Difference between Copywriting and content marketing

February 04 2011

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Apparently, Copywriting and Content Marketing both are about creating content that is aimed at making the reader aware of your product or services. In a very simplistic vein, it can be said that while content marketing involves a tutorial job—creating an awesome report to give the reader a comprehensive knowledge of your product, copywriting must be a call to action—a specific response like making a purchase or at least checking your merchandise in store.

But a closer understanding of these two concepts will shed light on the fact that getting the difference of the two requires a little more than focusing on their apparently mutually exclusive definitions. In fact, these two concepts are inextricably interrelated.

Communication: Be it content writing or copywriting, building a rapport with the reader is probably the most crucial factor in your whole effort.

Amateur writers are often in love with the notion of starting with a flowering introduction followed by flamboyant body content. But in terms of reader benefit, such contents have little value. It does not communicate the vital info—what they are getting for their money.

Creating a catchy headline is the foremost element that a content writer should get the hang of. Content marketing involves creating report on white paper, or blog or using viral video. When the entire write-up lacks a meaningful heading, the reader’s eyes will not trail beyond the first paragraph. Just as the package tells one about what is inside, in similar way, the heading will make the reader infer what follows and how it may benefit him.

Call to action: As said earlier, copywriting is more focused that content writing in terms of reader response. While content marketing acts as a tutorial, the function of a copywriting is pecuniary—increasing sale.

There is no doubt that winning the trust of the reader is the undisputed objective of both copywriting and content marketing. But copywriting proceeds to another level, where sale is the main concern.

If the copywriting principles combine with those of content marketing, more number of readers will subscribe to your content, or you will have more requests for email newsletter service. Moreover, your readers will share your stuff with others. This will drive your revenue.

Engaging the reader: Though the above discussion may lead readers to believe that copywriting principle should be the ‘be-all and end-all’ of good content marketing, you have to depend on pure content to substantiate your advertising claims.

If a content marketing write-up looks like an ad, the reader, who is looking forward to a good reading experience, will not go through the whole stuff.

Though incorporating copy writing skills is a bare necessity for your business, only good content can make it search engine-friendly.

On the basis of these advantages and limitations of copywriting and content marketing, it can be concluded that they have differences but from your business perspectives, these differences crisscross boundaries. It will be better to understand the objective first and then to build into necessary characteristics in your content.

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