as per Neil Patel, makes use of the fact that people should be a priority over the algorithms behind search engines. At the end of the day, the goal is to appeal to the people and use keywords as a supplement to bolster page views and page ranks.

Neil also characterizes content writing to be colloquial and straightforward. Flamboyant and over-the-top language appeals to a niche reader or consumer. However, online content writing aims to get as many eyes as possible onto the written content. Online content writing is at its best when a large swath of people have their eyes on a piece of content to serve the interests of a client.

While this might seem similar to copywriting, online content writing in many ways is direct by telling the end-user and reader what to think and search for while copywriting, through the use of storytelling and emotions, takes the end-user/reader on a journey by convincing them that they’ve come to a conclusion on their own.  

The nature of content and copywriting has changed as the media used for the two have converged. As the two have transitioned from print, tv, and radio to the internet, the lines between the two have blurred. While ‘content’ on a blog post might have started as a way to update users on a product of a new update, or additional information about how to handle a product; through the use of keywords and search engine optimization techniques, a blog that was strictly information could also subtly hint towards convincing readers to become consumers and buyers.

Copy has always remained about quality. Apple’s branding has always been about selling the idea that dreams and aspirations can only become real through an Apple device. But Apple has now pivoted towards Privacy as their calling card. Their copy is direct and straightforward, “Privacy. That’s iPhone.” When an increasing number of big-tech companies are being increasingly scrutinized over online Privacy, Apple’s copy is direct. However, it sells the feeling that a user is safe through them and them alone.

Content writing has pivoted from being solely informational to being used for advertising and selling products. The foundation of copywriting has remained the same over the years by selling ideas associated with the product through storytelling and anecdotes. The media used has converged as well, thus allowing one to believe that the two are interchangeable.